Decorative Sewer Manhole Covers in Phoenix

The greater Phoenix area is made up of more than 20 incorporated cities, towns, and census designated places. Collectively, the "metro Phoenix" area is home to 4.7 million people.

As these cities and towns grow closer together into one giant mass of sprawl, how do they retain their individual identities? One small way that cities set themselves apart is with decorative sewer manhole covers. Here are five good ones that I've come across in the Phoenix area. I will update this post with more unique sewer and manhole covers as I find them.

City of Phoenix sanitary sewer cover featuring the Phoenix bird symbol, which was designed in 1987 in a widely publicized design contest. The winning entry was a design by the firm of Smit Ghormley Sanft and became the official city symbol in 1990.

City of Peoria, AZ storm sewer cover featuring a setting sun, mountains, a Saguaro cactus, and an agricultural field in the foreground. The year 1954 is when Peoria was incorporated as a city.

City of Glendale, AZ sanitary sewer cover featuring the three pillar design that appears throughout the city. The pillars represent three key elements of community—the citizens, the business sector, and the government that serves them. They were adopted as the city's official logo in 1990.

City of Chandler, AZ sanitary sewer cover featuring the city's official logo, which was adopted in 1994. It has a stylized "C" with the San Tan Mountains, the growing city, and agricultural fields in the foreground.

City of Scottsdale, AZ storm sewer cover features a cowboy riding a bucking bronco. The design was adopted as the official city seal around 1951. It was designed by local artist Gene Pennington and was based on an actual Scottsdale cattleman and resident Gerbacio "Harvey" Noriega.

November 2020 Update: I found another one!

The City of Buckeye, Arizona has these unique storm sewer covers in their Historic downtown district. The design features the bud of a cotton plant - a historically important crop in the region. It says "Historic Buckeye - Founded 1888." Interestingly, all of the other covers have a small cutout or notch to facilitate removal of the cover using a special manhole cover lifting tool. The Buckeye one does not have a notch and I have no idea how this would be removed!

Vintage Signs of Phoenix

In our high-tech modern world of apps, connected devices, same-day delivery and always-on broadband, it might seem like we are living in the future. However, there are still signs of the past all around us.

Take Phoenix for example. While it is a very modern city with urban lofts and the Metro Light Rail, there are also signs of the past everywhere! Many of these signs are hand-painted unique creations that look out of place in the mass-produced, corporate style guide world of today.

Each of these signs uses shape as well as color to draw the eye and to illustrate movement. I am interested in preserving this part of Phoenix's history through photography, and today I want to share with you some of my favorite vintage signs in Phoenix.

Cheese 'N Stuff Delicatessen

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Presidential Dining in Phoenix

There is an unwritten rule among United States Presidents that whenever they visit Phoenix, they always make time to grab some local Mexican food.

It's no secret that Phoenix is full of great Mexican restaurants. Let's take a look at where some of the recent Presidents have eaten in Phoenix:
 
Bill Clinton
Poncho's Mexican Food
7202 S. Central Ave
Phoenix, AZ 85042

President Bill Clinton ate here while in office on July 7, 1999. The restaurant has commemorated this event by painting a mural of the President on the wall.

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2014 Warrior Dash Arizona Photos

The Warrior Dash is an obstacle race in which participants are challenged to run, climb, jump over, and swim through a variety of physically demanding obstacles. 

These type of events have grown rapidly in popularity over the past couple of years, with many other events such as Tough Mudder and Spartan Run also drawing large crowds.

The Warrior Dash recently came to Phoenix, AZ on April 12, 2014. This was my first time attending one of these events and I took some photos which I hope will give you an idea of what to expect at an obstacle race.

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Hillside Letters of Arizona

Have you ever noticed that lots of small towns in Arizona have the first letter of their city's name painted on a mountain? I have noticed these, and only recently did I discover that they have a name: hillside letters.

These hillside letters (or 'mountain monikers') are largely a western phenomenon. You won't find them east of the Mississippi River, but they are quite prevalent in California, Nevada, Utah, Arizona, and even as far west as Texas. Not much is known about how or why the practice originated.

After scouring through my photo archives, it turns out that I have a number of these photos from around Arizona.

Here are some of Arizona's hillside letters that I have spotted:

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11 Historic Houses in Arizona

"A man's home is his castle" as the old saying goes. A home can also be a local landmark or an icon of a neighborhood in which it is located. 

Here is a list I have compiled of 11 historic houses in the great state of Arizona.

11. Douglas Mansion

The Douglas Mansion is located in Jerome, Arizona. Built in 1916 by James S. Douglas, this 8700 square-foot house features amenities such as electric lighting, polished concrete floors, and a central vacuum system. Today, this house is the headquarters for Jerome State Historic Park. Tours are available.

Year Built: 1916
Address: 100 Douglas Road, Jerome, AZ 86331
Style: Mission Revival

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Aerial Photos of Arizona

Last month, my employer sent myself and some co-workers to Las Vegas to attend the Consumer Electronics Show, which is the largest trade show in North America. The flight from Phoenix to Las Vegas takes only 45 or 50 minutes, and my window seat afforded me some very unique photographic opportunities.

So without further ado, here are some aerial photos of Phoenix and Arizona that I took! Hope you enjoy them!

We took off from Sky Harbor facing east and then began to change course to Las Vegas. Out the window, you can clearly see the Loop 101 Pima Freeway as it passes through Scottsdale, AZ and the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community.

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Phoenix Christmas Light Photos 2011

As a native Arizonan, I feel like I've never had the chance to get the full Christmas experience. While songs on the radio talk about sleigh rides, chestnuts roasting on an open fire and a White Christmas, I have never experienced any of those things.

Due to the climate here in the Sonoran Desert, the Phoenix area does not get snow. As a kid, one of our family traditions was to pile in the car and drive around to look at Christmas lights.

You see, when there is no snow, some folks try to make up for it by putting up a few extra strings of lights. And then there are the people who go completely and totally overboard with lights, illuminating the entire neighborhood like Times Square. Those houses are my favorite.

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Arizona Centennial Union Pacific Steam Locomotive Tour

You may already be aware that Arizona will be celebrating 100 years of statehood in February 2012. What you may not know is that celebrations for this important occasion have already begun!

Earlier this month, a very special steam-powered locomotive rolled through the Grand Canyon State as part of our centennial celebration. The Union Pacific #844 steam locomotive was available for public viewing at the Union Pacific rail yard in downtown Phoenix on Sunday November 13th and Monday November 14th, 2011.

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Exotic Car Spotting (Part II)

It was over a year ago that I posted some photos of exotic cars in Phoenix I've spotted. Since that time, many more expensive and rare cars have passed in front of me and my camera. Here are some of the best ones I have seen during the past year:

The Tesla Roadster is an all-electric sports car based on the Lotus Elise. It does 0-60 in 3.9 seconds, has a top speed of 125mph, and a range of about 230 miles.

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Method Art Gallery Debuts 'Through Each Others Eyes'

In a previous article about the Ro Ho En Japanese Friendship Garden, I mentioned that Phoenix and Himeji, Japan are International Sister Cities. Now, a new photographic exhibit at Method Art Gallery in Old Town Scottsdale brings these two cities together 'Through Each Others Eyes.'

The name refers to both the exhibit and the non-profit organization that put the exhibition together. The 'Through Each Others Eyes' features photos of Japan through the eyes of two Phoenix-area photographers and images of Arizona through the eyes of two Japanese photographers.

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Say It Ain't Snow!

On Sunday, I went to the Great Fair in Fountain Hills, Arizona. The previous night's rain had done more than leave everything a little soggy...it had also brought a lot of snow to the McDowell Mountains and other higher elevation areas!

Check out these photos I took along the Loop 101 Freeway headed towards Scottsdale. It's not every day that you see the McDowell Mountains covered in snow!

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Observing the Perseid Meteor Shower 2010

If you pay attention to the news headlines, you may have heard about the Perseid Meteor Shower this past week. This meteor shower is the result of debris from a comet burning up as it enters Earth's atmosphere. The burning chunks of space rocks leave streaks across the night sky, which are also called falling stars or shooting stars. They appear to originate in the sky near the constellation Perseus, which is where the name comes from.

The shower is visible nightly from July 23rd to August 24th, with the peak viewing hours taking place on Thursday, August 12th between midnight and dawn. Because astronomy and photography are two of my favorite hobbies, and I decided to make a serious attempt to view this year's show.

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Photos from CarQuest Car Show in North Phoenix

Last Saturday, April 17th, I was surprised to come across a small car show in the parking lot of my local CarQuest Auto Parts store. While CarQuest is not as well-known as Auto Zone and Checker Auto Parts, they do have about 3,400 locations nationwide including 20 stores in the Phoenix area.

What caught my attention was not the tent set up in the parking lot or the giant inflatable oil filter with the company's logo, but the row of cars of all different colors gleaming in the midday sun. With camera in hand, I got out to take a look.

The show was small but had a good mix of vehicles. The first thing I happened across was a bright green sand rail with paddle-shaped sand tires. Instead of the usual Volkswagen engine, this one boasted a turbocharged and intercooled 2.2L Ecotec motor. Everything on it looked brand new, as if it had yet to roar across the sand dunes.

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NASCAR #47 Makes Special Appearance in North Phoenix

One of the easiest ways to become a better photographer is to remember this simple rule: Always bring your camera. Today I went out to pick up a few things at the store and like always, I brought my camera with me "just in case." Well today my strategy paid off, because I spotted this awesome car parked outside of the Wal-Mart on Happy Valley Road this afternoon!

This #47 Toyota Camry is driven by Marcos Ambrose who races in the NASCAR Sprint Cup series. The Australian-born Ambrose is currently ranked 29th out of 57 drivers for the 2010 season according to the NASCAR website.

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New River Wash Flowing Like Crazy

Record rainfall during the past several days has turned many dry washes around Phoenix into raging streams of mud, silt, and water! Check out these photos of New River Wash taken on Saturday afternoon near 83rd Avenue and Union Hills Road.

The bridge in the background carries Union Hills Road over the New River wash.

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Exotic Car Spotting in Phoenix

If you think that the only places to catch a glimpse of exotic cars are exotic cities like Las Vegas, Miami, and Dubai, think again! It may surprise you to hear this, but the truth is that Phoenix is actually a great place to see exotic and rare cars on the streets. Here are a few gems I have spotted while driving around during the past year or so:

Here is a Ferrari F430 that I spotted on the Loop 101 freeway.
This car has a top speed of 196 miles per hour!

This Maserati Quattroporte was seen cruising down Camelback Road in Phoenix.
The average price of these high-performance luxury sedans is $110,000 to $140,000.

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Crazy Christmas Light Displays Are A Phoenix Tradition

Have you ever noticed the tendency of Phoenix residents to go overboard with Christmas lights during the winter? Some say it is to compensate for the lack of snow, while others suggest that these people simply have too much time on their hands. Whatever the case, elaborate Christmas light displays are an annual tradition among Phoenix residents.

But of course, you don't want to waste your time looking at a couple of strings of icicle lights dangling from the roof of some guy's garage. You want to see the best light displays in town, and they're all listed here on the North Phoenix Blog!

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Get the Picture with Phoenix Area Photo Blogs

One of the many neat things about living in Phoenix is that the natural beauty of the desert landscape provides endless opportunities for photographers.

Thanks to the popularity of photo blogs, you can see for yourself what almost every corner of the valley looks like. Check out some of these great Arizona photo blogs:

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Experience Classic Car Nirvana at Desert Valley Auto Parts

When it comes to car parts, it's no secret that the junkyards of Phoenix are among the best in the country. Cars do not get rusty and corroded here, thanks to the dry air and mild winters. This is the perfect climate for a place like Desert Valley Auto Parts.

Desert Valley is very different from your typical junkyard. It is a place that classic car enthusiasts might describe as the "mother lode." It's been featured in Car Craft, Mopar Muscle, and dozens of other magazines. It is a place of legendary status, like the Fountain of Youth or the Seven Cities of Gold.

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