text: I absolutely HATE that I can say this... but, I remember the days when Mill Avenue had a different feel to it. There used to be fewer chains and the vibe was much more bohemian, making it more or less the only part of the Valley with any personality. Several years later, visitors to Mill Avenue really just go to a simulacrum; a soulless husk of an Old West-ish main drag. Don't be fooled by the \"historical buildings\" on the street, as a number of them are over a century old, but quite a few were built architecturally designed to look old. I can appreciate the aesthetic value of it, just as I can appreciate the attempt to make a walkable neighborhood. Unfortunately, only this synecdoche of Tempe is walkable: the majority of visitors have to drive to get here (not good for a bar-hopping/drinking-and-driving destination) and the lack of amenities would still make it difficult to live and work here without a car, unless they shop for groceries at the corner CVS. Its proximity to ASU is likely to keep it a popular destination, as is Downtown Phoenix' laziness and willingness to let Tempe take prominent events (i.e. Oktoberfest, New Year's Eve,) but all in all it's worth avoiding.