I can't believe I've never reviewed this place before. I've been here countless times before, and watched the place get upgraded and remodeled several years ago.

I can't remember the first time I came here, but it was some time ago after I moved out here. The convention center has an older part thats smaller, and a new addition that's huge!  Plenty of events are held here all year round, from sporting events like the NBA all star game, to the auto show, they had an NRA convention a couple years ago with a zillion people, along with other regular yearly events like the auto show and several others.

The place is large, and has 3 levels (a basement area, main level and upper level) with a crosswalk to get to the other side which is pretty darn cool. It's huge, spacious, and modern looking with its updates.  Escalators, stairs, etc.  The place is sparsely decorated with Arizona stuff that makes it really cool looking. They also have a cool light feature outside that illuminates the walkway with different colors at night and is really pretty to look at as well.

The cool thing about it is too is that its easily accessible via light rail, and you don't have to spend $$ on parking...and let me tell you, the parking here isn't cheap! $12 for the garage, $10 in lots around, and its not any cheaper the farther away you get.  I don't know why anyone would want to park down here, since the light rail is $3.50 round trip, so save yourself a few bucks and take the rail. You'll thank me later!

There's also food and dining in here as well, with a variety of different style resturants, but again, its outrageously expensive!  They have a starbucks here too, which is their regular prices, but is like an extra $5 a person to eat here, so dine elsewhere before you come in here.  (minus the coffee since Starbucks is the only reasonably priced place in here.)  Plus, the convention center is a hop, skip and a jump from about a zillion other cool dining places that your better off eating at anyways, so do that instead.

Aside from that, this place is pretty huge, and its worth checking out. Plenty of clean pretty bathrooms and tons to do in and outside of the center with variety of different sized spaces to hold any kind of event, large or small.