Food, Entertainment & Shopping: Tempe Marketplace

I headed up to Tempe Marketplace to check out the shops and restaurants that keep college students returning throughout the school year. Being a student from Arizona State University, many of the people within the city of Tempe and college students gather here to pass the time. Whether you want to go to the movies, try new restaurants, or even shop for new outfits or dorm supplies, Tempe Marketplace has what you’re looking for.

Starving by the time my boyfriend and I arrived, we were tasked with the choice of which restaurant to choose. Some of the restaurants available are California Pizza Kitchen, Lucille’s Smokehouse Barbeque, Kabuki, Red Robin, Chipotle and the Thirsty Lion.

We decided on Chipotle, a Mexican grill offering burritos, bowls, tacos, and even kids meals. The variety allows you to make to the right choice, such as vegetarian style, chicken, steak, and barbacoa beef. As we emerged from Chipotle, full, we were quickly tempted by the smell of popcorn in the air (thanks to the nearby Harkins Theatre) as well as the ice cream and frozen yogurt eaten by passersby (from Cold Stone Creamery and Mojo Yogurt, respectively).

Escaping temptation, we made a quick stop into Claire’s, greeted with Justin Bieber hats, flip-flops, purses and other colorful treasures for teens and young girls alike. If you know what you’re looking for, there are numerous earrings and jewelry that are perfect for even a college student’s wardrobe.

In search of pop culture attire more our age group, we ventured into Hot Topic. From Mario to Disney, you can’t help but pick out a variety of things you simply can’t live without.

With so many stores within a few steps of one another, we quickly visited 20 shops, including Tilly’s, Journey’s, Pac Sun, Lids, Oakley, Target, Ross and World Market.

Tempe Marketplace is also the perfect place to stay updated with upcoming shows at ASU Gammage. The previous season was posted, but other upcoming events that Tempe Marketplace sponsored are listed along the paths between the various stores.

Near Barnes & Noble, there is a kid-splash fountain for little ones to play in. Many happy moms were taking advantage of this amenity and watched their little ones play as they sat in the shade. The area, called The District”, has free Wi-Fi, and Tempe Marketplace is pet friendly.

I look forward to another visit to Tempe Marketplace to explore the stores as well as try more food from the variety of restaurants.