On one stretch of Grand Avenue, three neighboring storefronts have spent years building something that can’t be replicated by a shopping center or national chain.
At 1502, 1504 and 1506 Grand Ave., the Bikini Lounge, Grand Avenue Records and Trans Am Café each have their own identity. Together, they have become institutions of the Grand Avenue Arts District, connecting old Phoenix with a new generation of artists, musicians and entrepreneurs.
Walk into Trans Am Café and the soundtrack might be Sparklehorse drifting through the speakers while customers sip coffee, tap away on laptops or linger over homemade sandwiches, including a BLT impossible to put down. Local artwork hangs on the walls, much of it available for purchase, reinforcing the neighborhood’s creative spirit.