ing the COVID-19 pandemic. Since 1979, guests have watched thousands of new movies under the glow of Glendale 9’s out- door screens and enjoyed the old-school concessions stand, which is shaped like an octagon and includes all the staples (pop- corn, cotton candy) of the moviegoing ex- perience. Glendale 9 was one of the first drive-ins nationally to upgrade its movie audio from boxy speakers that hung on car windows to FM frequencies on people’s car stereos, and it continues to premiere new movies every week. The LEGO Model of Downtown Phoenix LEGOLAND Discovery Center Arizona Mills 5000 South Arizona Mills Circle, Tempe 855-450-0558 legolanddiscoverycenter.com It’s not just that the miniature cityscape of Phoenix now on display at Tempe’s LEGOLAND Discovery Center is made from nearly 2 million plastic LEGO bricks. The other thing that makes master model builder Alec Posta’s whimsical creation so very special is the inclusion of Phoenix’s perpetually torn-up streets. The numer- ous construction scenes are a nice touch in the diorama, created by a team of build- ers in both 1:72 scale and 1:48 scale. The cityscape extends into Tempe and be- yond, so Chase Tower and St. Mary’s Ba- silica are joined by the Wigwam Motel in Holbrook and the Cardinals Stadium. Want to show out-of-town visitors your city? Take them to the Arizona Mills shopping center, point to Posta’s clever creation, and you’re done. EEEEE Lux Central 4402 North Central Avenue 602-327-1396 luxcoffee.com It’s hard for a first-timer to find Lux Cen- tral. There’s no sign, and Google Maps will send you to what looks like an empty building on Central Avenue. The entrance is around back, and you’ll know you’re there because you’ll start to see effortlessly glamorous people who all look hipper and happier than you could ever hope to be. Al- though being surrounded by all these pretty people makes us feel ugly and un- stylish, we still like going to Lux Central. As a cafe, it’s something of a five-tool player, offering coffee, baked goods, brunch, dinner, and booze, and staying open late (midnight on weekdays, 2 a.m. on the weekends). That means that pretty Hobo Joe Statue Fifth Street and Monroe Avenue, Buckeye Quaint, quirky, and kitschy roadside attractions can be found in various corners of the Valley, but only the best ones are unique enough to seek out. The 25-foot-tall, 1,200-pound fi- berglass Hobo Joe statue in down- town Buckeye qualifies, as it’s one of the largest local roadside oddities and has an interesting and mysterious backstory. Old-school Arizonans will recognize the jaunty vagabond as be- ing identical to the namesake mascot of the defunct Hobo Joe’s Coffee Shop chain, which ties into the stat- ue’s origins. Built in the 1980s by now-deceased fiberglass pool manu- facturer Marvin Ransdell, it may have been created for one of the restau- rants, depending on the source. (Ransdell’s relatives say that’s the case and he was never paid for his work, but the widow of Hobo Joe’s late co-founder Herb Applegate dis- putes the claims.) The statue was given to the late Ramon Gillum, a lo- cal meatpacker and friend of Rans- dell’s, and stood outside of his Buckeye slaughterhouse for decades before being removed in 2016 to be restored and repainted. It’s now mounted in the parking lot behind a liquor store, where it’s popular with tourists and visitors. Way to go, Joe. 64 BEST OF PHOENIX 2021 | WWW.BESTOFPHOENIX2021.C0M | SEPTEMBER 30, 2021 B meRICK T B g B E S al o S p olit an lif e B A EST T RAC T RO A ID O SIN T DE E S T P E OP L E-W A T CHING
