Sunnyslope

The vibe

Sunnyslope sits north of the Arizona Canal, roughly where Central Avenue and 7th Street start climbing toward the mountains. It was its own unincorporated place for decades, a spot people moved to for the dry air, and you can still feel that independent streak. Lots of mid-century block houses. Gravel yards. A few chickens. Some streets look freshly flipped and the next one looks exactly like it did when your grandpa bought a swamp cooler.

It is not polished. That is the point. Sunnyslope is the neighborhood people call "up and coming" every year, and every year it mostly just stays itself, which we respect.

The big landmark is the S. Sunnyslope Mountain is a small rocky hill near Central and Hatcher with a giant white letter painted on the south face, kept fresh by Sunnyslope High kids. You see it from all over the north side, and once you know it, you start using it to navigate.

Who lives there

Old-timers who have been here since the canal banks were dirt. Young couples who got priced out of the neighborhoods south of them, including the nicer stretches of Uptown and North Central. Mountain bikers and trail runners who want to roll out of bed and onto a preserve trail. Families, renters, a healthy number of people who work in the hospital and medical offices around Dunlap. And plenty of folks who just like that nobody here is trying too hard.

It is a real neighborhood, with real neighbors. Wave back.

Best munchies

The spine of Sunnyslope restaurants is 7th Street between Dunlap and Peoria. Drive it once (sober, obviously) and then come back hungry with a friend at the wheel.

Barbecue that people line up for

Little Miss BBQ has a Sunnyslope location on 7th Street, and yes, it is that Little Miss, the one that keeps landing on national best-barbecue lists. Brisket is the move. The line is part of the experience, so pack patience and maybe a water. It does not keep the hours of a late-night spot, so check before you go.

Tortas, tacos, Greek, donuts

Los Reyes de la Torta on 7th Street does Mexico City style tortas the size of a throw pillow. Exactly what a baked brain wants. Split one or don't, we're not your mom. El Bravo is the old-school family Mexican spot a few blocks south, the kind of place where the combo plate hasn't changed in years and nobody wants it to. GreekTown has been feeding the north side gyros and dolmades for decades, and it still feels like a family dining room.

Morning after? Hi Hi Donuts on 7th Street has a ridiculous case of donuts plus breakfast burritos, and Scramble handles the full breakfast plate when you need eggs and coffee before you can function.

For a beer and a burger on Central, O.H.S.O. Brewery moved into a roughly century-old building right by the canal, which makes it a natural stop on a bike ride. Our full rundown of the city's eating is on the Phoenix munchies guide, and if you need food after the kitchens close, see where Phoenix eats late.

Things to do baked

The Arizona Canal Trail runs right along the south edge of the neighborhood. Walk it or ride it at golden hour and you get the water, the palms, the backyards and the mountains all in one frame. It is flat, which your legs will appreciate after a sesh at home.

Wander the 7th Street strip on foot for a slow snack crawl. Grab tortas, then donuts, then wonder why you thought that was a good order. Duck into a neighborhood bar for air conditioning and a jukebox. Sunnyslope also has a famous folk-art rock garden that one resident built by hand over many years; ask around and somebody will point you to it.

In the cool months, the best thing to do is just be outside. The first cool morning in October hits different up here because the mountains are so close. Our list of things to do high in Phoenix covers the rest of the city when you want to roam.

Getting around: the light rail does not really serve Sunnyslope. It runs up 19th Avenue and swings west along Dunlap to its northern end at Metro Parkway, so the nearest stops are a few miles west. Rideshare, bikes, your feet, or a sober friend. The I-17 sits to the west and the 51 to the east, which makes Sunnyslope easy to reach and easy to leave, but don't drive anywhere after you smoke.

Best mountain or sunset spot nearby

Sunnyslope Mountain is the obvious one. The hike up to the S is short and steep, more scramble than stroll, and the view from the top takes in the whole north side, the canal, and downtown's little skyline on a clear day. Go early in summer. Go any time in winter.

Just north, the North Mountain trails start from 7th Street, and the long Trail 100 runs east through the Phoenix Mountains Preserve. North Mountain is the bigger, more serious climb if you want to sweat. We break down every peak on our Phoenix mountains and sunset guide, and the neighbors up in Moon Valley and North Mountain get their own page.

One note, said once and lightly (general info, not legal advice): Phoenix mountain preserves and city parks are smoke-free, and that includes weed. Smoke at home, then hike. The mountain is better with a clear head on the steep parts anyway. More on that in our guide to where you can actually sesh.

The good and the annoying

The good

Mountains in your backyard. Real food, real prices, no velvet rope. The canal path. You can get to the Biltmore and Camelback East in a few minutes when you want fancy, then come home where nobody judges your gym shorts.

The annoying

The light rail ignores you. Some blocks have no sidewalks, which is fun at night. Parts of 7th Street still look like a used car lot had a baby with a strip mall. Monsoon storms turn the low streets into rivers, and a haboob will put a layer of the desert on your car in about four minutes.

And the Little Miss line. You will stand in it, and you will complain, and you will do it again next month.

Sunnyslope is what central Phoenix was before it learned the word "concept."