Shutter Mike Photography

Part IV of the best signs to photograph in Phoenix, AZ focuses on the Melrose District in central Phoenix.  All of these signs can easily be accessed from 7th Ave. between Indian School and Camelback.  The signs in Mesa and Phoenix from past posts can be found in part I, part II and part III if you care to review other spots to try out.  To help you out on this photo outing I have a Google Map that marks each of the signs in this post.

Unlike the signs on Main St. in Mesa which were exclusively neon and the signs on Grand Ave. in Phoenix which are mostly neon but not in as good condition as Mesa, the 7th Ave. signs are more of a mix of styles.  They also, for the most part, are not as old as those in past posts, but they still have character and colors that are worth photographing.

The Wagon Wheel Bar (with Free Parking) is no longer a bar.  Last I was inside it was an antiques and collectibles store.  But they have kept the original sign in front of the building, albeit the elements have take a bit of a toll, but that does add some character and make for a more interesting subject.  The building behind the sign, by the way, is a small but rather old strip mall consisting of about 4 small stores.

In the same strip mall is the Melrose Pharmacy.  The sign for the pharmacy along with the Wagon Wheel Bar are, in my view, the two best one’s along 7th Ave.  They are probably the oldest and most photogenic of the Melrose signs (although it is worth taking a walk down 7th Ave to check out the others as well).

Pretty fancy sign for a dry cleaner.  But it is a great neon sign that makes the Paris Laundry and Dry Cleaning stand out on 7th Ave.  It is almost “Vegas-esque” with the bright blue backboard in a non-conventional shape and white neon letters.  Getting the perfect shot of this sign was a little difficult however.  This photograph was taken looking north and because I was so close I was not able to crop the roof line of the dry cleaning drive-thru out of the shot.  But even though the sign is the same from the other side, the roof line was even more prominent from a close angle.  Taking the photo from further away with a telephoto lens would have helped.

The thing that makes this rather ordinary sign for Diamonds Chinese Food Restaurant stand out is the ornamentation.  Both the roof line of the restaurant itself in a “traditional” Chinese temple style and the decoration down the sign post are what make this sign different.  Unlike the Paris Dry Cleaning sign above you probably don’t want to try to crop these things out of  your photograph as they tend to make the sign more interesting.

Also, as with the Wagon Wheel Bar sign, don’t discount a particular sign as not photo worthy because of wear and tear.  The less than perfect condition of the lower portion of this sign adds something to the overall story.  The “Chinese” part of “Chinese American Restaurant” has almost faded completely away, making Diamonds Chinese Food an American Restaurant.

With “vintage” right in its name, the sign for the Melrose Vintage shop can’t be overlooked.  This sign has the same roof line cropping issue as the Paris.  Again, another lens and alternate distances from the sign itself could probably have resolved this.  But that aside, I think the muted tones of the arrow and the main oval make for an interesting contrast with the “flashiness” of a neon sign with a giant lighted arrow.