North Central Phoenix Info

09/04/2026

🏡 The September North Central News is here!

Inside this month’s North Central Phoenix Homeowners Association update:

📅 NCPHA Annual Meeting — Thursday, September 24
🦃 Annual Turkey Drive returns this fall
🚲 Neighborhood safety reminders
🌳 Updates on advocacy and preserving our community’s unique character

Not receiving the newsletter in your mailbox? Sign up to have a copy delivered directly to your home.

You can also help protect the history, beauty and character of North Central Phoenix by donating to the NCPHA. Every contribution supports the association’s ongoing neighborhood-preservation efforts.

Learn more, sign up or donate at https://www.ncpha.org/

08/29/2026

Heads up, neighbors: SR 51 closures this weekend

ADOT has weekend work planned on SR 51 that will affect a lot of us getting around North Central. Here's what to expect:

Northbound SR 51 CLOSED from Indian School Road to Colter Street, 9 PM Saturday, Aug. 29 through 12 PM Sunday, Aug. 30. On-ramps at McDowell and Thomas will also be closed, along with the Highland Avenue off-ramp.

Detour option: westbound Indian School to northbound 16th Street to eastbound Colter, or eastbound Indian School to northbound 24th Street to westbound Glendale.

Heads up for after this weekend too: traffic at Camelback will shift to the right two lanes, and northbound SR 51 stays narrowed to two lanes from Highland to Camelback through September.

Southbound SR 51 narrowed to two lanes from Northern to Bethany Home Road, 9 PM Friday, Aug. 28 through 5 AM Monday, Aug. 31. On-ramps at Northern, Glendale, and Bethany Home will be closed during that window.

A note on the rough pavement you may have noticed on the bridge decks: that's temporary. It'll be cleared during upcoming bridge work, and the freeway will get a smooth final surface through a process called diamond grinding.

Give yourself extra time this weekend, and plan your route ahead if you're headed north or south on 51. Full details at azdot.gov/SR51-I-10-Shea-Pavement-Rehab.

North Central Phoenix HOA

08/20/2026

🚧 Heads up, Phoenix drivers: SR 51 lane restrictions are underway for pavement rehab work between I-10 and Shea Blvd.

This week (nights, 9 p.m. to 5 a.m.):
Northbound SR 51 down to one lane between Colter St and Bethany Home Rd, Tue. Aug. 18 through Thu. morning Aug. 20. The on-ramp at Colter/18th St and off-ramp at Bethany Home Rd will be closed.

Southbound SR 51 down to one lane between Bethany Home and Indian School roads, Tue. Aug. 18 through Fri. morning Aug. 21.

This weekend:
Southbound SR 51 narrows to two lanes between Bethany Home and Indian School roads from 9 p.m. Friday, Aug. 21 to 5 a.m. Monday, Aug. 24. The on-ramp at Highland Ave and off-ramp at Indian School Rd will be closed.

Ongoing through September:
Northbound SR 51 remains at two lanes from Highland Ave to Camelback Rd. The HOV lane and adjacent left lane are open to all traffic, even during rush hour. Expect delays and consider I-17 as an alternate route.

A note on the pavement: the uneven surface and leftover asphalt on the SR 51 bridge decks are temporary, not the finished road. Diamond grinding will smooth everything out as the project continues over the next several months.

Slow down, merge early, and stay alert through all work zones.

Details: azdot.gov/SR51-I-10-Shea-Pavement-Rehab

08/19/2026

Please join us for the North Central Phoenix
Homeowners Association Annual Meeting 2026!

Our volunteer neighborhood organization remains as busy as ever. If you live between 7th Street and 7th Avenue, from Missouri to Northern, you are automatically a part of the NCPHA and have a voice in actively maintaining and safeguarding our cherished North Central neighborhood.

Why Attend?

Not only will you hear about the issues affecting our neighborhood, but you will also hear from representatives from Mayor Kate Gallego’s office, Councilman Kevin Robinson’s office, and the Desert Horizon Police Precinct.

Come meet your neighbors, learn what is happening in our community, and bring your questions and concerns.

Thursday, September 24, 2026

All Saints Episcopal Church
6300 N. Central Avenue-Manning Hall

Doors Open: 6:00 p.m.
Meeting: 6:30-8:00 p.m.

08/14/2026

Waymo just got a lot bigger. 🚗

The company announced it's adding 55 more square miles to its Phoenix metro service area, bringing its total Valley coverage to more than 350 square miles. The newly added areas reach into Gilbert, more of Chandler, and out to San Tan Ranch.

North Central Phoenix has had access to Waymo for a while now, so many of our neighbors are already familiar riders. This expansion is a good reminder of how quickly autonomous ride hailing is becoming part of everyday life across the Valley, whether it's a trip to the airport, a night out, or a daily commute.

If you're one of our early adopters (or "fearless passengers," as some of you jokingly call yourselves), we would love to hear about your Waymo experiences. Drop a comment and let your neighbors know what riding is really like.

07/28/2026

Heads up travelers!

*SR 51 NB RESTRICTIONS*

SR 51 northbound will be restricted to two lanes between Highland Ave and Camelback Rd 24/7 for about 7 weeks starting Monday, July 27.

The restrictions are needed to replace about 700 feet of damaged pavement and make related repairs to a damaged stormwater pipe. A new concrete surface will then be poured to replace the old, uneven surface.

The work is part of a larger project to rehabilitate the pavement on a 9.5-mile segment of SR 51 between I-10 and Shea Blvd. The project is approximately 50% complete.

07/27/2026

Seventy-three years ago, a group of equestrians gathered on a Sunday morning for pancakes near the gateway at Bethany Home Road and Central Avenue. A 125-pound iron horseshoe hung from the juniper posts marking the entrance to the path.

That gateway was the work of the Arizona Horse Lovers Club, the same group that named this path in 1948. From that entrance at Bethany Home Road, the path runs north toward Northern Avenue and the Arizona Canal, and the horseshoe and horse head still mark that starting point today.

It is easy to walk or ride past that gateway without a second thought. But it was placed there on purpose, by people who wanted this path to be more than a dirt trail alongside a busy street. They wanted it remembered.

Next time you pass Bethany Home and Central, take a look up. That horseshoe has been watching over the path since before most of us were born.

07/20/2026

We live in the desert. Phoenix gets about 8 inches of rain a year. So how did trees planted over 100 years ago survive, let alone thrive, along Central Avenue?

The answer runs right alongside the Murphy Bridle Path.

When William J. Murphy came to the Salt River Valley in the 1880s, he did not just plat a subdivision and plant some trees. He built the Arizona Canal, a feat of engineering that brought water from the Salt River all the way to the northern reaches of the valley. That canal made the Orangewood Subdivision possible. It made the trees possible. It made this neighborhood possible.

Today, a Salt River Project irrigation lateral still runs along the west side of Central Avenue, maintained by SRP just as it has been for generations. The trees you walk past every day are still connected to that same water system Murphy put in place more than 125 years ago.

The canal and the irrigation network that shaped North Central Phoenix are a story all their own. And that story is coming next.

One more thing. Take a look at the bridge in the photo. If you know this stretch of the path, you will recognize it right away.

07/16/2026

Worth the short drive this weekend

If you're looking for a change of scenery July 17-19, two options are just outside the neighborhood.

The Maricopa County Home & Landscape Show takes over State Farm Stadium with ideas for remodeling, landscaping, and outdoor living, good timing if you've been eyeing a backyard refresh this fall.

Downtown, Greenwood Brewing is celebrating six years with a full weekend of new beer releases and live music, a nice excuse for an evening out.

Both are close enough for an easy trip and a good reason to get out of the house before the heat breaks.

07/14/2026

Monsoon watch: Wednesday looks wet ⛈️

Storms are shaping up for Wednesday, July 15, with a 75% chance of rain and a high near 104°. Typical July pattern, hot and building through the afternoon, then a good chance of a strong storm rolling in.

A few reminders for the neighborhood: watch for ponding on Central and Bethany Home, keep an eye on loose patio furniture, and if you're near the canal path, give it some extra caution once the wind picks up.

Okay, I'm excited. Anyone else ready for some real monsoon weather? Tell us in the comments. ⛈️

Stay safe out there, neighbors.