Downtown Lowdown

{Send your "lowdown" to Jamie Manser, jamie@downtowntucson.org}

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Little Café Poca Cosa Finds New Home

A few months remain to experience, or re-experience, the cozy breakfast/lunch nook at its Scott residence before it relocates to 151 N. Stone Ave. – the previous home of the Greek restaurant Mykonos.

For close to two decades, the renowned establishment has been serving up glorious Mexican food at 20 S. Scott Ave., and will continue to do so at the new abode.

In a ceremony last month in front of the café’s new locale, Marcela Dávila said there would be minimal changes. Good thing – it’s hard to improve on perfection.

Their current location was owned by the Feds, who sold the building to the City as part of the Thrifty Block redevelopment. The Department of Homeland Security required that the tiny restaurant structure be demolished to provide a security buffer to protect the nearby Walsh Federal Courthouse. The Walsh building is a National Register landmark that is presently undergoing its own renovations as the next home of the U.S. Bankruptcy Court.

The eatery will remain open until the new location is ready, with a move-in date slated for sometime in August.

David Aguirre Wins Heart of Downtown Award

Last month, artist and arts advocate David Aguirre was bestowed with the Mayor’s quarterly recognition for his 17-year dedication to the Warehouse District and its artists.

Aguirre, who is the president of both the Tucson Arts Coalition and Dinnerware Artists Cooperative, and is a board member of the Tucson/Pima Arts Council, founded and manages several downtown warehouse studios that lease loft spaces to artists. Aguirre’s belief in the Warehouse Arts District and his work in attracting and retaining new talent to the area earned him the honor, which is conferred to persons or organizations whose exceptional contributions improve Downtown Tucson.

Mayor Bob Walkup also presented the John Wesley Miller Company with the City of Tucson Home Energy Efficiency Award for its Armory Park del Sol development in June. In January, the company was also awarded by the Southern Arizona Home Builders Association as the Builder of the Year for those building less than 100 homes.

New Businesses

Southern Arizona School of Yoga

Synchronicity played its hand when Southern Arizona School of Yoga’s instructor Alexis Bachrach found her studio at the Labor Temple on 267 S. Stone Ave., after relocating back to Tucson.

“I was teaching yoga in San Francisco. I got back into town with the intention of finding a place, and a few days later, I saw the sign.

“It had been a potter’s studio for 22 years. He hung up a ‘For Rent’ sign and I saw it the same day!”

With its high ceilings and wall space, Bachrach said the space is “perfect for teaching yoga.”

The Iyengar Yoga classes have been ongoing since mid-March, taking her only three months to prepare the space after securing it in January.

“I re-plastered the walls a bit and put in oak hardwood floors.”

Drop-ins of any level of yoga experience are welcome at this gorgeous, spacious and naturally-lit studio. Classes are offered for adults, small children and senior citizens.

“This style of yoga is instructional and precise. These are classes and people progress and move onto the next level. The focus is on Hatha Yoga postures.”

Bachrach, who was introduced to yoga after other forms of therapy failed to heal a back injury, has been teaching it for three years.

International School of Tucson

A progressive private school based on international standards is opening its preschool section this fall with plans to have its elementary classes begin in August 2005.

Currently accepting registrations for the preschool Arabic and Spanish language immersion programs, the university-area school begins educating children at age two.

“This program is highly effective,” said Head of School Robert Young, “because it makes use of what young children want to do – be busy, have fun and talk.”

The educator said their language element is based on “what has been done in the leading bilingual schools of South America for around 170 years.” It is also similar to “what is done in Finland, Turkey and the Netherlands - all countries known for strong traditions of fully multilingual populations.”

Young, who originally hails from New Zealand, has over 20 years of global educational experience with posts ranging from the Far East to Europe to South America.

He said they chose to open the school in Tucson “because we find it to be a culturally aware and forward-looking city, with a cosmopolitan and international outlook, and with a significant number of educationally motivated families.”

More information can be found at www.InternationalSchool ofTucson.com, by email at info@internationalschooloftucson.com or by calling 406-0552.

Little Chill Ice Cream Parlor

Opened in time to help quell the heat, the quaint parlor serves up 16 different types of Dryers Ice Cream as well as fat-free frozen yogurt and sorbet – all of which can be incorporated into sundaes, floats, brownie royales and malts. Located at 73 E. Pennington St. (where the Pennington Street market used to reside), Little Chill’s hours are 10:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m., Monday through Saturday.

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