Even though time was running a little short, we stuck to our itinerary and walked about a half-mile south, down N. 40th St. to Indian School Road to catch the Route 41 Bus headed west. Our destination was the Lux Coffeebar at 4404 N. Central Ave. This 20-minute bus ride in the middle of the afternoon turned into an adventure in itself, as the bus slowly filled to capacity with school kids hopping on board to make their way home. As the bus groaned to a stop at Central Ave, we hopped off and walked north another half-mile to the coffee bar, located directly across the street from a high school.
Housed in what looks to be an old commercial space built when this was still the outskirts of town, the Lux Coffeebar has cool and dark feel, with couches, chairs, and long bar running against the wall. This place has the look of where the alternative crowd of Phoenix hangs out. In the afternoon, we found the folks working there cheerful and attentive. They also serve an excellent coffee, dark and full-bodied. The beans are roasted in the back of the shop daily. After buying taking our coffee out side to enjoy the perfect winter weather, and buying a couple of pounds of coffee to take home, our time was up. We walked outside the Lux Coffeebar to the bus stop and waited for the Red Line bus to take us back to the airport. Valley Metro scores again. The bus shows up on time, and about 40 minutes later, we’re at the airport checking in for our flight.