Coronado Historic District

The Coronado Historic District is generally bound by Virginia Ave on the north, McDowell Rd on the south, 14th St on the east, and 7th St on the west. Within this area, there are 1,039 homes in total. The area fist started being developed at the turn of the century; however, most of the structures were erected from 1920 to 1935. The predominant architectural style found in the Coronado Historic District is the classic craftsman bungalow. So, if you are a bungalow lover, this is a great neighborhood for you to locate one. That’s not to say that the neighborhood does not contain diverse architectural styles. On the contrary, there are other styles scattered throughout the Coronado Historic District, such as Spanish Colonial Revival, English Cottage (Tudor), Neoclassical Revival, and Art Moderne to name a few. See our blog post, Phoenix Architectural Styles, for more detailed information about these architectural styles.

The Coronado Historic District was one of Phoenix’s first middle class suburbs, and as such it is one of the largest historic neighborhoods in our city. While it is close to downtown by today’s definition, at the time, it was considered a more distant suburb and became more reliable on automobiles as opposed to the streetcar system that connected much of the downtown neighborhoods of the time. With that said, there was a streetcar that ran from downtown into the neighborhood up until 1945. As automobiles became more popular, garages were built behind houses, many of which are guest houses today. The fact that this neighborhood housed more of the middle class and working class may explain why you find more craftsman bungalows since this was a very popular trend with the middle class at the time. These homes were often featured in the “arts & crafts” magazines and books and followed an “All American” approach to home building.

Within the neighborhood you’ll find Phoenix Elementary School District #1, Emerson Elementary School, and Coronado Park. The park’s history dates to the early days of the Coronado Historic District when it, along with the school, were built to attract residents to the neighborhood. The park features a playground, large open fields, tennis and basketball courts, a baseball field, and a swimming pool. Flanking 7th St are several of the city’s great restaurants, including The Main Ingredient (housed inside one of the neighborhood’s bungalows, MacAlpine’s Diner & Soda Fountain (a 1950s style diner), and Rice Paper (a Vietnamese restaurant).