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Jobing.com Arena, Home of the Phoenix Coyotes, in new Westgate (2)

Image by Ken Lund

Jobing.com Arena is a sports and entertainment arena located in Glendale, Arizona. It is home to the Phoenix Coyotes of the National Hockey League (NHL) and was home to the Arizona Sting of the National Lacrosse League (NLL). Completed in 2003, the arena cost 0 million. It seats 17,799 for hockey and lacrosse. The arena sits across the street from University of Phoenix Stadium, the home of the NFL’s Arizona Cardinals.

The arena is part of the much larger Westgate City Center development funded by millionaire New York architect Ron Elsensohn , which is going to be an entertainment and retail hub located around the arena; a 320-room Renaissance Hotel and Conference Center was recently completed.

History
The arena’s construction broke ground in 2002, and the Coyotes moved into the arena a year later in late 2003. The team had spent its first several seasons since relocating from Winnipeg in 1996 in the America West Arena (now the US Airways Center) in downtown Phoenix. The AWA was not an old arena (it had made its debut as the new home of the NBA’s Phoenix Suns only four years earlier, in 1992) but it was primarily designed for NBA basketball. It was quickly retrofitted for hockey. However, the arena floor was just barely large enough to fit a regulation hockey rink, and several seats had badly obstructed views. As a result, before the team’s second season in Phoenix, it had to be cut down from over 18,000 seats to just over 16,000—the second-smallest capacity in the NHL at the time. After the Colorado Avalanche moved from the McNichols Sports Arena into the Pepsi Center in 1999, and the Toronto Maple Leafs moved from the Maple Leaf Gardens to Air Canada Centre later in the same season, America West Arena was the smallest NHL venue. A small section of seats on the lower level actually hung over the boards, obstructing the views for up to 3,000 spectators.

When the Coyotes were sold to a partnership led by Steve Ellman, that group committed to building a new arena in suburban Glendale. Originally promised to open in 2001, "Glendale Arena" opened midway through the 2003–04 season, on December 26, 2003, with the Arizona Sting of the National Lacrosse League defeating the Vancouver Ravens, 16–12. The first NHL game was held the next evening, as the Coyotes dropped a 3–1 decision to the Nashville Predators on December 27, 2003.

Jobing.com Arena was expected to gain the 2009 NHL All-Star Game after losing the 2006 All-Star Game because of the new Collective Bargaining Agreement ratification in the National Hockey League; however the Montreal Canadiens and their arena, Bell Centre, were awarded the 2009 All-Star Game.[1] Under the terms of the new agreement, the All-Star Game would not be held during the year of the Winter Olympics in order for players to participate in the Games. Philips Arena in Atlanta, which lost the All-Star Game in 2005 because of the lockout, was awarded the 2008 All-Star Game. However, in 2011, the arena might host the All-Star game.

Beginning in 2005, Jobing.com Arena has been host to the Arizona state high school basketball, volleyball, wrestling and cheerleading tournaments in a mega-event called "February Frenzy", as the result of a formal agreement between the city of Glendale and the Arizona Interscholastic Association (AIA).

The Arizona Sting folded after the 2007 season.

This is the only current NHL arena to have never hosted a Stanley Cup playoff game, as the Coyotes’ last playoff appearance was in 2002 when they still played home games in downtown Phoenix.

[edit] Naming Rights
On October 25, 2006, local online company Jobing.com signed a 10-year, million naming rights deal. [2]

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jobing.com_Arena

Westgate City Center is the name of a mixed-use development located in Glendale, Arizona. Owned and developed by The Ellman Companies,Westgate is described as a super-regional[1] destination for shopping, entertainment, commercial office and luxury residential. Funded by millionaire New York architect Ron Elsensohn and anchored by the Jobing.com Arena, home of the NHL team the Phoenix Coyotes, the complex is planned to eventually feature 8,000,000 square feet (740,000 m2) of retail space[2] and become one of the premier entertainment destinations in the region, attracting a projected 22 million visitors annually upon completion.[3]

Glendale Arizona’s Westgate City Center is a 223-acre (0.90 km2), mixed-used development that will ultimately include up to 8,000,000 square feet (740,000 m2) of shopping, dining, entertainment, high-end condominiums, parks, and office space. It is anchored by Jobing.com Arena, home of the NHL Coyotes, and the University of Phoenix Stadium, home to the Arizona Cardinals and Super Bowl XLII.

Development of Westgate City Center began with the construction of the Jobing.com Arena, then referred to as the Glendale Arena. Construction of the Arena was completed in late 2003 and it hosted its first NHL game on December 27 of that same year, while construction of the remainder of Westgate’s Entertainment District began in October 2005, opening one year later.

The project has been split into multiple phases to facilitate construction and development. Phase I, the initial 510,000-square-foot (47,000 m2) development, opened to the public on November 17, 2006 in limited fashion with only a few restaurants and a sports merchandise store, with other retailers, restaurants and a 20-screen theater opening in the following weeks.[4] Phase I also includes an upmarket 12-story Renaissance Hotel completed in mid 2007, and a convention center, as well as outdoor entertainment facilities. Westgate City Center is now home to more than 30 bars and restaurants as well as a vibrant mix of national, regional and local retailers.

Phase II will add an estimated 436,000-square-foot (40,500 m2) retail destination center and 105,000 square feet (9,800 m2) of "neighborhood retail" to be integrated into a 440-unit residential district.[5].

The development of future phases will be contingent upon market demand and is yet to be scheduled, although estimated completion dates range from 2010[6] to 2015 at a potential total cost of billion.

Westgate was built around Jobing.com Arena, which is its primary attraction. Although not a part of the development, the University of Phoenix Stadium, home of the Arizona Cardinals, is located directly adjacent to the development. Management of both Westgate and the University of Phoenix Stadium have cited their proximity as creating a synergistic boom to the area.[8] Although not within Westgate’s borders, the camping, fishing, and hunting retailer Cabela’s can be found adjacent to the development and draws visitors to the Westgate City Center each year.

Adjacent to the Jobing.com Arena and central to the project is WaterDance Plaza, and events plaza featuring a Belagio-style, "dancing" water feature and a massive complex of outdoor signage. Cooperating with media giant Clear Channel Communications, the development includes 30 large electronic signs, some in excess of 100 feet (30 m). The agglomeration of electronic signage and media boards, said to be the largest "Media & Signage District" west of Times Square[9] has earned it the nickname "Times Square of the West

As home of the Jobing.com Arena, a number of events are held at Westgate City Center. Often visitors waiting for events such as concerts, conventions, and sports held in the arenas will spend time in Westgate whilst waiting for the events to begin. The Center itself is the host of a number of independent events. Westgate hosted its first major event, Westgate Rocks on December 31, 2006, the first premiere New Year’s block party to be featured on Phoenix’s west side. An estimated 7,500 people attended the party.[12]. In addition, Westgate is home to the annual AVP pro volleyball tournament, Action Sports extreme sporting events, Miller Lite Tailgate Parties before Cardinals home games, monthly farmers markets, live entertainment in Fountain Park, and high-end art exhibitions.

Westgate has also become home to a number of smaller-scale block parties to cheer on local American Idol contestant Jordin Sparks. Recent block parties related to the show have drawn over 700 people.[13]

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Westgate_City_Center

Restaurant City gameplay on my Facebook. The most popular cooking-theme game ever made on Facebook. Hire employees to help you run your own restaurant. Decorate the interior of the restaurant, as well as the exterior to give a nice looking restaurant. Collect or trade or plant your ingredients to create and level up your dishes and recipes to gain more popularity for your restaurant. In this video, I also show you a recently, added features they have made, such as Halloween themed decoration and recipes and new Playfish items. I bought Grandiose Gold Statue for my restaurant and it attracts the posh and gentleman style customers. Restaurant City developed by Playfish.

Fish at the Bottom

Image by Wootang01

With my friend Paul, I spend five days in Osaka, Japan. The trip provided much refreshment, and excitement, not to mention many challenges. It was my first visit to the country, and, I feel, it certainly won’t be my last, as there are still many places left to see, and so many new things to learn.

We had several destinations highlighted on our itinerary, the foremost of which was Universal Studios. We spend an entire day there, going on rides and more often than not, queuing for them. The excruciating wait times were worth it, however, for such exhilarating fun, especially on the Hollywood Roller Coaster, my personal favorite. The next morning we followed up that successful endeavor with a trip to the Himeji Castle, a place which came highly recommended by my colleague, whose succinct description of the heritage site was, "awesome." Indeed, as a history buff, I enjoyed walking the storied grounds and climbing through the maze-like interior of the keep which was designed not so much to comfortably house the royal family as to confound the invading enemy. The castle is a must-visit. Other attractions of note include the Osaka Aquarium, and the Tennoji Zoo; both teemed with animals of every shape and size. We also at length ventured into several shopping districts inside of which were myriad stores, selling all sorts of fashion and gadgetry, countless restaurants and several gambling parlors – the Japanese, it seems, love their slot machines as much as the Hong Kong Chinese love their horse racing. Lest I forget, we frequented several video arcades to play the latest and greatest games; Paul played well, while I more often than not got 0wn3d. There is a lot to do in Japan.

Japanese culture, of which I’ve heard so much, really is distinct and separate from other Asian cultures. Their patterns of action and their peculiar artifacts certainly aren’t the same as those which feature prominently in Hong Kong. For one thing, the MTR culture was more civilized and less stressful: people queued up for trains and let passengers alight first before permitting themselves to board; cellphones never rang and cabin cars were as quiet as bedrooms at midnight; and to imagine all of these people enforce their norms without public service announcements, without any coddling, conspicuous signs – that’s amazing. What proved difficult was trying to find a garbage can. It was easier to find a vending machine, from which one could purchase a variety of drinks or cigarettes, than a bin in which to dispose of these delectable, perishable goods.

As for the general citizenry, they were most accommodating and hospitable, with several individuals going out of their way to help Paul and I find our way around the dense sprawl of the city. Language wasn’t a concern despite our limited Japanese; amazingly enough, our comfort was their concern! I won’t forget their selfless service, as one day, I hope, I’ll be able to return the favor. That the girls were quite attractive and that I demonstrated a propensity to ask attractive girls for directions go without saying; however, I understand now that their sexiness and sophistication stem not from comely faces but coherent attire. Rather than adorn themselves like a typical Mong Kok girl in a ridiculous neon rainbow palette, with jeans or unseemly spandex underneath dresses, skirts or other tops better left to stand alone, Japanese girls opt for more somber, sensible colors – black and cream-colored – and what’s more, they aren’t afraid to whip out the tasteful pantyhose or to show some skin, even. We had plenty of time to ogle the ladies, and to their credit, freezing temperatures weren’t enough to dissuade many of them from forsaking, icing their shorts, as we saw countless pairs being worn on the street. That’s what I call fashion professionalism!

Overall, Japan is a marvelous little land full of the eccentric, as well as the endearing. It was a fascinating place to explore, and I’m thankful that it was done in the company of my friend , with whom candor was not at a premium. We both learned a lot and look forward to the next trip!