As a lifelong Tempe resident, I’ve witnessed the city’s identity morph and I have begun to feel that it’s not the weird, funky and homey place it used to be. Not to say it has lost its charm, it hasn’t, but it just isn’t quite the same.

Remember when Changing Hands Bookstore was on Mill Avenue? And when all the apartments in the city hadn’t been converted to overpriced condos?

Better yet, remember when there were no such things as multimillion-dollar high-rise flats smack in the center of downtown?

I liked those days. Everything was just a little slower, a little more down-to-Earth.

Nostalgia fueled my excitement when I heard about the new Market on Mill. As one can imagine, I was thrilled to hear that a community market was going to take place every Thursday night, with local food, art and music! Maybe the cozy culture of Tempe was making a comeback?

Building a livelier community is actually one of the primary goals the organizations Downtown Tempe Community, Inc. and the Phoenix Permaculture Guild, as described on their Web sites. Better yet, the Guild aims to foster a sustainable atmosphere for humans and the environment.

What a perfect idea: Community engagement that promotes and fosters respect for one’s neighbor and the environment.

One of the most remarkable aspects of local markets is the opportunity to get to know the people who live, work and play in your community. I am always fascinated that such talented and creative people live within miles of my home.

However, it’s not just the people in my community that I find intriguing. I’m always struck by the variety of fruits and veggies that, without a local market, I never would have known existed.

According to Local Harvest, an informational farmer’s market Web site, local foods offer many benefits including boosting the local economy and providing fresher and more nutritious foods than what can be found in grocery stores.

Presently, Market on Mill can’t offer local produce, according to its Web site. But, once the growing season is in full gear, residents can look forward to buying Arizona-grown fruits and veggies.

In light of my obvious adoration for local markets, last Thursday I was nearing pants-peeing excitement as I walked down to Market on Mill.

While it was somewhat smaller than I had anticipated, it was packed full with vendors that represent a scarcely acknowledged segment of Arizona.

I was thrilled to discover the local cleaning product company whose creations were all natural, refillable and totally inexpensive. Tie-dye boxers and briefs with hearts on the backsides were also particularly memorable, as were the local herbs whose leaves were aromatic and sweet.

Overall, Market on Mill was a fun, funky expression of area entrepreneurs.

I am simply awaiting the inevitable expansion of this fantastic neighborhood resource and the subsequent community comeback in Tempe. It will be an instrumental tool for uniting both the city’s brand new and lifelong citizens.

Reach Becky at rrubens1@asu.edu.