Welcome to Woodlea Melrose Neighborhood
Live - Play - Grow - Flourish
Welcome to Woodlea Melrose Neighborhood
Live - Play - Grow - Flourish
Live - Play - Grow - Flourish
Live - Play - Grow - Flourish
Our neighborhood is nestled in the heart of Phoenix, the Melrose District. It is a quiet, yet vibrant cottage community where most of the homes were built between 1929 and 1949. Our residents are a mix of young and old and many of our residents are original homeowners, we even have some second and
third generation homeowners!
Woodlea Mel
Our neighborhood is nestled in the heart of Phoenix, the Melrose District. It is a quiet, yet vibrant cottage community where most of the homes were built between 1929 and 1949. Our residents are a mix of young and old and many of our residents are original homeowners, we even have some second and
third generation homeowners!
Woodlea Melrose is bounded by Indian School Road, north to the Grand Canal, between 7th Avenue and 15th Avenue and includes over
300 single family homes.
We are proud of the historic character and unique charm of our area. Our Neighborhood Association was formed in 1988 to help us meet the mounting challenges and amazing opportunities of maintaining and building a thriving community in central Phoenix. There is power in numbers and our association provides a unified voice for a diverse group of neighbors with the goal to make this the best place to live in Phoenix!
Promote a sense of community and cohesiveness in the neighborhood by organizing
neighborhood events.
Present a unified voice to our City, County and State governments and adjacent businesses on various issues which may affect our neighborhood. Areas of particular concern include zoning issues, traffic control, crime prevention and property
Promote a sense of community and cohesiveness in the neighborhood by organizing
neighborhood events.
Present a unified voice to our City, County and State governments and adjacent businesses on various issues which may affect our neighborhood. Areas of particular concern include zoning issues, traffic control, crime prevention and property appearance.
Reduce crime in the neighborhood by promoting "Neighbors On Watch" (N.O.W.), our Block Watch Program and acting as a liaison with the
Phoenix Police Department.
The Woodlea Melrose Neighborhood Board consists of 5 elected officers: Chair, Vice Chair, Treasurer, Secretary and Newsletter Editor.
We also depend on several other volunteer, event and program coordinators: Communications Officer, Front Yard Friday Chair, Neighborhood Ambassador, N.O.W Coordinator and Tool Shed Coordinator. The Board of
The Woodlea Melrose Neighborhood Board consists of 5 elected officers: Chair, Vice Chair, Treasurer, Secretary and Newsletter Editor.
We also depend on several other volunteer, event and program coordinators: Communications Officer, Front Yard Friday Chair, Neighborhood Ambassador, N.O.W Coordinator and Tool Shed Coordinator. The Board officers are elected to a one year term. We are registered with the City of Phoenix Neighborhood Services Department as an incorporated neighborhood association. Our membership dues are $10 a year which includes many benefits: tool lending library, the annual neighborhood block party and cookout, holiday luminary candles and bags, annual yard sale signs, advertising and other numerous community initiatives. Dues run from December 1 thru the following November. The Association is a non-profit organization which means your dues and donations are tax-deductible. We would like all residents of the Woodlea Melrose Neighborhood to join us. We do make a difference! We encourage you to get involved by becoming an association volunteer or street representative, you’ll be able to help in so many ways.
Woodlea Melrose is a medium-sized, mid-century neighborhood in central Phoenix
that was platted in 1928, but largely developed in the 1940s.
In 1928, Thomas Mackenzie purchased 47 acres of lettuce fields north of downtown Phoenix for $20,000. He subdivided the property into 190 lots and named the subdivision “Woodlea” for the many trees on the property. Mackenzie partnered with the Lister Realty Company, which held a grand opening for the subdivision on March 17, 1929. Lots sold at a record pace and several homes were completed within the first year.
Woodlea featured paved streets, electricity, close proximity to a church and school, and “no city taxes.” It was best known, however, for its pure/soft water which was said to be far superior to any water available in the city. The water was pumped from a depth of 347 feet and everyone who came to see the subdivision was invited to sample the water. Lister’s newspaper ads even encouraged people to “bring a canteen” so they could take some Woodlea water home with them!
Some homes in Woodlea were commissioned to be built between 1930 and 1939, but after the onset of WWII, building came to a halt in Phoenix and many of the lots sat vacant. After the war ended, home building boomed in Phoenix and the Melrose District, in particular. Some owners hired independent builders to construct their homes, but there were also a few builders who made investments in several lots each. One of these contractors, Andy Womack, built eight houses and would go on to become a major figure in the Phoenix area, including development of the adjacent subdivision, Melrose Manor.
Womack Construction Company broke ground on the 174-house subdivision “Melrose Manor” on May 5, 1947. All the homes featured 2 to 3 bedrooms, a garage, and were advertised to be close to shopping and public transportation. Within the next few years many of the businesses along 7th Ave were also built, and the Melrose District that we know and love today really began to take shape. Most notably was the Melrose Shopping Center in 1948 (also built by Womack). The center’s main store, A.J. Bayless Markets, was advertised to feature “the very latest scientific development in open air refrigeration!”
By 1955, Melrose Manor was complete and Woodlea subdivision was almost entirely built out; only eight houses were built thereafter.
During the late 1980s the two neighborhoods decided to join together; with the City’s approval, “Woodlea” and “Melrose Manor” officially became known as Woodlea Melrose in 1988.
In June 2011, Woodlea was awarded designation as a Historic District along with 11 other Phoenix neighborhoods.
Historical information courtesy of:
Arizona Republic and City of Phoenix Preservation Office
VIRTUAL ZOOM meetings until further notice
7pm to 8pm
Tuesday, February 2nd, 2021 - General Meeting Zoom Virtual Meeting
Tuesday, April 6th, 2021 - General Meeting Zoom Virtual Meeting
Tuesday, June 1st, 2021 - General Meeting Zoom Virtual Meeting
Tuesday, September 7th, 2021 - General Meeting Zoom Virtual Meeting
Join your neighbors for a virtual meeting and hear about neighborhood news, city happenings, updates from our community action officer and upcoming neighborhood events.
Front Yard Friday (FYF) is a gathering of neighbors that includes children and pets on a given Friday once a month in a volunteer neighbors’ front yard. These Friday events are a neighborhood favorite, well attended and have been a staple in the Woodlea Melrose since 2013. FYF's goal is to promote a close-knit community. Many of us already know the neighbors on our street, but how about those new folks that moved in around the corner? Is it a simple wave hello? Have you been introduced? These events are a great way to get together and get to know our neighbors better. Hosting is easy - simply volunteer and the WMNA Board will bring you a sign, cooler, ice, tent and table for snacks. Everyone is welcome – just bring a chair, your family, a beverage and a
desire for fun!A special thank you to all the hosts who have graciously volunteered their yards throughout the years! If you would like to volunteer your yard for an upcoming FYF, email the FYF Coordinator at
Thank you!
The Melrose on Seventh Street Fair is an event held in our own back yard annually every March! Each year 7th Avenue from Indian School to Campbell is closed to host this street festival with over 150 booths, food trucks, crafts and activities for kids, live music and over 200 classic cars. This street fair is a Phoenix favorite and attracts nearly 22,000 visitors each year. As a neighborhood we also participate with our own tent. Each year we unveil and offer our new neighborhood t-shirt and hold a raffle to raise funds to help support events such as FYF and our annual Block Party Cookout.
If you would like more info or would like to be a vendor, check out the ‘Melrose On 7th Avenue Facebook page or contact m7streetfair@cox.net.
Every year, our neighborhood tent is looking for volunteers to help man our booth! If you are interested in volunteering an hour or two, send your name to wmboardphx@gmail.com.
So much fun, don’t miss it!
Annually the Woodlea Melrose Neighborhood Association hosts a block party cookout in November. This event is our annual Phoenix Police G.A.I.N. event (Getting Arizona Involved in Neighborhoods), and is funded primarily with Block Watch Grant funds. This is another wonderful opportunity to meet and greet your neighbors, enjoy some amazing food, listen to good music and maybe do some dancing. Kids love this event as well - each year we play an outdoor movie and serve popcorn! This is a pot luck event with the main course provided by the neighborhood association, so just bring a side dish to share and BYOB.
This event also kicks off neighborhood board nominations for the following year.
This is a fun event for the entire neighborhood and each year neighbors pitch in and volunteer to help make it happen! Want to volunteer this year? Just let someone on the Board know or email wmboardphx@gmail.com.
Hope to see you all there!
Annual neighborhood wide yard sale.
Each year every street is full of sales and we usually end up with lots of each other’s stuff! It is great fun to see all of the activity, life
and action in the neighborhood
on Yard Sale weekend.
Participation is free and the WM Board handles all advertising and promotion. If you would like to participate, please email wmboardphx@gmail.com
to add your address to the roster!
This annual event takes place at dusk on the Saturday before Christmas. Each year our amazing Street Reps, along with the help of many volunteers, place bags with candles and light just before sunset. This has been a beautiful display of light and holiday spirit throughout the years in Woodlea Melrose. This event is neighborhood-wide and includes every street. Each year our neighborhood places and lights over 4,000 luminaries! This event only happens because of the amazing turn out of neighborhood volunteers. We can use all the help we can get, the more the merrier, so please consider volunteering for this neighborhood favorite! To volunteer, please email us at wmboardphx@gmail.com
Located on 11th Ave between Turney and Roma
Our neighborhood tool shed is available for use to all Woodlea Melrose neighbors.
Neighborhood dues are $10.00 a year.
Hours of Operation
available by appointment only
contact John at 541-425-1710
For more info or to volunteer contact:
Inventory (xlsx)
Download11th Avenue
between Turney and Roma
If you see a book you would like,
feel free to take it with you.
Help keep these Little Free Libraries operating by leaving books for others!
Happy Reading, Woodlea Melrose!
MacKenzie
between 11th and 13th Avenue
Kid's Library
9th Avenue and Roma
Woodlea Melrose is proud to sponsor
Little Free Libraries in our neighborhood.
Little Free Library is a nonprofit organization that inspires a love of reading, builds community and sparks creativity by fostering neighborhood book exchanges
around the world.
9th Avenue
North East corner
Phoenix, Arizona 85013