Metropolitan Phoenix is changing fast. As the forces of centralization and urbanization take hold in the Valley, the hottest real estate on the market is suddenly right in the center of town. So, the Phoenix New Times recently culled together a list of neighborhoods you might not have heard of — and they think you should know about.

Katie Johnson and Becky Bartkowski put together this list of eight what they call “emerging neighborhoods” in metro Phoenix. I sat down with Johnson recently to talk more about this list and what, exactly, is an “emerging neighborhood” to begin with.

One of Johnson's favorite emerging neighborhoods, Eastlake Park, is an area just east of Chase Field in downtown Phoenix that’s been cut through by the light rail on both Washington and Jefferson streets in recent years.

But it’s also an area with a lot of history, and, according to Virgil — or “Jackie” — Berry, a longtime realtor in the area, it's recent development is also diverse.

I went on a drive around Eastlake Park with Berry on a recent chilly morning to see some of the historic sites and new development.