For whatever reason, it always seems like Phoenix is getting a bad rep — which shouldn't be the case.
We love Phoenix, and here are the top 10 reasons you should, too:
10.) The Culture
People who say Phoenix has no culture typically live in suburbs. (Really? Peoria and Gilbert don't have culture? You don't say.) There's culture here. Exhibit A: Consult New Times' "Best of Phoenix." Exhibit B: Consult New Times' culture blog, Jackalope Ranch.
9.) Proximity
One of the best things about Phoenix is the accessibility of places that aren't Phoenix. Northern Arizona, California, Mexico, and Las Vegas are places you can just drive to, in a quarter of a day or less.
8.) "Traffic"
If you've ever complained about Phoenix traffic, you knock that off right now. Research shows there's no big city in America with lighter traffic than Phoenix.
7.) It Passes the Goldilocks Test
Seattle? Too rainy. San Francisco and New York? Too expensive. Miami? Too humid. Denver? Too cold. Los Angeles? Too Los Angeles-y. Detroit? Too run down. Phoenix? Just right. Goldilocks would pick Phoenix.
6.) "Winter"
For those who don't know, "Winter" is a time of the year in other places around the country where they have to wear jackets (at least one jacket) and slide around on ice and whatnot. You know that time you had to put a sweatshirt on, but at the end of the night, you were kind of sweaty, and realized that you probably should have left the sweatshirt at home? That's Phoenix winter.
5.) Everyone's Here
Californians. Mexicans. Native Americans. Midwesterners. East Coast-ers. They're all here, and at the very least, they all brought their food.
4.) Mother Nature Loves It
No killer earthquakes, tornadoes, hurricanes, floods (no, big puddles are not the same as floods), or blizzards. It's hot, and it gets very dusty a couple times a year. That's quite the advantage.
3.) So Much Room for Activities
You can go golfing any day you want. You can watch a game from all four major professional sports leagues (NBA, NFL, NHL, and MLB). There's also NASCAR. You can go hiking, cycling, fishing, rock climbing, or tubing. There's too much stuff to do.
2.) The Grid
The guys who designed this road system on a grid really knew what they were doing. If you have an address on a main road, you know exactly where it is, even though you've never been there before. It's practically magic. In addition to the grid, the two Interstates just happen to cross in the middle of Phoenix, plus, there are three big semi-circles for highways that can dump you off pretty much anywhere.
1.) The Beauty
This place is beautiful. On both sides of the Valley, you can see rows and rows of mountains. Then there are just random mountains in the middle of Phoenix. There's the Phoenix Mountains Preserve you can just drive through on State Route 51, Camelback Mountain is in the middle of a neighborhood full of beautiful houses, and there's South Mountain, too. Then there are the sunsets that make the sky purple and orange. Gee, how's the view in Cleveland?
Got a tip? Send it to: Matthew Hendley.
Follow Valley Fever on Twitter at @ValleyFeverPHX.
Follow Matthew Hendley at @MatthewHendley.
