Phoenix was recently named the 5th largest city in America, with about 1.5 million residents (from 100,000 in 1950). It has grown from 17 square miles in 1950 to more than 430 square miles. The median age here is 32.6; median income $42,000.

Phoenix is one of the sunniest cities in the country, with over 300 days of it each year! The largest municipal park in the world, the 16,500 acre South Mountain Park, serves as the city's southern border, and is the largest link in the chain of desert mountain parks, known as the Phoenix Mountain Preserve, that encircle the city. It is a mecca for hiking, biking and horseback riding. After-work hikes to the top of Squaw Peak and Camelback Mountains are a popular pastime.

Tourism is one of the city's leading industries, creating and filling 200,000 jobs. As such, the city is filled with restaurants, retail centers and recreational outlets targeted to tourists, to the advantage of full time residents. The Fiesta Bowl Football Classic, played each year at Arizona State University's Sun Devil Stadium, is preceded by more than 50 special events annually.

Downtown Phoenix is in the midst of a transformation into a hub for business, sports and the arts. Bank One Ballpark opened in 1998 with a 48,500 seat baseball stadium featuring a retractable roof and natural grass playing field to house the 2001 World Series Champion Arizona Diamondbacks. America West Arena is the home of the Phoenix Suns and the Coyotes hockey team, in addition to serving as a concert and sports venue for 200 events each year. Next door, Phoenix Civic Plaza is home to large-scale conventions and trade shows. The convention and meeting industry brings over 5 billion dollars annually into the area economy.

Culturally, the city is exploding with options. Herberger Theater invites patrons in for brown-bag lunch performances and Arizona Center boasts both wonderful restaurants and retail shopping. The Collier Center, a 500 million dollar mixed use development located north of the America West Arena is in the beginning stages of development. The Orpheum Theatre, an ornate Spanish Baroque Revival Theater originally built in 1929 was recently restored to be used for performing arts, community and civic events. The five story Phoenix Central Library is an architectural showcase, costing 43 million dollars and housing over 1 million volumes, with seating for up to 800 patrons. The Phoenix Art Museum is also a popular cultural attraction.

Students living in Phoenix are served by nearly thirty separate school districts (including those of Glendale, Tempe, Scottsdale and Paradise Valley), so parents can "shop" for the district that best suits their child‘s needs. The Phoenix Union High School District offers a magnet school program whereby students with special interests in such diverse subjects as law, aerospace, fine arts, science and sports receive concentrated instruction at selected schools, in addition to their normal high school studies.

Housing in Phoenix offers a diversity of choices, ranging from the famed and elite Arizona Biltmore area to the historic homes of the Encanto District and the cozier, antique adobe houses of the Willo District. Because the cost of living in Phoenix is lower than most other major metropolitan areas, it is a popular destination. The city is easy to navigate due to the gridlike pattern of the streets. This simple street pattern extends into neighboring cities as well.

Phoenix is most certainly “rising” to take its place as one of the nation’s foremost cities.

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