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Phoenix (O'odham: Skikik)
is the state capital of Arizona, and was
incorporated as a city on February 25, 1881.
Phoenix is located in central Arizona in the
southwestern United States, 118 miles (188
kilometers) northwest of Tucson. It is Arizona's
largest city and largest metropolitan area by
population. It is also the county seat of
Maricopa County and the principal city of the
Phoenix metropolitan area. Phoenix is
appropriately called Hoozdo, or "the place is
hot", in the Navajo language and Fiinigis in the
Western Apache language. In
mid-2004, Phoenix was the sixth-largest city in
the United States according to the U.S. Census
Bureau's latest estimates. However, according to
unofficial projections Phoenix surpassed
Philadelphia in late 2005, moving into the top
five cities in the U.S. The 2000 U.S. Census
reported the Phoenix Metropolitan Statistical
Area (MSA) as the fourteenth-largest in the
U.S., with a population of 3,251,876. The city's
MSA grew to an estimated 3,790,000 by 2004.
Between 1990 and 2000, the metropolitan area
grew by 34 percent, making it the eighth
fastest-growing metropolitan area in the U.S.
Phoenix is the largest capital city by
population, and the third-largest capital city
by area in the U.S. (behind Juneau, Alaska and
Oklahoma City). Phoenix's
downtown area is called Copper Square, although
most locals still call it Downtown.
Incorporating the themes of Phoenix's early
history with culture and local events, Copper
Square is the name for the one square mile area
surrounding Central Avenue and Jefferson. This
is a slowly growing hotspot for activities and
action. Downtown attractions include the Arizona
Science Center, Phoenix Museum of History and
the Phoenix Art Museum. Also downtown is the
Burton Barr Central Library. Downtown Phoenix
currently features about twenty-five mid-rise
and high-rise buildings ranging up to 39 stories
tall. Only two skyscrapers reach over 400 feet
tall (122 meters), the last of which was
constructed in the 1970s. Unique among large
American cities, downtown Phoenix is rather
small and short due to four important factors:
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There is very little
historical housing stock precisely because
Phoenix was so small—only 106,000 people in
1950. In addition, much of what little there
was largely destroyed in the "urban renewal"
movements of the 1960s and 1970s, for
example, no equivalent of San Diego's
Gaslamp District exists anywhere in Phoenix
today. Thus, few historical structures
remain, and today some of downtown Phoenix
is pockmarked with vacant, dusty lots and
unremarkable, under-utilized, one-story
buildings. For comparison, in 1950, San
Diego was more than three times as large as
Phoenix. Dallas was more than four times as
large, and Houston was almost six times
larger. Even Kansas City, Missouri was over
four times as large as Phoenix in 1950.
Today, Phoenix has three times the
population of Kansas City, but Phoenix's
skyline has not kept pace.
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Much of Phoenix's
growth during the 1950s and 1960s was low
density suburban sprawl, like that of most
other American cities. The difference is
that Phoenix had no real core of taller
buildings. Zoning at the time largely
favored mass subdivisions of inexpensive
cement block homes at the edge of the
ever-expanding city. Land was cheaper and
there were few neighbors and little red
tape. As a result, developers gravitated to
the edges of the metropolitan area. This
still continues today. Zoning favors large
setbacks and ample parking requirements,
with the result that parking in downtown
Phoenix remains relatively easy and
inexpensive. Wide streets and narrow
sidewalks form the predominant nature of
Phoenix's urban environment today.
Phoenix was an isolated small outpost far
from the centers of power. Phoenix's tallest
building from 1929 to 1961 was the Westward
Ho, a 17-story hotel that is now a
retirement home for seniors. In 1970,
Phoenix's entire metropolitan population was
less than one million, and was considered
largely a retirement and tourist haven. At
the same time, Dallas had well over two
million residents and Los Angeles had seven
million. Thus, much of the
skyscraper-building frenzy that marked the
downtowns of sunbelt cities like Dallas,
Houston and Atlanta never occurred in
Phoenix. Phoenix was considered too small
and too remote to attract much significant
commercial high-rise development during the
1960s and 1970s. It is also possible that
the growing leviathans of Los Angeles (and
to a lesser degree, Denver, Houston and
Dallas) siphoned off some of the high-rise
development that might have otherwise
occurred in Phoenix. All of these cities
were much larger than Phoenix and were seen
as being much more progressive at the time.
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Phoenix was anti-urban
and still is, to some degree. A
comprehensive freeway plan was resisted
until 1985. At that time Phoenix was the
largest metropolitan area (with almost two
million residents) in the United States
without a completed freeway or beltway
system encircling and crossing the city,
which created busy arterial streets.
Sightlines and mountain views are important
to residents. Many still oppose high-rises
because views of the mountains are
considered sacred, as evidenced by the
recent rejection in 2005 of Donald Trump's
15-story high-rise project in the Biltmore
area. Many people that came to Phoenix in
the latter half of the 20th Century did so
to escape "big city problems," so there is a
natural tendency in Arizona to keep things
small. As a result, much of the office space
in Phoenix is located in low profile newer
office parks in outlying areas of the city,
and not in downtown high-rises like in other
cities.
Copper Square, despite
these shortcomings, has undergone a renaissance
since the building of the US Airways Center
(formerly America West Arena) and Chase Field
(formerly Bank One Ballpark) in 2000. Several
new skyscrapers are under construction as of
March, 2006, with many more planned that will
dramatically transform the skyline.
A $1.2 billion light rail
system called "The Metro" is also under
construction. When the initial 20-mile segment
is completed in 2008, it will improve
connections to downtown areas of Glendale,
Phoenix, Tempe and Mesa. A downtown extension
for Arizona State University is opening in fall
2006, with about 3,000 students. A much larger
campus is planned, with up to 15,000 students by
2015. Some coffeehouses, restaurants, nightclubs
and shopping in the area continue to draw people
downtown for the slowly growing nightlife scene.
Much more development is expected once the light
rail line and downtown ASU are open.
West Phoenix
Maryvale is the predominant
neighborhood of the near west side, from about
35th Avenue west to 83rd Avenue and from I-10
north to the boundary with the suburb of
Glendale at Camelback Road. First developed in
the 1950s and 1960s by developer John F. Long,
these neighborhoods include inexpensive homes
largely developed in the 1950s. Like many older
inner-ring suburbs around the United States,
Maryvale is suffering some signs of urban
decline as the belt of growth has passed by,
moving ever outward. Shopping in this area is
provided by Desert Sky Mall, and Cricket
Pavilion offers an open-air entertainment
amphitheatre for concerts and attractions.
Because of the lower housing costs, Maryvale has
attracted large numbers of families and
immigrants from all over the world. It is one of
the most diverse neighborhoods in the Phoenix
metropolitan area.
The growing west side of
Phoenix continues to spread outward. Newer
suburbs are springing up, including Avondale,
Goodyear and Buckeye. Further north, newer
suburbs like Surprise, Peoria, El Mirage and the
western end of Glendale are exploding with
development.
Glendale is the first
suburb of Phoenix moving northwest from
downtown. It now has over 250,000 people, and
downtown Glendale features many historic
neighborhoods. Catlin Court has first-rate
antique stores and shops, along with many
restaurants and lodging opportunities. Further
north is the newer Arrowhead Towne Center Mall,
which affords shopping and diverse dining
choices.
Cardinals Stadium is
currently under construction in Glendale. The
Fiesta Bowl is moving to the stadium in 2007 and
the 2008 Superbowl (XLII) will be held at
Cardinals Stadium.
Southwest
The village of Laveen is
growing fast with new moderately priced homes
and new businesses. The proposed new Loop 202
South Mountain Freeway will link Laveen with
Ahwatukee.
Ahwatukee
The community of Ahwatukee
is located in the southeast corner of the
Phoenix city limits, largely separated from the
majority of the city by South Mountain.
Ahwatukee residents are mostly older adults and
urban professionals, and upscale apartments
coexist with middle class and upscale housing.
Housing prices rose over 40 percent in 2005, and
the area has some of the most expensive homes in
the city of Phoenix or in the southeastern
metropolitan area.
Northwest
Past Peoria and Glendale
are the communities of Sun City, Sun City West,
Youngtown, El Mirage, and Surprise. Hikers will
enjoy the White Tank Mountain Regional Park. The
Sun Cities and Youngtown are largely retirement
communities.
East side
The eastern side of Phoenix
contains some of the city's most desirable
neighborhoods. The Biltmore area near 24th
Street and Camelback Road has become Phoenix's
ritziest intersection. Stretching east, several
mid-rise offices and condos line what is known
as the Camelback Corridor. The area gets its
name from the Arizona Biltmore Resort. This
Phoenix landmark has pampered guests since the
1920s. Its lush grounds and golf courses are
surrounded by some of the most exclusive homes
in the Valley. East of the Biltmore area is the
Arcadia neighborhood. Located at the base of
Camelback Mountain, Arcadia contains well-kept
homes on large lots. Built on former citrus
groves, Arcadia is known for well-irrigated,
mature landscaping. Several yards prominently
feature orange, lemon and grapefruit trees as
reminders of the area's past.
The eastern suburbs of
Phoenix are generally called the East Valley.
The Northeast Valley is home to Scottsdale,
Paradise Valley, Fountain Hills, Carefree and
Cave Creek. The Southeast Valley is home to
Tempe, Mesa, Chandler, Gilbert, Queen Creek, and
Apache Junction. Although they are considered
suburbs of Phoenix, many of these cities have
quite unique identities and sizable populations
of their own.
Sandwiched between Phoenix
and Scottsdale is the small town of Paradise
Valley. Northeast of downtown Phoenix and the
Biltmore area (and on the other side of
Camelback Mountain from Arcadia), Paradise
Valley features the most expensive real estate
in Arizona, and consists almost entirely of
single-family homes on one acre lots. As a
result, the median housing price reached $1.39
million in early 2006. This town of about 14,000
residents also has the highest per capita income
in Arizona.
East of Paradise Valley and
Arcadia is Scottsdale, with the signature
tagline of being "The West's Most Western Town."
Known for its world-class resorts, golf and
shopping, Scottsdale is the center of the
Phoenix area's hospitality industry. The city
features mostly upscale housing, with a median
housing value of about $570,000 in early 2006.
The newest and most expensive parts of
Scottsdale are in the northern parts of the city
abutting the McDowell Mountains, but Scottsdale
also has a rather dynamic downtown area. Nearly
2,000 residential units are under construction
in and around Old Town, with some mid-rise
buildings reaching up to thirteen stories tall.
This $2 billion in residential redevelopment is
changing downtown Scottsdale's image of staid
art galleries and tourist-oriented shops. For
many years now, downtown Scottsdale has been the
hub of ultra-hip nightlife and fine dining.
South of downtown, the southern portion of
Scottsdale contains many neighborhoods dating
from the Valley's post-war boom. Plans by
Arizona State University to build a bioscience
campus in south Scottsdale have helped spark a
renewed interest in the area.
Located south of
Scottsdale, Tempe is the home of Arizona State
University and the Sun Devils. Tempe boasts a
vibrant economy, liveable neighbourhoods, and
the Valley's most dynamic downtown. Tempe is
second only to central Phoenix as an employment
hub in the Valley. Downtown Tempe centers on
Mill Avenue, where an eclectic mix of
restaurants, night clubs and shopping attracts a
wide range of visitors. Local festivals such as
Oktoberfest, the Fall Festival of the Arts, and
the New Years Eve Block Party (the largest in
the southwest and routinely ranked as one of the
top ten in the country) are extremely popular on
Mill Avenue. High-density residential
development has also taken off in recent years,
with at least a dozen residential high-rises
under construction or in the planning phases,
ranging up to 30 stories tall. Just north of
downtown, the city has constructed Tempe Town
Lake in the dry bed of the Salt River. The
lake's unique urban setting has created a
building boom along its shores. The roughly
two-mile-long lake is also the only place in the
Phoenix area where sailboats are a common sight.
Arizona State University is located just south
of Town Lake and to the east of downtown Tempe.
With over 50,000 students on its main campus,
ASU is now the largest university in the
country. The synergistic relationship between
Tempe and ASU is vital to the city's economy.
Beyond downtown and ASU, Tempe is made up of
mostly single-family residential neighborhoods.
The city's housing values have risen
dramatically in recent years with many people
drawn to Tempe's central location and homes with
mature trees and landscaping. South Tempe has
some of the southeast Valley's priciest homes.
East of Tempe is Mesa, the
third-largest city in Arizona with nearly
450,000 people. Known for its affordable,
family-oriented neighborhoods and strong Mormon
roots, Mesa is still largely a bedroom
community. Downtown Mesa has struggled to
attract businesses and new development; however,
the recent completion of the Mesa Arts Center
has raised hopes that the area will see a
turnaround. Following a massive boom in the
1970s and 80s, Mesa is working on asserting
itself as a major player in the Valley and
finding ways to step out of Phoenix's shadow.
The area around Mesa's Williams Gateway Airport
is poised to become a major employment hub in
the southeast Valley and the airport hopes to
establish regular commercial airline service.
South of Mesa, Chandler
remained largely an agricultural community until
a major growth spurt beginning in the 1970s and
accelerating through the 1990s. Much of Chandler
houses young families and middle-class
professionals in newer stucco and tile
developments. With a large Intel presence, the
city has also established itself as a center of
the high-tech industry in the Valley.
East of Chandler is the
town of Gilbert. A small farming community of
5000 in 1980, Gilbert is today a city of over
160,000. Despite this dizzying growth, Gilbert
tries hard to retain its small-town feel and
agricultural heritage. The town is largely a
bedroom community, but with the completion of
the Santan Freeway (Loop 202), Gilbert is seeing
a flood of new economic development along this
future transportation corridor.
Sports
Phoenix is home to
several major league, professional sports. The
Arizona Diamondbacks play at Chase Field in the
National League - West Division of Major League
Baseball. In 2001, the Diamondbacks defeated the
New York Yankees 4 games to 3 in the World
Series, becoming the city's first professional
sports franchise to win a national championship.
In addition, nine Major
League Baseball teams conduct spring training in
the area. These teams, plus three that train in
Tucson, are collectively known as the Cactus
League.
The Arizona Cardinals
currently play in the NFL's National Football
Conference - West Division. They used to play at
Sun Devil Stadium in Tempe, and are currently
building a stadium in Glendale. The Arizona
Rattlers are an arena football team that play in
the Arena Football League. Phoenix will host the
Super Bowl in 2008.
The Phoenix Suns are a
professional men's basketball team in the
National Basketball Association. The Phoenix
Mercury are a professional women's basketball
team in the WNBA. Both teams play at US Airways
Center.
Glendale Arena is the home
of the Phoenix Coyotes, a professional ice
hockey team of the National Hockey League. The
Phoenix Roadrunners are also a minor league ice
hockey team that plays in the East Coast Hockey
League.
The Arizona Sting are a
professional lacrosse team from Glendale that
play in the National Lacrosse League.
The Phoenix International
Raceway is a major venue for 2 NASCAR auto
racing events per season. Boat racing, drag
racing, and road course racing are also held at
the Firebird International Raceway. Sprint car
racing is held at Manzanita Speedway.
The Arizona State
University Sun Devils compete in football,
basketball, baseball, as well as a number of
other sports in the NCAA. The Sun Devils
football team plays their games at Sun Devil
Stadium, which also hosts the annual Fiesta Bowl
(the game will move to the new Cardinals stadium
in Glendale upon the completion of the stadium).
Their nearest rival is the University of Arizona
Wildcats, in Tucson.
Other major sporting events
in the area include the Insight Bowl at Chase
Field (will move to Sun Devil Stadium after the
Fiesta Bowl moves to the new stadium in
Glendale), and several major professional golf
events, including the FBR Open of the PGA TOUR,
the Standard Register Turquoise Classic of the
LPGA, and The Tradition of the PGA Champions
Tour. It was planned to host the 2006 NHL All-
Star Game, but it was canceled due to the 2006
Winter Olympics. As compensation, Phoenix has
been granted the 2009 All-Star Game.
(Source: Wikipedia, May,
2006 from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phoenix%2C_Arizona)
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