Phoenix

Abandon your expectations of Phoenix. The desert metropolis, once dismissed as an ever-sprawling suburb, is transforming into a cultural hub, building a host of new, architecturally significant museums, developing arts districts, and weaving together communities with a new light-rail network.

To visitors, the Valley of the Sun is a recreational nirvana, where warm days by the pool or on the links melt into a blazing sea of color at sunset. This heady mix of sun and fun has tempted many to make a permanent move.

But Phoenicians, like most city dwellers, aren’t content to simply waste away in a dreamy haze of margaritas. The pioneering spirit is alive and well in the country’s fifth-largest city, and Phoenicians are determined to create a vibrant, culturally relevant city on par with its Sun Belt sisters in Miami, Austin [1], and Los Angeles [2]. They want their ice cream cake, and they’ll eat it, too.

The dramatic landscape and Western spirit have conspired to create a unique destination. Sure, you’ll find prickly cacti, lots of sunshine, and all the things you think you already know about Phoenix, but you’ll also discover a unique sensibility. Get to know the city and its residents by having brunch at the Farm at South Mountain [3] or simply lounge by the pool to savor that favorite Phoenician punch line—“the dry heat.”

Phoenix shouldn’t be explored as a succession of tourist sites à la New York or Washington, D.C. Instead, think of the city as a collection of experiences: the scent of orange blossoms in the spring or the sound of gravel beneath your feet as you climb Piestewa Peak [4]. Sample authentic corn tortillas and carne asada at the small taquerias that dot the city, or discover the ancient culture of the region’s Native American people at the Heard Museum [5]. These subtle—often hidden—pleasures will linger long after a suntan begins to fade.

The Best of Phoenix [6]

• Heritage and Science Park [7]
• Heard Museum [5]
• Phoenix Art Museum [8]
• Burton Barr Central Library [9]
• Hole-in-the-Rock [10]
• Desert Botanical Garden [11]
• Pueblo Grande Museum and Archaeological Park [12]
• Arizona Museum of Natural History [13]