Phoenix, capital city of Arizona and seat of Maricopa County, located on the Salt River in the south central part of the state. Phoenix sits on the eastern edge of the Sonoran Desert. A commercial, manufacturing, financial, tourist, and retirement center, Phoenix serves as a distribution point for the agricultural products of the irrigated Salt River Valley. It is the hub of a vast metropolitan region that includes Avondale, Chandler, Gilbert, Glendale, Mesa, Paradise Valley, Peoria, Scottsdale, Sun City, and Tempe. Phoenix has become one of the nation’s largest and fastest-growing cities. Several factors have contributed to the city’s spectacular growth, including its temperate, dry, sunny climate during much of the year, its recreational opportunities, and its diversified industries.

In its early years, Phoenix became popular as a haven for winter visitors from North America’s colder climates. Many people with health problems, particularly respiratory ailments, visited the area for its dry and relatively pollen-free air. In the second half of the 20th century developers created near Phoenix huge planned retirement communities such as Sun City and Leisure World. Today Phoenix is a popular destination for vacationers and conventioneers.

Points of interest in Phoenix include Civic Plaza, which comprises Symphony Hall and a convention center; and America West Arena, the home of the Phoenix Suns professional basketball team and the Phoenix Coyotes professional hockey team. The Arizona Cardinals, a professional football team, plays its home games at Sun Devil Stadium in nearby Tempe. The Arizona Diamondbacks, a professional baseball team, began playing in the new Bank One Ballpark in 1998. Annual events in Phoenix include the National Livestock Show, the Agricultural Trade Fair, the Arizona State Fair, and the Cowboy Artists of America Exhibition.

Scottsdale is a popular winter resort and an arts and crafts center; some electronic equipment also is manufactured. In the city are the Taliesin West architectural school, established by American architect Frank Lloyd Wright; the Cosanti Foundation, containing the workshop of Italian-American architect and craftsman Paolo Soleri; and a community college. Scottsdale is noted for its efforts to preserve desert environments within the city. The innovative Indian Bend Wash Greenbelt, a flood control project, uses a system of parks, lakes, and golf courses as an alternative to a conventional concrete channel. Scottsdale Municipal Airport has commuter air transportation services.

Real Estate: Chandler - Gilbert - Glendale - Mesa - Phoenix - Scottsdale - Tempe

Official Website for the city of Phoenix, Arizona

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