A plan for Phoenix

Why would anybody want to start a city in the middle of a desert? The answer is, surprisingly, agriculture. The Salt and Verde Rivers of central Arizona were exploited for large-scale agriculture by Native Americans as early as the 11th century. The area that now encompasses Phoenix was a center of the Hohokam culture, which built large canal systems and a network of towns and villages, whose remains may be viewed in the city to this day. White settlers discovered the remnants of the Hohokam culture in the 19th century. The city's name reflects its history as a city "reborn from the ashes" of the previous settlement.

European-American settlement of the area commenced in the 1860s, and the city was founded in 1871. In 1911 the completion of the first of several large reservoirs in the mountains north and east of Phoenix insured its success as a center for irrigation-based agriculture. Many tens of thousands of acres were planted in citrus and cotton and other crops, and for many years, intensive, year-round irrigated agriculture formed the basis of the economy. The area is being revived, and trendy hotels, bars, shops and restaurants are making it a place to be again.

Its hot, dry climate had enticed many Easterners and Midwesterners to relocate to Phoenix. High-tech industry began to flourish after World War II, and since that time the growth of Phoenix has been explosive. As a result, a population of just over 100,000 in 1950 has grown to over 1.6 million in 2024 (with almost 5 million in the metro area).

At an elevation of 1,100 ft (340 m), it is in the biologically unique Sonoran Desert. Over time it has merged with the neighboring cities of Scottsdale, Tempe, Glendale, Peoria, Chandler, and Gilbert to form the Greater Phoenix Metropolitan Area. Towns once considered to be exurbs such as Apache Junction, Fountain Hills, Queen Creek, and Sun City are rapidly developing parts of this metropolitan area as well.

The cultural, governmental, and business center of the city is Copper Square, which is striving to become one of the southwest's most distinctive urban centers. Copper Square was built around the original Phoenix historic town site. Its boundaries extend from Fillmore to south of Jackson Street, 7th Street to 3rd Avenue. Revitalization plans in the area are expected to cost more than $4 billion and aim to increase artistic, cultural and entertainment activity. The presence of two state universities (Arizona State University and University of Arizona) and a new convention center are also significantly changing the physical and economic shape of the Phoenix downtown area.

Downtown and Central Phoenix are home to several historic neighborhoods. These range from turn of the century Victorian to mid-century modern architecture. Some of the more well-known districts include Coronado, Encanto-Palmcroft, FQ Story, Willo and Woodlea. The historic homes in these districts are private residences and not normally open to the public, but the neighborhoods are very pleasant to walk around. Some districts hold annual home tours when several houses in a neighborhood are open to the public, all covered by one ticket usually costing about $10. For example, the FQ Story home tour is normally held shortly before Christmas.

Winter visitors to the area will generally be looking for outdoor events. The area has many resorts with the relevant amenities, such as golf courses and the requisite pools and other activities on site. In the summer, due to the extreme heat, virtually everyone tries to avoid being outside more than necessary.

1 Castles N' Coasters, 9445 North Metro Parkway East (Car: Near I-17 and Dunlap, just southeast of Metrocenter Mall. Easily visible from the interstate; Transit: Valley Metro Rail and bus routes 27, 35, 90, and 106 to Metro Parkway Station (Thelda Willams Transit Center), then walk south along the outer (eastern) sidewalk of Metro Pkwy.), ☏ +1 602-997-7575. Largest amusement park in town, and the only one with roller coasters and other thrill rides. Also has four mini-golf courses and a two-story arcade. (updated Nov 2022)

2 Enchanted Island Amusement Park, 1202 W. Encanto Blvd (Car: Near Encanto Blvd and 15th Ave; Valley Metro Bus: 15), ☏ +1 602-254-1200, info@enchantedisland.com. Great rides for children pre-k - 5th grade. There is a train that circles the park. Canoe rental. Single Ride: $5 + tax, Book of 10 rides: $40 + tax, Book of 20 rides: $60 + tax, All-day ride pass: $23.75 + tax, Year pass (12 months): $55 + tax. (updated Nov 2022)

Cityscape, One East Washington, ☏ +1 480-947-7772. Mixed use urban project which includes retail, shopping and entertainment such as a pub, comedy club, bowling alley and various restaurants. From late November through early January there is a holiday ice skating rink called Cityskate which has an admission fee ($12 to $15 which includes skate rental), nightly lightshows from 7 to 10PM and a 36 foot tall Christmas tree.

Downtown Phoenix Farmers Market, 721 North Central Ave. Sat 8AM-noon; Thu 5PM-9PM. Farmers market open year round offering fresh produce, prepared food and food trucks.

Budget

For cheap eats, look out for many 24-hour Mexican food places such as Filiberto's and other restaurants offer a burrito the size of your forearm for less than $4.

Chicago Hamburger Company, 3749 E Indian School Rd, ☏ +1 602-955-4137. Mon-Sat 10:30AM-8PM. "Home of the Original Windy City Slider" is the restaurant's slogan, and the small burgers (along with larger fare) are found here. A Chicago themed sandwich shop offering hot dogs, sandwiches and even Frito Pie (according to the menu, a former manager from Texas added it to the menu and they've left it on). This place is more what you would expect of a traditional burger joint than Delux Burger (listed below). Delux is when you want something more formal, Chicago Hamburger Company is when you want to grab a traditional burger shop-lunch.

Chino Bandido, 310 W Bell Rd, ☏ +1 602-375-3639. 11AM-9PM. Strange and wonderful fusion of Mexican and Asian cuisine. It can take a little bit of work to understand how to order, so using the online interactive menu ahead of time is useful for first-timers. Ask for a sample spoon if you're not sure about a flavor combination. $5-10.

1 Fry Bread House, 4545 N 7th Ave, ☏ +1 602-351-2345. Mon-Sat 11AM-8PM. Since 1992 this Tohono O'odham-owned and -operated restaurant has served authentic Native American cuisine, based on family recipes that the restaurant owner learned as a child. Specializes in frybread in all its varieties. Features an all-Native American staff. (updated Mar 2025)

2 Green Restaurant, 2022 N 7th St, ☏ +1 602-258-1870. Mon-Sat 11AM-9PM. Reputed vegan restaurant. PETA named the secret BBQ Chicken sandwich as the best faux chicken sandwich in the USA. (updated May 2015)

3 Matt's Big Breakfast, 825 N 1st St, ☏ +1 602-254-1074. 7AM-2PM. Very popular breakfast restaurant in downtown Phoenix. (updated Mar 2025)

Modern Tortilla, ☏ +1 602-526-5493, Info@moderntortilla.com. Food truck which turns up at various random events and locations (a calendar is posted on their website). Street tacos, burritos, quesadillas: a mix of southwest culinary roots with classical training. (updated Nov 2018)

Tee Pee Mexican Food, 4144 E Indian School Rd, ☏ +1 602-956-0178. Mon-Sat 11AM-10PM, Sun 11AM-9PM. Neighborhood Mexican food restaurant featuring fairly standard Arizona Mexican food fare at reasonable prices.

Phoenix as a metropolitan area offers a considerable amount of nightlife, though with the fact that the city is so spread out it can be difficult and dangerous to attempt traversing the city on a big night out. Generally, the nightlife is centered around the sub-cities of the metro area. Within Phoenix, bars tend to cluster within the Midtown or Downtown areas, while in the surrounding areas, Scottsdale offers a lively bar and club scene, Tempe is popular with students given the proximity to the University, and the city centers for Chandler and Glendale both offer some good options if you're in the suburbs. Downtown Mesa lacks any appreciable nightlife given its strong ties to the Mormon church.

Hanny's, 40 North First Street (SW corner of Adams and 1st St), ☏ +1 602-252-2285. Mon-Fri 11AM-1AM, Sat Sun 5PM-1AM; bar open daily until 1:30AM. Swanky and stylish bar and restaurant in a historic Phoenix building constructed in the 1940s serving food such as pizza, sandwiches and salads and a variety of cocktails. $5 classic martinis served all day

1 Bar Smith's Rooftop Lounge, 130 E. Washington St, ☏ +1 602-456-1991. Mon-Thu 11AM-2PM; Fri 11AM-2PM, 9:30PM-2AM; Sat 9:30PM-2AM. Downtown Phoenix bar and restaurant with Phoenix's only rooftop dance floor that attracts a young crowd. Nightclub is open W-Sa.

Angels Trumpet Ale House, 810 North Second St (1 block from Roosevelt/Central light rail station), ☏ +1 602-252-2630. Tue-Thu 3PM-midnight; Fri Sat 11AM-midnight; Sun 11AM-11PM. Bar and restaurant with 31 rotating craft beers on tap serving lunch and dinner. 3,000-foot patio with a diverse menu with snacks, flatbreads and sandwiches.

Crescent Ballroom, 308 N 2nd Ave (one block west of Van Buren light rail station), ☏ +1 602-716-2222. Mon 11AM-1AM; Thu Fri 11AM-2AM; Sat 5PM-2AM; Sun 5PM-1AM. A 7000-square-foot lounge, restaurant and music venue in a red brick warehouse built in 1917 which hosts live music every day. Happy hour is Monday-Thursday from 3-6PM and Friday from 11AM-6PM with $2 PBR, $3 wells and $3 local drafts.

Seamus McCaffrey's, 18 W Monroe, ☏ +1 602-253-6081. Great small Irish pub downtown. Same owner of Rosie McCaffrey's up on Camelback. Live Irish rock music.

Like many metro areas in the Southwest, Phoenix and its surroundings are pretty car centric. If you plan to stay or visit any of the cities on the periphery of the metro area, a car will likely be required. However, if you plan to stick to the immediate Phoenix area (including Tempe), the Light Rail is a viable option, with an all-day adult pass costing $4. So if you are in the United States without a car, consider that. There are also rental scooters with drop-off points at almost every block in the city center. Taxis are typically fairly easy to find in proximity to major light rail stops and in popular areas, and will run you from $10-15 for a fairly local trip to well over $100 for a ride to a distant suburb.

By e-scooter

The fastest and most comfortable way to get around downtown, especially in summer months when temperatures soar, is by e-scooter. The most popular rental company is Lime, their scooters are easily recognizable by their green and black color scheme. There are over 1000 scooters in the downtown area, which can be rented and dropped off in any of 400 stations.

Rental fees start at $1 for short rides so they are very competitive with bus fares. Look out for promotions and special deals, which often include a number of free rides.

To rent a scooter, you'll need a smartphone and the rental company's software on it, that can be downloaded free of charge. You will also need a credit card to pay for the service.

Unlike in most European cities, e-scooters in Phoenix do not follow a free-floating model but must be rented from any of the stations and also parked in a station to end the ride. If you don't park the scooter properly, you risk getting billed continuously. Scooters are restricted to roads and cycle roads; it is prohibited to scoot on sidewalks ($250 fine if caught). When leaving the downtown area, scooters will slow down to 4 km/h and eventually stop completely, so keep an eye on the map. Scooting is also prohibited on university premises.

Despite being a nice vacation destination, Phoenix is a major American city and as such does contain a fair amount of violent crime. Some parts of the city (and even a few parts of some of the suburbs) should be avoided at night. Downtown Phoenix is safe during the day, but does have a problem with the homeless/transients, some of whom approach well-dressed office workers and tourists asking for spare change. South Phoenix can be unsafe in some areas.

Maryvale, a commercial/residential district on the west side of the city of Phoenix (extending north into Glendale as well), should be avoided at almost all times unless there is a specific reason to go there.

Most of the suburban areas are safe during day and night; however, parts of Mesa and Glendale can be dangerous at night. There have been assaults on a few university students in some portions of Tempe, near the main campus of Arizona State University (ASU). The ASU campus is equipped with several emergency call boxes.

The Sunnyslope area (north central city of Phoenix) has some homeless and other crime issues but a police station at Peoria and 7th Ave has dramatically reduced crime.

The town of Guadalupe (immediately west of Tempe and bounded by Interstate 10 on the west) is unsafe at night, but is an incredibly interesting Hispanic/Native American community to visit during the day. Be warned though that the speed limit suddenly falls from 40mph to 25mph as you enter the town.

In every portion of the Phoenix area, just use common sense and be aware of your surroundings.

Phoenix also has one of the highest car theft rates in the country, with a car stolen every 7 minutes. In addition, red light running is more common in Phoenix than any other city in the U.S. Use caution at every turn.

Speeding, tailgating and aggressive driving are common on the freeways.

Be aware of traffic and speed enforcement cameras at most major intersections. Always anticipate someone attempting to beat the amber light before it turns red to avoid being issued a very expensive traffic ticket (usually in the amount of $300 or more). If you see sudden braking, make sure you're going the speed limit. Sometimes, camera vans are set up on the side of the road to snatch speeders, especially in the Northeastern parts of the Valley.