Rising out of the desert landscape of the forty-eighth state is our nation’s most populous state capital and fifth largest city: Phoenix. Incorporated as a city in 1881, Phoenix owes its name and popularity to the accord its dwellers have struck between its sometimes-challenging climate and its generous agricultural history. Built on the foundations of the Hohokam and Pima civilizations that preceded it, Phoenix relies on both ancient and modern technologies for its survival. Without the ingenuity of canal systems first established by the Hohokam more than two thousand years ago, and the comfort offered first by evaporative cooling and later air conditioning to help mitigate high summer temps, Phoenix might never have come to enjoy its celebrated present.
Careful organization helped to accommodate the rapid expansion of Phoenix and its suburbs, and natives and newcomers alike have long been thankful for the city’s well-planned system of gridded streets and wide, arterial highways. Transplants from LA or the Bay Area of California will laugh at our standards for bad traffic, while finding themselves thrilled with the city’s numerous prospects for employment and entrepreneurship alike.
Schools in Phoenix are overseen by a remarkable thirty-three school districts, and private and charter options abound as well—with the city currently serving as home to more than one hundred charter schools. Brophy College Preparatory for boys and Xavier College Preparatory for girls each offer a prestigious option for private, parochial education. After high school, students can explore an extensive network of community colleges and four-year universities, including Arizona State University, Grand Canyon University, and University of Phoenix. Opportunities for post-graduate education in the Phoenix area continues to expand as well, with Arizona State being joined by the University of Arizona College of Medicine and Barrow Neurological Institute, among others.
No matter what your real estate wish list includes, Phoenix is certain to have the home for you. Affordable housing, available as both existing homes and new construction, is still readily available, even as the housing market in Arizona continues to recover and strengthen from the economic difficulties of the last decade—and the cosmopolitan nature of the city means there will always be plenty of opportunities to celebrate our home’s artistic and cultural diversity.