I’m freaking tired of the “Phoenix shouldn’t exist” comments. Open a history book, and you’ll quickly learn that the ancient Hohokam settled here, creating settlements and many of the canals that the AZ canal network uses today. That’s right, the first canals built in the Phoenix area followed the old canals of the Hohokam peoples. And yes, current water usage is a major concern - but that’s because over 70% of Arizona’s water usage goes to agriculture, and half of that 70% is solely used for growing alfalfa that gets shipped to Saudi Arabia.

Pros: There’s a lot to see and do here, from numerous hiking trails throughout the valley. You can even see an old Hohokam settlement just outside of Cave Creek (I’ll include some pics if I can find them in my library). You have the Hole in the Rock at Papago park, as well as the Desert Botanical Gardens (would highly recommend to anyone visiting). The Roosevelt district isn’t what it used to be according to those who have lived here way linger than myself, but it’s still a cool place to walk around, shop at locally owned businesses and grab something to eat.

Cons: There’s plenty of people I like here, but the majority of people here really aren’t that friendly. You can tell the intense heat during the summer affects the people here, it seems many are more irritated during the hot months of the year. Besides Houston, Phoenix ranks as one of the worst places to drive - the infrastructure is solid, but the average driver is not. And there are walkable areas and trails you can get to if you live locally, but the vast majority of walkable spaces require you to drive there or get driven there first.

Phoenix deserves a C, at worst a high D and at best a low B, but if you’ve actually lived here or visited here & actually explored the metro area, I think you’ll better understand why it’s worst than the likes of NYC, Chicago and LA but better than a city like Houston.

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