Economy and Industry
Phoenix is currently home to seven Fortune 500 companies: waste management company, Allied Waste, electronics corporation Avnet, Apollo Group (which operates the University of Phoenix), mining company Freeport-McMoRan (recently merged with Phoenix based Phelps Dodge), retailer PetSmart, and energy supplier Pinnacle West. Honeywell's Aerospace division is headquartered in Phoenix, and the valley hosts many of its avionics and mechanical facilities. Intel has one of its largest sites here, which employs about 10,000. American Express hosts its financial transactions, customer information, and entire website in Phoenix. The city is also home to the headquarters of U-HAUL International, a rental and moving supply company; as well as Best Western, the world's largest family of hotels.
As Phoenix is the state capital, many residents in the area are employed by the government. Arizona State University has also enhanced the area's population through education and growing research capabilities. Numerous high-tech and telecommunications companies have also recently relocated to the area. The military has a significant presence in Phoenix including Luke Air Force Base located in the western suburbs. In metropolitan Phoenix, foreign governments have established 30 consular offices, and eleven active foreign chambers of commerce and trade associations.
Tourism
The Phoenix/Scottsdale tourism business is still doing well despite the economic issues facing the USA over the last couple years. It has suffered a slight setback but is still expecting approximately 30 million visitors this year alone and over 9 billion dollars in revenue. The area boasts over 60,000 rooms through the hundreds of hotels and resorts it has to offer. The main reasons tourists flock to this area are the sunny desert climate, amazing hotels and resorts, a wide variety of activities, fantastic shopping and golf.
The Valley of the Sun -- made up of Phoenix, Scottsdale, Mesa and a slew of other rapidly growing cities, is the golf capital of the American Southwest. With close to 200 golf courses, the Valley can make a legitimate claim to being the most golf-rich region in the United States. Each year millions of golfers from sun-starved winter climates make their way to this sun-splashed golfing pantheon to test their mettle on desert courses that yield more lost balls than birdies.
Art, Culture & Entertainment
At the Phoenix Art Museum, you'll find world-class exhibitions and a collection of more than 17,000 works of American, Asian, European, Latin American, and Western American art. Nearby, the renowned Heard Museum offers one of the world's finest collections of Native American art and artifacts from tribes throughout the Southwest.
The Desert Botanical Garden and the Heard Museum offer unique Southwestern experiences, while Phoenix Art Museum and SMOCA appeal to contemporary art types. If you have kids, the Children’s Museum of Phoenix, the Arizona Science Center and the Phoenix Zoo are must-dos.
Several music venues take place around Arizona, but primarily in and around downtown Phoenix and in Scottsdale. One such venue is the Phoenix Symphony Hall, where performances from groups such as the Phoenix Symphony Orchestra, Arizona Opera and Ballet Arizona often occur. Concerts also regularly make stops in the area. Venues for concerts include the US Airways Center and the Comerica Theatre in downtown Phoenix.
Sports & Recreation
While in Phoenix, it's also easy to indulge your inner sports fan by taking in a professional sporting event. The Phoenix Suns (NBA), Arizona Diamondbacks (MLB), Arizona Cardinals (NFL) and Phoenix Coyotes (NHL) all represent the great city of Phoenix. If you feel the need for speed, check out NASCAR events at Phoenix International Raceway, take in the nightly races at Phoenix Greyhound Park or try your hand behind the wheel at F1 Race Factory.
By foot, by bike, or even by horse, there’s no shortage of mountain trails, some right in the city and some in the middle of the Sonoran Desert. Climb iconic Camelback Mountain, see the cityscape from Piestawa Peak to South Mountain for over 50 miles of trails.
Alongside New York City’s Central Park, San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park and Boston Commons, Forbes Magazine has listed Phoenix’s Encanto Park as one of the nation’s 12 best city parks. Encanto Park’s 65 acres, located in the heart of central Phoenix, boasts dozens of massive trees of numerous species. The 27 holes of the adjacent Encanto Golf Course along with the park offer residents more than 200 total acres of green space right in Phoenix’s urban core.
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