Phoenix is still an affordable place to live with a cost of living lower than most other metropolitan areas.  Within the city are a tapestry of neighborhoods--the historic homes of the Encanto District are favorites of successful professionals, while the antique adobe houses of the Willow District are fixer-uppers with flair.  A country club lifestyle surrounds the Arizona Biltmore in the central city and some of the most expansive estates line the lightly wooded, curbless streets of north Central Avenue.  To combat the sense of isolation that results from urban sprawl, the Phoenix City Council introduced an innovative zoning plan in the 1970s.  The zoning plan recognizes distinct neighborhoods within the city and calls for residential, retail and commercial development to take place in certain patterns to foster a stronger sense of neighborhood.

Major industries include tourism and the meeting and convention industry, construction and high tech manufacturing.  Phoenix welcomes 12 million visitors each year and tourism employs more than 175,000 people.  Tourism injects $6 billion annually into the local economy, $1.5 billion of that from meetings and conventions.  Phoenix ranks third among electronic production centers in the U.S.  Manufacturing employs 148,000 people in Metro Phoenix at some 3,400 firms.  43% of the valley's manufacturing comes from high tech and high tech accounts for one of every 5 jobs in Arizona.  In total, the direct impact from high tech companies is $14.7 billion statewide. Downtown Phoenix has become a hub for business, sports and the arts.  Revenue generating developments include Bank One Ballpark, home to the Diamondbacks; America West Arena, home to the Phoenix Suns and the Coyotes; and the Civic Plaza, a large scale meeting and convention center.  Investment in downtown development has yielded the Arizona Center, Orpheum Theater, Burton Barr Library, Margaret T. Hance Park, Phoenix Art Museum, Arizona Science Center and the Phoenix Municipal Government Center.

The Phoenix metro area has over 47 public school districts and 100 charter schools that focus on the arts, vocational training or traditional academic curriculum.  Charter schools are publicly funded and do not charge tuition or have the entrance requirements of private schools.  The Phoenix Union High School District has a magnet school program that provides concentrated instruction for interested students in areas such as law, aerospace, fine arts, science and sports in addition to regular school coursework.  Visit the Arizona Department of Education for information on Phoenix schools.

Phoenix Parks and Recreation administers 26,000 acres of desert parks and preserves within the city limits.  Hikers, bicyclists and equestrians frequent these parks because they can get away from it all without leaving the city.  More than 100 miles of trails make the beauty of the Sonoran Desert available for exploration.  An additional 1,700 acres of traditional city parks, some with golf courses, serve as green oases.

Professional sports are big in Phoenix.  The Arizona Diamondbacks, Arizona Cardinals, Phoenix Suns, Phoenix Mercury, and the Phoenix Coyotes call the Valley of the Sun home.  Plenty of cultural and entertainment venues are available for all ages.  Among them are Phoenix Public Library, Phoenix Art Museum, ASU Art Museum, Arizona Science Center, Herberger Theater, Orpheum Theater, America West Arena, Phoenix Symphony, Arizona Opera and Ballet Arizona.