The Vibe: A Modernized Melting Pot In The Middle Of The Desert
Most out-of-towners have this idea that
Phoenix is filled with cowboys and ranch hands, mostly due to the historic media portrayal of the city and the state of Arizona. While you’ll see your fair share of cowboy hats and snakeskin boots on these streets, that group doesn’t make up the majority.
In reality, Phoenix is a city that’s a blend of chill and laid back Arizonan locals and an eclectic mix of transplants from around the country, often attracted to the city thanks to its size and climate. Phoenix should also be noted for how huge its metro area is, with roughly 4.5 million residents. While it’s massive as a whole, its downtown is much more compact and actually pretty easy to manage.
Local Flavor: There’s Always Something Going On
One things for sure, the people in Phoenix love to keep the good times rolling. Without any truly cold weather throughout the year, various things are constantly going on year-round, whether it’s one of several Beer Festivals like Bites N’ Brews, the Arizona State Fair, or the Rainbows Festival celebrates the diversity of Phoenix. There’s also the annual Arizona National Livestock Show, a cool tradition that’s been going on since 1948.
Cuisine: Sonora-Style For The Win
When it comes to the food in Phoenix, you can’t go wrong with Sonoran-style dishes. Named after the Mexican state that borders Arizona, you’ll find tons of awesome Mexican food on every street corner in the Valley of the Sun.
One dish that’s well-known from this genre of cuisine is the Sonora-style hot dog. It’s a hot dog that’s wrapped in bacon before being cooked, soon to be topped with beans, onions, tomatoes, mayonnaise, a cream sauce, mustard, and often a spicy salsa.
It’s also important to mention that lately tons of new age American restaurants have also been popping up around town as Phoenix becomes more modernized. Most of these are pretty awesome, using fancy and unique ingredients to help themselves stand out from the crowd. If you’re in Phoenix and you see something that looks good, don’t hesitate to give it a try.
Nightlife: Downtown Is Always Poppin’
When it comes to spending a night on the town, it’s easy to find the bars in Phoenix. The best concentration is right downtown, easily accessible and always packed. There’s a good mix of other amenities downtown, too. The perfect example of this is the newer Cityscape Phoenix building, a multipurpose high-rise filled with a variety of stores, restaurants, and pubs sure to offer a good time.
Weather: “It’s Hot…But It’s Dry Heat”
Few places get as much sunshine as Phoenix, but a huge side effect of all that sun is the heat. There’s no way around it, Phoenix is
hot. The average during the summer months is a whopping 93 degrees. Keep in mind that while this is dry heat, it’s still heat. Heck, at one point Phoenix was over 100 degrees for 76 days straight.
There’s also a monsoon season you should know about. While the name makes it sound worse that it is, this does bring a good amount of rain and can cause some flooding. At least the locals get a break during the winter months, when Phoenix is a perfectly cool 59 degrees on average.
