They're wrong, Downs insists. And they're right. Vestiges remain of the days when Greater Phoenix was an old-style western outpost. People wear six-shooters, drive pickups, and usually aren't kidding when they tell you to watch out for rattlesnakes. But, the area is also now the sixth-largest community in the nation. It's definitely big-city, with an array of amenities, jobs, housing, and cultural offerings to attract newcomers in record numbers. And it's a sports town, where recreational activities, spectator events, and surviving the summer heat all rank as favorite pastimes.
Mainly, though, Downs writes that Phoenix is a good place for just about anyone to visit, or to make a home. "The sunsets are unrivaled. The friendliness of the inhabitants world-class. And the feeling of being at home doesn't require being born here. Any time you sink a taproot in Phoenix, you know that in time you will become a native."