By Resonance Consultancy
55. PHOENIX
Latin soul, daring architecture and a reverence for the outdoors blends a heady mix in the heart of the American Southwest.
A thriving desert metropolis, Phoenix offers some of the best Mexican food this side of the border, a number of fine museums, a vibrant artist community and 300 days of sunshine—with the #12-ranked Weather globally. Start your visit with a stroll through Roosevelt Row Arts District, or RoRo, as locals have taken to calling it. Art galleries, studios, restaurants and bars sit side by side in this walkable creative district in the downtown core—helping the city to a #15 ranking globally in our Attractions subcategory. Don’t miss the Desert Botanical Garden, which, with more than 50,000 plants, has one of the world’s largest collections of desert flora.
Want to see some cacti and succulents in their natural element? Take a close-up look at Camelback Mountain. Summit trails are not for the faint of heart, especially in 100° Fahrenheit heat, but the base of the mountain offers easier and equally beautiful trails for beginners. Phoenix ranks #53 in the nation for its Parks & Outdoors. If you’re looking for a respite from the heat, visit the Phoenix Art Museum, where Carlos Amorales’ Black Cloud, a site-specific installation consisting of 25,000 individual, life-sized black paper moths and butterflies, weaves its way in a swarm up the walls and ceilings of a gallery space.
