How to see Phoenix (or any city) through the eyes of people who love it


After years and years of careful research, I have discovered that everywhere that people live is awful, and wonderful. Take any given city, and you can find lots of reasons not to live there. You really don't have to look very hard to find how terrible a city is, either it's too crowded, or there isn't enough going on there, or the restaurants are no good, or the team hasn't won enough games, the list goes on and on. And I often wonder why people live where they do? And what I see through their eyes often surprises me.

I've lived in some amazing cities in my life, and I've always wanted to see them through the eyes of people who love them. So I found the locals.

Now waitaminute, by locals I don't necessarily mean only the people who were born there. There are a lot of those people who really don't like where they live, and they're only there because, well, there are a lot of reasons, each one more depressing than the next. Instead I mean the locals who love it there, who know the best places, who know the best restaurants, whose eyes light up when you ask them about their city.

I wasn't born in Phoenix, but I'm one of those locals. Just get me started on my favorite city! Not only do I bleed maroon and gold (I'm a Sun Devil), I can get pretty emotional on the subject of the Arizona Falls, the Chuckbox, and Cave Creek Golf Course. Yes, I'm aching to show stuff to you. And if you're a local, too, you know what I mean.

If you're new to Phoenix, or any city, find a local. Don't bother with tour guides, or maps from the Chamber of Commerce, or Real Estate companies (although they're fine). Ask a local where you should go, and take them along.

Yes, beauty is "through the eyes of the beholder" and I see a lot of beauty. I know people who see a lot of ugliness, and it makes me kinda sad. I've known people like that all of my life, and they would see ugliness anywhere, from Phoenix to Santa Barbara.

I just love Phoenix, and Arizona, and the United States, and the Big Blue Marble. This is my home, I'm a local.

Image at the top of this post: Tres Rios Wetlands and the Estrella Mountains. The most beautiful sewage treatment plant you could ever imagine.
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