While the rest of the country continues to climb, millimeter by millimeter, out of the housing crisis, Phoenix has been on a tremendous rebound. It isn’t the fastest rebound in the country, but it is certainly faster than most other major metro areas.

A couple of things are feeding into this: the vast majority of new housing built in the Phoenix Metro Area was built by developers in areas outside of the city at the height of the bubble. People moved out of the city in the hopes of having bigger but still cheaper homes. This led to an abundance of housing within the urban heart of Phoenix itself. Then, when the bubble crashed, all of the housing prices dropped, which made those abandoned urban lofts and condos cheaper than they have ever been. Even now, almost every central phoenix realtor will tell you that there is no better time to buy or rent a home within the city.

Living In Phoenix? Really?

Yes!

Phoenix might not get as much “play” as other major cities in the US, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t a great place to live. Think about it, the cost of living is relatively low but wages are on par with other major metropolitan areas of the country. This means that it is easier to play here than it is anywhere else. And, while most people think about playing at the Grand Canyon or in the nearby Flagstaff or Sedona, there is plenty of great fun to be had within the city itself:

You can go ghost hunting at the Hotel San Carlos (or just take a tour—the guides love sharing ghost stories with the tours).

If you like sports, Phoenix is home to some pretty impressive sports teams and is going to host the Super Bowl in 2015. You can watch pro-level baseball, basketball and college football and other sports all year round.

If culture is more your thing, the Phoenix Art Museum has an impressive and partially rotating collection. The Heard Museum pays great tribute to the Native American tribes that live in the area and their history. In fact, the Heard has been called one of the best Native American History museums in the world. 

If you’re more into “hands on” fun, the Science Center and Children’s Museum are great for kids (and grown up kids) of all ages. The Science Center recently had the traveling Body Works exhibit and always has something really interesting to learn about.

If you’re a Wild West buff, the Wells Fargo Museum will sate that craving.

For live performance, you can take in shows at the symphony, the Orpheum Theater (on the country’s list of National Historic Places) or Space 55.

Or, if you want a pint and a flick after work, you can head over to the Film Bar, Phoenix’s independent movie house that serves beer and runs indie and specialty movies. It’s a great first date location!

You can also find live music almost every night of the week at one of the city’s pubs or breweries—especially those that are close to the ASU campus.

There are also plenty of places to shop just hang out—Bard’s Books is always fun, Dragonfly and Figs Home and Garden always have fun things to see and maybe even buy.

The point is that there is a lot to see and do in the urban area of Phoenix. It also has the added benefit of being a “slower” city than others—which means you can feel absolutely safe and secure raising kids right in the heart of the city.

So, instead of waiting for the prices to inflate, get in gear and grab your housing so you can join our ranks sooner rather than later!