Phoenix also has one of the highest foreclosure rates in the country right now (making it a sucky place to be if you already bought a home, but an absolute steal if you’re in a place to buy right now). I absolutely love it, though it’s definitely not for everyone. Like anyplace, Phoenix has its pros and cons. The climate is brutal but beautiful, the city is populous and large—the fifth largest in the U.S., actually. There’s plenty to do and see and a much more reasonable cost of living than the next four on that list, especially since Phoenix also has one of the highest foreclosure rates in the country right now (making it a sucky place to be if you already bought a home, but an absolute steal if you’re in a place to buy right now). I absolutely love it, though it’s definitely not for everyone.

Climate: I’m going to cover this first because it’s what Phoenix is known for. It’s hot here. Phoenix is a valley (often called “Valley of the Sun”) which means that it traps heat, and except for the monsoon/rainy season (June-August) bad weather skirts around those mountains and doesn’t reach us at all. When it does rain, the earth is so packed that water doesn’t absorb and it floods. The fact that the valley is basically a giant concrete and asphalt bowl only intensifies the heat. Notably, meteorologists aren’t allowed to say it’s hot until it’s 110 degrees outside. Lest you misunderstand, this means that summer temperatures in the teens (even up to 120) aren’t likely to raise any eyebrows—merely singe them off.

Of course, this also means that autumn and spring are both long and temperate and winters are mild—though, amusingly, people start packing on the wool when it hits 45 degrees. Yuk it up, Chicagoans. It also means that when it’s not monsoon season, the air is very dry. This means that my Nalgene bottle is a hip accessory and my curly hair almost always looks absolutely fabulous. Yards are typically low-maintenance: cacti, gravel, and stones (grass looks strange to me now). As someone who’s from Florida, this seems impossibly compelling and exotic. Despite (or perhaps because of) its extremes, I have completely fallen in love with the desert. Prescott (a mere hour and a half away) beckons with greenery and 20-degrees-cooler temperatures, and Flagstaff (3-4 hours away) gets snow in the winter, making skiing/snowboarding day trips not only compelling, but doable. Las Vegas is a half-hour plane ride away.

Dating: Scottsdale and Tempe are the happening areas in Phoenix; everyone here is a California transplant and owns huge expensive homes. All the girls are blonde—even if they’re not really—and all the guys have frosted tips. Phoenix is also home to ASU, the largest public research university in the U.S. (well over 65,000 on the four area campuses) which means that everyone is beautiful and competition is fierce.

However, it’s all about external beauty. Because most of the younger folks grew up with money, they think they’re going to graduate college and make $60K per year based on their innate fabulousness. Of course, we all know this almost never happens, which means that the hottie at the club who drives a BMW probably makes $30K per year and has at least $10K in credit card debt. True up-and-comers are few and far between, and intellectual interests are suspect.

Dining & Bars: If you’re brave enough to visit the west side of the valley (which is far sketchier), you can get authentic Mexican at a late-night joint or road stand. In the Scottsdale/Tempe area, almost everything is a chain, although there are some decent independent places and upscale establishments.

Gambling is legal on reservation lands (on the outskirts of Phoenix) and though we don’t have all the Vegas games, we do have Poker, Blackjack, video roulette, and of course slot machines galore. Casino quality ranges from “permanent” tents to five-star resorts complete with spas and reservations-only dining establishments inspired by traditional Native American cuisine and indigenous foodstuffs.

Sports: The Cardinals are an absolutely terrible football team, but the Arizona Diamondbacks are decent and the climate-controlled University of Phoenix Stadium make baseball a popular pastime during the season. The ASU SunDevils and the nearby UA Wildcats have a healthy rivalry that everyone follows avidly. There are plenty of leagues (kickball is especially popular) if you’d rather play than watch, although the long hot summer is definitely a deterrent.

Green Living: Gas is expensive, public transportation is a joke (a horrible bus system and a light rail that’s only a mile or two long), and despite two interstates, two looped freeways, and other major highways, traffic is a bitch. The city has one of the largest land-areas of any major metropolis, which means that biking is out and you basically have to drive everywhere. Recycling is commonplace and many homeowners collect rainwater with cisterns and put solar panels on their houses (outside the city there are even communities “off the grid”), and the power company will provide you with energy from renewable sources for an extra $20 per month. This is a good thing, since you will be running your AC 24/7 at least 6 months out of the year. There are numerous organic/natural grocery chains including Whole Foods, Sprouts, and Trader Joe’s. Delicious.

Conclusion: Young, beautiful white people who think they have it rough because they don’t make a six-figure salary for doing nothing. Beautiful weather—half the time. Decent cost of living and exceptional access to entertainment, but a state income tax and insufficient mass transportation system. Stunning scenery in every direction, including another country within driving distance. It may not be for everyone, but I’m sold.