Does Phoenix have an identity problem? (Scottsdale, Tempe: luxury, construction, university)

[timothyaw]

Originally Posted by DetroitN8V

LOL, no it's not.

Hahah you got me, you're CORRECT SIR. As Valley Native says, it SHOULD be in Phoenix if the stadium was built in the central core!

[singlegirlinaz]

Originally Posted by Bruce81

That is true. Phoenix wants the LA glamour but not the LA prices or problems. They even had a fake beach in Tempe lol, trying to be more of a beach city then embrace its desert location how Tucson does. Whenever someone new to Phx would arrive they would always mention how cool it is to live 5 hours from LA or San Diego and 4 from Vegas but never focused on Phoenix lol. I live in LA and most people here just wish they lived closer to the beach but never brag about how close we are to San Diego or Santa Barbara. LA is LA and we try to enjoy our city despite the big issues we face here.

Phoenix does have an identity problem but I dont think it truly matters. Phoenix is Phx and needs to stop trying to replicate other cities and just embrace its desert metropolis status.

Lots of truth in this post.

I'm from LA area originally but I've been in Phoenix almost 30 years. A lot has changed but 1 thing still remains the same - people still say we're a close distance to the fun stuff of LA and are copying LA.

Phoenix is like a smaller LA but it's not a copy at all. The climate and scenery are different, even the culture isn't quite the same. LA is known for the Hollywood glamour and Phoenix was still a big cow town when I moved here. It's not like that anymore but I think some people want it to be that way.

I don't think Phoenix had an identity problem but you're right about how Phoenix needs to be Phoenix and not try to copy other places.

[singlegirlinaz]

Originally Posted by Ponderosa

Yes, and marketing is at the heart of the Super Bowl focus on Arizona's landscapes. One of the reasons for hosting a Super Bowl is to drive tourism going forward. "Arizona" has an international cachet and appeal. Western movies, so popular in early and mid 20th century have cemented a vision of this state with desert vistas, cowboys and Indians, gunfights, and cattle, Tombstone, and nice winters. Phoenix is simply too banal, too new, to be a draw like that. Tucson gets away with it a bit with the "Old Pueblo" and does, in fact, have a long history and association with the Arizona cachet, though little remains of territorial days there. Phoenix can't pull that off. Even Yuma is better known around the world for the Yuma Territorial jail that figures in many films. The best we have here is Scottsdale's phony Old Town district.

While some carping is going on in this thread, I think most of us have a bit of pride as we see the images of the state that are being promoted. If nothing else, anyone who is watching will now know that the Grand Canyon is in Arizona and not Colorado.

You might be onto something but seriously, almost anyone under age 50 won't know squat about the old John Wayne westerns, cowboy culture, or any of that dated stuff that went out of style years ago.

I think we should embrace what Phoenix is now and all the progress made, not cling to what was in style 100 years ago.

[timothyaw]

Quote from https://ktar.com/story/5436280/heres...about-arizona/


Frank Clark, Chiefs defensive lineman
“The desert. 100% the desert. You already know where we’re at. When you’re in Arizona, you’re in that desert. I think the desert, I think cactus and I think ASU football.”

[Ponderosa]

Originally Posted by singlegirlinaz

You might be onto something but seriously, almost anyone under age 50 won't know squat about the old John Wayne westerns, cowboy culture, or any of that dated stuff that went out of style years ago.

I think we should embrace what Phoenix is now and all the progress made, not cling to what was in style 100 years ago.

You would be surprised. The cowboy thing is still our image in this state - the wild west. Have you ever talked to tourists? They expect the wild west when they step off the plane. I suppose we don't totally disappoint. We still have nightly gun fights and dead bodies are littered in our subdivision lakes and along our freeways, so there is that. Seriousness aside, if you want to embrace what Phoenix is now, could you say what that is? There is nothing that Phoenix is famous or renowned for that I can think of. You?

[Valley Native]

Originally Posted by timothyaw

Hahah you got me, you're CORRECT SIR. As Valley Native says, it SHOULD be in Phoenix if the stadium was built in the central core!

Not necessarily. Downtown was originally one of the chosen sites for the Cards stadium, but Tempe was the approved location (about where the proposed Coyotes entertainment area is now) ... and that's where it should have been built in my opinion. But Glendale is where it ended up, and that's where it will apparently stay.

Originally Posted by timothyaw

Frank Clark, Chiefs defensive lineman
“The desert. 100% the desert. You already know where we’re at. When you’re in Arizona, you’re in that desert. I think the desert, I think cactus and I think ASU football.”

This is proof that ignorance runs rampant. Arizona is certainly more than a vast desert and a bunch of damn cactus, but some people obviously believe that's pretty much all there is here. But then again, perhaps part of our image problem is the result of Phoenix not having enough iconic big city attractions to draw people here for other things besides sunshine & outdoor stuff. We promote the desert to the point of overkill.

Originally Posted by Ponderosa

There is nothing that Phoenix is famous or renowned for that I can think of.

Ah, this confirms it. Phoenix really has nothing to offer for tourists or newcomers which demonstrates that we're a large metropolis with notable amenities. As a side note, certain posters on here will chime in and say that Phoenix has plenty to offer in this regard, such as:
* new highrises exceeding 200 feet
* numerous hiking trails
* art walks
* the annual State Fair

In all seriousness, Phoenix has plenty of big city offerings ... however, we could use more attractions, such as a thriving 24/7 type of entertainment district, large theme parks, and a tall observation tower downtown (not the Pin) just to name a few things. If visitors & new arrivals focus primarily on the desert environment, sunny weather, and mountains, but little else, that's their own stupidity. Quite frankly, if that's all they're looking for, they can go to Parker, Gila Bend, or some other podunk town.

[OUgrad09]

Originally Posted by Valley Native

If visitors & new arrivals focus primarily on the desert environment, sunny weather, and mountains, but little else, that's their own stupidity. Quite frankly, if that's all they're looking for, they can go to Parker, Gila Bend, or some other podunk town.

This is silliness. There are no jobs, healthcare choices, school choices, or notable airports in those podunk towns. Lots of people who want big city amenities and good weather are gravitating towards Phoenix. They're not looking for "theme parks". Phoenix has plenty of excellent natural attractions within a reasonable drive in all directions. Heck, a lot of people have beautiful views just driving around their neighborhood. Arizona doesn't have theme parks or a "downtown observation tower", yet they are currently #1 in the country in inbound moves. Arizona is a beautiful state, it makes sense that people want to move to the biggest city there.

[Valley Native]

Originally Posted by OUgrad09

This is silliness. There are no jobs, healthcare choices, school choices, or notable airports in those podunk towns. Lots of people who want big city amenities and good weather are gravitating towards Phoenix. They're not looking for "theme parks". Phoenix has plenty of excellent natural attractions within a reasonable drive in all directions. Heck, a lot of people have beautiful views just driving around their neighborhood. Arizona doesn't have theme parks or a "downtown observation tower", yet they are currently #1 in the country in inbound moves. Arizona is a beautiful state, it makes sense that people want to move to the biggest city there.

You missed the point. The defense lineman on the KC Chiefs stated that Arizona is the desert & cactus, and that's what first comes to mind when he thinks of Arizona. That goes beyond silliness to the point of sheer ignorance. Too many others have that ridiculous attitude, and somehow want to come here just for those reasons ... not for jobs, education, or the other amenities (which are far more important than weather & nature). That's why I said that if a desert climate & views are all they're here for, they don't need to come to Phoenix when they can find those things much easier in smaller towns.

What I was trying to get across was: Phoenix already has plenty of big city amenities, but many visitors & new arrivals keep focusing on the desert first & foremost. Much of it relates to how we promote the desert, just like it's the #1 feature here. We could offset this asinine old school thinking with more iconic man made attractions that would draw more tourists here from around the nation & world. That could be a way to improve our identity issue ... along with easier remedies, such as giving our sports teams & other things the true name of the metro area where they're based (Phoenix, instead of Arizona this & that).

[phetaroi]

Originally Posted by singlegirlinaz

You might be onto something but seriously, almost anyone under age 50 won't know squat about the old John Wayne westerns, cowboy culture, or any of that dated stuff that went out of style years ago.

I think we should embrace what Phoenix is now and all the progress made, not cling to what was in style 100 years ago.

And what is it?

[Greenvalleyfan]

Originally Posted by Valley Native

You missed the point. The defense lineman on the KC Chiefs stated that Arizona is the desert & cactus, and that's what first comes to mind when he thinks of Arizona. That goes beyond silliness to the point of sheer ignorance. Too many others have that ridiculous attitude, and somehow want to come here just for those reasons ... not for jobs, education, or the other amenities (which are far more important than weather & nature). That's why I said that if a desert climate & views are all they're here for, they don't need to come to Phoenix when they can find those things much easier in smaller towns.

What I was trying to get across was: Phoenix already has plenty of big city amenities, but many visitors & new arrivals keep focusing on the desert first & foremost. Much of it relates to how we promote the desert, just like it's the #1 feature here. We could offset this asinine old school thinking with more iconic man made attractions that would draw more tourists here from around the nation & world. That could be a way to improve our identity issue ... along with easier remedies, such as giving our sports teams & other things the true name of the metro area where they're based (Phoenix, instead of Arizona this & that).

It does not have an identity problem. It has an inferiority complex as witnessed after reading all of this thread.