What is Phoenix Arizona like?

Answer:

Phoenix, Arizona is a very dry and hot place. Rain is scarce--with only a few days of rain a year, but when it comes, it pours. Rain in Phoenix is associated with flash flooding, and most always is muddy and hot.
Phoenix is Arizona's capital city, and together with its suburbs, offers many world-class attractions. The Fashion Square Mall in Scottsdale, with its valet parking and 4-story fountain, and several high-end golf courses make Phoenix a good tourist destination, especially in the winter months.
Please see the below link for more info on Phoenix's attractions.
Phoenix has very oppresive heat in the summer, because it lies in the Sonoran Desert. Temperatures in July and August often exceed 110 degrees Farhenheit in the day and in the 90s at night. Winters, however, are very mild with temps averaging in the mid 60s in January and February during the day and in the 40s at night. Winters bring some rain, and summers bring "Monsoon" season, with occasional thunderstorms. Phoenix gets over 300 days of sunshine every year. The sunshine is so strong, it actually can sting and burn exposed skin within a short time.
Phoenix's location in low-range desert mountains makes it suseptible to air pollution, thanks to the numerous cars on the roads. Rush hour begins about 7 AM to 9AM, and afternoon rush hour from 4PM to 6 PM. STAY OFF THE ROAD DURING THIS TIME. Phoenix has ugly traffic jams, but not as bad as Los Angeles. And the growing population guarrantees worsening traffic jams. The Valley has a bus system, but its more reliable to take your car. And the city just got a lightrail system, but its too early to tell if it will be beneficial to the area.
Phoenix's desert location offers proximity to outdoor opportunities to hike, camp and fish. You can even go hiking in the city limits itself in some locations, primarily South Mountain, Camelback Mountain, North Mountain and Piestewa Peak. In the winter, Phoenix is about 2 hours south of ski resorts near Flagstaff, Globe and Show Low. The Verde Valley area, about one-and-a-half hours north of Phoenix, is great for camping. Golf is a major activity in the winter.
But Phoenix is rather dull of you want to feel like you are in a major metropolis. There isn't much architecture or a dynamic skyline like in NY or Chicago. The entire Valley of the Sun (Phoenix's nickname) looks the same, wheather you are in Phoenix, Scottsdale, Glendale, Mesa, Chandler or Gilbert. The most common type of residence is a single-level ranch home made of stucko or cinder block, with red, spanish roofs. Homes in the Valley do not have a basement like in the Midwest. There isn't much culture either. Ironically, Phoenix's largest suburb, Mesa, was ranked as the most boring city in the country. But Phoenix has a few chique places to patron; downtown Scottsdale offers an "Old West" feeling, and downtown Tempe is cool due to Arizona State University.
Compared to many metro areas, it can be hard to find a good high-paying job in Phoenix. Phoenix's economic base is reliant on services with very few manufacturing plants to support a large industrial base. Housing construction, travel and tourism, retail and wholesale trade, and financial insitutions provide the most jobs. But the economy is taking a hit, due to the downward spiral of these economic activities. With the generally low incomes of the metro area and a higher than average cost of living, it can be difficult to purchase a home in the Valley of the Sun, especially if you move there from certain parts of the Midwest or the South. All in all, the Phoenix economy is rather weak and suseptible to recessions. Auto insurance rates are fairly high, but not as high as California. Due to the general lack of public transportation, you have to drive drive drive everywhere.