Phoenix Ranks in Top 10 Among Best Cities for Downtown Living

Downtown living is finally making a comeback after the pandemic-driven flight to the suburbs. But not all downtowns are cut from the same cloth. Some are better than others at getting the right mix of amenities to keep residents engaged after working hours. One of the best is Phoenix, which ranks in the Top 10 among best cities for downtown living.

To find out which cities can best cater to urban lifestyles, StorageCafe, a nationwide self storage marketplace, issued a report that drills down on the key features that make downtowns appealing for renters. Based on a series of factors including cost of living, rental amenities, access to entertainment and shopping, safety and more, the South comes out as the best destination for those in search of a premier downtown living experience. Phoenix landed 10^th on the list.

Phoenix shines among best cities for downtown living

Phoenix has experienced a renaissance of sorts in the past few years, mainly propelled by the healthy job market and a cost of living that’s lower than in many other major urban hubs. The apartment market has grown tremendously in recent times, with the Phoenix’ downtown area having added over 70% of its total inventory of apartments in the last decade.

Nearly all apartment buildings (92%) provide access to gyms and well over half of the apartments (64%) are in the high-end category. Among other enticing perks, downtown Phoenix apartments come with an average of about 790 square feet of space, much more generous than in many other cities’ downtowns.

Downtown living is usually appealing because it’s where dining, shopping and entertainment converge, and PHX has a little bit of everything in this respect. There are about 12 restaurants/1,000 residents, offering various options from the typical burger joint to Asian, Tex-Mex and Italian cuisines. Entertainment is easy to find with over 2.5 theaters/1,000 people. The city center is also full to the brim with various museums, resorts and access to hiking trails, theaters and other recreation  venues. With the Footprint Center and Chase Field being located in the downtown area, you can go to a concert while staying in your zip code.