Area description continued:
This map depicts the state capital area of downtown Phoenix, Arizona. Numerous area parks are indicated: Bank One Park, Patriots Square Park, Grant Park, Harmon Park, University Park, and Carnegie Library Park. Highway 17, the Maricopa Freeway, runs east-to-west across the bottom of the map. The Amtrack train station, city hall, the Phoenix Symphony Hall, Heritage Square, and the Phoenix Convention Center are clearly marked.

Phoenix's greatest attraction is the land that surrounds it: a vast expanse of untamed desert. As the state capital, Phoenix is as modern as any American metropolis, with an active arts scene and a brisk economy. Downtown Phoenix is primarily a government and financial center, with little to tempt the traveler except for the state capitol, a few museums and a score of galleries.