Tempe is a city in the Phoenix metropolitan area of Arizona, home to Arizona State University and Tempe Town Lake — a two-mile reservoir created by damming the Salt River bed that has become the centrepiece of the city's revitalised downtown.
Mill Avenue, the main commercial strip, runs from the university down to the lake and is lined with restaurants, bars and shops. The area has a younger, more walkable energy than much of the surrounding Phoenix sprawl. Papago Park, shared with neighbouring Scottsdale, has desert hiking trails, the Desert Botanical Garden and the Phoenix Zoo. "A" Mountain (Tempe Butte) offers a short, steep climb with panoramic views of the Valley of the Sun.