Today, Phoenix, Arizona is the fifth-largest city in the United States, only after New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, and Houston, which are some pretty big competitors. However, back in the 1960s, Phoenix was the twenty-ninth largest city, with a population of a quarter of what it is today.

Phoenix was in a period of transition in the ‘60s, moving from a small-town mentality to dreams of big-city living.
4kodiak/E+ via Getty Images
The cheery documentary above, entitled “Valley of the Sun,” shows the city as the best of both worlds, with wide-open ranches and parks juxtaposed with urban development and suburban sprawl.
travelfilmarchive / YouTube
It is described as a “booming Dark Horse of the desert which, within a few years, may have a larger population than Boston or Philadelphia.”
travelfilmarchive / YouTube
Back then, this prediction was just a dream, yet slowly but surely, it became reality.

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The large expanses of desert shown in the video have shrunk significantly since the footage was shot.
travelfilmarchive / YouTube
Back then, sand and rock stretched as far as the eye could see.
Today, much of that land is taken up by buildings and parking lots.
Kevin Spencer / Flickr
As the men and women walk by in sportcoats and mod dresses, the department stores show off the then-new look of desert design.
travelfilmarchive / YouTube
Back then, the fountains, rocky exteriors, and fake plants were seen as chic and cutting edge.
A lot of the buildings shown in the video are still standing today, but the city around them has changed completely.
travelfilmarchive / YouTube
Phoenix has grown from an underdog to a super-city, and looking back at its past is almost like looking at an entirely different place altogether.

The future is coming quickly, and no one knows what it holds. Take a moment to appreciate Phoenix as you know it today!

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