Roughly 30 miles North of Phoenix, Arizona is Anthem, a Dell Webb master planned community born in 1998. Currently, Anthem is home to nearly 25,000 people, and growing. At 1,797 feet above sea level and away from the city, Anthem is typically about 5 degrees cooler than Phoenix, yet offers easy access to Phoenix and all points north, such as Sedona, Flagstaff and the Grand Canyon, as well as historic Cave Creek and beautiful Carefree to the east.
Conveniently located right off of Interstate 17 and just minutes from Loop 101, Anthem's accessibility and small-town, rural feel, results in many of it's residents commuting to and from Phoenix for work, but one could easily spend all of their time in Anthem enjoying the multitudes of recreation and entertainment that it has to offer. At the heart of Anthem is a 63 acre park boasting a skateboard park, hockey rink, baseball, soccer and softball fields, basketball courts, catch-and release fishing lakes, an outdoor amphitheater, a railroad for the kiddies and even a Veteran's Memorial Monument. The community center on the park grounds is 40,000 square feet and houses a rock climbing wall, a fitness center, an 8 lane Olympic sized swimming pool, a water park, a licensed day care center and much more.
Anthem Golf & Country Club has not one, but two championship golf courses, each with it's own practice facility, shop and club house. Adjacent to Daisy Mountain, Anthem offers several trails for hiking and biking. Looking for a little more speed? Anthem is surrounded by dozens of square miles of desert for you enjoy your 4-wheelers and dirt bikes. Riding a mere 12 miles west will find you on the shores of Lake Pleasant. At over 10,000 acres and 110 miles of shore, Lake Pleasant is the largest lake in Phoenix and one of the largest in all of Arizona. Open year round, Lake Pleasant is perfect for boating, sailing, kayaking, camping, fishing and even para-sailing.
The next exits north on 117 take you to New River and Black Canyon City, communities which pride themselves on their old-west feel. Enjoy lunch at one of their famous cowboy or biker bars, then take a desert tour on horseback or A TV. Each of these communities offer true desert living as the last option of settlement before heading into the high desert.
Currently, there is some discussion about when and if Anthem should be annexed into Phoenix in the near future. Regardless, these communities will always stand alone and offer a perfect option to those who want to enjoy the great southwest without the big city bustle.
