Fortune Magazine canvassed the country to find cities with the best mix of business advantages and lifestyle appeal. Scottsdale came in at No. 25 - the top Arizona city - as among the perfect places to build your dream. Among the reasons for Scottsdale’s high ranking were the city’s great resorts and spas and its revitalized downtown. Other Arizona cities featured were Oro Valley at No. 44 and Prescott at No. 92. Visit http://money.cnn.com/galleries/2008/fsb/0803/gallery.best_places_to_launch.fsb/index.html for more information on the rankings.

AmericanStyle managzine recently published the results of its annual readers’ poll that identified the nation’s tops 25 arts destinations for 2008. Buffalo, N.Y., rocketed to first place from last year’s No. 14 in the Mid-Sized Cities category. Scottsdale, Ariz., was ranked second place. Pittsburgh, Pa., which was last year’s No. 1 in the category, fell to third place. Santa Fe, N.M., held the No. 1 spot in the Small Cities and Towns category for the third consecutive year. Quiet Asheville, N.C., leaped into second place, rising from last year’s fifth place. Sedona, Ariz., dropped one place to No. 3. Favorites ruled the Big Cities category: For the fifth consecutive year, New York City took the top spot. Perennial runner-up Chicago took the No. 2 spot. Washington, D.C., edged out San Francisco to take the third-place ranking. Complete results of the annual readers’ poll and profiles of the top three cities in each category are featured on www.AmericanStyle.com and in the June issue of AmericanStyle, now on newsstands at major booksellers across the country.

Scottsdale recently received two more rankings that illustrate why it’s one of the best places in the country to live, work and play:

** Scottsdale placed No. 2 among all U.S. mid-sized cities in AmericanStyle magazine’s annual poll determining the nation’s Top 25 Arts Destinations for 2008.

 

Monday, April 7, 2008 - 3:05 PM MST

Artist and philosopher Paolo Soleri, the architect behind Arizona’s Arcosanti village, is headed to Rome as a speaker for the April 14-16 Building Well to Live Better, a conference organized by the Roman Catholic Church to address sustainability and the environment.

As a major international real estate owner, the Catholic church can play a key role in sustainable architecture and design, the announcement released Monday said. Most participants will be priests involved with restoration projects and new developments.

The three main topics of discussion will be the connection between human development and environmental protection; examples of sustainable building and eco-architecture; and guidelines for intervention on existing buildings to increase comfort and energy efficiency.

Soleri is recognized for his concept of arcology, involving a compact three-dimensional urban form — the opposite of suburban sprawl.

Soleri launched Arcosanti in 1970 as a prototype to serve as an urban laboratory and a model urban environment that is striving to reduce humankind’s ecological impact on Earth. More than 6,000 people have participated in Arcosanti’s educational workshops and more than 60 residents live and work at the community north of Phoenix, where the ceramic and bronze Soleri Bells are produced and sold. For more: www.arcosanti.org.

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CONVENIENCE TRUMPS COST FOR BIZ TRAVELERSThe economy may be struggling and businesses are looking at savings to be had in corporate travel, but comfort is still cousin to convenience, even at a few dollars more, according to an Orbitz for Business survey. A strong majority are willing to pay for upgraded benefits like refundable air fares, seating priority and other perks. Sixty-five percent said the added services and benefits are worth the premium because they improve travel flexibility. Forty-percent of business travelers said their company would cover the cost of a seat upgrade, if it was $50 or under at the time of check-in. For whatever the reason, 58 percent said they would rather not sit next to the boss on a flight. However, the other 42 percent said they would be anxious to claim a seat next to the boss. (TravelWeekly.com;)

NEW CITY GUIDE FROM TRAVEL + LEISURE TO HIGHLIGHT

CORPORATE PLANNERS RANK

Quentin Tarantino meets Monty Python!

ONLY 5 DAYS LEFT TO ENJOY THIS TWISTED MASTERPIECE !

“Just when it might seem that theater has lost its bite, playwright Martin McDonagh creates mayhem on stage in proportions that film director Quentin Tarantino would struggle to top.”
– Joseph Diaz, Latino Perspectives Magazine
A backstage tour with Ultimate Art & Cultural  for your corporate group shows the “blood” (actually the blood cannons) sweat & tears (ok actually the fake body parts) that go into making this  “squirm-in your seat while laughing yourself silly”  great show. You can also meet the actors, before or after they’ve had a chance to get the heads back on straight, for an informal talk or wine reception.

If you miss this show be sure to contact us about the rest of the Actors Theater season for more tours!!!

Hotel Valley Ho takes pride in impeccable levels of service, a friendly and knowledgeable staff, and affiliations with Preferred Hotels and Resorts and Historic Hotels of America, plus a Four Diamond rating from AAA. If you’re a history buff, or just interested in the entire Hotel Valley Ho story, plan to enjoy one of the hotel’s Historic Property Tours starting in October — held at 10am Tuesdays and Saturdays. Designed by Ultimate Art & Cultural Tours, these tours should prove to be fun and very informative!To reserve an informative 1 hour tour, contact the concierge at 480.421.7705 (HVHConcierge@hotelvalleyho.com).

With hotel rates starting under $100 a night, summer is a GREAT time to visit beautiful Scottsdale.