These 6 (!) Arizona cities ranked worst for residential views — and it's a wake-up call

Metro Phoenix communities dominate a ranking of cities with the best residential views — in the worst way possible.

Lawn Love, a lawn-care service based in San Diego, ranked 200 American cities “with plenty of home listings featuring views of mountains, water, city skylines, and parks, as well as clean air,” according to a release.

We’re No. 1! And 2 and 3 and 4 and 6 and 10.

In a manner of speaking.

Glendale was ranked the No. 1 worst city in the U.S. for residential views — the anchor, the bottom feeder, the pits, followed by Tempe, Chandler and Mesa. Checking in at No. 6 is Gilbert and No. 10 is Peoria.

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So why do these metro Phoenix cities have the worst views?

The No. 1 city on the list for best residential views? Honolulu. Who can argue that? And the top Arizona city is Tucson, at No. 14.

But come on. All these other cities in Arizona are the worst? Who doesn’t like to enjoy the beauty of some of these cities?

I mean, Tempe? Just think of the cranes dominating the Arizona State University campus skyline. Or the comfortable familiarity of a Mesa strip mall. Or the freeway construction choking traffic … um, everywhere.

Never mind about that. The orange cones are a striking pop of color.

Evidently, however, none of those acquired tastes are to blame for the rankings.

“Glendale, Tempe, Chandler and Mesa rank decently in Mountain Views and Park Views but fail to rise in any other metric,” the release says. “The mountains surrounding these cities are obstructed by suburban sprawl and poor Air Quality.”

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Something is n the air in metro Phoenix. And it's not good

All right, the sprawl is hideous. Gross, really. As for the mountains, hey, Lawn Love should visit during the five or six times a year it rains, when you can see the mountains through the smog for a couple of hours after it stops. They’re gorgeous!

It is true that at other times things can look— a little … dirty. Dusty, maybe. Hazy. Yeah, hazy sounds nice. 

Or maybe not. In the ranking for cities with worst air quality, Phoenix, Mesa, Peoria, Scottsdale and Tempe tied for first.

That can’t be good.

Of course it’s not. Goofy lawn-care rankings aside, air quality in the Valley has long been a concern, for reasons a lot more serious than the view outside your bedroom window. It’s a matter of health, not aesthetics. Maybe this will be yet another wake-up call. Maybe it won’t.

Could be worse, I guess. 

But not much.

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Reach Goodykoontz at bill.goodykoontz@arizonarepublic.com. Facebook: facebook.com/GoodyOnFilm. Twitter: @goodyk. Subscribe to the weekly movies newsletter.

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