About the Area

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The   East Valley is comprised of several city's that connect together within the Phoenix Metropolitain Area of Arizona. The East Valley is a loosely defined region, with differing definition of what constitutes it. However, the cities include Ahwatukee, Apache Junction, Chandler, Gilbert, Mesa, Queen Creek, Tempe, Scottsdale, and San Tan Valley.

Arts and culture

Each of the East Valley's major cities has performing arts centers and museums. The performing arts attractions range from community theater performances to such nationally acclaimed celebrities and performers as Bill Cosby, Earth, Wind & Fire, Joan Rivers and Jane Krakowski of 30 Rock.[26] The venues include the Chandler Center for the Arts, the Higley Center for the Performing Arts of Gilbert, Queen Creek and southeastern Chandler area, the Tempe Center for the Arts, the Scottsdale Center for the Arts, the Mesa Arts Center, the Hale Centre Theatre Arizona in Gilbert, the Arizona Museum of Natural History in Mesa, the Arizona Historical Society's Museum at Papago Park in Tempe, the Arizona Museum for Youth in Mesa, the Gilbert Historical Museum and the Mesa Historical Museum, which has developed Play Ball: The Cactus League Experience.

One of the crown jewels of the East Valley's performing arts venues is the Mesa Arts Center, which CNN selected to host the February 2012 Republican primary presidential debate.[26] The architecturally stunning center in downtown Mesa is the largest arts center in Arizona. It features four theaters, five art galleries, and 14 art studios.

Outdoor and Recreation

The East Valley is known for golf, eco-tourism and outdoor recreation enthusiasts, including hikers, bikers, birders, river rafters and floaters, fishermen, horse-back riders, climbers, hunters and four-wheel drive desert explorers. The East Valley is bounded on the north, east and south by mountains—the Superstitions, the San Tans, and McDowell Mountains. All are accessible through trails and park facilities.

The Tonto National Forest hugs the East Valley as does the lower Salt River valley basin and the Sonoran Desert.

The Tonto National Forest hugs the East Valley as does the lower Salt River valley basin and the Sonoran Desert.

For boaters, Saguaro Lake is within a half hour of most East Valley locations and the 21,000 acre Lake Roosevelt and the Lake Roosevelt National Recreation Area is a 90-minute drive.

In addition to the lakes, fishermen head for the Lower Salt River in the winter and spring. The Arizona Game and Fish Department stock the river with Rainbow trout during those months, though an occasional bass is also caught.

A series of four national forest parks follow the Salt River and just minutes from the Red Mountain Expressway. The Lost Dutchman State Park is on the eastern edge of the East Valley. There are three metropolitan parks—one bordering Scottsdale, one bordering Mesa and one on the south nestled in the San Tan Mountains.

The Gilbert Riparian preserve is well known to birders and is listed in the American Auto Club's 100 sites to see in Arizona. The Boyce Thompson Arboretum State Park with its collection of desert and riparian plants and wildlife is less than 45 minutes from most East Valley locations. The Desert Botanical Garden is located on Tempe’s western edge.

(Source)  East Valley (Phoenix metropolitan area) - Wikipedia