Dayton is a mid-sized city within a metropolitan area that includes almost a million residents and is home to five Fortune 1,000 companies, several divisions of General Motors, and Wright-Patterson Air Force Base. Located in southwestern Ohio's Miami Valley at the confluence of the Great Miami, Stillwater, and Mad Rivers, Dayton blends metropolitan convenience with small town flavor. Modern architecture and historical landmarks are found in the central city, while the surrounding communities offer comfortable suburban lifestyles. There is a wide selection of apartments, condominiums, and houses at reasonable costs. Primary and secondary education are in abundance in both public, parochial, and private school systems. Some of the Miami Valley's attractions and features are noted below.

• Green Space — More than 35,000 acres of parks, nature preserves, and a popular river corridor along the Great Miami River offer outstanding outdoor activities. Greater Dayton has more green space than any other metropolitan area its size. Dayton's newest park, Riverscape, features the Five Rivers Fountain of Lights, the largest river-based fountain in the world. Its design represents the five waterways that converge in the Dayton area, and it is positioned at the confluence of the Great Miami and Mad Rivers. The fountain shoots streams of water 200 feet in the air and 400 feet over the river, raining down at the center of the Great Miami. At night, lasers positioned above the water jets create a spectacular light show.
  
  
• Museums — Known as the birthplace of aviation, Dayton is home to the United States Air Force Museum, the oldest and largest military aviation museum in the world and Ohio's number one tourist attraction. Other points of interest include the Dayton Art Institute and the Boonshoft Museum of Discovery, Carillon Park.

Dayton Contemporary Dance Company

• Performing Arts — Dayton offers a rich blend of dance, vocal, theatrical, and instrumental arts. The new Benjamin and Marian Schuster Performing Arts Center is a world-class facility offering the best in local, national and international performing artists. Dayton Opera, and the Dayton Philharmonic Orchestra call the Schuster Center home, and it showcases the latest Broadway blockbusters. A variety of local performing arts treasures, such as the Dayton Ballet,  also make use of the facilities. The city's cultural flavor also includes Dayton Contemporary Dance Company and Human Race Theatre Company. The beautiful, historical Victoria Theatre is stage for many of these  performers, and five other major-event centers also host shows and concerts.