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Why live in Phoenix, AZ?
- Thread starter phungy
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It's a great place to live. Been in Phoenix for 25 years and don't think, take that back, I am never going to move from Arizona. Yes, the summers are hot. And it will take a bit to get used to it. But the Winters are absolutely fantastic. If you want snow, it's about 1-2 hours away.
No hurricanes, no earthquakes, except for the very odd small tornado once every 10 years or so and the Monsoon season that can wreak a bit of havoc we don't really have anything major to deal with.
Great views, great sunsets. Mountains all around. Can't beat a better place..
But in all honesty, I don't think you should move here. We have a cap on how many ppl can live here and I believe we have reached that. Sorry, no more room....
Not true. Throw a rock in any direction and you are bound to hit a freakin' golf course.. Lot's of green there.
And the cactus are green... 
Don't. I've been living here practically my whole life and I can't wait to get out. If you like golfing or going to spas, you would love it, but if you like doing anything else, forget it. There is absolutely no culture and downtown is dead by 5pm. The "city" is one giant sprawling disgusting suburb.
Summer is unbearable (and I've been living here for close to 20 years now) and during winter you feel robbed (it's 63 degrees right now). Spring and fall don't exist.
But you said you're coming for school, right? ASU? If so, as long as you stick near the campus, the Phoenix-metro area is bearable for a few years.
But who knows, you might love it. A lot of people do (although I will never understand why). It seems like people either love it or hate it.
Summer is unbearable (and I've been living here for close to 20 years now) and during winter you feel robbed (it's 63 degrees right now). Spring and fall don't exist.
But you said you're coming for school, right? ASU? If so, as long as you stick near the campus, the Phoenix-metro area is bearable for a few years.
But who knows, you might love it. A lot of people do (although I will never understand why). It seems like people either love it or hate it.
Wow thanks for all the replies. Very helpful!
Midwestern Univ. in Glendale. ASU rejected me
Midwestern Univ. in Glendale. ASU rejected me
I grew up in Tucson and always resented having to drive up to Phoenix. It's like a great hole into which human life pours and pours like all the water they pump out there, only to disappear forever, wasted like you'll be once the temps hit 120 and you can't walk anywhere for want of burning concrete and asphalt.
At least choose your suburb carefully.
At least choose your suburb carefully.
Though the Valley isn't a mecca for daily "free entertainment" unless you want like outdoor sports, hiking, biking, etc.
If you like hunting for antiques, there is Glendale, art and clubs in Scottsdale, etc.
Really not a lot of clustered entertainment since some of the city centers are void of stuff to do when the shops close, Mesa, Chandler, Gilbert, etc. of course the pawnshops were rather exciting for a long time in downtown Mesa until they started the current revitalization.
There are "events" happening quite often, but they are usually an hour or two away from where you currently are.
Driving in traffic in the heat usually breaks you of the habit of going anywhere far away too often.
And Sheriff Joe is always moving the hookers off the streets, so that isn't as exciting as it was 10-15 years ago. Of course going to the jail for the 30 cent meals and the tent city could be a form of valley entertainment.
If you like hunting for antiques, there is Glendale, art and clubs in Scottsdale, etc.
Really not a lot of clustered entertainment since some of the city centers are void of stuff to do when the shops close, Mesa, Chandler, Gilbert, etc. of course the pawnshops were rather exciting for a long time in downtown Mesa until they started the current revitalization.
There are "events" happening quite often, but they are usually an hour or two away from where you currently are.
Driving in traffic in the heat usually breaks you of the habit of going anywhere far away too often.
And Sheriff Joe is always moving the hookers off the streets, so that isn't as exciting as it was 10-15 years ago. Of course going to the jail for the 30 cent meals and the tent city could be a form of valley entertainment.
as a native tucsonan with family in the phoenix area i really enjoy arizona.
the weather is pretty amazing. yes it's hot, but it's dry heat, and you really don't have any natural disasters, etc. i think we get something like 300+ days of sunshine a year. best place if you enjoy motorcyles and/or convertibles, and golf. cost of living is still pretty cheap. girls are hot. there's outdoor stuff.
if you're going for college (depends on the program) but arizona is much better than arizona state. imho
also, i enjoy tucson better than phoenix because i feel it has more style, more local restaurants, more of a community. phoenix is becoming more like l.a. which is fine if you like the big city, can deal with heavy traffic, etc.
the weather is pretty amazing. yes it's hot, but it's dry heat, and you really don't have any natural disasters, etc. i think we get something like 300+ days of sunshine a year. best place if you enjoy motorcyles and/or convertibles, and golf. cost of living is still pretty cheap. girls are hot. there's outdoor stuff.
if you're going for college (depends on the program) but arizona is much better than arizona state. imho
also, i enjoy tucson better than phoenix because i feel it has more style, more local restaurants, more of a community. phoenix is becoming more like l.a. which is fine if you like the big city, can deal with heavy traffic, etc.
If you enjoy hardcore and screamo music that seems to be our main scene, with a decent subset of Warped's Hardcore/screamo bands coming from here.
Though we've also had two good pop-punk bands leave recently, so I don't know as much of that scene.
Pretty much if you like it warm and dry, come here.
Our sports teams aside from the Diamondbacks pretty much suck.
We have nice highways at any rate, but they're ruined by the cameras, which apparently don't hold up well in court anyway.
Though we've also had two good pop-punk bands leave recently, so I don't know as much of that scene.
Pretty much if you like it warm and dry, come here.
Our sports teams aside from the Diamondbacks pretty much suck.
We have nice highways at any rate, but they're ruined by the cameras, which apparently don't hold up well in court anyway.
Lived there for nine years and what I give you is my opinion only;
Its way too warm - humans were not meant to live in such a climate. Its the largest " hot " city that is outside of the Middle East. Even winter can be warm. About the only months you will be free of air conditioning is December and January and then not for sure.
Its vast sprawl as someone else has mentioned, you better love driving because you will do a lot of it.
Its a city of transplants, you will meet more people from Nebraska, Minnesota or New Jersey than you will that have actual roots there.
Culture is lacking by most people's standards.
On the plus side, you can have Thanksgiving dinner on your patio. You will get plenty of vitamin D from the sun. When it does come time for home ownership if you stay there, its relatively inexpensive, particularly since the real estate bubble burst. Also swimming pools are cheap and plentiful.
Golf is everywhere, if you golf its like a dreamscape.
Its a warm climate so people dress like it is
If you understand my meaning. Its casual and laid back. ..Some of the finest mexican food you will ever have, and no shortage of places to find it.
Lots of outdoor sports, like hiking etc. (if you don't fry up in the sun in the process )
Flagstaff and the cool mountains are just a couple hours away.
i really believe that colorado/utah/arizona are the 3 best states to reside in (no particular order)!
My family's been here (mostly in the southern part) since before statehood, and there's few places I'd rather be. Sure, PHX is just another big sprawling metropolis, and has its good and bad points, but it is mostly what you make of it. The ones that have the hardest time are those that are more latecomers to the region and try to make it something it's not and never was. You can't expect NYC to be Mayberry, and the same applies here.
My preference would to not be in the metro area, but since I need reasonable proximity to a major airport, I can live with it. There's little I can't get or get to within a couple hours driving or flying.
I think you'll find Glendale (home of the NFC West Champion Cardinals!) to be a surprisingly nice place to live once you give it a chance. Plenty of shopping, dining, entertainment and you're close to a lifetime's worth of outdoor stuff.
My preference would to not be in the metro area, but since I need reasonable proximity to a major airport, I can live with it. There's little I can't get or get to within a couple hours driving or flying.
I think you'll find Glendale (home of the NFC West Champion Cardinals!
) to be a surprisingly nice place to live once you give it a chance. Plenty of shopping, dining, entertainment and you're close to a lifetime's worth of outdoor stuff.
I loved Flagstaff when I used to live in Arizona, and also lived in Tempe for a year. The only thing I hated in Tempe were the dust storms that came along with the monsoons every August.
For someone like me, Phoenix had everything to do, it was a diverse place to live, and Tempe didn't have very high crime.
I miss it there sometimes. I get homesick a lot
For someone like me, Phoenix had everything to do, it was a diverse place to live, and Tempe didn't have very high crime.
I miss it there sometimes. I get homesick a lot
Duff-Man says...you forgot one of the corners, and imho, the best one...NM....oh yeah!
Duff-Man says...you forgot one of the corners, and imho, the best one...NM....oh yeah!
Is that the one with the Duff beer brewery?
Not true. Throw a rock in any direction and you are bound to hit a freakin' golf course.. Lot's of green there.
I was just gonna say. PHX ... home of awesome courses.
Wow thanks for all the replies. Very helpful!
Midwestern Univ. in Glendale. ASU rejected me
If you plan on living near Midwestern, also plan on doing some driving to get anywhere exciting. I grew up in that area, and it's pretty much just strip-malls and suburbs (much like all of the "city"). If you have any questions feel free to ask.
If you like the heat, and have an affection for meth-heads...
Oh, and don't forget, you can carry a gun on your hip!
Oh, and don't forget, you can carry a gun on your hip!
Haha. Thanks mactastic. My girlfriend and I got a pretty good laugh out of this post. It's all sadly true.