should i move to the phoenix, az area?

Question

what is good about the city and state, and what is bad about it? please don't include the weather, everybody knows it is hot as hell down there.

Answer 1

First, question, have you considered Tucson instead of Phoenix? A lot of the drawbacks to Phoenix aren't as bad in Tucson, and nearly all the good stuff is present.

Everything, good and bad, depends upon what is important to you. For example, yes, it's hot. It sometimes gets to the 120s in the summer, and it doesn't really matter HOW humid it is, that's HOT. On the other hand, you seldom get a day where it's freezing in the winter, so you don't get too cold. Most people live mostly inside a lot of the summer.

Some of the previous answers talked about the prices. That's all a matter of perspective. Electricity is very high - that's because you're running your air conditioner nearly all the time. On other prices, it kind of depends where you're coming from. Real estate is lower than California and Florida, and higher than just about everywhere else.

The freeway system used to be awful, but it has improved significantly in the past 15 years or so; it's not bad now.

I personally liked the people - but you need to be aware of the wild west attitude many of the residents have - they tend to resent authority.

My sister & I both lived there for years - I loved it, she hated it. A big part of it is about whether you like desert a lot - it's very, very different from places that have forests nearby, and some people really don't like it - Phoenix will never be totally pretty and green like the Pacific Northwest, Florida, or Chicago or Colorado in the summer.

Answer 2

If you are looking for a good career, then Phoenix is the place for you. The pay is very high and there are many fields you can choose. There are lots of places to shop however Phoenix does have a traffic problem. If you live only 5 miles from you job and you have to take I-10 to work, you can expect it to take 30-45 min. As far as the people there is a mixture of every culture here. There is a bit of a crime problem near and around the airport and other spots in the city, like any other city you just need to know where the bad areas are and not cruise by there at 12am. We do have a serial killer out and it's been all over the news but that happens in even the smallest towns. You just really have to be aware of your surroundings, don't be so trusting of an innocent looking stranger and keep your doors locked. Overall it's a nice place to live.

Answer 3

Okay, I'll apologize in advance... I know you said not to include the weather, but I have a feeling you might be thinking, "oh, people exaggerate. It can't be as bad as people say."
It is.
I've lived here 22 years and every summer, I'm still shocked by how hot it is.
Not trying to scare you off, I just want you to make sure you know what you're getting into.
Overall, it's a good place to live, though. I agree with most of the other comments that were made. There's plenty to do. Just try to keep indoors during the summer.

Answer 4

The good: Phoenix is a great place to live.
The bad: Phoenix is a great place to live.

Everyone who has ever heard of Phoenix wants to live there. That was okay a few decades ago, but it isn't okay now. When I moved here about 20 years ago it was a wonderful, growing city. Now it is getting a lot like Los Angeles - crowded, smoggy, unable to keep up with the influx of people. There are not enough schools, not enough hospitals and not enough doctors. Try going to any large public event like fireworks - it is a zoo. People insist on building tropical types of landscapes in Phoenix, so we have to deal with a lot more allergies and insects.

There are a lot of good things about Phoenix, but when our kids are grown and we are ready to retire, we are out of here.

Answer 5

As a resident of the Tucson area, here is my opinion. If you like the city and the hustle and bustle of lots of traffic, Phoenix is nice. It has a nice year round vacation feel with the green grass and palm trees.
Schools, in AZ, aren't good. Phoenix has a lot of crime that comes with city life.
Jobs are plentiful, but homes are a bit pricey. What is happening in CA with home prices has reached AZ and home prices are getting out of hand.
They, along with the rest of AZ, are running out of water. And Phoenix is the biggest waster of water with all that grass. It's prettty, but when we have to start drinking our sewer water (which will happen in the next 10 years), we'll just blame Phoenix.
But it is pretty and they have tons of stuff to do. Good luck!

Answer 6

Pros: Diverse, beautiful weather during the winter, monsoon season (pretty awesome t'storms), tons of stuff to do (shopping, concerts, events), tons of job opportunities (as opposed to small-town employment), wonderful freeway system Cons: VERY hot during the summer; higher crime rate; God-fearing, gun-loving, anyone-colored-hating, gay-bashing Republicans who would rather pass bills to allow firearms in bars and colleges instead of working on our education system; the Governer; congested roads & bad drivers; our football/baseball/basketball/hockey teams Try north Phoenix, like around I-17/SR-51& Loop 101. You can't escape crime but certain areas have less of it, of course. If you're not into politics or a conservative, then you will have no problem here, besides the heat. But that you can deal with.

Answer 7

I've been living in phoenix for 6 years and hated every minute of it. I grew up in san diego, so I guess I'm just spoiled. If you're from the midwest and sick of snow, I guess Phoenix is awesome. But, compared to S.D. it blows.
Pros:
Cheap Housing (depending where you buy, some places are waaaay overpriced)
Lots of Jobs
Great freeway systems (and they're putting in a lite rail!)

Cons:
Lots of hicks and white-trashers
Annoying "So. Cal wannabe's" (mainly in scottsdale)
Too many republicans
Bad school systems
No sense of culture or community

As soon as my husband graduates from ASU we are outta here!

Answer 8

Yes its hot but its not humid so the heat is actualy more bearable there.I lived in phoenix for 4months last year&I loved it!There are a lot of different things to do.My kids and i spent most of our time hiking,climbing mountains just exploring and enjoying nature.Phoenix isnt at all what i pictured,it wasnt all desert or anything.There were plenty of cacti,but also palm trees and exotic flowers.Not much grass so people had rock gardens,&almost every apartment complex has a pool.That's probably the only thing i really disliked about arizona,the lack of lakes&natural bodies of water.Had to travel 4hours to get to lake havasu on the border of arizona &california,but it was worth it.If you like to shop there are plenty of malls,goodwills,target,walmart etc;People seem to take better care of themselves there also.And there i saw the most incredible sunsets ever.There are so many things to do in arizona but you are also just a few hours from mexico,california,or vegas.Check out the grand canyon,go to sedona&see the ruins.If you love the outdoors like i do then you will love arizona.If you dont,hope you like to shop,workout,go to bars or church.There really is something to please everyone.Lastly,the economy is much better.Plenty of jobs available&education is great.

Answer 9

I've lived here about 23 years. I can't imagine living anywhere else. I'd rather put up with the heat for a few months than the snow.

Tons of stuff to do, lots of places to eat, lots of jobs, 5 hours from Disneyland, San Diego, & Las Vegas. What's not to like?

Answer 10

the good:
no rain storms
lots of jobs
lots of new homes going up
a lot of oudoor fun things to do
summer all year round

the bad:
polution
bad traffice
lots of people moving to arizona
over populated
crime is spreading
dust storms
mansoon season

i kinda like living here. i like the weather mostly. i like that there are lots of jobs to pick from. lots of schools and colleges. i dont think id stay here all my life. just to make enough money and then im off to Europe.