college: san diego or phoenix?

Question

alright ive asked questions along this line before and im back.

i'm born and raised in nashville, TN and im ready to get out and finish up school out west. ive basically decided san diego is the way to go for me but then again i dont think id mind finishing up near phoenix, like asu or something. my question is this. whats your advice (people who know both areas well)...im 21, not a heavy partier (like sdsu and asu have repuatations for), i like to be in the urban areas as opposed to the rural world and most importantly, im addicted to great weather (sun, few clouds, 60s and up, minimal rain). now, everytime i fall in love with san diego weather, i realize its during the summer. not the school year. maybe the daily weather in phoenix is nicer than SD from aug-may? i dont know...ive never really been out there during the school year....

PS: im aware san diego is more pricey as far as living goes, so dont include that in your reasonings, im just curious about the others. thanks.

Answer 1

Go to San Diego - we have enough people here already

Answer 2

I live in Phoenix, I really like Phoenix but if you are going for the weather, I'd move to San Diego. Today our high here was 93, in San Diego it was 73. Because it is right off the ocean, it is a temperate climate so you get a little colder in the winter and a little warmer in the summer but there isn't a whole lot of flux. I don't know what their rain is like--I do know Phoenix has more sunny days year round than most other places. If you are here for school, expect August, September, part of October and May to have days that hit 100 degrees, plus (which you may like). The end of October through beginning of April are pretty nice--60s-80s during the day. Pollution here is pretty bad too--that might not matter either. No earthquakes! One point about living in Phoenix, if you want to hit the beach, San Diego is only 6 hours away!

Answer 3

Dude, I was born in Nashville. Anyway I've lived off and on in The Valley of the Sun for almost thirty years and I love it. Been here stedy now for 8 yrs. I have no desire to go to California. I respect my lungs more than that. It hardly ever rains in Phoenix except during the monsoon season from mid July to early September and again in February and March. If you like urban living though, you may want to think twice about Phoenix. It is under construction.

Phoenix has a terrible time with traffic. The average commute is about forty five minutes at twenty five MPH on an interstate. There is now a mad dash to install a trolley system in Phoenix, up Central Avenue that will connect parts of the east and west valley as well. All of this work is happening at once and as you may have guessed all the city streets are all torn up with barricades from Hell. I understand that it will be ten years like this. You should have your doctorate by then?

Anyway see what some of the other folks here have to say. I hope we can all give you a good idea where you would like to go to school. Good luck in your endeavors.

Best Regards
Jon

Answer 4

I have a child who went to college in San Diego and another at ASU right now. If you like mild weather, go to San Diego. The average temperature only varies 11 degress all year. It's cooler in the summer than most other places and warmer in the winter. It's beautiful scenic with lots of things to do. Arizona is unbearably hot June-September and then great weather the rest of the year. There are lots of things to do in Arizona but no ocean. My daughter loves the college there and it's a cute little college town in Tempe where ASU is. When she graduates, she does not plan on staying in Arizona. Many colleges have a party reputation but its usually just a segment of the population....you will hang out and do the things you choose wherever you go. When my daughter went to college in San Diego, they told the parents at an orientation meeting that 85% of those who graduate decide to settle in San Diego and not go back home. She graduated 2 years and is still in San Diego....

Answer 5

I have to go along with what Dylan just wrote. I've never been to Phoenix but I'm not wild about deserts. San Diego has everything a person could want from the beaches to the mountains, great people, and unbelievable weather! Get bored (hard to do in San Diego) drive up the 5 two hours and you're in L.A. I'm writing this now in the mountains one hour east of downtown and it's 40 degrees while it's 65 in San Diego. You get it all in SoCal.

Answer 6

i have lived in california all of my life, and i just visited phoenix for 2 weeks, and you can't even compare phoenix with any part of ca. phoenix is the most boring, spread out area i have ever been to. and you will have to put up with 100 degree, desert heat for most of the year, which makes you dehydrated and tired when you walk outside. the public transportation in phoenix is almost nonexistent. even when you are driving in phoenix, it takes hours to get anywhere. phoenix also has a reputation for having a lot of drug addicts and crime. san diego, on the other hand, has perfect weather year round. it is always warm, but never gets scorching, unbearably hot like phoenix does. it has a very low crime rate for a big city. there is everything you could possibly want there, with several different, diverse neighborhoods. there are nice beaches. it is very clean and there is much less pollution there than in los angeles. people there are laidback generally. there is a trolley that runs through the city. san diego's nickname is "america's finest city". phoenix's nickname is "valley of the sun" lol. phoenix really doesn't feel like a city. it's more like a vast desert with no culture. if money isn't an issue, please use common sense and go with san diego. i'm sure these other people telling you to go to phoenix have lived there all their lives and have never been to cali. well, i've been to both places and there is no way in hell i would choose to live in phoenix, not even if it was rent free. you want an urban area and nice weather. san diego has both, year round. if you need proof, search on google for crime rates, weather report, things to do, etc. and see for yourself which place is nicer.

Answer 7

Forget what any one else says okay. If you choose to come to Arizona then you cannot move to Phoenix and go to ASU. Come to Tucson and got to the UofA. You will get a much better education at the UofA. It is not crazy like ASU but it still has the best parties. Phoenix is so crowded, Tucson is a fifth the size of Phoenix, it takes 30 minutes or less to go anywhere, and it still has all of the benefits of fast paced cities. San Diego is also really cool, but I'm telling you to for get ASU and choose The UofA.

Answer 8

If I were you I would definitely head into Phoenix, Arizona!!!!!! Let me tell you about Phoenix, ASU and the areas around there. Phoenix is a great area and can be a wonderful place to go to school and live!!!!!!!!!!! I plan on moving there next year in Late February or March!!!!!!! Phoenix is great year round and there is so much to do!!! What says you have to be part of the party scene if you dont want to be?

You could have a great life in Phoenix!!!!!!!!! You can go up to North Phoenix and visit the Botanical Gardens and the Phoenix Zoo!!! Then go into Downtown Phoenix and visit the museums in that area. You can go walk through the Metro Center Mall in North Phoenix and also go to the Arizona Mills Mall in Tempe!!! There is also the Fiesta Mall in Mesa off the Superstition Freeway @ Alma School Road!!!! Now if you want to go study in a quiet place, I would hike up Camelback Mountain and hike up to the top of the mountain and study where its quiet and enjoy the peace and quiet and enjoy the view of the city and valley below!!!
Now, 2 hours north of Phoenix is Sedona where you could take a nice road trip and enjoy the beautiful Oak Creek Canyon and the river that runs through there. Take yourself a nice lunch and your books and just get away to do what you need to do. If you want to go out for a special dinner....In Phoenix off the 10 Freeway @ Baseline is the South Mountain Pointe Resort!!! Up at the top of the hill is Rustlers Rooste Restaurant....Its a bit pricy, but it is so much fun and has a beautiful view of the city and valley below!!! If I were you I would go down the slide into the dining room and ask for a window seat so you can enjoy the city and valley below.

If you also like to walk through a nice area I would take Scottsdale Road north of ASU into Scottsdale and walk through the shopping area in Downtown Scottsdale. Also there is the Borgata Shopping Center which is a nice place to walk through!!!! Trust me.....if you want a great experience and a very good cost of living..........I would definitely go to Phoenix.

There is a great Apartment complex @ 1901 E. Apache is called "Arbour Park". They have beautiful 1 bedroom apartments for $664.00 a month and ALL UTILITIES INCLUDED!!!!!!!! So, check that apartment complex out!!!! You cant find many apartments where all the utilities are included in the rent. Good luck and let me know what you decide...I will be anxious to hear!!!!!!!!!!

Answer 9

Got to go with the group here, Phoenix!!!! I was born and raised in California and moved to Phoenix 25 years ago. I will never live anywhere else, the weather is great, people are great and theres lots to do besides partying. We will welcome you with open arms...