Pick the one worste and the one best thing about living in Arizona. (Besides the heat)?

Question

Thinking of moving to AZ want to know the ups and downs.

Answer 1

WORST: Living here in the summer months.

It's not just about the heat, it's the fact that there is not a whole lot for a person to do during the summer months--especially in the city (assuming you are moving to the Phoenix metro area). And given the problem that was cited by the previous answer, everything being very spread out, it is hard to do anything other than hang out in one of the malls (or at a pool). I mean it takes a good 1 1/2 hours to drive from one side of the valley to the other on a freeway. Not being able to escape the heat during the week is probably the hardest thing for me. The closest place that would be considered cooler is at least an hour drive from my house (and that is going 75 mph). As well during the weekend everyone tries to escape the heat which causes a lot of traffic and over-crowding in the cooler places.

BEST: Living here in the winter months.

Eight or nine months during the year, Arizona is a great place to live. Plenty to do outdoors. There is nothing better than going out and taking a run in the morning in the middle of December with shorts. There are not too many other places that you can do that. When it is cooler outside, then there are plenty of things that a person can do.

So in my opinion, if you can handle those few months of extreme heat. Then Arizona is the place for you because the rest of the year it is great.

Answer 2

the best part about living here is the heat, I love the heat (just not when it's 120 outside) and the beautiful scenery of the mountains and the desert. There are lakes that are not too far away and all the cities seem to be intertwined, so there is always something to do.

The worst thing about living here are the drivers. The worst drivers I have ever seen have been from Arizona. I got in 2 accidents in less than 2 weeks because people here are just careless and just don't know how to drive. By the way neither of the accidents were my fault. The first one was on the SR 101 someone rear-ended me because traffic was coming to a stop and they just weren't paying attention. The second one was a lady at wal-mart backed into me because she just didn't feel like looking in her rear view mirrors (I am pressing charges against her because she didn't have insurance and she took off).

Answer 3

Besides the heat, huh? Hmm. The heat is the worst part! I mean, the best things about living in Arizona are the gorgeous scenery, the relaxed living style, and the charm of the different cities and landscapes, from the deserts of Phoenix to the cool pines of Flagstaff.

The worst thing besides the oppressive heat is probably Phoenix itself, sadly. Not that it's a totally horrible city, it isn't, but the biggest problem with Phoenix is how spread out it is; since there really isn't much of a walkable downtown - not yet, anyway, they're working on that - you have to drive everywhere, and there isn't, overall, much to drive to. It just isn't as charming a city as, say, Chicago or New York or Philadelphia.

There are escapes from the heat, however. Flagstaff, in northern Arizona, rarely exceeds 80 degrees in the summer, and it snows there in the winter. It's a two hour drive from Phoenix, but it is a wonderful escape from the valley during the summer.

And again, that is really only the summer. Phoenix's weather is glorious in spring, winter, and fall. There's nothing like flying from Chicago, where it's 20 below zero, and landing in Phoenix, where it's 80 degrees and sunny, in the winter.

Answer 4

The bugs have to be the worst part about moving here. I came from Utah, I don't regret it at all, and the first house my husband and I had was infested with scorpions. We tried everything but they just stayed. The office I work in has a cockroach problem, most offices do. So far that has been the only bad thing about Arizona. My favorite thing about living here is patio seating, in the winter. I love eating at a restaurant when there is a fire roaring in their fireplace, or fire pit. I don't know, the feeling and the smells are indescribable. The views are breath taking and the streets are very well maintained. Almost all over, even in most run down parts of town have curb appeal. I love the palm tress lit up at night. I hope you move here & love it as much as I do. I may have been born and raised in Utah but Arizona, is home.

Answer 5

Arizona's way too dry for my tastes and Chicago's an amazing city. The summers in Chicago are incredible and the winter's so well taken care of by the city and state that they're not as bad as you'd think. If you're moving to Chicago, check out the site below for free access to all of the real estate listings in the Chicagoland area. Best of luck with the move!

Answer 6

I have to agree with how far apart everything is in Phoenix,
and the downtown area is really depressing and run down.
But usually no one goes downtown unless they have to. You
have your local strip centers with grocery stores, and the
malls, usually in your living area there are clusters of all the
basic stores. So there's no need to go downtown.
Yes you need a car to get around in. I am glad to see that
they are putting in a light rail system. I heard they copied
the system from a proven one in Portland, Oregon, called
MAX. They are electric trains that run so quiet that people
have to be careful crossing the tracks at unspecified areas.
Or they'll get plowed into. They've had alot of accidents
reported.
The best thing is all of the western historical places to
explore. There are alot of old western towns on private
land that you can't get to tho. And I have wanted to see
what those were like, but couldn't. I also like the coolness
of Sierra Vista and points north above Sedona. I don't
like the fact that they now charge to get into Red Rock
Crossing, and Slide Rock tho. When we lived there, we
made a point of leaving town every other weekend to
get cooled off either up north, or down south where Tomb-
stone and Sierra Vista are.
Once on a business trip to Flagstaff during hot weather,
we woke up to snow on the ground. And we only had shorts
for knocking around in. My husband had to put his slacks
back on and wear his work clothes home, because it was
too cold for shorts. A freak snow storm in the middle of
summer. That was something to write the folks back home
about, had we had any.
And another time we were driving back toward Flagstaff
from New Mexico, and saw a sheet of sleet ahead. We had
warm sun on the New Mexico side. About at the border where
the check point is, we drove right thru this sheet of sleet,
and there was sun on the other side. That couldn't have even
been written into a script, and been believable. But we and
dozens of cars behind us, saw it also. That was almost as
unbelievable as the stadium lights in the sky over Tempe
for three days. That was never explained either. Expect the
unusual in Arizona,and you won't be disappointed.

Answer 7

The Worst:
I know you said not heat, but I have to tell you, as I was getting into the car today to go see a movie I couldn't touch the steering wheel...it was too flaming hot, and whoever thought of putting chrome on the end of a stick shift certainly never lived in Phoenix.
The Best:
When I came out of the movie tonight, it was pouring rain and the outside world was just beautiful and because it is raining this evening, the sky will be incredibly blue tomorrow!

Answer 8

BEST:
The best thing right now if you are considering moving is the great buyer's market. Housing is very reasonable. The downtown area of Phoenix is horrible to live in, but the suburbs like Chandler, Gilbert and outlying places such as Avondale are great.
WORST:
Constant traffic delays and closures, but a far cry from California and NY traffic jams. Tucson is impossible to get around in during the winter (snowbirds love to drive slow and deserve the handicapped license plates.)

Answer 9

The best is being outside every weekend of the year. Yeah it maybe 110-115 but everyone has pools, or has a friend who has a pool. Then if you live in Phoenix, the ocean RockyPoint(Puerto Penasco) is a little over 4 hours. Flagstaff, and or White Mountains are 2 to 3 hours away for skiing. Worse thing is how spread out the city of Phoenix has become.

Answer 10

winters are amazing! =), nobodys in a hurry to be anywhere!
just a laidback state! the worst thing is probably all the old snow birds who can't drive! haha! There is a BIG difference between flagstaff and the rest of Arizona! Flagstaff is like living in colorado! pine trees EVERYWHERE! shopping in phoenix is amazing! HUGE CITY! good hiking places! Tucson has a beautiful U of A campus! Phoenix has the uptown feeling but Tucson is big but you still feel like you live in a small town!