What is lving in Phoenix, AZ like?

Question

I have recently been offered a job position with my company in Phoenix, AZ. I live in Chicago and have lived in this climate all of my life. Does it have a good younger culture or is it all snow birds (retirees)? Can anyone help shed some light on what life is like there?

Answer 1

The best, I have lived in Arizona almost my whole life, Phoenix for 17 years, I would not live any place else. It is the 5th largest city in the US, but I don't feel that I live in this huge place. It has a younger culture, Tempe and Scottsdale, but the climate is great in the winter, lots of jobs around. Lots of stuff to do.

Answer 2

Totally different from Chicago, though lots of Chicagoans live there. Phoenix is a big, sprawling city, too new to really have defined "neighborhoods" like Lakeview or Bucktown, and unfortunately without the walkability or public transportation that defines the Loop and the surrounding areas of Chicago (though some of that is developing in downtown Phoenix, finally.) It's also much hotter - summer in Phoenix is just about as annoying as winter in Chicago.

The scenery is better - Phoenix doesn't have the architecture of Chicago or the beauty of Lake Michigan, but it does have lakes nearby and mountains surrounding it.

There is a young culture, particularly in and around the suburbs of Scottsdale and Tempe, where the post-college crowd and the current college crowd hang out. It's not all snowbirds or retirees - of course, they're there, but they live in large defined areas like Sun City - for the most part.

The things that make Chicago interesting are available in Phoenix, but on a much smaller scale. There is theater, art, decent restaurants, and music, but none of it nearly to the extent of Chicago. The sports scene is similar in that it has football, baseball, basketball, etc. but none of it is the intensity of the Bears, Cubs, or Bulls. It's all on a much smaller scale. There's no Art Institute, but there is the Phoenix Art Museum. No Millenium Park, but there are concerts in smaller parks. No Wrigley Field, but the Cubs practice there in spring. No Second City, but there are comedy clubs. And so on.

If you like Chicago's walkability, quirky neighborhoods and public transportation, then you probably won't like Phoenix. But if you like Chicago because of the food, the people, and the sports, and if you're tired of having nowhere to park and the winter, then you might find Phoenix to be OK.

Answer 3

Phoenix, and the metro area, is huge - one of the biggest area urban areas in the country. The traffic is only really bad during rush hour, but even then it beats most major cities. It is definitely not all snow birds, because they tend to be concentrated in certain communities like Sun City or parts of Mesa. In central Phoenix, Tempe, and Scottsdale the younger culture is great (I'm 22 years old and have lived there for about 10 years). However, outside of Mill Ave, downtown Scottsdale and places like Rosie McCaffrey's in North Central Phoenix, the whole city shuts down at 10 PM. It's a great place to live, and cost of living is pretty low. The summers suck, and don't think "it won't be that bad because it's a dry heat". 120 degrees is 120 degrees. But you don't have to shovel 120 and sunshine.

Answer 4

UGH!!! 8 Track Mind has no idea!

I've lived in the PHx area all my 31 yrs. The desert is beautiful. Our trees are not oaks (they;re 2 hrs north) but they are green. Like Palo Verde's for example, Mesquites. Our land is brown...bc it's dirt - but there are beautiful parks & greenbelts throughout the city. The mountains are purple - how can you NOT like that!?! :)

Retirees do come in the winter. But downtown Phx & Tempe (Mill & 202 area) is all about youth. Both aregrowing & expanding w/ lightrails, trolleys, brownstones & lofts. Yes! In Phx! Pretty trippy, eh? I'm a suburbanite w/ the 2.2 kids, etc but if I was single - I'd so be a part of where it's all happening!

110-115 is average in the summer, but it's a dry heat. ;) Winter is little to no rain and anywhere from 50-75 degrees. THAT'S why the snow birds like us! Summer here is like Winter in Chicago - you stay indoors. :)

Our dining experiences ROCK. Our shopping is awesome & our nightlife is expanding & hopping. I'd NEVER live anywhere else.

Answer 5

Phoenix is a great place to live. It's a big city, so you have a little of everything and people of all shapes and sizes. It's the desert so you don't have huge oak or pine trees, but the desert landscape can be beautiful. It's hot in the summer with about a month of humidity, but the weather is perfect now.

Answer 6

I have lived in Arizona my entire life...its hot from about may til September. but its still 90 degrees today and its the middle of October. in the fall and spring the weather is beautiful, but in the summer, i agree with the comment about sticking yourself in an oven.
there are only snowbirds in the winter and its true they don't know how to drive. but other than that its a relatively younger crowd who live here. if you live closer to Tempe where ASU is at its definitely a college town.
i love Arizona...it rains maybe 10 times a year and you get used to the heat :)
I visit Chicago often because I have family there...and Arizona is nothing like Chicago...

Answer 7

Phoenix is AWESOME!!!!!!!! Yes it is quite warm in the Summertime, but the Phoenix area is full of history and interesting places to see. I moved out to Mesa in August and I have enjoyed every minute!!!!!

If I were you...I would take the job offer and move out here. A new city can be an exciting venture...plus the cost of living out here is much cheaper. Sometimes we have to give up our current situation and explore new places.

Good luck and welcome!!!!!!!!

Answer 8

If you looking for younger life try tempe area, Scotsdale area... plce to live suburbs like surprise or laveen good newer neighhoods, night life over 21 crowd tempe over 25 crowd Scotsdale over 35 crowd basebal games basketball!
over50 maybe west side spring training..movies/

Phoenix is a diverse place!!! lots of chicagoites here! why do the Cubs train here..

Answer 9

Hot and humid during the summer,but nice and warm during the winter. I've lived in Arizona for 8 years. I know Tempe downtown(a suburb east of Phoenix) has a lively nightlife scene. Also Scottsdale happens to have good club scene too.Phoenix now is fairly hip. But just don't go to Tucson. It is where U'll fine all the scum of humanity,long haired boneheads with no ambition who also have lost half of their teeth and work at Circle K.(a connivance store out in the west),illegals aplenty,the streets filled with potholes with no lighting as such. Go to Phoenix though,U should be alright there.Tucson is just for the snowbirds.

Phoenix is cool!!!
Tucson is just a Third-World City hell-hole 1 hours away from the Mexican Border

Answer 10

lots of chicago folk in the Phoenix area - I personally did not like living there, It's very transient, and well, I am not into the "party" lifestyle, I despise Meth Addicts, and well, missed the ocean.
There are good and bad things about AZ - go and have an extended visit before you take the plunge, you might just love it.