Arizona is a great place to live (Phoenix, Flagstaff: violent crime, safest)

[observer53]

Originally Posted by krock1dk

You are right on--people in the Midwest are friendlier and more 'real' with family values, but not nessarily more 'accepting.' Keep in mind, I'm only speaking my personal preference. I like green grass, 4 seasons (alhtough I can do without the snow), trees, changes in weather, and affordable cost of living. Sure, the economy is down like everywhere else, but IL IN and WI dont have the huge economic swings AZ does. And one thing is for sure: those states are not welcoming to illegals (with the exceptionof IL) like Arizona is. Sure, you will find some there but nearly like U would here. And thats a good thing. Perhaps thats why they are are not so burdened in their social assistance and education and healthcare systems. As I've said, Arizona isnt for everybody. I dont understand why people here get so mad when people express their dislikes for AZ and their preferences for elsewhere. Good grief.

People react to your posts as they do because of the way you express your extreme displeasure with every single aspect of living in Phoenix, and in some instances, tell people not to come, because they will likely end up hating it too.

(BTW, if your beloved midwestern states were sitting on the Mexican border, they'd have the same problems Arizona is having. It's just geography. Frankly, if the Atlantic Ocean wasn't in the way, we'd have border crossers from lots of places)

Some of the things you hate so much you should have been aware of before you ever got here. (I have to wonder why you came in the first place.) If you change your approach a bit, but still state your opinion, your comments won't trigger the reaction they do. Others are critical, but don't get the response you have.

Some of us who have lived here most of our lives don't like everything about Phoenix either. Everyone's got to find what balances out as the best place for them to be.

I know you are having a hard time right now, but really, there are lots of factors creating that situation. I hope you find a way out of it soon, and if it means leaving here, sounds like you will be a lot happier. It seems to me you wouldn't be happy staying here even if you found a job.

[Dizzydog]

Originally Posted by weee

One thing Phoenix doesn't need is people from California - please stay there. We also don't need all of the rules, regulations and laws that California has. Phoenix was the last of the "wild west" jsut 12 years ago and now it's a fkn mess - period. A MESS.

That generally tends to happen with a state that is mostly conservative starts having a bunch of Liberal Dems come in.

Liberals are pretty good at making life less fun.

[saffordpastor]

I LOVE Arizona!!!!!!!!!


I love the town that I live in and was raised in (Safford)....I recently spent a few days in Phoenix, and was impressed with the neatness and cosmoploitan atmosphere....great shopping, restuarants, plenty of freeways etc, ....I go to Tucson on a regular basis, have great friends and have learned to love the city....(being a Sun Devil fan, this is kind of hard)...I love SE AZ with a passion....Northern AZ is beauty unmatched just about anywhere.....the Colorado river area has wonderful recreation opportunity....recently spent time in LHC....and really enjoyed it....love the mountains, desert, canyons, rivers, valleys, wildlife, and on and on....I love the friendliness of AZ folks.....funny have known many folks who gripe about how unfriendly people are in AZ and have found them to be unfriendly themselves, they walk around with a chip on thier shoulder and expect folks to offend them.....so you get what you expect.......the Bible says this...a man that hath friends must show himself friendly...Prov 18:24....I have found most folks are friendly....if you are too......that said, I just want y'all to know that I LOVE AZ!!!!

[ZonyPony]

Originally Posted by saffordpastor

I LOVE Arizona!!!!!!!!!


I love the town that I live in and was raised in (Safford)....I recently spent a few days in Phoenix, and was impressed with the neatness and cosmoploitan atmosphere....great shopping, restuarants, plenty of freeways etc, ....I go to Tucson on a regular basis, have great friends and have learned to love the city....(being a Sun Devil fan, this is kind of hard)...I love SE AZ with a passion....Northern AZ is beauty unmatched just about anywhere.....the Colorado river area has wonderful recreation opportunity....recently spent time in LHC....and really enjoyed it....love the mountains, desert, canyons, rivers, valleys, wildlife, and on and on....I love the friendliness of AZ folks.....funny have known many folks who gripe about how unfriendly people are in AZ and have found them to be unfriendly themselves, they walk around with a chip on thier shoulder and expect folks to offend them.....so you get what you expect.......the Bible says this...a man that hath friends must show himself friendly...Prov 18:24....I have found most folks are friendly....if you are too......that said, I just want y'all to know that I LOVE AZ!!!!

Yeah! Gotta luv that Safford Pastor dude!

[krock1dk]

Originally Posted by saffordpastor

I LOVE Arizona!!!!!!!!!


I love the town that I live in and was raised in (Safford)....I recently spent a few days in Phoenix, and was impressed with the neatness and cosmoploitan atmosphere....great shopping, restuarants, plenty of freeways etc, ....I go to Tucson on a regular basis, have great friends and have learned to love the city....(being a Sun Devil fan, this is kind of hard)...I love SE AZ with a passion....Northern AZ is beauty unmatched just about anywhere.....the Colorado river area has wonderful recreation opportunity....recently spent time in LHC....and really enjoyed it....love the mountains, desert, canyons, rivers, valleys, wildlife, and on and on....I love the friendliness of AZ folks.....funny have known many folks who gripe about how unfriendly people are in AZ and have found them to be unfriendly themselves, they walk around with a chip on thier shoulder and expect folks to offend them.....so you get what you expect.......the Bible says this...a man that hath friends must show himself friendly...Prov 18:24....I have found most folks are friendly....if you are too......that said, I just want y'all to know that I LOVE AZ!!!!

Wow. Its so amazing on how we see the same city, but view and experience it so differently. Perhaps its me. I'd like to know where you are in the Valley where you meet all these 'friendly' people.

[Finger Laker]

i too find the people here to be very friendly

no one goes out of their way to fawn over you, but no one is outright rude

it is also very open to outsiders

when I moved to Mpls I found people to be generally friendly to my face, but very very guarded ....... no one could understand why a guy would move from philadelphia to mpls ..... everyone had suspicions

here I was just another transplant ...... funny thing is though, that most of my friends here are natives

i still have good friends back in the cities (and philly for that matter) - but have found people here to be really friendly, even if they do tend to stay to themselves

[saffordpastor]

Originally Posted by krock1dk

Wow. Its so amazing on how we see the same city, but view and experience it so differently. Perhaps its me. I'd like to know where you are in the Valley where you meet all these 'friendly' people.

Lets see...Texas Roadhouse, QT, In n Out, most businesses that I frequent, many church functions that i attend, most everywhere that I go....mainly because I go out of my way to be friendly .....a simple smile and "How are you today" will melt the ice in most situations.......again I have found that most folks are naturally friendly, if you are freindly to them.

There is a place in AJ called Bills Ghost...wierd name for a convenience mart, and gas station I know, but everytime I walk in there the clerks go out of thier way to be friendly...

[acrylic]

Originally Posted by Finger Laker

when I moved to Mpls I found people to be generally friendly to my face, but very very guarded ....... no one could understand why a guy would move from philadelphia to mpls ..... everyone had suspicions

Quite true. I am very very suspicious of people moving here. I've had customers who moved here in Duluth, and just couldn't understand why.

Though I'm sure people are like that anywhere. In Phoenix, I'm sure people are wary of newcomers because of the job situation.

[ZonyPony]

Originally Posted by saffordpastor

Lets see...Texas Roadhouse, QT, In n Out, most businesses that I frequent, many church functions that i attend, most everywhere that I go....mainly because I go out of my way to be friendly .....a simple smile and "How are you today" will melt the ice in most situations.......again I have found that most folks are naturally friendly, if you are freindly to them.

There is a place in AJ called Bills Ghost...wierd name for a convenience mart, and gas station I know, but everytime I walk in there the clerks go out of thier way to be friendly...

That's the key to making friends and keeping friends, Saff!

[JGatti]

As a Michigan resident who is still considering Arizona as a possible destination to relocate, I find the stat's posted a little.....well wrong. I can't say I'm an expert on the crime in a state where I do not live. However I can have an opinion on what I have read. Have a look at the link, I hope it works.

Arizona Crime Rates 1960 - 2007

Now if you go back to the mid 80's and even the mid 90's. The population was much lower. Anywhere from 2- almost 3 million less. Yet at times the amount of murders that took place, and other crimes were almost as high at that time as they are today with twice the people. So simple logic would say, if crime was rising at the rate everyone seems to think it is. Shouldn't the crimes have doubled considering there are twice as many people? It did not, even early parts of the 2000's show spikes and drops in crime. When you consider how many people are crammed into the metro Phoenix area, 460 murders seems fairly low to me. 460 out of 6 million. The city of Detroit had 366 alone last year. Just the city. The state of Arizona had 460 in the entire state? I'm sure for a resident living there, with access to the internet and the news stations reporting every bad thing they can dig up, it must seem like it's skyrocketed since you were younger. But the stats on that link and compared to other cities in my opinion. Arizona still seems pretty safe to me. Oh my mistake that was in 2007, for Arizona not 2008.