Moving from Canada to US (Phoenix, Scottsdale: rent, appliances, organic)

[smartcuty]

Mississauga & Woodbridge are among the newest cities around Toronto, shops are everywhere & groceries are opened till 10-11pm, but the culture is missing too
Toronto has some old buildings & a downtown mix of a financial NY style & a historical European British flavour, it's the American & English blend together
I like new places as well, so Phoenix being new is something not bad at all, who likes old crappy bungalows with rats jumping here & there
I heard the construction is going on rapidly & new projects are everywhere, but the problem, how long will it take to turn Phoenix into a typical metropolitan urban style big city?
The statement of Charlotte being a city more than Phoenix is really scarey, I just hope I didn't see all Charlotte, but it's kind of very quiet & dark at night

[smartcuty]

ColdCanadian,

I meant 10% lower even after converting US dollar to C$

You didn't bother me with numbers at all, however in the east of US for example, you pay at toll stations everywhere, while in GTA all hwys are free except one, which you can select on your own choice

Also I am not sure if there are in AZ groceries like Nofrills, Pricechopper & Foodbasics where food is somehow cheap

Gas for sure in US is at least 10% lower

[irwin]

Well, Charlotte and Phoenix are similar in the fact that almost no one lives downtown in either city. The difference I would say is that Charlotte’s downtown is a lot bigger and more people work down there. Downtown Phoenix, even during the day, seems kinda dead.

New buildings are not terrible, if they are done right. A lot of the new developments out here are identical, Taco Bell Architecture. Also, unlike cities back East, almost all the commercial activity is within strip malls. There are a few exceptions, but there are not many places where you can walk around visiting shops, hit a restaurant, or a pub. You have to drive everywhere.

And as far how long before Phoenix becomes an urban city…probably never. This place is growing, but it is growing outward, not upward. Hopefully the light rail line will help, but it’s hard too see this place really becoming urban in my lifetime (and I’m in my late 20’s).

[smartcuty]

How much are the Taxes (Sales, State, ...etc) in Phoenix & are they applied also to grocery items

In Toronto, for example there are no taxes on Apartment renting while in Phoenix it is applied from what I have heard

[smartcuty]

Originally Posted by monsoon74

Oh, and not to open a can of worms about this, but you state healthcare is free of charge. I suggest you read the first part of your sentence about the 35% tax rate...then tell me where the 'free' part fits in! Trust me, it's not free..it's being paid for on every payday!

I know what you mean & I fully agree with you, look at your tax package when you file & you will know

Also you get the basics, not everything is included, so your company if you work provide the extras & most probably you will pay like $100/month at least to get them

[monsoon74]

Originally Posted by smartcuty

How much are the Taxes (Sales, State, ...etc) in Phoenix & are they applied also to grocery items

In Toronto, for example there are no taxes on Apartment renting while in Phoenix it is applied from what I have heard

Sales taxes are around the 8-9%. Each city is slightly different, due to one referendum or another. Oh, but we all get to help pay for the football stadium!

I'm pretty certain there's no sales tax on groceries.

[monsoon74]

Originally Posted by smartcuty

I know what you mean & I fully agree with you, look at your tax package when you file & you will know

Thank you for not getting defensive. Believe me, here in the States our tax system is far from perfect, too.

Every election year, it becomes another hotbutton...fix the tax codes, and a day after the elections, it's forgotten about. Politicians are the same everywhere!

[smartcuty]

8-9% is better than the 14% of Toronto, but then again it's not that big of a deal except for big items like new cars & furniture

[smartcuty]

Originally Posted by irwin

Other options would be around Old Town Scottdale (Indian School and Scottsdale Road) or Mill Ave. in Tempe (which where I live). There are trying to build up Mill Ave (condos, etc). but it is a little young. All those places have street lights, but nowhere in Phoenix are you going to get the big city lights like Toronto. It’s just a consequence of this place being so suburban.

Is Mill Ave close to where Arizona Mall is?
I guess there are cinemas & theatres there in Tempe

[irwin]

Mill Ave. to the north of University. Basically up to Tempe Town Lake. It is alright and somewhat walkable, but it is small and generally younger. Has a place that makes a mean pizza pie though.