Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
You are a bit vague. Ill give you a quick overview of this fine state.
Arizona has an insane amount of geographical, climatological, and cultural variety. We have deserts, mountains, plains, canyons, valleys, cliffs, forests, rivers, lakes, etc. It is a traditional southwestern state, but has a lot of influence from California, particularly in Phoenix. Most of southern Arizona is also heavily influenced by Mexico, while Northern Arizona is heavily influenced by Native Americans. Arizona has 4 distinct deserts, the Sonoran (our most famous), the Mojave, the Great Basin, and the Chihuahuan Desert.
Central Arizona is rugged sonoran desert. Phoenix is the 6th biggest city in the country, with about 1.7 million people. The Phoenix metro area has about 4.5 million residents. Phoenix is big, sprawled, and offers plenty to do. It is hot during the summer, but the rest of the year is perfect. Phoenix has a lot of housing variety (as any big city does). The Phoenix Metro area is huge. Scottsdale is wealthy and known for nightlife, resorts, and shopping. In Tempe you'll find Arizona State University and the typical college town vibe that comes with it. Central Phoenix is where you will find Downtown, Midtown, and Uptown Phoenix. Phoenix has all 4 major pro sports teams (NHL, NBA, MLB, NFL). There are mountains and hiking/biking trails all across and all around Phoenix.
Farther north, you will find the cities of the Verde Valley, such as Camp Verde, Cottonwood, Cornville, the Village of Oak Creek, the old partial ghost town of Jerome, and Sedona. Sedona is among the most beautiful cities in the world. It is located just south of Flagstaff. It is very artsy and is settled in one of the most stunning landscapes in the world. You really have to see it to believe it. Words wont do a justice. Oak Creek Canyon is gorgeous, and the West Fork Canyon is among the most popular and most beautiful places in the Southwest. Sedona has warm to hot summers with mild winters.
Southeastern Arizona is a fascinating region of Arizona. Here you will find the sky islands, which are huge, high isolated mountain ranges that are entirely surrounded by desert. Here, you will find Tucson, which is the state's second biggest city. Tucson is a beautiful city but is very different from Phoenix. The University of Arizona is located here. In SE Arizona you'll find other cities such as Nogales, Sierra Vista, and Douglas. You also have historic mining towns such as Bisbee, and highly preserved historic western towns like Tombstone.
Arizona has lots of mountains. Flagstaff is at 7,000 feet in elevation with cool summers and cold winters. It is the 8th snowiest city in the country, and is extremely popular year round. Northern Arizona University is located here. Flagstaff is your typical big rocky mountain style city. There are many suburbs of Flagstaff, such as Kachina Village and Munds Park, that are very popular for vacation homes. Flagstaff is forested, and experiences a wet summer, with almost daily thunderstorms. The White Mountains in eastern Arizona are very high and very remote, dotted with a few rural mountain towns. Greer is beautiful. Pinetop and Show Low are the biggest cities in eastern Arizona. Prescott is a big city north of Phoenix, located in the northern foothills of the Bradshaw mountains. Prescott is popular for its mild 4 season climate, beautiful victorian homes, Whiskey Row, and endless outdoor activities. Embry Riddle Aeronautical University is located here. Arizona is home to the largest Ponderosa Pine forest in the world. We also have several ski resorts. The highest mountain is Humphreys Peak, which is 12,633 feet and is home to an alpine tundra environment.
Northern Arizona is home to many famous landscapes, most notably Canyon de Chelly, Monument Valley, and of course the Grand Canyon. The Grand Canyon area has many beautiful landscapes other than the canyon itself, such as the Kaibab Plateau, the Vermillion Cliffs, and Lake Powell. Much of Northern Arizona is included in the Navajo Reservation, called the Navajo Nation. The Navajo Nation is home to some striking landscapes and almost complete solidarity. Route 66 culture is also popular in Northern Arizona, with several popular destinations along route 66 being Flagstaff, Williams, Seligman, and Kingman. Northern Arizona is home to the Painted Desert, as well as the Petrified Forest, and the San Francisco Volcanic Field.
Western Arizona is generally considered to be the Colorado River Valley. Here, you will find the Hoover Dam, and big cities such as Bullhead City (across from Laughlin, NV), Lake Havasu City (extremely popular Spring Break Destination), and Yuma (one of the sunniest places in the world). Las Vegas is just across the AZ border, Palm Springs is 1.5 hours from the AZ-CA border, LA is 3 hours from the AZ-CA border, and San Diego is 2.5 Hours from the AZ-CA border. Phoenix is roughly 2 hours from the AZ-CA border to give you an idea.
Hope this gives you a bit of a quick introduction to Arizona. If you have any questions, let me know.
Yes considering AZ employment whether or not you need a job may well dictate where you have to be.
Other than that, AZ has very diverse climates. The valleys around Phoenix and Tucson are very hot in the summer and coming from your area you may have a little trouble adjusting to temperatures that hit well over 100° by 0900 in the mornings in the summer. And the highs can be in the 110-117° range daily for a few months of summer too. I have seen many people that were winter visitors only to AZ move to the Phoenix area only to find that coming from the snow belt like you they just could not take the heat in the summers and they moved up in elevation.
Gain elevation in AZ and it gets much cooler. I am in the Prescott/Prescott Valley area and we can be some 15-25° cooler than Phoenix on a hot summer day. Yes we can get a little snow here in the winter but normally it's not much.
Needless to say that Phoenix and Tucson are the biggest cities in the state with the most jobs of course.
The smaller towns of AZ are much friendlier and lack many of the problems typically found in mass in the larger areas too.
I do know someone that moved here almost 15 years ago in retirement that is from your area of your zip code and he and she love it here.
You are a bit vague. Ill give you a quick overview of this fine state.
Arizona has an insane amount of geographical, climatological, and cultural variety. We have deserts, mountains, plains, canyons, valleys, cliffs, forests, rivers, lakes, etc. It is a traditional southwestern state, but has a lot of influence from California, particularly in Phoenix. Most of southern Arizona is also heavily influenced by Mexico, while Northern Arizona is heavily influenced by Native Americans. Arizona has 4 distinct deserts, the Sonoran (our most famous), the Mojave, the Great Basin, and the Chihuahuan Desert.
Central Arizona is rugged sonoran desert. Phoenix is the 6th biggest city in the country, with about 1.7 million people. The Phoenix metro area has about 4.5 million residents. Phoenix is big, sprawled, and offers plenty to do. It is hot during the summer, but the rest of the year is perfect. Phoenix has a lot of housing variety (as any big city does). The Phoenix Metro area is huge. Scottsdale is wealthy and known for nightlife, resorts, and shopping. In Tempe you'll find Arizona State University and the typical college town vibe that comes with it. Central Phoenix is where you will find Downtown, Midtown, and Uptown Phoenix. Phoenix has all 4 major pro sports teams (NHL, NBA, MLB, NFL). There are mountains and hiking/biking trails all across and all around Phoenix.
Farther north, you will find the cities of the Verde Valley, such as Camp Verde, Cottonwood, Cornville, the Village of Oak Creek, the old partial ghost town of Jerome, and Sedona. Sedona is among the most beautiful cities in the world. It is located just south of Flagstaff. It is very artsy and is settled in one of the most stunning landscapes in the world. You really have to see it to believe it. Words wont do a justice. Oak Creek Canyon is gorgeous, and the West Fork Canyon is among the most popular and most beautiful places in the Southwest. Sedona has warm to hot summers with mild winters.
Southeastern Arizona is a fascinating region of Arizona. Here you will find the sky islands, which are huge, high isolated mountain ranges that are entirely surrounded by desert. Here, you will find Tucson, which is the state's second biggest city. Tucson is a beautiful city but is very different from Phoenix. The University of Arizona is located here. In SE Arizona you'll find other cities such as Nogales, Sierra Vista, and Douglas. You also have historic mining towns such as Bisbee, and highly preserved historic western towns like Tombstone.
Arizona has lots of mountains. Flagstaff is at 7,000 feet in elevation with cool summers and cold winters. It is the 8th snowiest city in the country, and is extremely popular year round. Northern Arizona University is located here. Flagstaff is your typical big rocky mountain style city. There are many suburbs of Flagstaff, such as Kachina Village and Munds Park, that are very popular for vacation homes. Flagstaff is forested, and experiences a wet summer, with almost daily thunderstorms. The White Mountains in eastern Arizona are very high and very remote, dotted with a few rural mountain towns. Greer is beautiful. Pinetop and Show Low are the biggest cities in eastern Arizona. Prescott is a big city north of Phoenix, located in the northern foothills of the Bradshaw mountains. Prescott is popular for its mild 4 season climate, beautiful victorian homes, Whiskey Row, and endless outdoor activities. Embry Riddle Aeronautical University is located here. Arizona is home to the largest Ponderosa Pine forest in the world. We also have several ski resorts. The highest mountain is Humphreys Peak, which is 12,633 feet and is home to an alpine tundra environment.
Northern Arizona is home to many famous landscapes, most notably Canyon de Chelly, Monument Valley, and of course the Grand Canyon. The Grand Canyon area has many beautiful landscapes other than the canyon itself, such as the Kaibab Plateau, the Vermillion Cliffs, and Lake Powell. Much of Northern Arizona is included in the Navajo Reservation, called the Navajo Nation. The Navajo Nation is home to some striking landscapes and almost complete solidarity. Route 66 culture is also popular in Northern Arizona, with several popular destinations along route 66 being Flagstaff, Williams, Seligman, and Kingman. Northern Arizona is home to the Painted Desert, as well as the Petrified Forest, and the San Francisco Volcanic Field.
Western Arizona is generally considered to be the Colorado River Valley. Here, you will find the Hoover Dam, and big cities such as Bullhead City (across from Laughlin, NV), Lake Havasu City (extremely popular Spring Break Destination), and Yuma (one of the sunniest places in the world). Las Vegas is just across the AZ border, Palm Springs is 1.5 hours from the AZ-CA border, LA is 3 hours from the AZ-CA border, and San Diego is 2.5 Hours from the AZ-CA border. Phoenix is roughly 2 hours from the AZ-CA border to give you an idea.
Hope this gives you a bit of a quick introduction to Arizona. If you have any questions, let me know.
This was fantastic! I live here and reading this made ME want to visit!
I have 4 children ages 19, 15, 12, and 8. I have been thinking about it for sometime. This post might have just sealed the deal! Lol...
I am from the Eastern Shore of Maryland. Looking for some place active, good schools, not huge, near water, affordable and not flat. Done some searching but like to hear from real people who live there.
Help??
I have 4 children ages 19, 15, 12, and 8. I have been thinking about it for sometime. This post might have just sealed the deal! Lol...
I am from the Eastern Shore of Maryland. Looking for some place active, good schools, not huge, near water, affordable and not flat. Done some searching but like to hear from real people who live there.
Help??
Start by making your own thread, and be a lot more specific and detailed than this one.
I have 4 children ages 19, 15, 12, and 8. I have been thinking about it for sometime. This post might have just sealed the deal! Lol...
I am from the Eastern Shore of Maryland. Looking for some place active, good schools, not huge, near water, affordable and not flat. Done some searching but like to hear from real people who live there.
Help??
Near water? Lake Havasu City sounds like it might suit your needs, as its cheap... but its a BORING town.
Near water? Lake Havasu City sounds like it might suit your needs, as its cheap... but its a BORING town.
I moved here from Oregon 5 years ago and one of my "must haves" was being close to water. I live in the far east valley near the 202 and 60 interchange. I'm 10 minutes from the Salt River, 20 from Saguaro Lake and less than 30 from Canyon lake.
If he wants water, go east young man, go east.
I love this side of town.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Been thinking about it...
