REAL AZ scoop

[cmist]

To state that all the things you mentioned are all available in the "immediate" metro area is a stretch.

Think about driving from the white tanks to superior as you mention. Thats like a 3+ hours span. Thats a good day trip for most people, and for those that have to work, then spend the weekends catching up on the crap they didn't do during the work week, its not exactly like you have loads of free time to lollygag around the ASU campus on "warm" may night.

If because you came from a place where your commute was 2-3 hours each way and you have plenty of leisure time to spend 6-7 hours a day in your car for a day of shopping for souvenirs in sedona, then you probably do love it here and there is nothing wrong with that.

You said originally to take everyones recommendations with a grain of salt or a whole shaker of salt, and I would like to say they should take your recommendations with that same shaker of salt.

You said you were being relocated, and I'm guessing your house is for sale so its to your benefit to puke roses about the place.

I have a jacked up 4WD and have seen & explored awesome part of AZ, and my argument here isn't that AZ isn't scenic with lots of good day trips. Everywhere you go has plenty of day/weekend trips, and you need to have a very leisurely lifestyle to be able to do all these day trips that you rant about.

Face it, you live in a goodyear or even further out in Rainbow Valley if you are that close to the Estrella Mtns. That is a LONG drive for MOST of the population and not convenient for the working population. Same with the white tanks. The only close shopping is a gas station quick stop, otherwise be prepared to drive 30 minutes each way to get to a grocery store.

The road to get into estrella mtn ranch alone is like 20 minutes after you get off the I-10 for an hour in nonstop congestion. And those pretty mountains you talk about while in the metro area are all hazy through a disgusting brown pollution cloud. People should look at the air quality of this place.

My guess is you stay at home romanticizing about how beautiful everything is from inside your air conditioned prison while husband drudges through daily life commuting an hour each way to work in horrible traffic and pollution, BUT when you have the time to escape to the superstitions, white mountains, mexico, superior, or the ASU campus for whatever reason, you can have a good time.

I believe for a person contemplating this place there are BETTER more affordable choices that havent already had their heyday.

[Bossanovawitcha]

I mentioned driving TO White Tanks for a getaway < an hour, or driving TO Superior which is 30-45 minutes from Mesa. I'm just listing places that I have gone to when I haven't had much to do (when I wasn't skipping school and tubing down the Salt River), or had time during an evening or weekend, within easy drive distance.

Name all those better, more affordable choices you allude to - the ones with better scenery and geography, that actually have real job markets? Boise is just as pricey as Phoenix now. Salt Lake is a nice, clean city, and is cheaper than Phoenix (for now). So there's ONE, maybe. That's really it. Every other major metro in the west - ie, Portland, Seattle, Bay Area / LA-OC / San Diego California, Denver, even Las Vegas - that have decent employment and career opportunities - is more expensive than Phoenix, in most cases A LOT more.

[cmist]

While the scenery between Superior & Globe is certainly beautiful along with the canyon you pass through on the way to Show Low there aren't many reasons to drive that way unless you are looking for a day of leisure on the open road. There is absolutely nothing to do in Globe or Superior except visit biker bars where you probably aren't welcome... Ever seen the Movie U-Turn? That was Superior at its most exciting. I will vouch for the fact that for the 15 minutes you are passing through its breathtaking scenery... but after that, then what?

My only argument here is that other places in the country designate larger areas for city parks that amount to more than tot lots sprinkled in HOA neighborhoods that prohibit boats, RV's or any recreational type of activity whatsoever, in the name of keeping property values up. For cripes sake, you can't even have an RV *BEHIND* your own fence in MOST of the areas here. That will tell you what a bunch of fuddy duddy's you are living around.

Seriously it makes me sick that people just have to see such conformity in their neighborhoods. Why? So the drive home in your air conditioned car into your 3 car garage that you quickly shut with your automatic remote is more scenic?

Hey, I don't even own an RV or a boat, but I have ZERO objections to people having them and having fun too. As for weeds, cars on blocks, no problems slapping people around a little in that dept., but good luck finding a nice new neighborhood here that isn't ALL or NOTHING. Thats what I mean about being able to enjoy this place. Sure, take a drive through superior, buy some crystals in sedona, go lollygag at ASU campus, drive to see the pines in the mountains, take a drive to Mexico... all awesome things to do, but everyone of them is an escape from your own neighborhood and your own city... so thats my point and wanted to clarify.

[cmist]

Originally Posted by Bossanovawitcha

I mentioned driving TO White Tanks for a getaway < an hour, or driving TO Superior which is 30-45 minutes from Mesa. I'm just listing places that I have gone to when I haven't had much to do (when I wasn't skipping school and tubing down the Salt River), or had time during an evening or weekend, within easy drive distance.

Name all those better, more affordable choices you allude to - the ones with better scenery and geography, that actually have real job markets? Boise is just as pricey as Phoenix now. Salt Lake is a nice, clean city, and is cheaper than Phoenix (for now). So there's ONE, maybe. That's really it. Every other major metro in the west - ie, Portland, Seattle, Bay Area / LA-OC / San Diego California, Denver, even Las Vegas - that have decent employment and career opportunities - is more expensive than Phoenix, in most cases A LOT more.

Just saw this post...

I'm self employed and can make money anywhere, so maybe thats a different perspective than most. I'm also not limiting myself strictly to megalopolitans the West Coast. If the cities you listed above were my only choices, and cost of living was my only criteria, I would probably say Phoenix too.

I don't have any reason to bash it here... it suits the needs of many people, obviously, But if I were considering another place that I knew nothing about, I would certainly want to know the good and the bad too. I'm simply sharing from MY perspective just as general information and not selling it as "THE REAL SCOOP"

[Bossanovawitcha]

Well, what I did was open this thread from another long reply - and accidentally left out 2 posts, I think. There are obviously negatives living here in Phoenix - my original post had them, but this one I tried to recreate as a potentially helpful new string doesn't include some of the content. Phoenix isn't perfect, and its far from a 'premium' place to live, but its not bad.

If I was self-employed and could live anywhere, I'd probably go to the Oregon coast or Eugene. And I would definitely choose to live in Prescott or Flagstaff in AZ.