Possible move to AZ in 2020 from NC, need accurate feedback please (Phoenix: fit in, house)

[Eumaois]

Originally Posted by Travelin Mann

Phoenix area: Boiling hot summers with short mild winters. No trees except those planted by landscapers. Cactus galore. Generally vibrant diverse economy and loads of traffic. Population 4.5 million

Tucson area: Phoenix lite. Boiling summers with slightly cooler nights. Similar scarcity of deciduous or even evergreen trees due to location (of both metro areas) within fearsome Sonoran Desert. More artsy and liberal than Phoenix. Population 1 million plus.

Prescott area: Mile high in the Central Highland. Three seasons (I won't anymore say four, due to ersatz winter; but weather does get windy and chilly -- but says generally sunny). More rain than the above metro area, mostly in summer. Disproportionate senior demographic (good for dental/medical professions) though some young folks, too. Population 120,000

Flagstaff area: At 7000 ft elevation, gets plenty 'o cold weather and snow. Big college student population and feel. Lots of skiing and hiking. Not so many jobs. Population: 100,000

Sierra Vista, Sedona, Payson would be the next biggest population centers but I don't think you would fancy those for various reasons, even though they are cool places in their own right.

Have I left any out?

Arizona is full of interesting and historic smaller towns, but they are much shorter on work and services. If you want a small town with a specific feature, shout out.

Good luck, and welcome back out west to check us out!

Dang, that's a nice summary of some of the AZ cities. Am I allowed to use this post for similar threads see online? You will be credited.

[goolsbyjazz]

Originally Posted by Travelin Mann

Phoenix area: Boiling hot summers with short mild winters. No trees except those planted by landscapers. Cactus galore. Generally vibrant diverse economy and loads of traffic. Population 4.5 million

Tucson area: Phoenix lite. Boiling summers with slightly cooler nights. Similar scarcity of deciduous or even evergreen trees due to location (of both metro areas) within fearsome Sonoran Desert. More artsy and liberal than Phoenix. Population 1 million plus.

Prescott area: Mile high in the Central Highland. Three seasons (I won't anymore say four, due to ersatz winter; but weather does get windy and chilly -- but says generally sunny). More rain than the above metro area, mostly in summer. Disproportionate senior demographic (good for dental/medical professions) though some young folks, too. Population 120,000

Flagstaff area: At 7000 ft elevation, gets plenty 'o cold weather and snow. Big college student population and feel. Lots of skiing and hiking. Not so many jobs. Population: 100,000

Sierra Vista, Sedona, Payson would be the next biggest population centers but I don't think you would fancy those for various reasons, even though they are cool places in their own right.

Have I left any out?

Arizona is full of interesting and historic smaller towns, but they are much shorter on work and services. If you want a small town with a specific feature, shout out.

Good luck, and welcome back out west to check us out!

Not bad, but the winters are not short. The good weather goes from October- May.

[yukon]

FWIW, I doubt you will find anything in any decent metro area in AZ to rent for $600/mo. Well, you'll find some one bedrooms but that's about it. And they may or may not be in dicey areas, depending on which city you're looking in. Flagstaff is very expensive.

[Smile37]

Originally Posted by MG120

I currently live in SC but will be returning back to AZ soon. Family lives in Prescott, we pronounce in Preskit, and I know you said you have been to AZ once before. One thing nobody is mentioning is the altitude. Sedona is twice as high as Asheville, Prescott is higher than Denver, and Flagstaff is higher than Mt. Mitchell, the highest point in NC. You will get used to it, but it will impact your hiking initially.

The Prescott Valley area has experienced explosive growth over the past 10 years, and as far as jobs go, all those "old people" need health care, dental, mechanics, etc. There are jobs there.

Hey MG120... sorry for the extreme late reply, but I definitely took note of the comment you made regarding the altitude. I had no idea! ... My son did take me to peak of Mt. Mitchell, but we didn't hike around that area. Been to Asheville a few times, but didn't know Sedona is twice as high as Asheville -- wow!!! .... I'm about to research a hiking group for Sedona, b/c I really want to do a hike there. Or maybe a jeep tour or something (if available). I don't wanna half-way kill myself hiking at Sedona.. lol..

Thanks for the info... I really appreciate it!

[Smile37]

Originally Posted by bigdogmom13

It takes 3-6 weeks for a body to acclimate to a higher altitude (by producing more red blood cells). Younger, healthy individuals might just feel a little winded during exercise.

And don't forget the sunscreen. You definitely burn faster at higher altitudes!

Yes, thanks!! Didn't realize you burn faster at higher altitudes.... it's something I've never thought about. It willbe interesting to see how my body adjusts to the altitude there. I'm counting down my week long visit to Prescott, now! Flying into Phoenix Mon, July 2 -- 9am. ... I've been monitoring y'alls weather out there. ... lol... I will get to see what 110 feels like... lol. Oh my gah, today, it was 91, but humidity was at 60%. It has been soooo stuffy here in NC for the past 3 days. AZ's 'dry heat' verses Nc's heat & humidity.... hm... I'm betting I'll like the 110 dry heat better. Although, I'm not so sure what the air quality will be like out there in a couple weeks. Guessing Prescott will similar to Greensboro. About 5-10 degrees hotter, but almost no humidity. I'm looking forward to it.... I heard there is a rodeo in town from my AirbNB host, but I'll be in AZ July 2-July 8th... so I'm missing the rodeo. Heard it is on June 30th. Now I'm just writing to anyone who is reading this...

[Smile37]

Originally Posted by Eumaois

Dang, that's a nice summary of some of the AZ cities. Am I allowed to use this post for similar threads see online? You will be credited.

I don't see why not?? He did give a really good run down on AZ cities (from what I can tell..)... He was very helpful!

[Smile37]

Originally Posted by yukon

FWIW, I doubt you will find anything in any decent metro area in AZ to rent for $600/mo. Well, you'll find some one bedrooms but that's about it. And they may or may not be in dicey areas, depending on which city you're looking in. Flagstaff is very expensive.

Thanks Yukon. ... I'm gonna visit a few areas and get a feel for the area... get quotes, talk to locals (well, in the Prescott area, if I like it there)... and stuff like that. I have about 3 years to complete my 'research'. ... Yeah I think I did look into Flagstaff.... or maybe it was Scottsdale. .... Who knows. I do prefer more of a low-key area though. ... Here in NC (Greensboro/Winston-Salem/Kernersville) .. it is very low key. I like the over all country-feel still, maybe a little bit of the city.... but not too much. Even Greensboro is a bit big for me sometimes. But I've adapted. I will say the one thing I will miss about NC is the diversity. I hope AZ will have as much diversity as I have experienced here in Greensboro. .... Here I have met so many people from different countries, and I really love that. I just met a girl who is from Albania... and she was in Winston. Today, I had a patient from Uganda. ..... Anyway, now I'm just rambling. Thanks for the tip Yukon!

[KurtAZ]

I wouldn't count on the "diversity" aspect in AZ. Sure we have pockets of areas that are more diverse than others. If you are looking in Prescott, the only diversity you will probably see is Arizonans and Californians. Or Young vs. Retirees.

In the Valley...if you live around some of the Intel plants (Chandler) you see a bit more, mostly centered around Indian and Asian population...Scottsdale would be "who cares about your race, if you can afford to live here than live here" type of diversity. Just remember, if Greensboro is too big for you...the Phoenix Metro (of which Scottsdale is a part of) is almost 5M people and climbing.

Flagstaff? Again mostly Californians, second homes for well-heeled Phoenicians and college students (which may provide some of the diversity you want). You will see some Native Americans in Flag though...

[Travelin Mann]

Originally Posted by Eumaois

Dang, that's a nice summary of some of the AZ cities. Am I allowed to use this post for similar threads see online? You will be credited.

Yes, of course, and sorry for the delay in reply.

[Smile37]

Originally Posted by KurtAZ

I wouldn't count on the "diversity" aspect in AZ. Sure we have pockets of areas that are more diverse than others. If you are looking in Prescott, the only diversity you will probably see is Arizonans and Californians. Or Young vs. Retirees.

In the Valley...if you live around some of the Intel plants (Chandler) you see a bit more, mostly centered around Indian and Asian population...Scottsdale would be "who cares about your race, if you can afford to live here than live here" type of diversity. Just remember, if Greensboro is too big for you...the Phoenix Metro (of which Scottsdale is a part of) is almost 5M people and climbing.

Flagstaff? Again mostly Californians, second homes for well-heeled Phoenicians and college students (which may provide some of the diversity you want). You will see some Native Americans in Flag though...

Hey Kurt! Thanks so much for the feedback! I was wondering about the Valley area myself... looked at it's location in regards to the surrounding cities... read a little about the Chandler area, but not enough. I will look into cost of living in that area too.. and jobs in dental offices. Flagstaff is a bit too cold for me, and I wasn't sure if I would be able to afford living in Scottsdale anyhow; thanks for confirming that I need to knock those off my list. =)

Kinda sucks I'll be missing out on the cultural diversity, but that's ok for now. Might only be a temporary move for a few years... we'll see. I am half Asian, so yeah.. Chandler might be a good spot. We have Lumbee Native Americans here. Anyhow, I'm looking REALLY forward to flying out to AZ in just a little over a week. =) !! ... It might be hard for me to return back to NC again, but if I fall more in love with AZ (and I'm sure I will no matter WHAT teddyearp says... lol...) I will be back to visit again, and again till I get some footing out there. Have a great night!