tempe? (Phoenix: real estate, tornadoes, apartment complex)

[hurricom]

Am thinking of moving to Tempe from Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Can anyone tell me anything about the city--crime, cost of living, entertainment?

Thanks in advance!

[scottie]

Im considering Tempe too (for college, ASU). Been to the valley area a couple times and from what I know, big college town, lots of young people, lots of partying, mill avenue is probably the most crazy place in Arizona. That pretty much sums it up from what I know

[silverbear]

Originally Posted by hurricom

Am thinking of moving to Tempe from Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Can anyone tell me anything about the city--crime, cost of living, entertainment?

Thanks in advance!

The portion in italics below is a shameless copy-and-paste from a reply I posted recently to a similar question in the Phoenix forum, which is probably the best place to discuss Tempe:

Tempe is an attractive part of the Phoenix Metro Area. Downtown Tempe, near the campus of ASU, is undergoing a lot of upscale, urban development with 30-story condominium towers, new apartments, and light rail all on their way. The downside is that some of the college-town feel is being sacrificed as chain stores displace independent businesses, and venues for live music, which used to be plentiful, have diminished.

Many independent businesses displaced from downtown have moved south to the more suburban portions of Tempe that lie below Southern, the 60 Freeway, and Baseline. There you'll find attractive neighborhoods of single family homes. It's still a pretty dynamic area, though, with many ethnic restaurants hidden in the various strip malls.

As for recreation, Tempe is near South Mountain Park, a park in Phoenix with dozens of miles of hiking trails. Tempe also features Tempe Town Lake, which is good for canoeing, rowing, and kayaking. Don't try swimming there, however. It's illegal for good reasons. I fell into the water last year after a kayaking mishap and was sneezing and wheezing for a week due to all the algae in the water.

There are some shaky areas just west and east of the ASU campus with marginal apartment complexes. Those areas are being gentrified pretty quickly, however. Tempe is a good choice for both young singles and families with children. It would be a reasonable commute to Central Phoenix, although traffic on the Broadway curve can be brutal. Light rail will improve the commuting options when it opens in two years.

As for cost of living, it would be about the same as the rest of the Phoenix area. Real estate has gone crazy in the last few years and is now leveling off but has not yet returned to the same level of affordability as in the past. Overall cost of living in the Phoenix area is less than in the Northeast or California but probably higher than in Louisiana.

[hurricom]

Thanks so much for the info. That really helps. I'm wondering . . . what's the weather like? I know it's hot, but I have a real fear of severe thunderstorms & tornados, which are somewhat common here in south Louisiana. I've heard such weather isn't very common in Arizona, which makes moving there an exciting idea. Is there any truth to this?

[scottie]

In my opinion the weather is perfect from the start of October until the start of July and then it starts to get real hot. Other people will say that the weather is unbearable 9 months of the year which I think is a ridiculous statement. Id say July, August, and some of September is a little rough but the other months of the year it is awesome. Total sunshine 90% of the year with no humidity

[sablebaby]

Originally Posted by hurricom

Thanks so much for the info. That really helps. I'm wondering . . . what's the weather like? I know it's hot, but I have a real fear of severe thunderstorms & tornados, which are somewhat common here in south Louisiana. I've heard such weather isn't very common in Arizona, which makes moving there an exciting idea. Is there any truth to this?

We do have our monsoon seasson, but it's very mild. A bunch of thunderstorms from aug-sept each year. NO tornados!!! Not to worry, we are unfortunately very dry here (except that it's raining today).

[Steve-o]

Originally Posted by sablebaby

We do have our monsoon seasson, but it's very mild. A bunch of thunderstorms from aug-sept each year. NO tornados!!! Not to worry, we are unfortunately very dry here (except that it's raining today).

Tornadoes can and do occur in AZ, although rarely. I see that alot of people in AZ think theyre immune to them for some reason? Of course the chances are few and far between, but dont think they wont ever happen...

As for Tempe, I seriously thought the town was flat-out boring. Mill St is the only thing the town has going for it, and its just a small strip with a bunch of bars and Philly cheese-steak places. LOL Seriously. I thought I was in Philly walking down that street. The Harley dealer was pitiful and the food was mediocre at best. If youre looking for a town full of drunk and obnoxious kids, Tempe is your place.

Weather? HOT of course. Expect temps in the 100s in May and lasting all the way into mid-October. July, August and September are brutally hot. Bring your sunscreen and lip balm and lotion everywhere, youll be glad you did. Tint your windows, park in the shade, etc.... youll learn the tricks sooner or later. Nothing like steppin into a 150 degree car, its just horrid stuff. Winter is nice, about the same climate as LA, you might even experience a flurry or two, some frigid nights as well. Summer "monsoons" bring higher humidity on top of the blistering August temps. Also, be prepared for months of endless sunshine. To me, its just as bad as months of gray skies... it gets old after awhile.