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I still don't really understand the hype for Pheonix apart from close proximity to the Southern Cal cities and Vegas. We talk about how a city like Atlanta doesn't really have a good downtown, but Pheonix is even worse. It has almost no urban neighborhoods so to speak of. Atlanta at least has that history and historic neighborhoods to boot along with a top 10 U.S. transit system. An extremely expansive tree canopy that provides shade in a lot of it's neighborhoods and a diverse economy that has a lot of white collar jobs. Shopping destroys Pheonix. It's the shopping capital of the Southeast(ignoring Miami). Pheonix's nightlife is unheard of, while Atlanta has good nightlife, though it was top 5 in the 90s. Higher education again destroys Pheonix. Weather is preferential so I won't go there, though I much prefer Atlanta's. I like the possibility of snow.
I still don't really understand the hype for Pheonix apart from close proximity to the Southern Cal cities and Vegas. We talk about how a city like Atlanta doesn't really have a good downtown, but Pheonix is even worse. It has almost no urban neighborhoods so to speak of. Atlanta at least has that history and historic neighborhoods to boot along with a top 10 U.S. transit system. An extremely expansive tree canopy that provides shade in a lot of it's neighborhoods and a diverse economy that has a lot of white collar jobs. Shopping destroys Pheonix. It's the shopping capital of the Southeast(ignoring Miami). Pheonix's nightlife is unheard of, while Atlanta has good nightlife, though it was top 5 in the 90s. Higher education again destroys Pheonix. Weather is preferential so I won't go there, though I much prefer Atlanta's. I like the possibility of snow.
I think a lot of the hype about Phoenix comes from its natural setting. The desert setting is pretty nice in its own way, and there are a ton of resorts in the area. I prefer a more lush geographic setting or a coastal one myself, but I can see Phoenix's appeal when it comes to geography in particular.
I think a lot of the hype about Phoenix comes from its natural setting. The desert setting is pretty nice in its own way, and there are a ton of resorts in the area. I prefer a more lush geographic setting or a coastal one myself, but I can see Phoenix's appeal when it comes to geography in particular.
I agree.Phoenix has appeal.I could see myslef living there again but for th reason I have listed I prefer Atlanta.
I still don't really understand the hype for Pheonix apart from close proximity to the Southern Cal cities and Vegas. We talk about how a city like Atlanta doesn't really have a good downtown, but Pheonix is even worse. It has almost no urban neighborhoods so to speak of. Atlanta at least has that history and historic neighborhoods to boot along with a top 10 U.S. transit system. An extremely expansive tree canopy that provides shade in a lot of it's neighborhoods and a diverse economy that has a lot of white collar jobs. Shopping destroys Pheonix. It's the shopping capital of the Southeast(ignoring Miami). Pheonix's nightlife is unheard of, while Atlanta has good nightlife, though it was top 5 in the 90s. Higher education again destroys Pheonix. Weather is preferential so I won't go there, though I much prefer Atlanta's. I like the possibility of snow.
Perhaps you should learn how to spell Phoenix before you bash it.
Phoenix has plenty older, historical districts, with lots of nice architecture. You do have to realize that the city is "new". And FYI, Phoenix and its suburbs have PLENTY of shopping, especially Scottsdale which has more high end shopping than you can probably find in ATL. Its no joke, either. Same goes for its nightlife.
Perhaps you should learn how to spell Phoenix before you bash it.
Phoenix has plenty older, historical districts, with lots of nice architecture. You do have to realize that the city is "new". And FYI, Phoenix and its suburbs have PLENTY of shopping, especially Scottsdale which has more high end shopping than you can probably find in ATL. Its no joke, either. Same goes for its nightlife.
Culture - Atlanta, the history alone is enough
Affordability - Atlanta
Food - Atlanta
Weather - Atlanta, 4 distinct seasons
Variety - of what?
Lifestyle - Atlanta
Outdoors - Atlanta
Natural resources - Atlanta
Colleges / universities - Atlanta, GA Tech, Emory, UGA, GA State, etc.
Anything else
Perhaps you should learn how to spell Phoenix before you bash it.
Phoenix has plenty older, historical districts, with lots of nice architecture. You do have to realize that the city is "new". And FYI, Phoenix and its suburbs have PLENTY of shopping, especially Scottsdale which has more high end shopping than you can probably find in ATL. Its no joke, either. Same goes for its nightlife.
It really doesn't. Show me one neighborhood that has a lot of historic architecture in photos and it has to be walkable. And Phoenix doesn't beat Atlanta in shopping. Come on now. Buckhead Atlanta alone beats Pheonix in high end shopping. That doesn't include Phipps Plaza or Lenox Mall. Pheonix doesn't have the wealth concentration Atlanta has.
A short drive you can go to Nashville,New Orleans,Savannah,The Appalacians,Golden Isle,Jacksonville etc.and again more places by plane in a shorter amount of time.
Lifestyle is highly subjective
I usually base quality of trips based on how quickly I can get to Jacksonville
Let's not pretend Phoenix is devoid of nightlife, things have changed in the last 20 years A LOT, there are more, but not every district has a website.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Ant131531
It really doesn't. Show me one neighborhood that has a lot of historic architecture in photos and it has to be walkable. And Phoenix doesn't beat Atlanta in shopping. Come on now. Buckhead Atlanta alone beats Pheonix in high end shopping. That doesn't include Phipps Plaza or Lenox Mall. Pheonix doesn't have the wealth concentration Atlanta has.
As for historic walkable districts, i'll give you that there's an old section of Tempe, Scottsdale and Phoenix but most of them are post WW2 bungalows. Tempe is probably the most walkable city in the metro but Phoenix is RAPIDLY improving its downtown with infill and density.
The one district that is historic and walkable that I can think of is Roosevelt.
I've lived in both Atlanta and Phoenix, and if I had the choice to return to either or, I'd pick Phoenix, for sure. And my reasons for preferring Phoenix go far beyond that of weather, scenery, and outdoor recreational opportunities.
For me personally, Atlanta is just too Southern. Even though people say Atlanta is where a bunch of "Nor'easters" and Florida "half-backs" go for bigger, newer, cheaper housing, I disagree. Atlanta, especially in the suburban and outlying areas, is very religious and socially conservative. IMO, there's still too much "Bubba talk" and too many "Bible thumpers" for me to truly like it there.
I found the culture of Georgia to be either very ghetto, very redneck, or very hillbilly, depending on where you are in the state. From what I can remember, there's very little "in between," although I'm sure that's changed over the past 10 years as more transplants and immigrants settle in Georgia and influence/reshape the culture.
Oh, yeah--Georgia natives and transplants from other culturally Southern areas don't particularly care for "Yankees" all that much, either. Boy, do they make that known!
When I lived in Georgia, more so than in the other Southern states in which I've lived (Florida, Texas), I experienced a lot of hurtful comments. It's hard to explain because nothing is really outright, and everything seems to have a second meaning. It's not an issue of being a loud, complaining "Yankee" like others assert--while living in Georgia, I was very respectful of the culture, customs, etc. Also, I didn't talk much there without being addressed first, which is a huge departure from my personality. Finally, I never talked about my home state of Rhode Island unless asked.
Thing is, I was asked about "up there" a lot, usually in the form of baited questions to set me up for some cutting remark or veiled insult. Another common occurrence among native Southerners is being asked a question and then being cut-off as you begin to reply. Lots of backhanded compliments and uncomfortable comments that are said in a polite way.
This weird stuff plus general changes in demeanor when I would speak happened with lots of people--colleagues, neighbors, mutual friends, etc. It felt hard to escape.
Well, if any of that matters, Phoenix has none of those issues.
Phoenix, consistent with the rest of Arizona, has a classic live-and-let-live Southwestern vibe--very casual; polite; laid-back (e.g., you'll rarely hear a car horn in Phoenix, despite it being the fifth or sixth most populous city in the entire country); generally open-minded; tolerant, even if not approving; and although people may seem aloof, they are almost invariably pleasant if you talk first.
Arizona's population primarily consists of out-of-towners. Most people there are from either California, the Midwest, or Mexico, although places like New England and the Pacific Northwest are well-represented, too. Needless to say, no one cares where you're from, and you won't hear the term "Yankee" used outside of reference to the baseball team or in a history lecture.
Jobs--that's the biggest issue with Phoenix, whose economy really leaves a lot to be desired, especially compared to that of Atlanta. However, I will have you know that for a Sun Belt boom-town, salaries are generally proportional to the COL, especially in the professional services sector. But if you're in that sector, good luck finding a job and, more specifically, finding one if that first one you have lined up doesn't work out. To say Phoenix has a very limited corporate presence for a city it's size is an understatement.
However, the lack of investment in public K-12 schools and public transportation, very few reputable institutions of higher learning, and polarizing legislation keeps companies from setting up shop in Phoenix. For example, within the past year, Arizona lost the Tesla plant to Nevada, which is a huge loss, IMO. Innovative, cutting-edge companies don't want to be associated with polarizing ultra-conservative legislation such as SB 1070 and SB 1062 because, if they are, they're going to have trouble attracting bright, talented, largely progressive youth--another demographic that's extremely underrepresented in Phoenix.
Overall, however, Phoenix kicks the believin' Jesus outta Atlanta every day of the week and twice on Sunday, especially with regard to weather, scenery, outdoor recreational opportunities, local and nearby travel destinations, infrastructure, and, most importantly, culture.
Phoenix, FTW.
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