[UconnHusky]

Hello,

I'm in my mid 20's and im considering moving out west to AZ. The main reasons include:

- I grew up in San Diego during my childhood days, I would love to move back there, but it is way too expensive, but Phoenix is close enough.

- I currently live in the Naugatuck Valley & I'm sick of Waterbury. I view Waterbury as a complete dump, nothing but wasteland. Naugatuck Valley is a dump as well.

- My commute from the Naugatuck Valley to Greenwich is a nightmare. I work at a private equity firm and those types of jobs cant be found in New Haven County.

- I'm not about to spend $500k on a piece of property in Fairfield county. actually, I can't even afford to.

- Waterbury, Waterbury, Waterbury..what a dump.

So, if anyone on this board lived in AZ, please give me your thoughts on the area.

Thanks,
Uconn

[JViello]

While never lived there, I do know it fairly well.

Think urban island in the middle of the desert and your close. If you want to see the weather, take your blow dryer, put it on high and stick it in your face. When it hurts, keep it there for another minute and you'll get the idea.

How about further West in CT like Danbury?

[skytrekker]

I spent some time in Arizona in 2000

I disliked Phoenix- too much mindless sprawl, bad air, high crime rate, terrible traffic and pollution - and too HOT-and that was 7 years ago.

Tucson was a bit better- more of a true southwestern feel- with real desert landscaping- funky interesting neighborhoods- and at 2550 feet above sea level- still hot-in fact an inferno from May to October- but still more tolerable then Phoenix.

My favorite place is Sedona- loved the town- like a place in another time and place.

I do love northern California- north of San Francisco- Marin and Sonoma counties- but the prices for housing are beyond silly. Santa Rosa, Sebastobol are really very pleasant places to love- with a moderate Mediterranean 4 season climate.
The central coast- Cambria, Santa Maria, San Luis Obispo all wonderful with a perfect climate- but housing costs are stratospheric.

[KirbyJRT]

Originally Posted by skytrekker

I spent some time in Arizona in 2000

I disliked Phoenix- too much mindless sprawl, bad air, high crime rate, terrible traffic and pollution - and too HOT-and that was 7 years ago.

Tucson was a bit better- more of a true southwestern feel- with real desert landscaping- funky interesting neighborhoods- and at 2550 feet above sea level- still hot-in fact an inferno from May to October- but sill more tolerable then Phoenix.

My favorite place is Sedona- loved the town- like a place in another time and place.

I do love northern California- north of San Francisco- Marin and Sonoma counties- but the prices for housing are beyond silly.

We have the absolute same opinion. I Hated Phoenix. Liked Tucson and Loved Sedona.

[Dockside]

Originally Posted by UconnHusky

So, if anyone on this board lived in AZ, please give me your thoughts on the area.

Lived in Tucson for 2 years. It's fascinating, but the landscape gets a bit stark after awhile. You won't see anything like it around here.

In the winter it snows on Mt Lemmon, you can ski. Sabino Canyon is beautiful, Sonora Desert Museum is great. Old Tucson is fun. Amazing lightning storms during rainy season.

But. Early summer, I walked 6 blocks to a friend's house, and was dizzy by the time I got there. It was 120 in the shade.

Phoenix is a boring, hot blob.

You're young, get out there, it's an experience, you'll like it. Go for it.

[mels]

I have never lived in AZ, but did live in CO/NM and made many road trips to AZ. Like others, I found Phoenix to be depressing. Endless ugly sprawl. Tuscon was OK, they had a pretty nice local music scene that was cool. Sedona is beautiful. I am not a huge fan of intense heat, so June through September are unbearable for me.

I picked up and moved out west for a while and loved it. I have no regrets even though I chose not to permanently live out there. I say go for it!

[sandy6879]

If it makes you feel any better OP, my family and I are looking to move out to the Phoenix valley (not IN Phoenix) within the next 6 months. We don't live in Waterbury (Bristol, close enough) but when we visited out there both in July and in January, we loved it. The heat does not bother me - the humidity here is much much worse than the 117 we experienced in July. Only thing I'm concerned with is the lack of the ocean but that's not enough to keep me here.

[uconn99]

I was born and raised in Connecticut, attended UConn my freshmen year and moved to Arizona to attend Arizona State when I was 19. I have been in Phoenix since.

If you are young and single, Phoenix/Scottsdale/Tempe/Chandler is the place to be. There are great looking girls, good job opportunities, and ASU is a good business/engineering school on top of it.

The bar/club night life is better than anywhere in CT/RI/MA. Old Towne Scottsdale rivals some L.A. and Vegas clubs. Just be ready for a lot of $30,000 millionaires. Tempe has Mill Avenue which is a strip of bars that gets pretty crazy at times, mostly college aged students. ASU is often called the #1 party school in the country. Trust me, I have been here for almost 7 years and UConn is a bigger party school. But in terms of bars/girls in wins hands down.


Get ready for the heat, you will learn to live with it. The winters are nice, at times it will get down into the low 30’s high 20’s and you will see snow on the mountains surrounding phoenix, and every so often it may snow in north Scottsdale.

If you need ocean, Rocky Point in Mexico is about 4 hours away. I have made it to San Diego in 4 hours, and L.A. is about 5. Vegas can be a fun road trip every few months, but I rather just hope on a plane for 30 minutes. If you want snow skiing, Big Bear in California is about 4.5-5 hours away. Flagstaff has a crappy ski area because lack of snow about 3 hours north, but the best ski area in AZ is Sunrise near Showlow about 4 hours away.

You will enjoy the change, but it isn't a place I am going to stay for ever. After I get all of my young energy out, I am for sure moving back to Connecticut. There really is no question Connecticut is a better place to raise a family, and I like the change of season.

[chionactis]

I am a MA native, moved to Tucson in 1998 at age 28 and now live in Gilbert, 20 miles or so east of Phoenix. I have lived in Gilbert since 2000. Tuscon is NICE (reminds me of what the "old west" might have been. It is older, but you are surrounded by mountains in every direction. However, being young and single, you may prefer the Tempe/Chandler area if nightlife is more your thing than say, hiking and being in nature. Where I live, everything in new new new and frankly, I don't care for it. Too much focus on what things look like. I am now married with 3 young kids so I feel trapped living here because the summers are TOO HOT. Taking little kids anywhere can be a big chore, and with it so very hot, forget it, as far as I am concerned. And it gets $$$$. However, you are free to drive 2 hours to the lake or mountains no problem because you don't have to worry about "your kids". So, you might just like it here...for a while. I have found people who have transplanted either love it and would never go back or vice versa. For 7 years I have tolerated it, but we are now returning to New England. In all, AZ is a BEAUTIFUL state...you can go explore some pretty amazing places, places you see in magazines and dream about. I have not had the chance - although I am very glad I went to Lake Powell (AZ/UT border) as it is gorgeous. I just dislike Maricopa County/Phoenix burbs. Definitely get up to Sedona and the areas around there (old mining towns) as well as those old mining towns near Tucson, and check out Tombstone, too. Good luck.

[wahoohoo]

Hello - we are actually moving back to Connecticut and have our house on the market. I am in agreement with you about Waterbury and Naugatuck - they both are kind of dumps - plus the taxes in Waterbury are off the hook!!!! Who in their right mind would pay $6,000 in taxes for a house in Waterbury. We live in Tucson - actually we really love it - the Summer is very hot but they treat the summer here like we treat the winters in New England - you stay indoors a bit more - but for the rest of the year it is GORGEOUS!!! It even snowed this year and we had our heat on several times during the winter months. We have made wonderful friends here and love the convenience of being so close to everything. Shopping malls, parks, theaters, restaurants, etc. We love the outdoors and hike and travel extensively throughout Arizona whenever possible. The property tax is so much cheaper here than Connecticut. Our taxes are around $1600 a year. Huge difference. But due to my husbands business we will be heading back - if and when our home sells. Good luck to you!!!