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Im obviously new to this forum but I have been reading a lot lately because I will be relocating back to Colorado here soon (from Phoenix). Now, as for the topic at hand I can honestly say that Phoenix for the most part...how do I put this politely....well sucks! For an area of 5 million people it really dont have much going for it, and if weather is your main issue with Colorado you should live throughout the U.S. more and realize that (to me at least) Colorado has some of the best weather to be had! Im very outdoorsy, I hiked and mountain biked every weekend in Colorado and guess what, I have yet to do it ONCE in the four years I have lived here! There are no trees, you have to drive way north to get decent scenery, 120 degrees is absolutely horrid regardless of how you slice it! Whats funny is I had a convertible for a while and after a night on the town (which is only in Scottsdale and a couple spots downtown) is that with the top down at 3am I had to have the AC on! Its rediculous, Im in a giant hair dryer for 6 months....the wind is not a cool breeze it is HOT!
Now that Ive touched on the weather, lets talk about the people. I am a very personable person, I talk to anyone anywhere. Overall its pretty bad trying to talk and interact with a lot of people here. Not many people respond (or understand...considering english is the second language here next to spanish). If I lived near Scottsdale I am sure my experience would be a little better but I am stuck on the west side because of my job. Keep in mind Scottsdale is 35 miles away from me and yes I am in the city still. Phoenix is really spread out, you have to drive a great distance for just about anything, and just pray its not between 5am-10am or 3pm-7pm because you need to tack on an hour to what it would normally take. Also the way they do construction here is retarded, they shut down the interstates for maintenance for ENTIRE weekends, so guess what, more wonderful traffic to deal with even on the weekends....
I honestly havent heard too much as far as the job market here, it sounds like its been touched on already. But this has been my experience so far and really the only things I can think of that I enjoy doing here is going off roading in the desert, there are many places to do that, and getting out of Phoenix is always fun!
I hate for my first post to be mostly negative but I saw this thread and thought me living in both areas would give some insight! Good luck in whatever you do though!
AaronL13, welcome to the forum, and good luck with your move to Denver. I hope everything works out for the best, but I just wanted to respond to a few of your points so you don't set yourself up for disappointment.
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Originally Posted by AaronL13
Im obviously new to this forum but I have been reading a lot lately because I will be relocating back to Colorado here soon (from Phoenix). Now, as for the topic at hand I can honestly say that Phoenix for the most part...how do I put this politely....well sucks! For an area of 5 million people
Phoenix is actually 4 million people, but that's still a huge number! The Denver metro area if you include Boulder and Greeley is 2.8 million-- smaller than Phoenix, but still pretty big. There's really nothing "small" about Denver.
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it really dont have much going for it, and if weather is your main issue with Colorado you should live throughout the U.S. more and realize that (to me at least) Colorado has some of the best weather to be had! Im very outdoorsy, I hiked and mountain biked every weekend in Colorado and guess what, I have yet to do it ONCE in the four years I have lived here! There are no trees, you have to drive way north to get decent scenery, 120 degrees is absolutely horrid regardless of how you slice it! Whats funny is I had a convertible for a while and after a night on the town (which is only in Scottsdale and a couple spots downtown) is that with the top down at 3am I had to have the AC on! Its rediculous, Im in a giant hair dryer for 6 months....the wind is not a cool breeze it is HOT!
I agree with you on the weather; I think Denver's weather is much, much more comfortable. And I like snow. But just for the record, Phoenix rarely gets 120 degrees. 110,112,112,113 is very common though. The hottest I ever experienced there was 117 degrees last Fourth of July. But really, I don't know if there's much of a difference between 117 and 120. They are both disgustingly hot.
As for "decent scenery," that plain isn't true. Driving north out of Phoenix on I-17, once you're north of Happy Valley Rd the scenery is spectacular. Go out east along US-60 or the Apache trail and the scenery is out of this world. Let's not cut down Phoenix on everything here. But in terms of driving north to cooler climates, you are right-- you really have to drive at least 2.5 hours, going to speed limit, to get to Flagstaff or an equivalent place on the Mogollon Rim. Skiiing at Arizona Snowbowl is a 3 hour drive from Phoenix if you obey the speed limits. Denver is superior in this regard; you barely have to go into the foothills to start seeing pine trees. Skiing is available much closer to Denver than to Phoenix, and it's of superior quality. Denver is also extremely barren; all of the trees there, other than the plains cottonwoods, are planted by man. If you lived in the older, more established parts of Phoenix, you'd see there are neighborhoods there too with tons of mature trees.
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Now that Ive touched on the weather, lets talk about the people. I am a very personable person, I talk to anyone anywhere. Overall its pretty bad trying to talk and interact with a lot of people here. Not many people respond (or understand...considering english is the second language here next to spanish). If I lived near Scottsdale I am sure my experience would be a little better but I am stuck on the west side because of my job. Keep in mind Scottsdale is 35 miles away from me and yes I am in the city still.
I think you just explained why the West Valley sucks! I don't think you can generalize your experience for Phoenix as a whole. If you moved to the bad parts of Commerce City, Thornton, north Aurora, and even parts of west Denver, you would think Denver sucks too. Is your job related to warehousing/distribution? Unfortunately, the parts of the Denver metro area where that stuff is concentrated (the NE part of the metro area) are also the least desirable. You probably won't have to drive 35 miles to get to the action in downtown Denver, though.
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Phoenix is really spread out, you have to drive a great distance for just about anything, and just pray its not between 5am-10am or 3pm-7pm because you need to tack on an hour to what it would normally take. Also the way they do construction here is retarded, they shut down the interstates for maintenance for ENTIRE weekends, so guess what, more wonderful traffic to deal with even on the weekends....
In this aspect, you'll probably like Denver; the central city is much more compact and dense than Phoenix, and it has much better mass transit. I know what you're talking about in Phoenix shutting down the highways on the weekend (often so they can add on another fresh coat of rubberized asphalt, as if the freeway has to be absolutely perfect), and it is FREAKING annoying. But driving in the snow is also very, very annoying and time consuming. Just realize that if it's not one thing, it's another. And Denver's rush hour traffic (and often non-rush hours too) is every bit as bad as Phoenix. You're not gaining anything when it comes to the traffic. Unless if you're able to commute to work on the light rail.
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I honestly havent heard too much as far as the job market here, it sounds like its been touched on already. But this has been my experience so far and really the only things I can think of that I enjoy doing here is going off roading in the desert, there are many places to do that, and getting out of Phoenix is always fun!
Not sure about the job market. I personally think Denver offers much, much more than Phoenix in-town. You could live your whole life without ever leaving the Denver metro area. However, getting out of town into the mountains is also an extremely popular past time here.
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I hate for my first post to be mostly negative but I saw this thread and thought me living in both areas would give some insight! Good luck in whatever you do though!
Overall, I would definitely rather live in Denver, but it's important to get the facts straight, know what you're gaining and what you're giving up, and not let the decision be clouded by your current dissatisfaction.
... and if weather is your main issue with Colorado you should live throughout the U.S. more and realize that (to me at least) Colorado has some of the best weather to be had!
What? And you're a Phoenican? And you want to move here-er-up there? To Denver?
WHAT A COINCIDENCE!
Surely there's someone from Denver who'll just trade you places right now. Any takers?
I dont think the Rockies will ever have any success, sry but what a pathetic franchise! The D-Backs will always have more success and fans, and it looks like theyre already in the playoffs since the Dodgers cant get anything together! Hopefully Chase Field will get their 2ND World Series banner this year! Besides, Phoenix has much, much more to offer the Denver (unless all you like to do is ski all year)
[quote=kashking110;4113120]I dont think the Rockies will ever have any success, sry but what a pathetic franchise! The D-Backs will always have more success and fans, and it looks like theyre already in the playoffs since the Dodgers cant get anything together! /QUOTE]
LOL... the D-backs have fans? They couldn't even sell out the NLCS series even when they GAVE TICKETS AWAY! I've never, ever heard of another team in MLB history other than the D-backs who were in the NLCS and then couldn't even get their fans to come to a championship series at home. That is truly pathetic.
I dont think the Rockies will ever have any success, sry but what a pathetic franchise! The D-Backs will always have more success and fans, and it looks like theyre already in the playoffs since the Dodgers cant get anything together! Hopefully Chase Field will get their 2ND World Series banner this year! Besides, Phoenix has much, much more to offer the Denver (unless all you like to do is ski all year)
Oh do tell what there is to offer in a city that sits at about 108 degrees for the entire summer.... besides cooking fried eggs on sidewalks for kicks...
...and you never go to downtown Phx, what a pit! Phoenix is a dirty, filthy, scum infested Hole in the earth. Not to mention the lack of a decent highway system.
I am going to trade places with you this year, you move back to this pit and I will move back to a state where people are normal!
It seems like the Snow Bird Express is in order here. Those who want to travel to a dirty, filthy, scum infested Hole in the Earth can do so. Then those who like a
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Denver could be called a "dry cold"-- cold in a crisp, cool, refreshing sense (just like the Coors light commercials)
Why does everyone feel the need to flat out berate others for liking where they live?If you HATE phoenix, or HATE denver... fine, but what's the use in trying to convince others that where they live is a hell hole? I just don't understand the insatiable need to complain. There are things about Phx that I love that you can't find anywhere else and vice versa. FYI I live in Denver now, but lived was born and raised in Phx. Both are great and beautiful in many ways, but in other ways they are horrible. It's just personal preference... ok, I'm stepping off my soap box now.
I don't know why. All I know is when you put the words dirty + filthy + scum + infested + hole together like that...I always laugh.
PS: When you look at the poster's name, you'd see what he thinks of that place. So you do have to take info on here with a grain of salt. Or a mad dash of hotsauce. People are just funny sometimes.
Last edited by McGowdog; 06-17-2008 at 02:05 PM..
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hahaha
