Why are SO many Illinois folk attracted to Arizona? (Chicago: relocation, smog)

[outofillinois]

well, i can only answer for myself and my wife, but we are leaving illinois for the slower pace and the warmer weather of southern arizona. it's fairly low key compared to the rat race of the st. louis metro area. mostly, the warm weather is the appealing part. will hate the move though. as far as moving back to illinois...we're giving arizona 2 years.

[desert student]

I know exactly what you mean and really relate to the post! I started school out here this past fall and was shocked at how many people I have met from Illinois. Not to mention the amount of Illinois license plates that I see on any given weekend. Where do they all come from? I'm not sure of the real reason for this, since Illinois and Arizona do not resemble each other in the least. Forget about Phoenix even reminding anyone of Chicago! I can only speak for myself when I say that I will not be going to back to Chicagoland to live again, and most people I know are feeling the same way. I don't know why, but Chicago just isn't that appealing anymore. Very few of the people that I graduated school with while in Chicago have plans on staying in the area for much longer. It's not due to one factor though. Instead it is a combination of factors that are making people flee from the area and into other cities like Houston and Phoenix. The first one has already been hit on; the weather!! Sure, it seems like a dumb exuse to make a life changing move. But trust me, when you compare the two, you will never go back to the Windy City. Chicago's weather is absolute misery except for about a combined two weeks of perfect weather. But waiting for those weeks is not worth it! The winters are bitterly cold, with frequent ice and snow storms that close down schools for days. Turn on the weather and you will see what I mean. Just last week they had a huge ice storm that was televised on all the major networks. The clouds are so depressing and you can't see the sun for a full month. The hospitals are jammed packed at all hours with with patients due to accidents or ills realted to winter that people suffer from. The spring is wet, damp, muddy and cold. Just when you think the weather will turn good, we seem to go into a random winter season all over again. The summers are complete torture!! High temps with even worse humidty that makes everything stick to each other for months. Everyone takes some kind of sinus medicine because of the high allergy counts that call the area home. Not to mention the frequent tornado warnings, flash floods, and mosquitos that are so big they can fly away with you. Fall is nice, but I like more than a few weeks of nice a year. Plus, it can take weeks for it even to begin to seem like fall even if it really is.
Another factor would be the sprawl/congestion plague that is killing the entire area. A one way commute can take up to two hours of waiting in angry traffic, and just forget about using the metra lines to get anywhere. The roads are in bad shape, and the mayors of all the small towns around Chicago really don't care about anything except their own pocket books. Of course why should they when the mayor of Chicago and the present govenor of Illinois are the most corrupt leaders in the nation. But then again they have a legacy to hold up. The last govenor of Illinois is now being sentenced to jail for fraud!!
The midwest terrain is about as boring as it gets. If you don't like corn, soybeans, or hills than don't move here. Here in Arizona people like to spend time outdoors and doing family activities together. In Chicago the daily pastime is shopping, and dining. At the most they might go for a bike ride, but that is it.
There are just so many things that are attractive about Phoenix/Scottsdale/Mesa. I could spend days talking about the things that urk me about Chicago but that I find don't in Arizona. Overall Chicago is a decent place, but tell that to all of us former Illinoisians that are now calling Phoenix home and loving it! Phoenix is turning into a great city with big buisness and talent that places like Chicago used to attract in large numbers. I think when it comes right down to it, people will suffer through the congestion and miserable weather if their job is good enough. But the majority of people want to be where things are happening, and Phoenix is one of those places.

[Chicago60614]

There's over 13 million people in Illinois....so there's a lot to move around the country.

[collected_eve]

Originally Posted by aragx6

I'd never ever move there, but I do suspect money and weather are the motivating factors for those who do.

I can make more money doing what I do in IL than here in AZ. And the cost of living here is through the roof, that's if you have one, bc it's so expensive!
I must admit, I didn't do my research before moving here almost 2 years ago.
I pay double in rent for half of what I had in IL/MO & in a "not very nice" neighborhood.
The weather, I can understand. It is pretty nice here. Except for in the middle of July, no one stirs, your car burns you & the only waterhole is big enough for 5 people.
So, yeah, to some this is heaven, to me, it is just a really, long, boring vacation that got old about 10 months ago.

[aragx6]

Collected_eve: Come home! We'll happily welcome you back!!

[via chicago]

Originally Posted by desert student

I know exactly what you mean and really relate to the post! I started school out here this past fall and was shocked at how many people I have met from Illinois. Not to mention the amount of Illinois license plates that I see on any given weekend. Where do they all come from? I'm not sure of the real reason for this, since Illinois and Arizona do not resemble each other in the least. Forget about Phoenix even reminding anyone of Chicago! I can only speak for myself when I say that I will not be going to back to Chicagoland to live again, and most people I know are feeling the same way. I don't know why, but Chicago just isn't that appealing anymore. Very few of the people that I graduated school with while in Chicago have plans on staying in the area for much longer. It's not due to one factor though. Instead it is a combination of factors that are making people flee from the area and into other cities like Houston and Phoenix. The first one has already been hit on; the weather!! Sure, it seems like a dumb exuse to make a life changing move. But trust me, when you compare the two, you will never go back to the Windy City. Chicago's weather is absolute misery except for about a combined two weeks of perfect weather. But waiting for those weeks is not worth it! The winters are bitterly cold, with frequent ice and snow storms that close down schools for days. Turn on the weather and you will see what I mean. Just last week they had a huge ice storm that was televised on all the major networks. The clouds are so depressing and you can't see the sun for a full month. The hospitals are jammed packed at all hours with with patients due to accidents or ills realted to winter that people suffer from. The spring is wet, damp, muddy and cold. Just when you think the weather will turn good, we seem to go into a random winter season all over again. The summers are complete torture!! High temps with even worse humidty that makes everything stick to each other for months. Everyone takes some kind of sinus medicine because of the high allergy counts that call the area home. Not to mention the frequent tornado warnings, flash floods, and mosquitos that are so big they can fly away with you. Fall is nice, but I like more than a few weeks of nice a year. Plus, it can take weeks for it even to begin to seem like fall even if it really is.
Another factor would be the sprawl/congestion plague that is killing the entire area. A one way commute can take up to two hours of waiting in angry traffic, and just forget about using the metra lines to get anywhere. The roads are in bad shape, and the mayors of all the small towns around Chicago really don't care about anything except their own pocket books. Of course why should they when the mayor of Chicago and the present govenor of Illinois are the most corrupt leaders in the nation. But then again they have a legacy to hold up. The last govenor of Illinois is now being sentenced to jail for fraud!!
The midwest terrain is about as boring as it gets. If you don't like corn, soybeans, or hills than don't move here. Here in Arizona people like to spend time outdoors and doing family activities together. In Chicago the daily pastime is shopping, and dining. At the most they might go for a bike ride, but that is it.
There are just so many things that are attractive about Phoenix/Scottsdale/Mesa. I could spend days talking about the things that urk me about Chicago but that I find don't in Arizona. Overall Chicago is a decent place, but tell that to all of us former Illinoisians that are now calling Phoenix home and loving it! Phoenix is turning into a great city with big buisness and talent that places like Chicago used to attract in large numbers. I think when it comes right down to it, people will suffer through the congestion and miserable weather if their job is good enough. But the majority of people want to be where things are happening, and Phoenix is one of those places.

i dont have the time, energy, or even care enough to give this the rebuttal it deserves. All I can say is I love Chicago with every fiber of my being, warts and all. Its the only city in the US i would ever consider living in. I love the grittiness. I love the incomparable architecture. I love the hard nosed but friendly attitude of the people. I love the endless array of unique and close knit neighborhoods. I love the culture and world class museums that are literally on my doorstep. I love the lack of pretension. I love the food. I love that I will never have to own a car. I love following the insane politics. I love the sound of the waves of the lake crashing against the shore. I love the changing of 4 seasons, always beginning anew. I love the howling of the wolves from Lincoln Park zoo late at night. I love the menacing beauty of the skyline. I would never trade this to live in some glorified suburb out in the desert for anything

[aragx6]

"Where things are happening"

Like double-digit housing decreases?

[Steve-o]

Originally Posted by desert student

I know exactly what you mean and really relate to the post! I started school out here this past fall and was shocked at how many people I have met from Illinois. Not to mention the amount of Illinois license plates that I see on any given weekend. Where do they all come from? I'm not sure of the real reason for this, since Illinois and Arizona do not resemble each other in the least. Forget about Phoenix even reminding anyone of Chicago! I can only speak for myself when I say that I will not be going to back to Chicagoland to live again, and most people I know are feeling the same way. I don't know why, but Chicago just isn't that appealing anymore. Very few of the people that I graduated school with while in Chicago have plans on staying in the area for much longer. It's not due to one factor though. Instead it is a combination of factors that are making people flee from the area and into other cities like Houston and Phoenix. The first one has already been hit on; the weather!! Sure, it seems like a dumb exuse to make a life changing move. But trust me, when you compare the two, you will never go back to the Windy City. Chicago's weather is absolute misery except for about a combined two weeks of perfect weather. But waiting for those weeks is not worth it! The winters are bitterly cold, with frequent ice and snow storms that close down schools for days. Turn on the weather and you will see what I mean. Just last week they had a huge ice storm that was televised on all the major networks. The clouds are so depressing and you can't see the sun for a full month. The hospitals are jammed packed at all hours with with patients due to accidents or ills realted to winter that people suffer from. The spring is wet, damp, muddy and cold. Just when you think the weather will turn good, we seem to go into a random winter season all over again. The summers are complete torture!! High temps with even worse humidty that makes everything stick to each other for months. Everyone takes some kind of sinus medicine because of the high allergy counts that call the area home. Not to mention the frequent tornado warnings, flash floods, and mosquitos that are so big they can fly away with you. Fall is nice, but I like more than a few weeks of nice a year. Plus, it can take weeks for it even to begin to seem like fall even if it really is.
Another factor would be the sprawl/congestion plague that is killing the entire area. A one way commute can take up to two hours of waiting in angry traffic, and just forget about using the metra lines to get anywhere. The roads are in bad shape, and the mayors of all the small towns around Chicago really don't care about anything except their own pocket books. Of course why should they when the mayor of Chicago and the present govenor of Illinois are the most corrupt leaders in the nation. But then again they have a legacy to hold up. The last govenor of Illinois is now being sentenced to jail for fraud!!
The midwest terrain is about as boring as it gets. If you don't like corn, soybeans, or hills than don't move here. Here in Arizona people like to spend time outdoors and doing family activities together. In Chicago the daily pastime is shopping, and dining. At the most they might go for a bike ride, but that is it.
There are just so many things that are attractive about Phoenix/Scottsdale/Mesa. I could spend days talking about the things that urk me about Chicago but that I find don't in Arizona. Overall Chicago is a decent place, but tell that to all of us former Illinoisians that are now calling Phoenix home and loving it! Phoenix is turning into a great city with big buisness and talent that places like Chicago used to attract in large numbers. I think when it comes right down to it, people will suffer through the congestion and miserable weather if their job is good enough. But the majority of people want to be where things are happening, and Phoenix is one of those places.

I think we might have a winner for the "dumbest post of the year award" right there, folks!

Please, by all means, enjoy your overly hot, cultureless, sprawling, dusty, bad-paying, tract home infested, scorpion/black widow/rattlesnake haven, single season, crappy "downtown" havin, brown cloud wearin city that you call Phoenix.

Enjoy "paradise"!


"Enjoy" months of this too while youre at it.

[collected_eve]

Originally Posted by aragx6

Collected_eve: Come home! We'll happily welcome you back!!

SeeeeeHappy People!
And I've said this in IL/MO posts before::::
MY HEART LONGS to be there once again.
Enough of this tortorous "vacation!"

[aragx6]

Christ Phoenix is ugly!