My synopsis of Greater Metro PHX after being here 8 years (Phoenix: mortgage, how much)

[joninaz]

Put aside weather and costs for the moment.

It's a good place to live if you are:
- college aged
- retired, retiring or living the lifestyle.
- are a young family wanting housing bang for the buck
- like a laid back, burb lifestyle
- don't mind driving to everything
- are ok with a smattering collection of arts, culture, events
- If white collar, happy to work in a mid-level job for a national company
- fine with the occasional exotic eatery or store but generally happy with chains.
- Can deal with heat, dryness and lack of seasons.

It's not a good place to live if you are:
- single, over the age of 25
- wanting a more eclectic mix of nightlife and entertainment
- having lots to do within walking distance
- working in an industry with lots of similar opportunities nearby
- wanting to get out of the house on weekends during the summer, but not to a pool party
- not keen on having your friends live 10-30 miles away

This isn't a bash on Phoenix. I've simply been traveling all over N. America this year and have paid a lot of attention to lifestyle desires. That's part of the reason I mentioned at the top of my post to ignore costs... people without much means do whatever it takes to stay in NY, LA or SF - much more expensive cities.

Your thoughts?

[azriverfan.]

I'm sorry but my experience differs from yours. When I moved here, i was over 25 and single and had a great time. I didn't dine at chains. I did the same things I did in L.A. I thought it was actually easier to date here because everyone was a transplant from somewhere else. In L.A., it can be a challenge to meet people because you have to know people. In Phoenix, you can literally move there and meet people from day one and it's never weird because everyone was in that situation.

It comes down to psychology. Some people feel that amenities only exist if they see tall buildings in a dense setting but that doesn't mean that is the reality. For me, I could look past that and kept an open mind and realized, Phoenix has everything that other large dense cities have. When you do your actual research and not buy into stereotypes ie "we only have chains", you soon realize, we have everything. Sure maybe amenities are more spread out but that doesn't mean we lack them.

Again, I challenge people to go to www.yelp.com/phoenix and just read the reviews of the latest restaurants, bars, amenities etc and people will realize how much there is to do here and how much they've missed out.

[steel7]

What do you do during the hot summer weekends in phx ?

[phxgreenfire]

Ha ha! I agree with you for the most part, but would have added the following:

-Loved the Grand Theft Auto series so much you wanted to live in a city that most closely resembles it
-You are passionate about the illustrious call center and retail opportunities so widely available here
-You love that backgrounds on cartoons repeat through the same five buildings in a scene and wanted to live somewhere you can drive across the whole metro area and see that

I understand what azriverfan is saying, but I think that's a sign you've "earned your wings" in Phoenix if you can find places like that through word of mouth. I would have to disagree that Phoenix has everything though. I would also disagree about "tall buildings" being ambient. Many European cities have a lot more to offer than Phoenix and those cities aren't just a collection of skyscrapers.

My thoughts: I say costs-be-damned! I wish the economy were better, because I could have left Phoenix long ago. I'd rather deal with the higher costs of other cities, but over the past year Arizona has just disgusted me so much I can't wait to go. I don't like the lack of diversity in jobs here, don't like the politics, don't like the super-suburb cityscape (and I use city very loosely), don't like the hot/not hot seasons and more that you mentioned.

Phoenix is the way it is for a reason though.

[observer53]

There's nothing in this thread that hasn't been said before, multiple times, on this forum. I don't think everything is perfect here by any means, but no place is perfect for everyone. Nothing here to discuss, really. To each his, or her, own. If someone doesn't love it here, then the decision has to be made whether, on balance, there is a place that would work out better. If so, then best of luck in the new location. If there isn't, then that "someone" joins people here and everywhere else who have found themselves in that same situation. Take the good with the bad, and make the best life possible there.

[azriverfan.]

I understand what people are saying but I think the responses on this forum are pretty unusual in general. People state opinions that are generally in direct contrast to the status quo opinon about Phoenix so it wouldn't suprise me that some people feel like they have to "earn their wings" to find amenties whereas to most people, they are readily apparent. Phoenix is generally not criticized for lacking entertainment considering it's considered a tourist attract and known for its restaurants and entertainment scene. It is known for not having a very diverse job economy and can't compete with the major metropolitan areas in that regard. Nonetheless, I can understand how someone's financial difficulties would enable them to form a skewed opinion of the Valley. When you don't have a job, you don't have money to going out and learn what the city has to offer; it makes sense.

[Moveeast31]

I think observer said it best and just because it's been said on here a million times before doesn't mean that someone who may be new to the area has read it! People look on a forum like this for a fresh prospective (which means reading people's opinions that don't meet that "status quo" because I could go online to a site promoting AZ if I want a biased opinion) Mod Cut Just because I don't like it here does not mean I am financially strapped or without work. I actually live quite comfortably here however it's just not for me. I have never said this is a horrible place to live or that others should not consider it as, for some, it is probably a great fit. Everyone has different ideas of what is good and bad about a place Mod Cut

[azriverfan.]

I read the comments from angry people who are annoyed with the city and want to criticize it. If I wanted to read negative comments, I could do a search and read several old threads criticizing the city. If some people are bored and feel the need to criticize a city they are leaving, I suppose they could take a break seeing as it serves no purpose since they have already made their decision to leave. What do those individuals have to gain by posting negative information regarding a city they are leaving other than some psychological need to vent which fails to serve anyone other than themselves. It is unfortunate that some people are so defensive they cannot allow people to voice support for their city without being offended by that notion. I certainly respect people who wish to leave and wish them well but you have to question why those individuals would choose to routinely post on a forum of a city they are leaving. You have to wonder what those people are seeking to gain by posting negative opinions since they have already made their decision to leave. You would think those individuals would be excited to move to their new city and would spend the majority of their time on the forum of their new city learning about it. It seems that time would be more productive than spending time on a city forum they are leaving.

[azriverfan.]

I think this thread should be closed considering this topic has been discussed too many times in the past and does not serve people who are coming to this forum seeking information that can help them. It's threads like these that permeated and ruined this forum in the past and drove away people seeking real information regarding housing, job opportunities, entertainment etc.

[Ponderosa]

Originally Posted by joninaz

Put aside weather and costs for the moment.

It's a good place to live if you are:
- college aged
- retired, retiring or living the lifestyle.
- are a young family wanting housing bang for the buck
- like a laid back, burb lifestyle
- don't mind driving to everything
- are ok with a smattering collection of arts, culture, events
- If white collar, happy to work in a mid-level job for a national company
- fine with the occasional exotic eatery or store but generally happy with chains.
- Can deal with heat, dryness and lack of seasons.

It's not a good place to live if you are:
- single, over the age of 25
- wanting a more eclectic mix of nightlife and entertainment
- having lots to do within walking distance
- working in an industry with lots of similar opportunities nearby
- wanting to get out of the house on weekends during the summer, but not to a pool party
- not keen on having your friends live 10-30 miles away

This isn't a bash on Phoenix. I've simply been traveling all over N. America this year and have paid a lot of attention to lifestyle desires. That's part of the reason I mentioned at the top of my post to ignore costs... people without much means do whatever it takes to stay in NY, LA or SF - much more expensive cities.

Your thoughts?

I think traveling around is a lot different than living somewhere, making the mortgage payments, wasting away in the cubicle, driving the kids to school, shopping for groceries and all the other mundane trappings of life. Whether you are in Minnesota looking to AZ or AZ looking to New England or whatever, it always looks nice "over there", particularly if you are not happy where you are for whatever reason. Unless you have actually lived somewhere else, you can't make a fair comparison. Even if you have, that comparison will always reflect your personal preferences, deeply held biases, and may have nothing to do with someone else's reality.

So one can only state how things truly are and try to do that objectively. When people go beyond objective data to qualify a place as good or bad, it strikes me as just the overlaying of one's biases on the character of an area. That is how I find your post and I disagree with much of it. These kinds of posts are best ignored by people considering a move.