One week in Phoenix (Tucson: home, unemployed, living)

[SeaG]

One week into our 6 month stay in Phoenix, it's already apparent we are going to love it here.

Likes:

* Low fuel costs - (we pay equivalent of $ 4.47 a US gallon at home)
* Low food costs - estimate groceries about 25% cheaper here
* Low beer and wine costs - about 40% less here
* Friendly people - everywhere we go everyone is so friendly
* Eating out - less expensive, better service and better food than home
* Low humidity - helping our sinus congestion
* Heat - love it (okay - when it's around 100 - maybe not 110) your lows are higher than our summer highs!
* Things to do - so much to see and do around Phoenix (parks, museums, shopping, concerts, sports)


Dislikes:

* Lots of driving to get around (knew this in before we came)
* Eating out - portion sizes could be 30% smaller and still be enough for us

Challenges:

* Trying to find the perfect `snowbird`home and location with so many listings, at least we have 6 months
* Going back home in March of 2011!

Comments:

* Politics seem to be the same here as at home, just change the name of the parties and the politicians - but they all seem to act the same way

* Phoenicians should be proud of this city, it really has so much more than other US cities (and we`ve been almost everywhere except cities in Texas and Florida)

Thanks for making our first seven days so enjoyable - we really look forward to the next 175!

[sheena]

Originally Posted by SeaG

One week into our 6 month stay in Phoenix, it's already apparent we are going to love it here.

Likes:

* Low fuel costs - (we pay equivalent of $ 4.47 a US gallon at home)
* Low food costs - estimate groceries about 25% cheaper here
* Low beer and wine costs - about 40% less here
* Friendly people - everywhere we go everyone is so friendly
* Eating out - less expensive, better service and better food than home
* Low humidity - helping our sinus congestion
* Heat - love it (okay - when it's around 100 - maybe not 110) your lows are higher than our summer highs!
* Things to do - so much to see and do around Phoenix (parks, museums, shopping, concerts, sports)


Dislikes:

* Lots of driving to get around (knew this in before we came)
* Eating out - portion sizes could be 30% smaller and still be enough for us

Challenges:

* Trying to find the perfect `snowbird`home and location with so many listings, at least we have 6 months
* Going back home in March of 2011!

Comments:

* Politics seem to be the same here as at home, just change the name of the parties and the politicians - but they all seem to act the same way

* Phoenicians should be proud of this city, it really has so much more than other US cities (and we`ve been almost everywhere except cities in Texas and Florida)

Thanks for making our first seven days so enjoyable - we really look forward to the next 175!

That's very nice where are you from? Can you just stay off the roads at rush hour Welcome!!

[Fumari]

You are lucky you missed the mid-summer heat, it was much worse than it is now.

Good to hear you're enjoying your first week here, where are you from? $5/gallon would be horrible.

[twiggy]

Originally Posted by sheena

That's very nice where are you from? Can you just stay off the roads at rush hour Welcome!!

Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha, that was so funny. lol

Yes, I agree, welcome and glad to have you here except during rush hour as well.

[SeaG]

Originally Posted by sheena

That's very nice where are you from? Can you just stay off the roads at rush hour Welcome!!

We are from Victoria on Vancouver Island, home of the newlywed and nearly dead (or so they say).

We try to make it a habit to stay off roads during rush hour, but don't assume all 'snowbirds' are slow or bad drivers.

[Ritchie_az]

We are from Victoria on Vancouver Island,

Very nice area, BTW. It's been many, many years since I've been there... perhaps too many....

[SeaG]

Originally Posted by Fumari

You are lucky you missed the mid-summer heat, it was much worse than it is now.

Good to hear you're enjoying your first week here, where are you from? $5/gallon would be horrible.

We did have a couple of hot days when we arrived a bit over a week ago. I did work here and Tucson in the early 70s and I recall some record heat in 1972 in the spring.

Current price for premium in Victoria is $ 1.19 US a liter, and there is 3.785 liters in one US Gallon or about $ 4.50 per gallon.

SeaG

[SeaG]

Originally Posted by Ritchie_az

Very nice area, BTW. It's been many, many years since I've been there... perhaps too many....

Victoria is a beautiful city, and we are lucky to live within walking distance of downtown on the inner harbour.

Since you have been there, you know that although the climate is mild (seldom get snow), it is humid.

The forecast for this afternoon is a high of 63 degrees, partly cloudy and 59% relative humidity.

So both Victoria and Phoenix are beautiful, both in different ways.

SeaG

[TiredofPHX]

Originally Posted by SeaG

* Phoenicians should be proud of this city, it really has so much more than other US cities

Like what, for heaven's sake?

I'm happy you are content with the PHX lifestyle, but try living here for more than a week or a few months and being unemployed with really nothing in the nation's 5th biggest city available except retail or barely-above-minimum-wage phone center jobs that haven't yet gone to India.

The grass is usually greener being a visitor or a newbie especially if you're not searching for employment.

Anyway, glad you like PHX so much. I'm sure you'll be happier here than I and many others could ever hope to be.

[las vegas drunk]

Originally Posted by SeaG

* Phoenicians should be proud of this city, it really has so much more than other US cities (and we`ve been almost everywhere except cities in Texas and Florida)

I was born and lived 30 years in Phoenix. I am embarrassed that I was born in such a hell hole. Phoenix is boring and has nothing to do. From now on, I am going to tell people I meet that I was born in Las Vegas.