Lot's of negativity, yet Phoenix continues to boom! (Paradise Valley, Young: foreclosure, how much)

[MidwestIrish]

I appreciate the thoughtful and inciteful responses. I have been considering moving from the midwest to Phoenix, San Diego or Miami. I have been to Phoenix a couple of times and thought the "desert" and mountains were beautiful. My next visit and job prospects will be the final pieces to making my decision.

[Californiaguy2007]

As Phoenix continues to grow rapidly,most likely you'll be hearing more complaints.

Phoenix is still a desirable place to relocate to for now,but in time it will face the same type of negativity that L.A and California are experiencing.

Growth is Good,but it comes at a price sooner or later down the road.

[newglyph312]

Out of the three destinations that you mentioned I would go with phoenix. I have heard that Miami has a killer nightlife but that there are a lot of problems with immigrants and american born people. It seems that the groups don't like each other however you should check it out for yourself. California is way to expensive I moved to Arizona to be next to cali but that place is really going through alot. I wanted to move back to cali but it is so many californians in vegas and phx that brings suspicion about the quality of life in cali. Phoenix is pretty boring however if you are the stay at home type it will be ok but like I said it'll be just ok. Nothing spectacular.

[SpeedyAZ]

I think quite a few on this forum seem to be too negative and instead of pointing out all the positives of an area, they point out nothing but negatives. You'll see this in just about EVERY fourm on this board whether it's L.A., Miami, Houston, Las Vegas, etc but you have to take this advice with a grain of salt. Phoenix isn't for everyone.

Many on this forum want a real "City" with more of a skyline, downtown, density which Phoenix lacks. IF we had more of a downtown area/skyline like some of the other sunbelt cities (i.e. Houston, Dallas, Atlanta, etc); I'd think you hear more positives about Phoenix than negatives. Some (like myself) prefer suburb living where you have more space, natural beauty, and less congestion. I can always drive into the city for concerts, events, etc but at the end of the day I can drive to my house and sit out on the patio looking at all the natural beauty instead of a bunch of buildings.

Phoenix has quite a bit going for it and it's still growing at a fast pace. I've heard people complain that there is nothing to do in Phoenix to which I reply "Well what exactly are you looking to do?". I mean in a metro of 4.1 million you can certainly find SOMEHTING to do whether it be a concert, art museum, rock climbing, biking trails, symphony, etc etc.

In the end it's just what you're looking for in a city. If you want a huge downtown, ton of nightlife, big skyline, and historic neighborhoods; Phoenix really isn't for you. However if you enjoy natural desert beauty, new neighborhoods, world-class resorts, TONS of golf courses, and some of the best art galleries in the Southwest than I'd say to definetly check Phoenix out.

[artyst]

i think a lot of people moved here because they wanted to start over for some reason, they wanted a warm sunny climate and you could purchase a nice new 3 bedroom house with an inground pool for around $100,000 a few years ago!! these folks were probably happy with what they found here. but investors came in a couple of years ago and destroyed the affordable housing. the valley is now miserably over populated, people are upside down on their houses and you're lucky if you can buy an ugly tract house in a half way decent neighborhood (built in the 70's) for under $200,000!

[jco]

Originally Posted by MidwestIrish

I find the negativity on this board quite confusing. Phoenix continues to be one of the fastest growing cities in the country, yet all I find on this board is negativity. Everyone that I talk to that has moved to Phoenix or the few that have moved from there, absolutely love it!?!
I am using this board as one source of information as to whether to move to Phoenix (or not). Please explain the contradication. Thanks in advance.

The locals on this board are the ones trying to move out of AZ, so you're getting the worst views on the place. I've lived here ten years and am considering a move myself, but have found that there are so many wonderful things about Arizona that we'll truly miss. Really, this is the most negativity towards Arizona I've heard!

[PhoenixSugar]

MidwestIrish, Phoenix is a great city. I moved to Phoenix from Washington DC in 1975 (11 years old). I've had all of my high school and university schooling here.

Phoenix is always booming. Job opportunities are plentiful here. You get excellent value for your dollar. $500,000 will buy you a beautiful home in Paradise Valley or, if you don't want to go that high, $250K-$300K will also get you a lovely home in one of our many young, vibrant neighborhoods.

It is hot here, and I hate to sound like a broken record, BUT IT'S A DRY HEAT. Believe me... it's preferable to DC, Dallas, Atlanta, or Miami any day. I speak from experience.

The State of Arizona is one of the prettiest areas in the world... Just a drive away, we have the Grand Canyon, Monument Valley, Window Rock, the beautiful, scenic northern country.

In the metro area, there's Scottsdale, Carefree, lots of natural hiking, shopping, excellent restaurants, The Heard Museum, The Phoenix Art Museum, The Phoenix Symphony, sports of all kinds - college and pro.

Our downtown area is growing and modernizing, with fantastic condominium developments going up. Also some great, exciting housing going up on Camelback and in Tempe.

Phoenix is a very YOUNG city, and will be growing and changing for many years. I love the quality of life here.

Be sure to let me know if you have any questions. Thanks!

[30apples]

I think the difference is that all the advertising for phoenix looks good and there are plenty of jobs, though they don't pay as well as in many other places. If you don't take a long visit during the summer before you relocate here, you just don't know how the heat will affect you. And for many people it takes even longer before the extreme heat really gets to you, depending on the person of course.
For example, it's a challenge to live here w/ babies or toddlers. Can't go to the park until very late afternoon or evening. The children have to stay indoors for much of the time so more time at the mall is often spent, as you can walk there. There is even a fairly large indoor play area/playground in the food court at Paradise Valley mall. sunblock isn't ,generally, good for very young children.
Also, if you are from a smaller city/town than the phx , it can be very tiring on a day to day basis just getting normal things errands,etc. due to traffic and the fact that the city is very spread out.
That said there are some people who adore the heat and the hotter the better, and spend as much time outside getting crispy as possible.
i don't think it is negative to say these things, just an honest reaction to living in this type of environment. good luck....

[SpeedyAZ]

$500,000 will buy you a beautiful home in Paradise Valley

I think you're missing a zero on that price; $500,000 doesn't get you much in Paradise Valley, average price there is a little over a million.

Believe me... it's preferable to DC, Dallas, Atlanta, or Miami any day. I speak from experience.

Dallas really isn't that humid... It's humidity is less than Houston and all the other cities on your list.

Our downtown area is growing and modernizing, with fantastic condominium developments going up

Slowly but surely. Downtown Phoenix is a pretty nice area albeit it is small.

[63ragtop]

Originally Posted by 30apples

I think the difference is that all the advertising for phoenix looks good and there are plenty of jobs, though they don't pay as well as in many other places.

I am sure this is true in many cases but the cost of living is more important.

As an example, I moved from N. CA to Phoenix a few years ago. According to cost of living calculators on the Internet as of this posting, I could make 30% less in Phoenix and have the same standard of living.