Phoenix residents give city an 'A' for being good place to live - Arizona Republic article

[westcoastbabe]

This is coming from an outsider by way of Charlotte, NC....you people dont't know how good you have it there....Love, Love, Love Phoenix.....Great city, scenic,lots to do, centally located to Vega$, San Diego, LA...Hope to relocate there soon as the house sells.....and best of all...it's A-F-F-O-R-D-A-B-L-E.

[observer53]

Gallup typically uses 1000 for NATIONAL polls. Public Opinion Polls: How does Gallup Polling Work? Just looking at sample size alone, 700 for a local poll is not at all out of line.

[Valley Native]

Originally Posted by westcoastbabe

This is coming from an outsider by way of Charlotte, NC....you people dont't know how good you have it there....Love, Love, Love Phoenix.....Great city, scenic,lots to do, centally located to Vega$, San Diego, LA...Hope to relocate there soon as the house sells.....and best of all...it's A-F-F-O-R-D-A-B-L-E.

I am sooooooooo tired of hearing how Phoenix is an ideal location because it's close to San Diego, L.A., Vegas, etc. Seems to me that people who keep bringing this up are liking San Diego, L.A., and Vegas better than Phoenix ... so if those destinations are so wonderful, why not move to one of those other places??? Do people live in San Diego, L.A., or Vegas because they're close to Phoenix? I don't think so!

As for its affordability, that's only in certain expenditures. Real estate is very affordable ... but as far as I'm concerned, housing prices are TOO cheap right now. Those who wish to sell can't make any kind of a decent profit because of the ridiculously low values. Cheaper housing tends to attract a cheaper class of people anyway ... so I don't really consider that a plus.

[westcoastbabe]

"Cheaper housing tends to attract a cheaper class of people anyway ... so I don't really consider that a plus."

There is no validity in that ignorant statement that you just made,....Because people can't afford $200,000 to $300,000 houses, that makes them second class citizens.....C'mon now.... I dont consider myself to be low class because I can't afford a $200,000 or $300,000 home......I personally tend to live withing my means......However I can afford a $100,000 home.....so does that make me second class.....You should really be more careful about the statements/words that you choose when categorizing people.

[Captain Bill]

I think the proximity of Phoenix to San Diego, LA, Las Vegas, Mexico, are an additional perk to the main reasons why people relocate here.

We didn't relocate here because of the proximity to the other cities, and I doubt that others did. However, we do enjoy the fact that they are close, and we can drive there about as fast as we can fly.

On occasion we drive up to Las Vegas and we're happy that it's only a few hours drive. Same with LA and San Diego.

[hatsjacob]

I think a better perk would be how close Phoenix is to outdoor recreation, hiking, boating, fishing, camping, and so much other natural scenery in close distance. LV doesn't interest me at all. If I wanted to sit in a smoke-filled casino and blow my money I could just as well go to 1 of the Indian-run casinos on the outskirts.

Originally Posted by Captain Bill

I think the proximity of Phoenix to San Diego, LA, Las Vegas, Mexico, are an additional perk to the main reasons why people relocate here.

We didn't relocate here because of the proximity to the other cities, and I doubt that others did. However, we do enjoy the fact that they are close, and we can drive there about as fast as we can fly.

On occasion we drive up to Las Vegas and we're happy that it's only a few hours drive. Same with LA and San Diego.

[_Charles_]

I'm happy living here. Been here 25 years. The Phoenix meteo area is not for everyone -no place is - also things aren't quite as nice as they were when I moved here in '86 but the Valley is still Oz to me. I don't wish to live anywhere else.

[Valley Native]

Originally Posted by westcoastbabe

"Cheaper housing tends to attract a cheaper class of people anyway ... so I don't really consider that a plus."

There is no validity in that ignorant statement that you just made,....Because people can't afford $200,000 to $300,000 houses, that makes them second class citizens.....C'mon now.... I dont consider myself to be low class because I can't afford a $200,000 or $300,000 home......I personally tend to live withing my means......However I can afford a $100,000 home.....so does that make me second class.....You should really be more careful about the statements/words that you choose when categorizing people.

It wasn't meant to be an insult to you personally. I'm sorry you took it that way. But please look at the big picture, and perhaps realize what potential sellers in the Phoenix market have been up against the past few years with the economic downturn. Five years ago, my house was worth nearly $300,000 ... but today, I couldn't even get half of that based on the latest valuation.

Also, to expand on what I meant by the factual statement that cheaper housing attracts a cheaper class, take a look at Maryvale as a prime example. That section of Phoenix was developed in the 1950s & '60s to draw in mostly lower income people. It attracted a cheaper class of residents ... and as a result, the area really declined over the years. It has since been regarded as one of the most crime ridden, ghettoish areas in all of Phoenix.

There are many resale properties in the Valley right now which are valued at less than $100,000, and that is too cheap. A home is an investment. Paying a low price may sound good at first, but we have to look at the big picture and the potential for what problems the house & neighborhood might bring once they get older. Remember, you get what you pay for!