Moving to Phoenix from Illinois (Tucson, Mesa: transplants, crime, new home)

[LeavingIllinois?]

I have studied these threads and appreciate all the honest input!

My husband has been recruited to join a firm in Phoenix and we are seriously considering a move. I too have found a position in Phoenix and though it is not perfect it is similar to what I currently do and I would be happy. We currently reside in mid-central Illinois and have our entire life. We are extremely attached to the University of Illinois which brings intresting people, culture, and entertainment (mostly athletics) to the area. We have visited Phoenix and thought it was beautiful. (Keep in mind we are used to nothing but flat cornfields.) We are also used to spending at least 5 months indoors in the winter because it is too cold to go anywhere.

Everyone we met when we visited Phoenix was wonderful and very friendly. We do not have family in the Phoenix area and are hoping to find new friends and build a solid support system. My biggest concern is that I rarely see positive things on this website about Phoenix and the people. Is it truely that difficult to meet new people? Has anyone had a positive experience when they move to the Phoenix area where they had no family or friends and now do? Was it difficult to start a new family when your parents are clear across the country?

Thanks, in advance, for your responses!

[vegaspilgrim]

Originally Posted by LeavingIllinois?

Everyone we met when we visited Phoenix was wonderful and very friendly. We do not have family in the Phoenix area and are hoping to find new friends and build a solid support system. My biggest concern is that I rarely see positive things on this website about Phoenix and the people. Is it truely that difficult to meet new people? Has anyone had a positive experience when they move to the Phoenix area where they had no family or friends and now do? Was it difficult to start a new family when your parents are clear across the country?

Most of the negativity you hear revolves around problems such as the heat, pollution, traffic, and lack of urbanity in Phoenix. These problems are not to be taken lightly. For people from a small town in Illinois, Phoenix might look like the big city! However, meeting people here is NOT difficult. Almost everyone here is from somewhere else, and even for people who are born and raised here, there is a culture of accepting strangers and being open to meet new people all the time. You will be just one of the 100,000s of people who came here from across the country with no family connections. If they can do it, so can you!

[NYtoAZ2007]

Our circumstances are similar - we DID move out to Phoenix without have any family or frieds, and we have small children. Here are our observations: many of the master planned communities that are newer and current building new homes are filled with people that have moved from out of State. Most of these people are eager to meet their neighbors and start building relationships.

We live in a community that has a community pool. It's very interesting to listen to the conversations..."where are you from...", "how long have you been here..." etc., etc.

Here's the catch: we're all very friendly, but at arm's length. That's the way society is today. We can communicate with a stranger across the globe via the Internet, but we don't know anything about our next door neighbor.

If your willing to take that extra step and say, after you've met some folks, maybe running into them at the pool a few times, or talking with them across the front lawn (not the back lawn as your walled in!), invite them over for drinks or a cook-out, then you're on way to establishing relationships!!!

Get out, get involved, and it will feel like home soon enough!

[sablebaby]

Like the last poster said, it depends on much effort you put in. I don't think you will find many communities here that will extend themselves to you as soon as you move in with a basket full of cookies. We tend to talk to our neighbors at arms length just as was described. Most people just pull into their garages, shut the door and you never see them! I do it myself. I'm not particularly proud that I'm one of them, but that's just how I am. But, if one of my neighbors come over while I'm outside (which is RARE) I am very friendly. Most of the time lately while my boyfriend is outside playing around with his 3 cars the men in the neighborhood (all early retirees) are coming over to talk. ALL the women in my immediate vicinity do not talk at all. But, most of the men will always say hi to either one of us.

It's a different culture from the smaller towns of the midwest or wherever, from what I've heard and experienced. My BF is from the Chicago suburbs and lived in other areas of the midwest, where it was friendly and people coming and going from his house. Now since he's been here 14 years or so he's becoming one of us.

Bottom line: If you're an outgoing personable person you should be ok with making friends, but if not, it will be a challenge!

[MotleyCrew]

Most of the newer communities have HOA's and plenty of activities for new arrivals. We have met more people in 3 years that we consider friends than in 15 in N. CA. We find that people coming from other states are very glad to be here and left most of their family someplace else. We just boxed ours up and moved them all with us.

[HollyhockGarden]

Hello -- My husband and I were born and raised in Illinois, a western suburb of Chicago, and have resided here about 21 years. We have met many wonderful friends, myself more so than my husband. Just like the posters said, it does take effort to meet people. Some suggestions: join a church or temple, possibly a Mainline one [where you are likely to meet Midwest transplants] and attend activities -- that is how you meet people; join local groups -- get involved somewhere, somehow, where you will see the same people frequently. Making friends here is the same as anywhere else -- it takes effort. One thing that we did not do that we wish we could have done: live in a community with a community swimming pool. It just did not work out for us for several reasons but if you can do it [logistically] it is nice and you don't have to worry about maintaining a backyard pool and you meet the neighbors. We live in Glendale [in a section that is in the Peoria Unified School District] and love it. It is closer in, which is important if your job situation happens to change and also not a bad drive from the airport for visiting relatives. We also like the old-fashioned downtown with the town square and antique shops, and Thursday evening band concerts. The people here are friendly and we are able to walk to parks, library, schools, and stores. We built a front courtyard with a patio so it is like an old-fashioned Midwest front porch. You will NOT meet your neighbors by staying in your back yard -- they are walled in. Good luck with your move -- keep us posted!

[artvandelay]

You don't mention whether you have kids or not. That should influence which area you move to: Peoria, Scottsdale, Chandler, Gilbert schools have better reputations. As far as I've seen, most every other district is pretty much failing, not always officially.

One bummer is that the kids get summer break but summer is too hot to spend much of it outdoors. Imagine a Dec-Feb school break for Illinois kids?

And I agree that a new master-planned community increases the odds of finding like-minded transplants.

[kjcramer]

I agree, we always found it easier to meet cool people in AZ because everyone is from somewhere else. The people that are willing to pack up and move across the country tend to be a little more outgoing and open. (in most cases) That has been our biggest problem in Colorado--the people are nice, but definitely keep you at arms length. Like a lot of areas, they are not thrilled about new people moving in. You see tons of stickers on cars that resemble a Colorado License plate and say "NATIVE". Not exactly welcoming.

[BillyBaroo]

Hi, I grew up in Springfield, Illinois and moved to Phoenix in 1985. I lived there for fifteen years and I've now been in Tucson for seven years. It's definitely different from the Midwest, but I love it out here.

I've always been outgoing and haven't had any problem meeting people. It does seem like one of the standard first questions is "Where you from originally?" But that's changing, I have three children and they're all natives. You'll meet a lot of people from Illinois and in the winter you'll see a lot of snowbirds with Illinois license plates, especially if you go out to Mesa for a Cubs spring training game.

I like to spend some time on my front porch and always wave or say hello when I see a neighbor. However, I'm in an older neighborhood and we don't have the garages attached to house where people pull in and go inside their house. That's one of the biggest changes I've seen over the years. So many people go from the car directly into their house and then when they go outside they go into their backyard with eight foot fences all around. It requires more effort to get to know your neighbors. But I think that's the way it is in most new communities and not just Arizona.

You'll find a lot more activities in Phoenix than you had in Champaign-Urbana. There's lots of concerts and shows, plenty of sports, and the University of Arizona will provide much of what the University of Illinois gave you. I missed my parents and being close enough to see them all the time, but after awhile I became used to seeing them in the winter and they loved leaving cold Illinois to come visit me in sunny Arizona every year. I always made a trip back to Illinois in August to see them. It gave me a break from the long summer here, but there were sometimes I couldn't hardly wait to get home because it was so hot and humid there. I enjoy the summers here much more than back there.

Good luck to you. With a little effort, you'll have no problem making friends in Arizona.

[shadow91]

I too moved here from central illinois. I have been here a year and a half. I am not quite sure if "I like it here or not." People are different here than the midwest. The winters are wonderful here, but summers are like our winters back home, you stay in the house. Job opportunities abound here. Crime is the worst I have ever been exposed to in my life. Just when you thought you saw it all, you haven't. I miss my home in IL and the green grass and the people. I haven't sold my home for that reason. I hope to go back someday. On the other hand, my 15 year old son absolutely loves it here. That is the ONLY reason I am still here. Good luck to you and PM me and tell me what town you are moving from.