Moving to Phoenix? Think again! (Scottsdale, Apache Junction: lease, how much, job market)

[lukeache]

Hey all:

I dont want to start a riot here, but after having lived in Phoenix for 3 years, I felt like it was a big mistake, so I wanted to warn people that might be thinking about moving to Phoenix. When I first visited Phoenix, it was kinda neat, the palm trees, the desert etc, but when you actually move there, it is a different story. The heat, it does not matter how much ppl try to say that it is a "dry heat", it is just horrendous! I am currently living in Minnesota and not even a -15 F winter day in Minnesota is worse than a 115 F day in Phoenix. Because Phoenix is mostly a transplant town, it is a place with no culture! People dont say hi, how are you or good morning, and try saying Hi to people, many will look at you like you are out of your mind. It is a very plastic place, men made lakes and very superficial people. If you go to the "upscale" areas like Scottsdale, it is mostly 30K millionaires with leased BMW's trying to impress you with their mindless talk. Also, Phoenix similarly to Vegas is a "crap magnet", for whatever reason, all the trash from the South goes to Phoenix, thinking that they are going to strike gold, this migration only creates an underclass of homeless people, strippers, white supremacists,criminals, shady people, drug dealers, meth addicts, white trash etc! It is just horrible!! I dont know how the economy is now, but a few years ago, it was very weak, even jobs with the state of Arizona paid 9-10 dollars/hr, terrible!! This is by far the most plastic, soulless, cultureless, cookie cutter city in this country. If you are looking for a "lower cost of living", Dallas and Houston are much better than Phoenix, bearable heat and much better job market. Phoenix in 20 years will be just like LA, even the gangs have moved to AZ because the laws are less stringent, it is a very chaotic metro area growing outwards without planning and infra structure..I most certainly do not recommend this metro area to anybody!

[ibarrio]

It is a matter of personal tastes. I would never live in a climate in which it gets below zero. Give me the 115 any day.

Gangs moving from L.A. to Phoenix?...maybe trying to branch out but they would never "Move".

Do you realize that one Los Angeles gang (1 single gang) has 20,000 members. The people feeing LA for Phoenix are then ones trying to get away from that cesspool....

The estimates I have seen do not even put the Total number of Arizona Gang members over 20,000...Meaning 1 single Los Angeles Gang has more members then the entire state of AZ.

Anyways here is L.A. situation in terms of Gangs...Phoenix (thank god) isn't even close.

There are
75 Blood Gangs
200 Crip Gangs
500 Hispanic Gangs (including the very deadly 18th street and MS 13 gangs)
and 20,000 Asian gang members

[Nice Nice Baby!]

Another "expert" tells us why choosing Phoenix didn't work out. Another one bites the dust! Broken record...ho hummmm.

[ivanabacowboy]

Sorry to hear you did not like it. But to each their own. People have different tastes and appreciate different things in a community.

I personally would never consider Dallas, Houston or LA for numerous reasons. And I will take 115' over subzero with 3 or more feet of snow any day of the year! The heat in Phoenix IS different at least than in the Midwest and places in the deep South (like Florida/Georgia). Yesterday in Cleveland was absolutely miserable. We only broke about 93'. With about 90% humidity and it was a far worse icky icky icky heat than anything I have felt in Phoenix. (And yes-I have been in Phoenix when it has been really really hot.)

underclass of homeless people, strippers, white supremacists,criminals, shady people, drug dealers, meth addicts, white trash etc

This describes essentially every decent sized metro area in the United States. And many smaller ones.

[lukeache]

Another interesting fact about the Phoenix metro area is that, it is not set out like your "normal city"., it is spread west-east wards instead of in a round like manner, like 99% of American cities, therefore, there are no loops that go around the metro area. To go from extreme East(Goodyear) to extreme West (Apache Junction), you have to drive 55 miles! Yes, you heard it right, 55 miles to get from one extreme to another!! If you live in Tonopah and work in Apache Junction, we are talking about an 88 miles commute each way. In 10 years, as it continues to spread west-east wards, it will probably take 100 miles to go from extreme to extreme

[ibarrio]

Have you looked at the Chicago Metro Area? Los Angeles Metro area? Natural boundaries keep areas from growing a circular fashion.

Chicago is water.
L.A. is water and mountains.
Phoenix is Mountains.

Many non midwest cities will have boundaries that prevent them from growing in a circular fashion.

Traffic is a concern in every large city.

They are making loops around Phoenix (202,101,and eventually the 303)

[AZ91]

Originally Posted by lukeache

Another interesting fact about the Phoenix metro area is that, it is not set out like your "normal city"., it is spread west-east wards instead of in a round like manner, like 99% of American cities, therefore, there are no loops that go around the metro area. To go from extreme East(Goodyear) to extreme West (Apache Junction), you have to drive 55 miles! Yes, you heard it right, 55 miles to get from one extreme to another!! If you live in Tonopah and work in Apache Junction, we are talking about an 88 miles commute each way. In 10 years, as it continues to spread west-east wards, it will probably take 100 miles to go from extreme to extreme

I like that about Phoenix. How often does a person live in Tonopah and work in Apache Junction? Do you know anybody that does or were you just giving a worst case scenario?

[diggitydot]

While I share the OP's sentiments, I don't have quite the same reasons. While we knew when we relocated here that it would be temporary, it's given us a chance to experience a part of the US we'd not lived in before.

We now know that we are not well-suited for desert living and we'll be moving in less than year to a distinctly non-desert climate for exactly that reason.

Eh, I guess this just comes under the "you live and you learn" heading, to me.

[Ponderosa]

Adios, Buckaroo! About 300 people will be arriving today to take your spot.

[MotleyCrew]

I am sure I would feel the same way about MN if I were to move there.