Moving from Canada to Phoenix (Tempe: apartments, homes, unemployment)

[Rickardo-_]

Let me say hello and introduce myself to everyone reading this post. I am a mid-40 Canadian guy living presently in Ontario Canada.
A few weeks ago a recruiting company contacted me and by the way things are moving forward, I will be moving to phoenix for one year contact job. I have never been to United State and i must admit as excited I am about this whole new experience, I am a little anxious too.
I am hoping some of you guys could help me get some basic knowledge of life style in phoenix. For example what is a reasonable rates for a 1 bedroom apartment?..... Somewhere safe and quiet what would be the names of those area’s.
I also know, it gets pretty hot down there. What would be an avg rate of electricity bill per month for a 1 bedroom apartment?
Here in Canada the public transit system is pretty safe and reliable. Therefore, some folks don’t bother owning a car. Can the same thing be said about phoenix?
Thanks again for any help
Rick

[SeaG]

Originally Posted by Rickardo-_

I have never been to United State and i must admit as excited I am about this whole new experience, I am a little anxious too.
I am hoping some of you guys could help me get some basic knowledge of life style in phoenix. For example what is a reasonable rates for a 1 bedroom apartment?..... Somewhere safe and quiet what would be the names of those area’s.
I also know, it gets pretty hot down there. What would be an avg rate of electricity bill per month for a 1 bedroom apartment?
Here in Canada the public transit system is pretty safe and reliable. Therefore, some folks don’t bother owning a car. Can the same thing be said about phoenix?
Thanks again for any help
Rick

First off, you will get responses if you do some research first yourself. Phoenix is a massive city, so without knowing where you are going to work/live no one can provide a solid answer. They can't recommend apartments, nor advise if public transit will work for you.

Phoenix and the suburbs comprise an area of almost 38,000 sq km. or about 6 times the land area of the Greater Toronto Area - which is Canada's largest.

So you need to do provide more information first.

[pbenjamin]

So we have something like 9% unemployment here and you were able to get a visa to come work here? I sure hope that you have a really unique skill.

[novsaggi]

Welcome to PHX
One thing for sure if u r not living in Tempe downtown area, u definitely need a car.
public transport is not as widespread in PHX area.
Depending on the kind of place u r living (size, direction of aprtmnt etc) and the kind of A/C u have, the bill varies. But an assumption of a min $100-$200 per month maybe a gud way to start (again, just an assumption, not actual bill)

[Home Addict]

Originally Posted by pbenjamin

So we have something like 9% unemployment here and you were able to get a visa to come work here? I sure hope that you have a really unique skill.

Someone likes him enough to go through the trouble of bringing him over - a safe bet he has some unique skill.

Phoenix is huge - you will need a car. Otherwise, you'll be just spending a lot of time waiting at the bus stop, under the sun. It's hot in Phoenix.

[MN-Born-n-Raised]

Originally Posted by pbenjamin

So we have something like 9% unemployment here and you were able to get a visa to come work here? I sure hope that you have a really unique skill.

Statistically speaking, the 9% that are unemployed are not the best in class. Of course there are numerous exceptions. Recruiters are still being hired to find "better" qualified people than those who are applying for a posted job.

To the OP. You need to be a lot more specific. What is your budget? What are your expections (quality of an apartment)? How close do you want to be to your work? What town do you work in?

[khuntrevor]

Originally Posted by novsaggi

Welcome to PHX
One thing for sure if u r not living in Tempe downtown area, u definitely need a car.
public transport is not as widespread in PHX area.
Depending on the kind of place u r living (size, direction of aprtmnt etc) and the kind of A/C u have, the bill varies. But an assumption of a min $100-$200 per month maybe a gud way to start (again, just an assumption, not actual bill)

I live in Midtown and do not have a car. I can walk 8 blocks to the Light Rail or 1 block to the bus. I take the bus to work, no transfers, and it takes 18 minutes. I walk during better weather.

Look at Downtown Phoenix or Midtown.....Tempe is the stale beer/vomit early 20s crowd with more teenagers mixed in than people in their 40s.

Figure 1.50 per square foot per year for nat gas+electric.

[Finger Laker]

public transportation here is pretty shoddy - with the right job location and right apartment location you could make it work without a car ...... but you are in the US for a year in a place you've never been to

so if you can bring a vehicle, by all means do it .... not only will it open up the rest of the metro, it will open up the entire southwest

weekend trips to southern california, mexico, grand canyon, sedona, monument valley and other really neat spots around the state are well worth it

as for where to live - that is going to be driven first by where you work, and then by your budget and what you are looking for

this is a massive metro as far as land area and it's a completely different layout than the cities in Ontario

most of the metro you will find to be safe & quiet and there is no shortage of places to live

but we have streets that run 40+ kilometers with pretty much replicating development across the whole stretch touching a few different cities in the metro and really providing no feel when you are moving from one to the other

[observer53]

Originally Posted by novsaggi

Welcome to PHX
One thing for sure if u r not living in Tempe downtown area, u definitely need a car.
public transport is not as widespread in PHX area.
Depending on the kind of place u r living (size, direction of aprtmnt etc) and the kind of A/C u have, the bill varies. But an assumption of a min $100-$200 per month maybe a gud way to start (again, just an assumption, not actual bill)

Downtown Tempe is NOT the only place he could live and use public transit for commuting/neighborhood travel. To the OP: Even given the previous statement, while you might be able to use public transit for commuting, getting by without a car, for other travel, depends on where you live/work and what you want to do during your free time as far as going around town. Once you tell us where you will be working, and some of those other details, we can give you a better idea whether you can "get by without a car" or not.

One option to bringing a car is buying a reliable used car once you get here, and selling it again when you leave, unless you decide you love it so much you want to drive it home.

Originally Posted by khuntrevor

Look at Downtown Phoenix or Midtown.....Tempe is the stale beer/vomit early 20s crowd with more teenagers mixed in than people in their 40s.

Figure 1.50 per square foot per year for nat gas+electric.

I get SO tired of hearing that here about Tempe. You clearly don't know it very well, or spend much time beyond the bars on Mill Avenue you ride the light rail to and from. Tempe would be a very nice place to live, depending on where the OP is working.

A lot of apartments and homes in the Valley don't have natural gas service. It depends on the location. Whether your 1.50 a square foot is a workable estimate depends on too many variables, but I suppose it's a start-- I'd aim a little higher.

[khuntrevor]

Originally Posted by observer53

Downtown Tempe is NOT the only place he could live and use public transit for commuting/neighborhood travel. To the OP: Even given the previous statement, while you might be able to use public transit for commuting, getting by without a car, for other travel, depends on where you live/work and what you want to do during your free time as far as going around town. Once you tell us where you will be working, and some of those other details, we can give you a better idea whether you can "get by without a car" or not.

One option to bringing a car is buying a reliable used car once you get here, and selling it again when you leave, unless you decide you love it so much you want to drive it home.




I get SO tired of hearing that here about Tempe. You clearly don't know it very well, or spend much time beyond the bars on Mill Avenue you ride the light rail to and from. Tempe would be a very nice place to live, depending on where the OP is working.

A lot of apartments and homes in the Valley don't have natural gas service. It depends on the location. Whether your 1.50 a square foot is a workable estimate depends on too many variables, but I suppose it's a start-- I'd aim a little higher.

How do you know a used car is reliable? it is still going to cost you 400 per month++ when all is said and done. My comments about Tempe were assuming he would be near the Light Rail and as someone who has lived in Las Vegas and Phoenix without a car--you definitely want to live near the Light Rail, and if you are using Public Transit, you do not want to have to make a transfer or you may spend two hours getting to and from work. There are some exceptions with good 15 minute routes, like 19th ave., but the LR is the better way.

If you don't have natural gas than it would seem that your nat gas bill would be zero--but that would be offset by higher electric for heating water. BTW, a low gas bill is 17 here for HW and cooking.