Scottsdale and Arizona in general from a southeasterner's perspective (Phoenix: house, luxury)

[afvet]

I spent most of my life in the southeast and have been in Arizona for two years, and Scottsdale since May.

In general, I think the people in Arizona (yes even Scottsdale) are pretty nice. I moved to Tucson two years ago from Virginia and immediately noticed that cashiers at gas stations and grocery stores were much friendlier than back east.

A kid pulled up to me with his speakers thumping a few days ago and I realized that hardly ever happens here. I couldn't drive anywhere back east without somebody's bass rattling my windows. The roads are generally in much better condition also.

Yeah, it's hot for several months out of the year without relief. And even though it's a dry heat and 110 is more comfortable than 85 in humidity, it gets tough to deal with and seems to me to be more physically draining than humid heat. The constant sunshine and warm weather does get a bit monotonous, but not having to worry about hurricanes or getting up half an hour early to scrape ice off your windshield is great. There are a ton of outdoor activities, so if you like hiking and camping, this is a great place.

As for Scottsdale, I think it's the prettiest area of Phoenix, especially the Greenbelt, and I love living here. I feel safer here than any other place I've lived. Of course I've only been here a few months, but I think its reputation as a snobby area is exaggerated. There are a lot of people with expensive homes and cars and I'm sure many can't afford them, but many people work hard at high paying jobs to have these things and actually can afford the BMW and fancy house. I have run into snooty materialistic people and a disproportionate (relative to other areas of Phoenix) amount of what my coworker calls "re-engineered" people, but its nowhere near as bad as many make it sound. I've gone shopping in sweats and didn't fell looked down upon. I don't get strange looks driving my Honda in a sea of luxury vehicles. However, retail stores are definitely overpriced relative to other areas of town.

I do find the abundance of Hummers annoying, especially when they park next to me. I think this is due mostly to my having driven the real thing in the military and seeing Hummer drivers as "wannabes", but maybe I'm just being snobby (I live in Scottsdale, you know) But I do think they're impractical and wasteful.

So that's my opinion and you're not getting your money back I'm moving back east next month because I miss the city life, being able to go to Atlanta one weekend and Philly the next, greater job opportunities in my field, and because I miss being able to take grass and trees for granted. I'm going to miss the friendly people, outdoor activities, desert beauty and good weather. I'll be whining about humidity and snow, but you can't have it all.

[Bummer]

Very valid points, Afvet . . . BEAUTIFULLY STATED!

You'll be back, I promise.

I grew up "Back East" (mainly Virginia) and there are some things that I miss but over all, The Southwest is my home.

Just remember . . . THERE ARE NO PERFECT PLACES TO LIVE, some just a little better than others.

[ArizonaBear]

Originally Posted by Bummer

Very valid points, Afvet . . . BEAUTIFULLY STATED!

You'll be back, I promise.

I grew up "Back East" (mainly Virginia) and there are some things that I miss but over all, The Southwest is my home.

Just remember . . . THERE ARE NO PERFECT PLACES TO LIVE, some just a little better than others.

From the Wash DC area here (29 years ago) and now in Scottsdale too

[lukeache]

Originally Posted by szkutnik

C'mon, Scottsdale isn't the "southwest" and isn't even Arizona in my opinion. It's basically a remote suburb of San Diego and LA where all the rejects who couldn't afford those cities go to live, and pretend to be all rich and important. Scottsdale is a repository for these hard-luck losers and screw ups. The only people who are happy living in Scottsdale are exactly those kind of people so they can all stick together and pretend to be rich and be rude to everyone else who isn't one of them.

Remember that case of Robert Fisher? The guy that burned his house down in Scottsdale and fled!? From the outside, they were a very happy Christian family, but the guy was dirtier than dirt. He worked as some kind of medical assistant but often told people that he was a doctor, came across as a "man of God", but come on..people of God dont murder their wife and children, set their house on fire and flee. Although this is an extreme example, Scottsdale attracts this kind of very fake, plastic, materialistic and shallow type of human being

[Bummer]

Originally Posted by lukeache

Remember that case of Robert Fisher? The guy that burned his house down in Scottsdale and fled!? From the outside, they were a very happy Christian family, but the guy was dirtier than dirt. He worked as some kind of medical assistant but often told people that he was a doctor, came across as a "man of God", but come on..people of God dont murder their wife and children, set their house on fire and flee. Although this is an extreme example, Scottsdale attracts this kind of very fake, plastic, materialistic and shallow type of human being

Unfortunately, Lukeache . . . NUTCASES such as Robert Fisher are not exclusive to Scottsdale! ! ! ! !

[Bummer]

Originally Posted by ArizonaBear

From the Wash DC area here (29 years ago) and now in Scottsdale too

Other than a "beach hideaway" for the summers, etc . . . Arlington Virginia until heading off the conquer the world.

[ArizonaBear]

Originally Posted by Bummer

Other than a "beach hideaway" for the summers, etc . . . Arlington Virginia until heading off the conquer the world.

Arlington here too (1969-78), graduated from HS in 1975 then three years later.........adios. amigos!

[backtochitown]

AZ is a great place to stay for a few years...after that it is miserably boring and wearing weather wise...and you really get sick of the endless summers.

How about the 'monsoon' this year?...not even close to an inch of rain at Sky Harbor...if you love brown, dead and SUPER hot for well over half the year Phoenix is IT!

[steve22]

Thank the heat island effect for the lack of monsoon moisture. The amount of rainfall produced by the monsoons in the Phoenix area has been trending downward for some years now, and weather experts think it's b/c the radiating heat from the vast expanse of concrete dissipates the moisture. It won't be long before overnight lows in the triple digits become a regular occurrence, and the monsoon season will produce nary a drop most of the time; mostly, it'll amount to occasional dust storms (or dirt blizzards, as I like to call them), which will cause a lot of wind damage, late-night noise, and generally make a dirty mess of things, but provide little in the way of benefit.

[backtochitown]

Originally Posted by steve22

Thank the heat island effect for the lack of monsoon moisture. The amount of rainfall produced by the monsoons in the Phoenix area has been trending downward for some years now, and weather experts think it's b/c the radiating heat from the vast expanse of concrete dissipates the moisture. It won't be long before overnight lows in the triple digits become a regular occurrence, and the monsoon season will produce nary a drop most of the time; mostly, it'll amount to occasional dust storms (or dirt blizzards, as I like to call them), which will cause a lot of wind damage, late-night noise, and generally make a dirty mess of things, but provide little in the way of benefit.

Yep...I love all the goofy TV channels in Phoenix that break into programs with 'storm' notices/updates...all for a couple inches of rain TOTAL a year...you know if people didn't miss rain so much in this gosh forsaken dirt hole they wouldn't be SO on top of the weather...