Do potential newcomers realize how big the Phoenix metro area is? (Scottsdale: home, job transfer)

[Valley Native]

Big not only in population, but area. Something very common I see on this forum is how people post they are moving to Phoenix, and want advice on housing, commutes, shopping, etc., but they often don't say what PART of Phoenix they are moving to. The city itself consists of over 500 square miles. Not only that, but there are vast differences between areas like Moon Valley, Maryvale, Desert Ridge, and Arcadia. Many newbies also don't realize that Phoenix has a distinct division between east & west, and north & south sides. Numbered avenues, drives, and lanes are west of Central Avenue, and numbered streets, places, and ways are east of Central ... and there are often huge differences. For example, 24th Street & Camelback is a LOT different than 24th Avenue & Camelback.

Another good one is how some people think of Scottsdale as all high end, snobbish, and wealthy. I think that could be largely because Scottsdale is portrayed as either: luxurious resorts & spas, or the areas around Fashion Square, Waterfront, downtown, and Old Town. The fact is that Scottsdale is a city with a lot of land area which extends very far north. The far northern fringes are mostly high desert & mountainous terrain that border on the Tonto National Forest. Much of south Scottsdale is working class, and many neighborhoods east of downtown are older and not posh by any means. For a suburb, it's really a city of its own & quite diverse.

Travel distance & times are a popular item of disccussion as well ... and the concept of what actually defines being "centrally located". I've seen comments that portray areas like Ahwatukee as being "centrally located", which I find rather amusing. Try driving from the Ahwatukee Foothills on surface streets, then hopping on the I10 to a TRUE centrally located area like downtown Phoenix during morning rush hour, and then come back and tell us how centrally located Ahwatukee really is!

I believe a lot of the misconception comes from people who are moving from smaller towns, or more compacted cities. They don't realize how large the Valley of the Sun truly is, and how long it can take to commute from one side to the other, even with wide freeways & good traffic conditions. One joke I like to tell is how you can be 40 miles north of downtown Phoenix & still be in the city of Phoenix. Actually, that's more of a reality, but it makes for some good humor.

[Zeromus-X]

I'm in this camp. I've been looking into a move to Phoenix for the past few months. To me, it seems like a larger version of my current area -- Hampton Roads, VA, where we've got seven cities that are essentially merged as one large metropolitan area (except since they're all separate cities instead of one with separate districts, nothing actually gets done between them, since none of them can ever agree).

I made a post recently mentioning that I didn't have an opinion on what part I moved to because ... well ... I don't know the difference. Reading this forum helps, but when moving to the area without a specific job, it's tough to identify a location to start, given that the city is so big. It'd be nice if there was a general "this is what each area is known for" FAQ type page that could be easily referenced; I know there's no way to make something like that perfect (or even close) but even something like "Scottsdale tends to be the best for someone looking for a younger nightlife crowd; Tempe has a great mass transit system; Avondale can be a bit out of the way and is mostly residential with a focus on agriculture and away from technology"... etc... etc. (Not that any of these are true; they're just examples.)

[breakingbad]

Perhaps a data thread that lists companies and gives a description about what they do as well as their location(s).
There probably is one, but I never checked...easier to be the "idea" person.

[Java Jolt]

I agree with most of the OP, especially the parts about crush hour and commute times.

Many people who move here from the east or west coasts somehow have this notion about Phoenix having light traffic.

It might be a little lighter compared to mega-metros like Los Angeles or New York City but driving around here can be very stressful, especially if you commute a good distance from home to work and back.

[JoeC]

To put things in perspective: The populated area of Maricopa County is approximately the same size as my home state of Rhode Island.

[DR2012]

Well, I figure that's what boards like these are for
Before I moved here, I had visited so I had a good idea. But I could have sworn, when I drove into town to move here it wasn't that long of a drive the last time I was here to go from the airport to my in-laws, but then again I wasn't driving and just visiting.

[swbrotha100]

About 2/3 of Arizona's population is in the Phoenix metro area. Pretty amazing to think.

[SouthBound3]

Originally Posted by JoeC

To put things in perspective: The populated area of Maricopa County is approximately the same size as my home state of Rhode Island.

Another interesting fact I read somewhere (might have been here on CD) was that the size of Maricopa County (in sq. miles) is larger than the entire state of New Jersey!

[gbpakrfan]

Originally Posted by Zeromus-X

I'm in this camp. I've been looking into a move to Phoenix for the past few months. To me, it seems like a larger version of my current area -- Hampton Roads, VA, where we've got seven cities that are essentially merged as one large metropolitan area (except since they're all separate cities instead of one with separate districts, nothing actually gets done between them, since none of them can ever agree).

Your post caught my eye, since I made the exact opposite move back in the mid-80's. Went from Phoenix to Newport News due to a job transfer. Back then, Phoenix pretty much only had two major highways (10 and 17). Was back there two years ago for Brewers spring training and I hardly recognized the place with all the new highways and major sprawl. I don't need to tell you that you'll experience "weather shock" when you move from where you are now to Phoenix...in a good way, in my opinion. (Unless you're a fan of humidity...)

[Valley Native]

Originally Posted by swbrotha100

About 2/3 of Arizona's population is in the Phoenix metro area. Pretty amazing to think.

Very true, but not so amazing when you consider Arizona's population is about 6.5 million, but so much of the state is still uninhabited (especially when you drive across the western border from CA ... seems very desolate). It isn't until you get to the outer suburbs of Phoenix that you start seeing evidence of where much of the state's population is. And try to drive from one side of the metro area to another in a rapid amount of time ... it's impossible. Too much traffic!

Originally Posted by SouthBound3

Another interesting fact I read somewhere (might have been here on CD) was that the size of Maricopa County (in sq. miles) is larger than the entire state of New Jersey!

That is a fact. New Jersey's land area is 8,721 sqare miles, and Maricopa County's land area is 9,224 square miles. This is not only more square mileage than New Jersey's, but six other states as well. Also, Maricopa County is the nation's fourth largest county in terms of population, and has more people than 23 states!