From N.H. and considering moving to Phoenix...insights please! (Mesa: home, buying)

[Stefos1]

Hi everyone,

I was contemplating on moving to Arizona.
I don't know much about the state except its location relative to Mexico, California, Nevada and the fact of the Native American reservations (which is a sad thing to think about actually).

I really enjoy the following hobbies:

-Unconventional Martial Arts: Escrima/Kali, Pentjak Silat (Indonesian), Wing Chun (South Chinese style), Jeet Kune Do/JKD concepts aka Dan Inosanto style

-Tibetan Buddhist meditation aka Dzogchen style

Does Phoenix have the above things?
I'm not an "outdoor lover" per se. I do appreciate the Mesas and the wide open spaces however.

I just don't want to leave work and say:
"Geez, there's a cactus, mesa and Red rocks" lol....

New Hampshire is very boring and we have the highest per capita beer drinkers in the U.S....EEEK!
N.H. is good for the 4 seasons type who love the woody outdoors, not the Mesa outdoors and those who want to raise a family in a cocoon......I'm sorry but I'm done with N.H....

Thanks,
Stefos1

[cacto]

Fair warning: you could move here and leave work one day and possibly see a cactus, a mesa, or red rocks.

Also, it's rumored there's a lot of people drinking beer in AZ, somewhere. I know because I see them at the supermarket buying it, with their shifty eyes.

Just something to meditate on.

[LocoAZnative]

Never heard of any of those things. There is a Buddhist temple cuz there was a massacre at one in the early 90's. Martial arts wise not sure about those but there are some top MMA schools in the Valley such as AZ Combat Sports, The Lab, Power MMA. Also, this is the desert so you will see cactus, Red Rocks, and you can drive to Mesa you want see Mesa's in the Valley.

Might want to look around and do more research

[Stefos1]

Originally Posted by cacto

Fair warning: you could move here and leave work one day and possibly see a cactus, a mesa, or red rocks.

Also, it's rumored there's a lot of people drinking beer in AZ, somewhere. I know because I see them at the supermarket buying it, with their shifty eyes.

Just something to meditate on.

Hi,

Nice. I don't know if you're being facetious or are actually trying to demean me.
I'm just trying to understand the actuality of living there in Phoenix.

I understand it's Arizona and not New York City.

I also understand that Arizona has a lot of wide, open spaces, mesas, reddish colored earth, etc.

The last thing I want is to leave the highest per capita per person beer drinking state of alcoholics (N.H.) and move to a bustling city surrounded by ghost towns.

Not being Native American either, I have really no connection to the Native American culture.

As I stated in my prior post, I essentially know nothing in actuality about Arizona and don't want to travel there quite yet which is why I posted here.

Just something to meditate on....
Stefos1

[Stefos1]

Originally Posted by LocoAZnative

Never heard of any of those things. There is a Buddhist temple cuz there was a massacre at one in the early 90's. Martial arts wise not sure about those but there are some top MMA schools in the Valley such as AZ Combat Sports, The Lab, Power MMA. Also, this is the desert so you will see cactus, Red Rocks, and you can drive to Mesa you want see Mesa's in the Valley.

Might want to look around and do more research

Thank you for the insights!

I understand that Arizona has wide, open spaces and obviously I now also understand that it's the desert.

I enjoy the coast but I can do without it IF the location is right, which is why I post here.

Thanks,
Stefos1

[CodyW]

Arizona has more than just desert. It also has grasslands, forests, and lots of mountains. Lots of different environments. Phoenix is the hottest major city in the country. But if you drive two hours north, you can be in Flagstaff. Which is one of the coldest and snowiest in the country.

Certain parts of Arizona are red, but not all. It's more prominent in the Sedona area, in northern AZ. Phoenix is not red, with the exception of maybe Papago Buttes, the mountains around Phoenix are brown and rocky. You won't find any mesas in Phoenix. Phoenix is a large valley, surrounded by mountain ranges.

That said, as for your martial arts.. You'll probably find that here. You'll have to seek it out, though.

Phoenix is also home to a Buddhist temple, and a sizable Buddhist population, so you'll likely find that environment, as well.

There is a LOT of Native American influence in Arizona. But there is also quite a bit MORE influence from Hispanic sources. You're very close to the Mexican border, here, and it show. There is a huge latino population in Phoenix, and the state as a whole. So be prepared for that.

All things considered, Phoenix is not NYC. But you can find just about anything you need if you look hard enough. There are 4.3 million people in the Phoenix area, and as such, all the services of a major city are represented. But, given its size, Phoenix is a pretty sleepy, quiet place. You have to look a bit harder for things than you would somewhere else.