Moving from Canada To Arizona soon. What to expect? (Phoenix: how much, houses) - (AZ) - City-Data Forum

maddi222 · 02-07-2013, 11:46 PM

I am a teenager, and me, my parents, my 11 year old sister, and my 3 year old sister are moving to the Peoria/Glendale area of Arizona soon. We are moving from BC, Canada. My dad got a job. Anyway, i'd like to know what to expect. I know i'm going to have some big changes. What is life like in the suburbs of Phoenix? And we still haven't found a permanent house. Should we look in Peoria, Glendale, or Surprise? We're looking to live in that area of Arizona. I heard Gilbert is pretty nice, but we can't live over there. Anyway, what is your experience with Arizona? And what city out of the suggested ones is best? Which is safest?

cacto · 02-08-2013, 01:35 AM

Of Glendale, Peoria, and Surprise, choose Glendale. The middle of Glendale or the north end. Surprise is way out there, Peoria is Glendale number two only slightly farther from Phoenix than Glendale. The south ends of Glendale and Peoria can have a little more crime.

I prefer Phoenix over any of the suburbs, myself. Gilbert isn't much different than Glendale, just like 60 miles over on the other side of the Valley. One thing going for Gilbert and the East Valley is that they have closer access to lakes, the river, and the nearby high country, which is where you go to cool off in the summer.

Life here, like anywhere is what you make it, though life in certain suburbs, certain parts of Phoenix, or wherever has differences. You'll want to get a license and a car, otherwise the suburbs can be miles and miles of houses, a few stores, and not much to do. Say goodbye to cold and rain. You get a little of both here but compared to BC not really. Summer's hot as hell. Swim a lot, drink lots of water, go out at night. Half the year the weather's great though. Right now the day's are perfect and the night's are a tad chilly.

I grew up in North Phoenix in a area similar to Glendale/Peoria. It was a good place to be a teenager. We just skateboarded a lot, played video games, drove around, hung out at each other's houses. There's no one street or neighborhood where everybody goes to hang out so you just have make your own fun. After high school I moved to Tempe and that's a fun part of town for people in their 20's. That's my 2 cents, Good luck.

miran · 02-08-2013, 06:59 AM

Enjoy the sunshine!!!

youthinkso · 02-08-2013, 06:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by maddi222

I am a teenager, and me, my parents, my 11 year old sister, and my 3 year old sister are moving to the Peoria/Glendale area of Arizona soon. We are moving from BC, Canada. My dad got a job. Anyway, i'd like to know what to expect. I know i'm going to have some big changes. What is life like in the suburbs of Phoenix? And we still haven't found a permanent house. Should we look in Peoria, Glendale, or Surprise? We're looking to live in that area of Arizona. I heard Gilbert is pretty nice, but we can't live over there. Anyway, what is your experience with Arizona? And what city out of the suggested ones is best? Which is safest?

Great timing!...leaving BC just as the NDP take over and sink it further

Sounds like your father will be working in the Glendale /Peoria area,no need to live right in that vicinity as there are plenty of great neighborhoods in the North and northwest Phoenix.

Phoenix is great as just like BC it has mountains, hiking close at hand. Mountain bike? Plenty of that in AZ.
Best part is while your buddies are back home shoveling snow or running from the constant rain
of the wet coast in January you can be enjoying summer outdoor pursuits, or you can still go skiing in Flagstaff.

It's Africa hot in the summer but you will get used to it, I will take +40C over -30c hands down.

jimj · 02-08-2013, 07:02 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by maddi222

I am a teenager, and me, my parents, my 11 year old sister, and my 3 year old sister are moving to the Peoria/Glendale area of Arizona soon. We are moving from BC, Canada. My dad got a job. Anyway, i'd like to know what to expect. I know i'm going to have some big changes. What is life like in the suburbs of Phoenix? And we still haven't found a permanent house. Should we look in Peoria, Glendale, or Surprise? We're looking to live in that area of Arizona. I heard Gilbert is pretty nice, but we can't live over there. Anyway, what is your experience with Arizona? And what city out of the suggested ones is best? Which is safest?

I'd take a look at Waddell as well. Another thing you can expect is to run into many more Canadians!

observer53 · 02-08-2013, 09:11 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jimj

I'd take a look at Waddell as well. Another thing you can expect is to run into many more Canadians!

Waddell's pretty far out there for a family with kids... I'd stick with the other areas suggested.

Ponderosa · 02-08-2013, 09:20 AM

Of the places you mention, my favorite, knowing nothing of where your dad will be working would be in Peoria near Happy Valley Road and Lake Pleasant Parkway. It is a new, very nice area with great schools, close to L. Pleasant and open desert land for recreation. Also, it is an easy getaway on Loop 303 up to the high country for cool weather in summer.

whodiman · 02-08-2013, 10:56 AM

Where in BC are you from? If you are from Vancouver, you will be blown away at how much sun you get. If you are from interior BC ie. Kelowna you can probably handle the dry heat. By say goodbye to cold winters if you are from the interior.

S. Chris Webb · 02-08-2013, 11:05 AM

Hi, I moved to central Phoenix from Calgary as a young adult in 1996, without ever having been here. (I grew up in Cranbrook!) After being here for six months, my husband and I chose to move from central Phoenix to central Peoria. It was a safe, friendly neighborhood, but for the most part homes were around 25 years old and we wanted to modernize, so after 9 years we moved to far NW Phoenix - on the border with north Glendale and north Peoria. The whole north Glendale, north Peoria, and far NW Phoenix area are for the most part newer homes with the exception of Arrowhead Ranch and Fletcher Heights, which are about 20 years old, but the whole area has a little more upscale and well-manicured neighborhoods. The Deer Valley and Peoria school Districts that serve this area have some of the best schools in the State. The high schools are very large and offer a lot of extra-curricular activities (judged by my friends' and neighbour's kids). If you take part you should have no trouble making friends. Surprise is a vibrant growing city that is pretty safe, but it's kind of sheltered from the rest of the Valley as the commute sucks if your parents are working in a more central location, and schools might not be quite as impressive as Glendale's and Peoria's. The Glendale/Peoria area also has a waterpark, skate parks, public pools, tons of hiking trails, Spring Training stadium, lots of restaurants and theaters, bowling alley, and a large indoor mall.

It is hot here, but air conditioning and pools make it bearable for most people. You have to enjoy the heat or it might suck for you, hate to say it. Just try to make the best of it, and remember that you don't have to shovel sunshine!

Best of luck with your move.

jimj · 02-08-2013, 05:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by observer53

Waddell's pretty far out there for a family with kids... I'd stick with the other areas suggested.

Really? I'd better go and tell all my neighbors with kids, maybe they didn't get the memo.

There's good schools "out here in the sticks", White Tank Mtn Park for hiking etc, new library,walmart,grocery stores and Prasada is slooowly moving along. 303 will be done soon enough so what exactly don't we have that a family would need?
Shootings? Stabbings? Car chases?

Oh wait, I've got it! We don't have the home prices of many of the areas mentioned.