Update on Phoenix vs. Midwest Please! (Chandler: transplants, new home, schools)

[Java Jolt]

Originally Posted by Steve-o

Here you go again, following me around, offering your cheap 2-cent opinion to each and every one of my posts. Seriously, man, get a life.

Yes, when its 115 degrees, its dry. And thats part of the problem... dehydration and heat exhaustion. It happens to people here all too often. For someone like the OP, who is coming from the 80-degree Midwestern summers, 115 degrees can be of the utmost shock to them. Heat like that is no joke, and is very dangerous to the uniformed or ill-prepared.

Very well-written.

Too many people discount our summertime heat as no big deal but it can be deadly if not prepared, dry heat is nothing to take for granted.

The upside is the dangerous heat only lasts three or four months. June, July, and August are the worst but September can be just as hot sometimes.

As for me I don't like the heat but I can stand it a little better than several months of bone-chilling cold, icestorms, and snow like where I'm originally from.

[Steve-o]

Originally Posted by Bungle

I think these are the issues some people have with your style of posting. Those are YOUR feelings above and you have no way in knowing if they will apply to OP or anyone else for that matter. I came here from the Chicago suburbs and I do not want to die from the heat in the least. I actually love it. I do not miss food, architecture or the big city feel. YOU do. State your opinions in how they relate to yourself and not try to project your feelings onto others.

Ill agree with you for the most part. Youre correct, maybe the OP wont miss architecture, or the food. Ill tell you what, though. You, sir, are in the vast minority of ex-Chicagoans who are here and dont complain about missing the food, or complain about how bland Phoenix is, or how boring the suburbs are. Im glad you like it here, as do I, but I think the odds are in my favor that the OP will most likely miss the things I mentioned.

Heck, they built two Portillo's here, and they are thriving. Why? Well, Ill let you figure that one out on your own.

[Steve-o]

Originally Posted by Java Jolt

Very well-written.

Too many people discount our summertime heat as no big deal but it can be deadly if not prepared, dry heat is nothing to take for granted.

The upside is the dangerous heat only lasts three or four months. June, July, and August are the worst but September can be just as hot sometimes.

As for me I don't like the heat but I can stand it a little better than several months of bone-chilling cold, icestorms, and snow like where I'm originally from.

I agree. The heat is generally easier to deal with than the sub-zero temps that would occassionally rock Chicago. I just like the dry heat, and cant stand July and August here, it gets too humid for my tastes.

I think the OP might be shocked to learn that its not really "dry" heat for most of the summer, it can be quite sticky more often than one might think. Dry heat is June and late September. The heart of the summer here isnt as dry as people are led to believe. Granted its not 80% humidity like Florida, but when its 90 degrees with 40% humidity, it feels quite nasty.

[ElleTea]

Originally Posted by Steve-o

Here you go again, following me around, offering your cheap 2-cent opinion to each and every one of my posts. Seriously, man, get a life.

Yes, when its 115 degrees, its dry. And thats part of the problem... dehydration and heat exhaustion. It happens to people here all too often. For someone like the OP, who is coming from the 80-degree Midwestern summers, 115 degrees can be of the utmost shock to them. Heat like that is no joke, and is very dangerous to the uniformed or ill-prepared.

I really have found the heat here to be no big deal. When you are used to the oppressive heat of the midwest, the dry heat here is really a breath of fresh air. Of course you need to be careful and stay hydrated, but I didn't feel it was as hard to deal with as so many have warned. A coworker who moved here from Kansas City a year before me said the same thing. "It's not a big deal" was her exact quote.

I think it would be harder to go from 115 of dry heat to 90 degree of serious humidty and high dew points than the other way around.

[dcongram]

Ladies and gentlemen, thank you very much for helpful posts and good cheer! It's incredible, the response I've received in a matter of a few hours! Every one of you brought good information to the table, be it straight facts or opinions. Please don't snipe at each other, disagreements are natural when we're talking about people's homes. I've been on this site off and on for years and it's amazing the different "takes" people will have on different cities. Thank you again, bless you all!

[AZgarden]

Sniping at each other is just a common occurence on the Phoenix CD. The heat is the major item of disagreement.

I am from the suburbs of Chicago (Schaumburg, Glen Ellyn) and what I miss are the change of seasons, the cool air in Sept/Oct that brings the holidays into season, the ethnic neighborhoods with their various restaurants, the Lake, the ELL, the wonderful museums downtown, Pumpkin Fests with craft fairs and wagon rides wearing a light jacket, even the snow and Christmas lights that make the homes look so peaceful and pretty at night.

But, that said, the people here are very very friendly. It is the desert and you will miss the trees in the suburbs, and also cleaning out the gutters too ! You won't find kids jumping into piles of leaves here in the Fall. You won't see colored Maples or Oaks either. What I miss the most is the different seasons. What I don't miss are the horrid taxes.

[goolsbyjazz]

Originally Posted by PhxBarb

Sniping at each other is just a common occurence on the Phoenix CD. The heat is the major item of disagreement.

I am from the suburbs of Chicago (Schaumburg, Glen Ellyn) and what I miss are the change of seasons, the cool air in Sept/Oct that brings the holidays into season, the ethnic neighborhoods with their various restaurants, the Lake, the ELL, the wonderful museums downtown, Pumpkin Fests with craft fairs and wagon rides wearing a light jacket, even the snow and Christmas lights that make the homes look so peaceful and pretty at night.

But, that said, the people here are very very friendly. It is the desert and you will miss the trees in the suburbs, and also cleaning out the gutters too ! (Ruh, Rho!!) You won't find kids jumping into piles of leaves here in the Fall. You won't see colored Maples or Oaks either. What I miss the most is the different seasons. What I don't miss are the horrid taxes.

This! I hail from the Northeast originally and agree with the bolded and underlined sections. Those are the things I miss. However, if you are getting a job transfer keeping your current salary or getting an increase, you will do fine here. Just know that unions are NOT big here like in Illinois and this is a right-to-work state. Your taxes should be cheaper here. As for the weather it's very subjective. Yes, it does get hot here, but having lived in humid environments before I actually prefer the dry heat in the long run. The pace of life here is slower than Chicago, but then again it should be! This is not Chicago. Phoenix and the surrounding cities have their own vibe. If you don't try to make it like where you are coming from you will do well. If not, . Finally, I have never, ever missed cleaning gutters! Lol! I don't think you will either.

The desert can be a magical place for those willing to embrace all it offers. For others, it's just not their cup of tea and that's fine too. Good luck in your decision.

[brian571]

We're making the move from suburban Chicago this weekend. We're also going to miss the fall and change of seasons most. Downtown Chicago and the food, museums, etc are great and all, but we don't get to experience them often with a one year old and they're not great enough to justify the extremely high taxes and housing costs or the corrupt politics. We're really looking forward to the lifestyle change. We promise we won't complain that it's not like Chicago!

[esiebert7625]

I lived in Chicago for 26 years and don't really miss it. My whole family moved out here from Chicago over 20 years ago and has absolutely no regrets. I'd take Phoenix summers over Chicago winters any day. Chicago gets depressing when it snows and its around for months and you don't see the sun sometimes for weeks. Plus the bitter below zero cold is way worse to deal with than extreme heat.

[LagunaMom]

Lots of us are former Chicagoans. Both hubby and I were born there; been here since '73.
The upsides here are that there's actually something to look at besides a lot of concrete, although I did live on Lake Shore Drive when I was growing up. I'll take the summers here over the winters back there, although the older I am, the more miserable they are. I'm not a conservative, so I'm not pleased with most of the politicians here, but there's a Chicago sleaze factor that's nearly lacking here with them.
The lake doesn't compare to the ocean, and that's just a few hours away.
Our leaves in Phoenix don't change colors until mid-November, but you can drive up north and see the leaves changing around the beginning of October, depending on the altitude.
Chicago's a nice place to visit, but I wouldn't want to live there.