move from Portland to Gilbert AZ??? (Phoenix, Mesa: to rent, buying, schools)

[tiredofrainydays]

I'm a long time resident of the Portland/Vancouver WA area, and my husband and I are seriously considering moving our family to Gilbert AZ.
We are so tired of the rain & gloomy skies! Basically from mid October to July 4th it is rainy and grey here. We do have a few sporadic days of sunshine on occasion but it's mostly grey Oct.-June. No joke.
After the 4th of July it warms up a bit and we typically have awesome weather until the end of September/beginning of Oct. Then back to gloom.
I want sunshine!! My biggest concern is the very hot days during the summer months. But honestly if it means staying indoors for 3-4 months of the year that is still way better than staying indoors 7-8 months of the year.
We would love to be able to bike, walk, hike and swim year round or close to. We love adventures and the idea of being so close to San Diego and LA has great appeal.
Any thoughts???
Thanks!

[DetroitN8V]

Why did you zero in on Gilbert? Seems random.

[grassfeeder]

Originally Posted by tiredofrainydays

I'm a long time resident of the Portland/Vancouver WA area, and my husband and I are seriously considering moving our family to Gilbert AZ.
We are so tired of the rain & gloomy skies! Basically from mid October to July 4th it is rainy and grey here. We do have a few sporadic days of sunshine on occasion but it's mostly grey Oct.-June. No joke.
After the 4th of July it warms up a bit and we typically have awesome weather until the end of September/beginning of Oct. Then back to gloom.
I want sunshine!! My biggest concern is the very hot days during the summer months. But honestly if it means staying indoors for 3-4 months of the year that is still way better than staying indoors 7-8 months of the year.
We would love to be able to bike, walk, hike and swim year round or close to. We love adventures and the idea of being so close to San Diego and LA has great appeal.
Any thoughts???
Thanks!

I'm in the same boat as you. Current resident of PDX and also looking at the Gilbert/Mesa/Chandler area. In addition also looking at the upper NW Peoria area as well. Will be making the move this next summer.

I work remote but will have to fly back to PDX every other month for a couple days.

[observer53]

Lots of people move here just for the weather, or, rather, to escape the weather where they are and see more sunshine. Not everyone ends up liking it better here, but that's an entirely individual thing that is impossible to predict.

I don't know what "thoughts" you are looking for. You are not likely to have to "stay indoors for 3-4 months", you just need to time your activities. I wouldn't limit myself to Gilbert, either. That's just one option. If you've never been here before, come visit this summer (late July, August) and look around.

[SageCats]

We've had a wet year here, too. In fact it is raining right now and this winter has been rather cooooold! Brrrrr!
I wouldn't pick Gilbert if you're coming from an area that's liberal. Visit Tempe and Scottsdale. Even the downtown Phoenix area. Come down for a vacation and visit places first. You also want to rent before buying. What if you end up hating Gilbert and then you're stuck because you bought a home?

[ajonesaz]

I live in Gilbert and love it. It is a great place if you have kids as schools are great and the culture here seems geared towards families. If you want a family friendly community I would suggest Gilbert, Chandler and Scottsdale.

To answer your other question, even though it is hot in the summer the early mornings and evenings are not that bad. I try to go out and jog every morning, the later it gets in the summer, the earlier you have to go out. But even on a 110+ day the morning can still be nice enough to go outside.

[hawkbiz]

I made the move from the northeast this summer and could not be happier. The valley has much to offer in addition to the almost always sunny weather. I do agree with the others who said to not necessarily limit yourself to Gilbert although it's a nice city.

[tiredofrainydays]

Thank you for your replies! I'm not adverse to a more conservative political climate . We thought of Gilbert because we have some friends down there & like the idea of a small town feel.

We also like the idea of lots of parks, walking paths etc...it seemed from what I could find online that Gilbert has lots.But we are certainly open to all areas.

Our biggest concern is the lack of green and the weather being so hot that we can't go about normal activities in the summer....ie shopping, normal errands etc...

[DetroitN8V]

You better buy an extra freezer because we don't go to the grocery store from June to August.

[tiredofrainydays]

DetroitN8V, you are not serious.....?