Life in Phoenix

[DetroitN8V]

Originally Posted by coolced39

I did some browsing about Scottsdale, Az with that be a great location to live and is transportation better. I also would like to know which part of Scottsdale is the best area to stay in and are there jobs available in Scottsdale. I really appreciate you all taking time to respond your information is very helpful.

Scottsdale is a great place to live but the light rail doesn't come here. I believe you can take buses somehow to get to it but I'm not familiar with that. Housing tends to be costlier than other valley cities.

[observer53]

Originally Posted by coolced39

I did some browsing about Scottsdale, Az with that be a great location to live and is transportation better. I also would like to know which part of Scottsdale is the best area to stay in and are there jobs available in Scottsdale. I really appreciate you all taking time to respond your information is very helpful.

A lot of people who live in Scottsdale don't work there. No, public transportation is not better. Yes there are "jobs in Scottsdale" but it depends on what you are looking for in terms of what is available. Housing costs generally are higher. Where you are working will solve the where to live issue. You need to find the job first.

[kent_moore]

It's going to be undesirable having no car in Phoenix. The best things in Phoenix are its nearby mountains and suburbs. We don't live to just work work and work.

[BoiWonder13]

to the OP, somewhere in Dt Tempe, Central Phx or downtown. Those should be your focus areas in trying to relocate w/o a car. I would live downtown w/o a car in parts, but the summers would kill me walking

Get a feel for the place in the summer btw, and its definitely a plus we have about 7-8 months of grand weather in AZ. The sunsets are enjoyable year long, and the winds are light and sun is bright...tons of positivity about this place.

when you do get a car, Phoenix will be a lot more tolerant and enjoyable to live, I base this as having been car-less here and knowing folks that moved here w/o cars have been rather miserable after 6 months + of living here. There are great trails, hikes, nice nightlife in parts of places mentioned above (and scottsdale). Although, there is no light rail in Scottsdale! Hope this helps.

[Valley Native]

Originally Posted by ElleTea

People say living without a car is doable as long as you live near the light rail so you can get to work. But what about for all of those trip you take that aren't work?

Grocery store?
Non food shopping? (Target, etc)
Movies?
Dining out?
Sight seeing?
Barber shop?
Hiking or other outdoor recreation?
Desire to see more than just the small section of the metro the lightrail reaches?

I can be POSSIBLE, but is it desirable to live without a car? Not in my opinion.I would not want to be riding the lightrail with my groceries, but that's just me. If you can take it for work, absolutely! But I would still want a car for day to day stuff.

Good points ... but you need to ask yourself how people in other similarly sized, sprawling metro areas take in these things. What do people without cars in San Diego, Dallas, Houston, or Atlanta do? Chances are they take buses, taxis, bike, or walk, just like they do here. For a while in my younger years, I was without a car in Phoenix ... and this was before we had light rail, and when the bus system was even worse than it is now. I relied on the buses, and my two feet. Lots of walking was involved. It was difficult at times, but I got along OK.

[ElleTea]

Originally Posted by Valley Native

Good points ... but you need to ask yourself how people in other similarly sized, sprawling metro areas take in these things. What do people without cars in San Diego, Dallas, Houston, or Atlanta do? Chances are they take buses, taxis, bike, or walk, just like they do here. For a while in my younger years, I was without a car in Phoenix ... and this was before we had light rail, and when the bus system was even worse than it is now. I relied on the buses, and my two feet. Lots of walking was involved. It was difficult at times, but I got along OK.

I have never been without a car, and much prefer it. That being said, other metros have much better public transportation than Phoenix, so in those areas you could much more easily get along without.

My brother, for instance, lived in Boston and Philly after college. He didn't buy his first car until well into his 30s when he moved to St Louis and actually needed one. Not all cities are created equal when it comes to public transportation.

The point is you could probably get along okay here without a car, but it would not be desirable for most.

[sargeant79]

Originally Posted by ElleTea

I have never been without a car, and much prefer it. That being said, other metros have much better public transportation than Phoenix, so in those areas you could much more easily get along without.

My brother, for instance, lived in Boston and Philly after college. He didn't buy his first car until well into his 30s when he moved to St Louis and actually needed one. Not all cities are created equal when it comes to public transportation.

The point is you could probably get along okay here without a car, but it would not be desirable for most.

I agree with this. Could you live without a car here? Sure. Would getting around be a whole lot easier with a car? Absolutely. Not everyone has the means, however.

To Valley Native: The system here isn't nearly as accessible to most of the metro area as the systems in other cities, even sprawling ones. Dallas has a good bus and train system. Houston has an okay rail system but the buses run more consistently over a wider area. San Diego's public transit system is excellent. I haven't used public transit in Atlanta personally, but from what I understand the system is not too bad out there either. In Phoenix, the system isn't bad if you live near downtown Phoenix or downtown Tempe. Other than in those areas, it would be hard to make it work without a car.

[gearedtowardssalad]

I moved to Phoenix from Minneapolis, and commuted to work 20 miles each way via public transit for the first 5 months. I would caution against it. My quality of life was at a lifetime low before I got a good job and bought a car. I used to take public transit everywhere in Minneapolis and it was typically an enjoyable experience. Cost of living is a bit lower here, but Phoenix has nowhere near the amenities Minneapolis does - especially public transit, and the local sales taxes and the fees associated with the rampant bureaucracy probably evens it out between the two. The weather is obviously better, but air pollution is worse. It seems like everyone in Phoenix is in such a rush to go nowhere. I would consider visiting beforehand.

[deepwater88]

Originally Posted by coolced39

I'm open to other areas of Phoenix also if that works better.

Literally in the exact same boat as you coming from PA. Single, 20s, no kids, sick of cold. Also, no vehicle coming from philly. This should be interesting. I have heard Tempe is doable without a car as its a college town. Where were you considering?