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Helloworld where in MI are you from abouts? Detroit?
Yeah Im just looking for a change and no snow. Keep reading different opinions on stuff that are all different, so it just hard to think about and visualize without going. Going to take a trip early this spring, so just trying to decide on where to go. Sorry for stealing your thread HelloWorld. Ill hush, lol.
I agree because I need a good and a bad perspective on things. So i've heard multiple people say not just londonbarcelona that Phoenix has no urban life-what are they doing to improve that? Do you have to drive a long way to hike?
The Phoenix area is made up of a bunch of burbs crowded together. Phoenix is not really a city in the sense of being a city like Chicago, Boston, New York, or say Minneapolis where I'm originally from. IMO Phoenix mainly has only one thing going for it, and that is it is a great place to escape the winter cold. Sure it has a variety of restaurants and retail stores, but so does most major cities. It's cool that the Phoenix area is amongst mountains, but the majority of the time the mountains are hard to see because of the "brown haze" that gets trapped in the area. Has anyone even mentioned the poor air quality that Phoenix experiences so often? The crime is a major problem also. I'd say an average of two murders daily.
You know it's all in what a person deems important in life. You asked about if hiking is far away. No, it's not far away. You can hike right in Phoenix if you like. That's if you don't mind hiking with dozens of other people at the same time and don't mind looking down on the concrete jungle. My wife and I are huge into hiking and biking. That's a big reason why we moved back to Flagstaff. Hiking and biking just isn't what it was meant to be when you are doing it in Phoenix. We wanted a slower pace of life and wanted to spend more time enjoying the outdoors. Enjoying the outdoors is hard to do when it's so hot.
There is good and bad in every place. If you are into family and looking for family oriented activities, I wouldn't recommend Phoenix. I certainly wouldn't want to raise a family there. I don't know a whole lot about the education system in Arizona, but from what I have heard it is lacking. Personally I love Arizona, but I'm not a fan of Phoenix and Tuscon. I think they are great places to visit for a short time, but I wouldn't live there (Phoenix) again.
The Phoenix area is made up of a bunch of burbs crowded together. Phoenix is not really a city in the sense of being a city like Chicago, Boston, New York, or say Minneapolis where I'm originally from. IMO Phoenix mainly has only one thing going for it, and that is it is a great place to escape the winter cold. Sure it has a variety of restaurants and retail stores, but so does most major cities. It's cool that the Phoenix area is amongst mountains, but the majority of the time the mountains are hard to see because of the "brown haze" that gets trapped in the area. Has anyone even mentioned the poor air quality that Phoenix experiences so often? The crime is a major problem also. I'd say an average of two murders daily.
You know it's all in what a person deems important in life. You asked about if hiking is far away. No, it's not far away. You can hike right in Phoenix if you like. That's if you don't mind hiking with dozens of other people at the same time and don't mind looking down on the concrete jungle. My wife and I are huge into hiking and biking. That's a big reason why we moved back to Flagstaff. Hiking and biking just isn't what it was meant to be when you are doing it in Phoenix. We wanted a slower pace of life and wanted to spend more time enjoying the outdoors. Enjoying the outdoors is hard to do when it's so hot.
There is good and bad in every place. If you are into family and looking for family oriented activities, I wouldn't recommend Phoenix. I certainly wouldn't want to raise a family there. I don't know a whole lot about the education system in Arizona, but from what I have heard it is lacking. Personally I love Arizona, but I'm not a fan of Phoenix and Tuscon. I think they are great places to visit for a short time, but I wouldn't live there (Phoenix) again.
Helloworld where in MI are you from abouts? Detroit?
Yeah Im just looking for a change and no snow. Keep reading different opinions on stuff that are all different, so it just hard to think about and visualize without going. Going to take a trip early this spring, so just trying to decide on where to go. Sorry for stealing your thread HelloWorld. Ill hush, lol.
It's fine!! -- I'm from the Detroit Metro Area- and I'm sick of it! :P --I hope you have fun on your trip!
And I also like that comment about raising a family in Phoenix, there is good and bad in every city, do you want to raise a family in Detroit? =]
I agree because I need a good and a bad perspective on things. So i've heard multiple people say not just londonbarcelona that Phoenix has no urban life-what are they doing to improve that? Do you have to drive a long way to hike?
Not really. South Mountain is about a 30 minute drive for me (to the entrance) and there are 14 miles of hiking there. I'm also close to the Superstition Mountains, and there are other hiking spots in other parts of town (Camelback, Squaw Peak, the White Tanks). Not far at all.
Not really. South Mountain is about a 30 minute drive for me (to the entrance) and there are 14 miles of hiking there. I'm also close to the Superstition Mountains, and there are other hiking spots in other parts of town (Camelback, Squaw Peak, the White Tanks). Not far at all.
Yep there are plenty of places to hike in the Phoenix area, but like I said in my other post you'll be hiking with dozens of others (especially on the weekends) and enjoying the views of urban sprawl as you do so. There is also a catch 22 regarding hiking in Phoenix. In the summer months the temps are too hot for most to want to hike, but the air is healthier because of better air flow from the CA winds . In the winter the temps are much cooler, but the air is the least healthy because that is when the brown haze likes to settle into the bowl (valley) that the Phoenix area sits in. Another thing is hiking isn't always free in the Phoenix area. To hike in the White Tanks for example you have to pay a fee. Same goes if you want to hang out at a lake for the day. Here are a couple of sites that will educate you on Phoenix area hiking and recreation: MOUNTAIN PARKS/PRESERVES HIKING TRAILS and Parks & Recreation - Maricopa County. Another nicety you have to worry about with hiking in Phoenix is what they call "smash and grab". See some of the fine citizens in the area like to smash in your vehicle windows and grab your belongings while you are hiking. You'll here about it often on the news, or the police officer hanging out at the hiking trail parking lot will fill you in on it.
Yep there are plenty of places to hike in the Phoenix area, but like I said in my other post you'll be hiking with dozens of others (especially on the weekends) and enjoying the views of urban sprawl as you do so. There is also a catch 22 regarding hiking in Phoenix. In the summer months the temps are too hot for most to want to hike, but the air is healthier because of better air flow from the CA winds . In the winter the temps are much cooler, but the air is the least healthy because that is when the brown haze likes to settle into the bowl (valley) that the Phoenix area sits in. Another thing is hiking isn't always free in the Phoenix area. To hike in the White Tanks for example you have to pay a fee. Same goes if you want to hang out at a lake for the day. Here are a couple of sites that will educate you on Phoenix area hiking and recreation: MOUNTAIN PARKS/PRESERVES HIKING TRAILS and Parks & Recreation - Maricopa County. Another nicety you have to worry about with hiking in Phoenix is what they call "smash and grab". See some of the fine citizens in the area like to smash in your vehicle windows and grab your belongings while you are hiking. You'll here about it often on the news, or the police officer hanging out at the hiking trail parking lot will fill you in on it.
If you were hiking with the crowds in Phoenix it's only because you followed the crowds and didn't spend the time to seek out the lesser known trails. I can hike on South Mountain on a weekend and choose trails where I'll only see a handful of people. As for the smash and grabs, those can and do happen at any trailhead in the state. Hiking Fees are also common in Sedona, Prescott and other areas of the state.
If you were hiking with the crowds in Phoenix it's only because you followed the crowds and didn't spend the time to seek out the lesser known trails. I can hike on South Mountain on a weekend and choose trails where I'll only see a handful of people. As for the smash and grabs, those can and do happen at any trailhead in the state. Hiking Fees are also common in Sedona, Prescott and other areas of the state.
Believe me I don't follow crowds if I don't have to. Sure you can seek out the lesser used trails, but you aren't going to get away from the fact that you are still urban hiking. To me hiking is getting away from people and the city, enjoying the outdoors and nature. I never felt I accomplished that hiking in the Phoenix area. Sure you have to pay for hiking in Sedona, but you have to pay to do anything in Sedona. It's Red Rock country, and it's a tourist trap! I agree about paying to hike in Prescott, but there are a few places you can slip into for free. I guess I base most of my opionions on what is available in Flagstaff. It doesn't cost to hike here. Payson is another great place to hike for free. Hell there is free hiking all over this state, and there are plenty of places you have to pay also.
I never heard of "smash and grab" until I moved to Phoenix. I personally have never had a problem anywhere. It helps to be smart about what you leave available in your vehicle for viewing.
It's fine!! -- I'm from the Detroit Metro Area- and I'm sick of it! :P --I hope you have fun on your trip!
And I also like that comment about raising a family in Phoenix, there is good and bad in every city, do you want to raise a family in Detroit? =]
Nope, I wouldn't want to raise a family in Detroit. I wouldn't want to raise a family in any large city, but that's just me.
Being a Midwesterner I know how a person gets sick of the ugly cold weather. For me I hated the endless damp cloudy days more than the cold. In Minneapolis there were times the sun wouldn't shine for weeks. That drove me nuts. I thought moving to a warmer climate like Phoenix would be the answer. I soon learned that endless sunshine and hot weather is just as sickening as endless cloudy days and cold weather. Too much of anything gets old. That's why I live in Flag now. To me it's the perfect place. You get a variety of weather. Eventhough it's cold at times the sun still shines. Cold is a lot easier to handle when the sun is shining. If the cold does get you down, you just have to hop in the car and travel a couple hours south to warm up in Phoenix. The summers are awesome. It seldom gets up over 90 degrees. But stay away from Flag! Too many people are moving here because they have discovered how great it is. We don't need more!
You know for a younger person Phoenix would be a great place to experience, especially if you are single. You won't find a larger amount of pretty people anywhere. There are plenty of great night spots to party at and make new friends. When I was younger, I didn't worry about things like how hot it was, the amount of crime, was it a safe environment to raise a family, if the air I was breathing was clean, etc. I just wanted to meet sexy people, party, get laid, and have fun. If those are your desires, then Phoenix would be the perfect place to move to. You'll never know unless you give it a shot. Live and learn, that's what life is all about.
Too many people are moving here because they have discovered how great it is. We don't need more!
Said the guy who recently moved there.....
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