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I'm planning on moving to the Phoenix area within the next year or so. I've decided on the Queen Creek area. Florence, El Mirage, Maricopa (city), Surprise, and maybe Phoenix are other possibles. I've done a lot of research on the areas and the climate, but I've never been there. I know it gets very hot, but I'm from Milwaukee, Wisconsin and it's 2 degrees with a -11 wind chill. Our high for the last week has been 5 degrees, that sucks! We don't have four seasons, it's either extremely hot and humid or freezing cold. The few days that are nice, the mosquitoes will eat you alive! I'm looking for a change! I'd rather take 4 months in an oven than 5-6 months in a freezer. Snow in May is rare but it happens! Can anyone tell me a little more about the area. I know it will take some getting used to. I see squirrels and alley cats. You guys have lizards and scorpions, so I've heard. Somebody fill me in on these things, cities, wildlife, traffic, crime, police harassment (ours is terrible i.e. Frank Jude), monsoons, mosquitoes, and valley fever....? Thanks!
It looks like you've gotten into the Phoenix bashing, heat hating forum.
There are people who can't take the heat. There are people who can't take the cold. That's understandable. So you have to read through and understand where each person is coming from.
Yes the heat at 115 is extreme, just as zero degrees with 30 mph winds, sleet and snow is extreme in Chicago. To me 115 degrees is much more bearable than the cold.
When you compare 115 with 5 % humidity to 85 degrees at 90 degrees humidity, the 115 is much better. I've spent a lot of time in both, and I prefer the 115 low humidity.
I don't have any trouble with my car's AC. It is also a black car and it does get a little warmer than a white car, it's no big deal.
Crime is universal. It knows no boundry's. It is all over the country. There are pockets where it's worse. In the Phoenix area there are pockets where crime is worse. This is normally around areas that are drug infested. In most areas here crime is low.
Phoenix is spread out, and there is heavy commute traffic with some bad drivers. But it is nothing compared to the LA traffic, the Manhattan traffic and other high traffic areas. The thing to do is locate within a reasonable commute distance from work.
A good piece of advice is to rent before you buy so you can take time in choosing your area.
Thank you for the nice comment.
I am amazed at how many folks decided I was bashing Phoenix or lying!
Come on people, get real. I was being 100% honest and I was in no way bashed Phoenix. The majority of my family still lives there.
I specifically want to address a few people who cut my comments - and dismissed the most important part of my post, which was to VISIT before moving.
First:
Quote:
Originally Posted by sweettearose
... And I've never really bought into the whole "stick your head into an oven" example. .... Even Boise, Idaho gets extremely cold for 3 months. A lot of this is psychological so you just have to be honest with yourself. For those people who prefer cold, I often wonder why they would move to a place like Phoenix. That would be like me moving to Michigan and then complaining about cold. I don't get it
No one asked you to BUY it sweet pea. I just told a story.
I also never said I enjoyed the cold - I don't - I grew up where it was pretty much 75 and beautiful year round. All said was visit first! Why tell some one its just psychological ... It's more than that. It's Physical, too.
As for the heat: Highest recorded temperature in Phoenix: 122 degrees on June 26, 1990. You don't have to live in a tin shack to feel the harsh effects. In the Phoenix metro area – heat is being reflected, trapped, and absorbed in concrete, rooftops, and a maze of buildings that blocks wind. At the same time, there's little vegetation to absorb the heat, and high energy usage generates more heat.
It's called the "urban heat-island effect," research it. This heat island effect has caused many over 110 degree days into September. Again, don't take MY word for it. Do the research ... much of it was done at ASU - Arizona State University and U of Arizona. Visit their archives - read the AZ Republic ... research it yourself.
Experts say the main reason the number of 110-degree-or-higher days has risen so steadily – and steeply in recent years – is rapid growth. Many people have swimming pools, and most have air conditioning. But that, too, adds to the problem of the heat-island effect. Every time you use that mechanical air conditioner, you're throwing hot air back into the environment. So, there's your tin can.
As for Boise - have you been here in the Winter Sweettearose? Well, I am. And there is NO extreme cold.
We've had the MOST snow this year than the last twelve ... and that's means its snowed 2 to 3 whole inches a few times this winter ... and you know what ... it's gone in a day or two because it MELTS when the sun comes out every afternoon . It's hardly the snow of Chicago or Montana ... pleeze get real.
As for my car it's a Grand Caravan 2005 tinted windows in perfect condition- our second car is a 2006 VW Passat.
Parked at the Paradise valley mall mid-day for over an hour the temps in the car can get upwards of 160 degrees.
It takes a while to cool that off ... just the facts ... again, research it.
To: Blister peanuts ... there's barely enough snow to shovel here, so I'll have to go to the gym And you enjoy the trip to Flagstaff to get away from it all ... there's cool weather and a lot of culture there, for sure. Just being a smart ass as you were
Quote:
Originally Posted by Captain Bill
.
.... A good piece of advice is to rent before you buy so you can take time in choosing your area.
And finally, Captain Bill ... a voice of sanity. My intent was never to bash heat or Phoenix, so get off the defensive wagon everyone. I was just advising her to VISIT ... before she leaped. My crime it seems was voicing my opinion because it was different than some of you.
Thanks once again for all the replies. Keep them coming, I'm listening to everything that people have to say. To tell you the truth, there's nothing that anyone can say about the heat that would change my mind about Arizona! I just got done shoveling and I can barely type because my fingers are still frozen. Theres no such thing as dressing for the weather! If you over dress, you start to sweat and thats the worst feeling ever when it's freezing outside! I took pictures of the front, back, and alley by my house, and I wish I could post them! It took about 2 hours to dig out of this crap. It took another 2 hours to dig out the 6 cars that were stuck in the alley! There are wind gusts at about 30mph so even though it finally stopped snowing, everything that I just shoveled will be covered again in a couple hours because of the "blowing snow". I admit that I'm pretty used to the weather but I hate it. All I've worn for the past 6-7 winters is a hoodie. If it gets to the single digits, I might break out the hat, but that's it. I know it gets hot down there, and the heat can kill, but I'm sure the cold, snow, and ice kills way more people. You guys haven't lived until you hit your brakes and your car keeps going, good times! Or, when your all dressed and looking good and you fall on a patch of ice that was hidden by snow, thats a great feeling! I must admit that it's pretty funny when it happens to somebody else. (As long as they're ok)
I'm watching the weather, and they said it snowed for 30 hours! I've been here all my life and I've never seen anything like this. Our whole city shut down today. Even the city buses. We were told not to leave the house today because of the snow, that's unheard of in Milwaukee! I would be the happiest man on earth if I never had to see another flake of snow. I've seen pistons blown, hoses burst, and a couple accidents just from people gunning their engines trying to get unstuck. Just unreal. I haven't even tried to move my cars because I don't want to get stuck. My wife and I might not go to work tomorrow! I'm sure the heat doesn't cause accidents, or missed time at work. What about the monsoons, and dust storms?
Last edited by jakegeesr; 02-06-2008 at 09:13 PM..
In the Phoenix metro area – heat is being reflected, trapped, and absorbed in concrete, rooftops, and a maze of buildings that blocks wind. At the same time, there's little vegetation to absorb the heat, and high energy usage generates more heat.
It's called the "urban heat-island effect," research it. This heat island effect has caused many over 110 degree days into September. Again, don't take MY word for it. Do the research ... much of it was done at ASU - Arizona State University and U of Arizona. Visit their archives - read the AZ Republic ... research it yourself.
Experts say the main reason the number of 110-degree-or-higher days has risen so steadily – and steeply in recent years – is rapid growth. Many people have swimming pools, and most have air conditioning. But that, too, adds to the problem of the heat-island effect. Every time you use that mechanical air conditioner, you're throwing hot air back into the environment. So, there's your tin can.
Again, AlleyTD is right. The Valley of the Sun would be hot enough without any urbanization-- then you add on a gargantuan 500+ square mile urban area gridded out with concrete and asphalt mile after mile and it turns the heat from a bad thing into worse. Even by the standards of the desert southwest, Phoenix is riduculously hot-- and while being low elevation doesn't help, part of the problem is man-made. There were many days last summer when even Tucson, just 100 mi SE, was 25 degrees cooler and raining, whereas Phoenix got the monsoon humidity, but the temperatures didn't drop at all and little rain fell. Heck, even Casa Grande/ the Gila Valley, an area with a similar elevation and landscape as Phoenix, which should be the same weather, was often way cooler than Phoenix. Phoenix is turning into a man-made thermal disaster. If anybody here thinks last summer was just a one-time thing, think again. I'm willing to bet $20 it's the new norm. I understand that the type of people who tend to move to Phoenix are already predisposed to want heat, but seriously, how much heat is enough?
Quote:
Originally Posted by jakegeesr
Theres no such thing as dressing for the weather! If you over dress, you start to sweat and thats the worst feeling ever when it's freezing outside!
I know what you mean jakegeesr! What you are describing is indeed uncomfortable. Although there is no way you can compare a Phoenix winter to a Milwaukee winter, the dilemma of whether to over-dress or under-dress for the weather is here too. For the last 2 months it seems we've been having temperatures in the upper 50's and low 60's. If you stand in the sun and if there's no wind, you could actually get by without a jacket. Just a little bit of wind though, even 5 mph, or a little bit of wind resistance created by activity, or stand in the shade, and even 60 degrees can feel bone chilling cold without a jacket! Then if you wear a jacket or sweatshirt in this weather and do something physically active, you'll start sweating with the jacket. What I've found with the Phoenix winters is that while it's really nothing to complain about, I wouldn't classify it as "perfect" either-- it's a shade too cold-- and too dry of a cold-- to be "perfect." Now, I went on a quick trip to San Diego a few weeks ago, and it felt absolutely perfect during the daylight hours-- in the sun and shade-- yet the temperatures were no different than Phoenix when I went-- in the mid '60s. Just a little bit of humidity from that ocean air makes a big difference. At night it got a little chilly and very foggy in SD, but I didn't mind it much.
Quote:
I know it gets hot down there, and the heat can kill, but I'm sure the cold, snow, and ice kills way more people. You guys haven't lived until you hit your brakes and your car keeps going, good times!
On this one, I agree with you-- trying to drive on snow and ice sucks! No way to refute that, no if's, and's, or but's. It's worth keeping in mind though that while in Phoenix you don't have to worry about your car slipping and sliding on ice, there are plenty of human-induced hazards here, and there are 100s of other ways one can still get in an accident here. If it's not one thing, it's another. I wouldn't be surprised if car insurance is more in Phoenix than in Milwaukee. On this one I won't make a bet, but I wouldn't be surprised either.
What people considering moving to Phoenix from the midwest because they want warmer weather need to consider, is why does it have to be Phoenix? Have you truly looked at all the options for warmer climates in the southwest? Why not Tucson? What about living in SE Arizona (like Sierra Vista, Bisbee, etc)-- arguably the best non-coastal climate in the US-- with a climate similar to the interior of Mexico. What about El Paso, TX? What about Las Vegas? What about St George, UT? What about Las Cruces, NM? What about Albuquerque-- if you're willing to tolerate just a little bit of snow? And what about the Big Kahuna-- California? Have you given Los Angeles or San Diego-- the King Kong of climates-- a serious consideration? Are you sure you cannot afford to live there, or are you just assuming right off the bat? And if you really can't afford to live there, have you taken a look at the more affordable "Inland Empire" region of Southern California-- in Riverside and San Bernardino counties? All these places I mentioned have warmer winters than the midwest, without the barbaric summers of Phoenix. I'd say, look at all your options first, and then see if Phoenix happens to be the place you're looking for. At least then you'll be an informed mover, and know what you're getting into.
Last edited by vegaspilgrim; 02-06-2008 at 09:32 PM..
Reason: corrections
.... To tell you the truth, there's nothing that anyone can say about the heat that would change my mind about Arizona! ....
No one is trying to talk you out of moving to Arizona - at least I'm not - I and vegaspilgrim are just "suggesting" you keep and open mind about Maricopa County (Phoenix and the surrounding cities.) It's not the only place in Arizona - or the west for that matter - that doesn't get snow.
Take off the rosey colored glasses and visit ... that's all.
Heck make it a road trip and visit the whole southern part of the State ... you might be pleasantly surprised.
You have my sympathies on the snow stuff.
I've never understood how anyone could live in such deep long lasting snowy locations ... or place where they have tornados.
Monsoons and dust storms are cake. Easy peesy ... short spurts of very heavy rain, booming thunder and beautiful lightening storms. Dust storms blow through and it looks really cool on the news when they show it - it's like a rolling wall of dust. They also don't last very long. After what you are used to, you will hardly notice it ...
After all the sun for most of the year, Moonsoons and weather of any kind is usually a welcome relief to most residents.
Thanks vegaspilgrim. I really don't want to move directly into Phoenix, I was really giving Queen Creek some serious consideration because of the beautiful, cheap rental houses. Also, I have a cousin who went to college down there and It'll be nice to have some family around. My sister is moving this summer, so it made my decision a little easier. I want to have some family around, so Maricopa county is a good spot for me. I checked out some places in Tucson, but it looked a little grimey(sorry guys). I looked at some places in Sacramento, and San Diego also but they were very expensive! I'm gonna check out San Bernardino and Riverside right now, thanks.
Thanks vegaspilgrim. I really don't want to move directly into Phoenix, I was really giving Queen Creek some serious consideration because of the beautiful, cheap rental houses. Also, I have a cousin who went to college down there and It'll be nice to have some family around. My sister is moving this summer, so it made my decision a little easier. I want to have some family around, so Maricopa county is a good spot for me. I checked out some places in Tucson, but it looked a little grimey(sorry guys). I looked at some places in Sacramento, and San Diego also but they were very expensive! I'm gonna check out San Bernardino and Riverside right now, thanks.
Thanks. Just so you don't get freaked out when you read about those two places, I was referring to the counties as a whole, not necessarily the city of San Bernardino (which is a really high crime place from what I heard) or Riverside. Temecula and Murrietta in southern Riverside county OTOH are two really nice areas. I drove through it on the way back from SD (I went the long way, 215 to I-10) and was impressed. Parts of Riverside itself aren't that bad, but some of it does suck. Again, I'm not saying that the Inland Empire is better than Phoenix necessarily, just that it's one of many options to consider on the table.
I checked on the "inland empire" and they had some reasonably priced homes for rent, but they had grass, or patchy grass. I know I'm being picky, but I'm looking for a serious change. Grass is not high on my list at all. I don't want to shovel or cut grass! The patchy grass is what I saw in Tuscon. It's just an eyesore! It reminds me of the hood in Milwaukee! I'm sure not all the places in Tucson have that, and the Phoenix area probably has that too, but most of my searching is done on Craigslist and that's what I saw. I fell in love with the gravel landscaped yards. I plan on selling my lawn mower when I move!
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Amazing
a few times this winter ... and you know what ... it's gone in a day or two because it MELTS when the sun comes out every afternoon 
get real. 
And you enjoy the trip to Flagstaff to get away from it all ... there's cool weather and a lot of culture there, for sure. Just being a smart ass as you were 
