View of PHX from NYC this week (Super Bowl/PGA) (Phoenix: living, move)

[Steve-o]

Originally Posted by poolgirl51

I think that all in all Arizona is an amazing state with geographic diversity that I just did not expect. It dazzles me every day.

AZ is gorgeous from Page all the way to Tombstone. Ive enjoyed all corners of the state as far as natural beauty goes. Ive hiked several mountains in the area, tubed on the Salt River (brrrrr), hiked the Grand Canyon, the Painted Desert, the Petrified Forest, the Dragoon Mountains, the Sky Islands, the Superstitions, the McDowells, the Phoenix Mountain Preserves, Camelback, etc, etc. Im always amazed at AZ's natural beauty. It just pains me to head south on 17 from Flagstaff and once I hit the Anthem area I begin to cringe a bit. I love spending time in Scottsdale, but at the same time I cant stand it because its becoming too crowded for its own good, which is never a good thing. My fave area of the burbs is off of Alma School Rd, near Pinnacle Peak Rd. I love how natural they keep things in that area, and I really love all the boulders in that area, its gorgeous beyond words. Too bad I cant afford it though, otherwise Id consider retiring in that area.

[Steve-o]

Originally Posted by vegaspilgrim

The vast majority of the city of Phoenix is built on former farmland-- land which the native Sonoran desert vegetation was already stripped clear and plowed over a hundred years ago. Twenty years ago much of your beloved north Scottsdale and Carefree was open desert. So who's destroying what?

Theres no question that the suburbs are just as guilty. The problem is that PHX is the root of all this growth, with people expanding further and further out into the Sonoran Desert. Places like Surprise, Anthem, etc, are doing nothing to preserve. They bulldoze thousands of acres of pristine desert and erect cookie-cutters and strip malls. Now, places like north Scottsdale kinda remind me of Tucson, in the fact that they embrace the desert rather than shun it. There are preserved desert drives, more natural looking yards, etc, etc. And the fact that there are no billboards up there further adds to its appeal. You dont find that in the rest of the Valley. Look at Carefree too. Its gorgeous for the simple reason that the homes blend into the environment. I even saw a home up there that was built INTO a massive boulder. Saguaros are very abundant and there are hardly any palms up there too. It just looks EONS more natural and serene than any place in Mesa, Chandler, Gilberts, etc... Agreed? Thats why I prefer the NE Valley to everywhere else.

[sweettearose]

I had lemon, orange and grapefruit trees in addition to a lush lawn. Nearly everyone in my neighborhood had this. I feel that most of Phoenix is green. Sure, we don't have miles of pine trees like Portland but I don't really need that for me to feel that a city is green.

[artvandelay]

Stepping away from the Steve-O vs the board forum, back to the original post. Has anyone read any media reviews on how the valley performed this week? Did any visitors even step foot in Glendale other than game-day?

[MotleyCrew]

My daughter said that one of the N. Phoenix clubs was full of out of towners with their Super Bowl pass hung around their necks. They were having a great time of it. Mimi's was packed with folks with those funny east coast accents JK. Being that we are sooo spread out, we probably did not feel the impact as much as say...Chicago would. LOL

[Captain Bill]

Originally Posted by MotleyCrew

My daughter said that one of the N. Phoenix clubs was full of out of towners with their Super Bowl pass hung around their necks. They were having a great time of it. Mimi's was packed with folks with those funny east coast accents JK. Being that we are sooo spread out, we probably did not feel the impact as much as say...Chicago would. LOL

I'm hearing that the flights into here were about quadrupled in price; that some bars were charging a $20 door fee; hotels were double and triple in price; so there was a windfall for many people.

I loved the game. Before the game, I was neutral, but during the first quarter decided to root for the under dog. I had expected a rout but it was a great game, and it appeared that the best team of the day won.

The commercials were a disappointment. I don't recall any of them, so for me, none were memorable. Well I do recall the Victoria Secret model, but I don't recall anything about the commercial.

[Ponderosa]

I was disappointed how much (Fox?) turned the Super Bowl into a celebrity event. I mean Ryan Seacrest and a red carpet pre-game show . On the local coverage here, at least, it was non-stop about this celeb or that celeb's party. It was a football game, not the Oscars.

[sablebaby]

Originally Posted by Ponderosa

I was disappointed how much (Fox?) turned the Super Bowl into a celebrity event. I mean Ryan Seacrest and a red carpet pre-game show . On the local coverage here, at least, it was non-stop about this celeb or that celeb's party. It was a football game, not the Oscars.

Yeah, we felt the same way. We kept hearing jets fly over our house all night. I'm sure there were a lot of celebs and such flying home.

[Ponderosa]

Originally Posted by Captain Bill

I'm hearing that the flights into here were about quadrupled in price; that some bars were charging a $20 door fee; hotels were double and triple in price; so there was a windfall for many people.

I loved the game. Before the game, I was neutral, but during the first quarter decided to root for the under dog. I had expected a rout but it was a great game, and it appeared that the best team of the day won.

The commercials were a disappointment. I don't recall any of them, so for me, none were memorable. Well I do recall the Victoria Secret model, but I don't recall anything about the commercial.

The best commercial was the ambulance chaser lawyer's one - I think it was only local, though.

[Bluefly]

As an outsider to Phoenix, it's hard to watch such a celebration of an area that is living so far beyond its water means and is also so committed to automobile dependence and spreading things out as far as it can. Especially coming from the Great Lakes, it's only a matter of time before the water from that area losing money starts flowing to the ever increasing money in the SW. Water always flows toward money - just look at Vegas.

Interestingly - I was once on this journey through that area. It started off at some cliff dwelling ruins - seeing not only a people who lived in tune with the surrounding landscape, but also the black charred smoke on the ceilings of the caves that must have just been awful pollution for their lungs in those tight areas. Then I was guided to an experimental community just north of Phoenix called Arcosanti. Flawed as it was, it seemed to at least be attempting to capture the best of our modern civilization with the best of how those indigenous peoples' lived. Throughout it all there was this powerful force that was guiding and teaching me something about how we must begin to live - it felt very Native American, but that was just a sense. (I'm a bit of a mystic).

The final stop was in Phoenix. After spending so many days in this enlightened energy, I had a harsh visceral reaction to being consumed by this sprawling metropolis in the desert. It seriously hurt on a very deep level. When I'm not so atuned to higher energies, I can handle places like that better. But my energy was so elevated toward the highest potential of humanity, and suddenly rocked down hard to its currently primitive state.

I just hope perhaps all this money flowing into the region can provide some impetus for change. I'm not looking to start a fight - just convey my experience. I know a lot of people love Phoenix and I understand why.