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I am a recent graduate of a University in Ohio and have lived in Columbus, Ohio all of my life but have friends and family in Arizona and am currently seeking a job there. I have always wanted to move out of Ohio to live somewhere different and think that I can tolerate the hot summers as I have visited family and friends in the Phoenix area in July and August, but I love the weather in the winter months as I have also visited in January. I am really tired of the cold winter months in Ohio and am looking for a change. But my questions about the area are:
1)What neighborhoods in Phoenix do young professionals live in? (Keeping in mind that I am also looking for a neighborhood that would also be LGBT friendly as I am a gay male and love living near a downtown area)
2)What are the best hiking areas? (I am an avid hiker and love being outdoors)
3)Is using the light rail practical as a commuting option?
4)How is traffic in Phoenix? (I'm coming from a midwestern town with roughly 2 million people in the area and traffic is rarely an issue with the exception of rush hour)
5) What are some major things that you noticed about Phoenix, if you are not from the area?
Location: The edge of the world and all of Western civilization
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Originally Posted by dj092511
1)What neighborhoods in Phoenix do young professionals live in? (Keeping in mind that I am also looking for a neighborhood that would also be LGBT friendly as I am a gay male and love living near a downtown area)
Melrose would likely suit you best. It's around Midtown and very close to downtown. I live in this area and it has a very strong LGBT presence compared to the rest of the Valley. There are several apartments in the area that are harder to find on major apartment websites. I walk around the neighborhood frequently and could easily send you some names via DM. Anyway, for your sake this area is mostly along 7th Ave between Indian School and Camelback, and you may want to look within the boundaries of roughly Central/Osborn/15th Ave/Camelback. I live in the middle of it, and on nights I want to go to a bar it's great because I'm not comfortable having any drinks and driving, and it helps that I'm within walking distance to several bars. On top of that, there are some pretty good restaurants on 7th Ave, there are several grocery stores in the area, you don't have to drive as far to do things, etc.
2)What are the best hiking areas? (I am an avid hiker and love being outdoors)
That's subjective. You have a lot of options in town and just outside of it, but you'll have plenty of time to explore.
3)Is using the light rail practical as a commuting option?
Yes, but there's fine print. The light rail as of now is very limited in its service area and will be for some time. You need to know where you'll be working. The hours may be limiting too, also depending on where you work. I believe it stops running just before I get off work, so it's not an option for me. I've also noticed late at night it doesn't seem to run the full extent, because I frequently see it with a disclaimer that the last stop is 44th St/Washington. In any case, if you live in Melrose and find a job in an area the rail serves, then you can easily use it to commute.
4)How is traffic in Phoenix? (I'm coming from a midwestern town with roughly 2 million people in the area and traffic is rarely an issue with the exception of rush hour)
You're sure to get the usual response on this forum "Traffic isn't that bad compared to City X." Yes, traffic is bad here even if it's lighter than some other cities. My last apartment was in East Phoenix about 7 miles from downtown and I took the 202 and 10 to work. If I went in early, volunteered to work a weekend or holiday, etc. then I could get to work in less than 15 minutes. Normally it took me about 30 minutes, but 2-3 times per week it could take 45 minutes or longer, and the worst day was about 75 minutes. I don't take any freeways now, and getting downtown takes about 10 minutes to work, less than 10 from work. You'll probably notice it's much heavier than you're used to.
5) What are some major things that you noticed about Phoenix, if you are not from the area?
I don't know where to begin answering this one. It's too vague of a question because people are sure to notice different things, and Phoenix has an unusually small number of people actually born here. I'd be willing to wager that most of the people born here are very young. A few things though is how removed people seem to be from any sense of community, how oblivious people here seem to be about what's right under their noses, and how there seems to be a prevailing attitude of wanting something for nothing. The first point I think is because people don't really feel that attached to the city and don't seem to take much pride in it, which of course leads to neglect. My second point is that there seems to be a relatively hidden part of town that the majority of people can't seem to see, as for example I've seen a store catering to drag queens, an Ethiopian market, a 70-year-old tiki lounge and a great theater company that produces offbeat plays/musicals and refuses sponsorship if it means compromising their integrity. The third you can see in many threads, such as wanting improvements without having to pay for it, a better economy without doing the work it takes to attract better jobs, etc.
*Edit: as a final note, to expedite your job search I would strongly suggest using a friend's or relative's address on your resume and cover letter, and in particular use the most central address you can, because the Valley sprawls pretty extensively. That will really help you in the long run. Even if you're not here yet, you can always say that's the address you'll be moving to. I did that and got an interview, and just said I was going to move after the holidays. Of course, that meant a pretty stressful, hectic move, but it worked.
I see you're new on C-D, so I'm going to offer some tips from an old-timer. You have asked a lot of questions and the topics are quite varied. It's unlikely that one person is going to have experience that parallels all your interests.
May I suggest that you access the Search function to read all the MANY threads in which these varied topics have been hashed and re-hashed. Pretty soon you'll know more about Phoenix than many people who have already moved here. C-D does a pretty good job of burying it's Search function, but you will find a "Search Forums" box at the top of this page. Click the tiny word "Advanced" since you are going to look for specific topics.
That will take you to a place where you can type in your topic (at the upper left of the page). Then move to the right, go down to Arizona and highlight "Phoenix." The hit the search button. That will bring up a long list of threads from the Phoenix forum you can link to in which your search topic will be discussed. Keep your search term general. For instance search "hiking" or "traffic" or "light rail" (the short answer is yes, it's great for commuting if you live and work in Phoenix/Tempe). I'd also search "neighborhoods for young professionals" and "LGBT" or "gay-friendly neighborhoods."
All of these things have been discussed here ad naseum and the people who know the most have already spoken at length and breadth on many previous threads. So search and read away ... all will be answered. Then if you want to come back and ask more specific questions, you'll get better answers.
In general, I would say that in spite of our very conservative state government and sheriff's department, Phoenix is a gay-friendly city and welcoming to the young despite its reputation as being Land O' Retirees. There are many activists here and tons of social life for LGBTQ folks. There are plenty of places to live happily, too: the Central Corridor, Roosevelt Row if you're artsy, Downtown if you're into pro sports, the Camelback/Biltmore neighborhood (89016), perhaps even Old Town Scottsdale, although I think of that as more of a straight singles area.
Both Phoenix and Tempe have Democratic mayors. There are plenty of liberals here even though they are in a minority state-wide. (Little-known fact: Barack Obama got over 900,000 votes in AZ.)
You can find tons of appropriate groups and organizations, related to your profession, your hobbies, your sports, your music, your charity interests, or your dating preferences on Meetup Phoenix. Find your people - Meetup
Finally, I'd like to encourage you to take the plunge and live somewhere completely different than what you're used to. I went alone to a different city right after I graduated from college and when I look back on my life, it's the smartest thing I ever did. Not because I was running AWAY from something. I was running TO adventure and new experiences. It's a great way to grow as a person. If you don't like it in Arizona, trust me, Ohio ain't goin' anywhere. You can always go back.
Sorry for the typo. The Biltmore area zip code is 85016, not 89. That's Las Vegas. Also, that's a good tip you got above from dvxhd. Nobody in Arizona reads resumes that have out of state addresses on them.
Location: Live:Downtown Phoenix, AZ/Work:Greater Los Angeles, CA
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Jukesgrrl
Sorry for the typo. The Biltmore area zip code is 85016, not 89. That's Las Vegas. Also, that's a good tip you got above from dvxhd. Nobody in Arizona reads resumes that have out of state addresses on them.
That seems to be true, it's why the easiest way to move is if you work for a company who was offices in multiple cities and then just transfer to one of the other offices.
It's what I'm going to do when I leave Phoenix, but I'm a truck driver, so a transfer is easier than it is for an average white collar worker
I moved to Phoenix from Detroit, MI about three years and have no regrets. I currently live in Scottsdale. When I began researching my move, I used this forum myself. Things that I have noticed here versus back East include the following:
a. People are more personable. You hear "please" and "thank you" a lot more.
b. People seem to drive quite a bit faster here.
c. Car insurance is much cheaper here than back East.
d. Summer is extremely hot, I didn't believe the posters in the forum when they said I would get used to it, but I did! I believe that it is worth the price for the fall/winter weather that we have.
e. There are so many more places to shop/eat/play. I have never seen so many movie theaters in my life.
I hope this helps. I honestly haven't found many negatives about living here. In my experience, the heat would be the top one, so if you can handle that... you should be fine.
FYI... are you an Ohio State Graduate? There's a huge "Young Buckeyes of Phoenix" group in AZ. There are a lot of Ohioans .... and of course Michiganders (who may be Wolverines or Spartans hehe).
I am a recent graduate of a University in Ohio and have lived in Columbus, Ohio all of my life but have friends and family in Arizona and am currently seeking a job there. I have always wanted to move out of Ohio to live somewhere different and think that I can tolerate the hot summers as I have visited family and friends in the Phoenix area in July and August, but I love the weather in the winter months as I have also visited in January. I am really tired of the cold winter months in Ohio and am looking for a change. But my questions about the area are:
1)What neighborhoods in Phoenix do young professionals live in? (Keeping in mind that I am also looking for a neighborhood that would also be LGBT friendly as I am a gay male and love living near a downtown area)
2)What are the best hiking areas? (I am an avid hiker and love being outdoors)
3)Is using the light rail practical as a commuting option?
4)How is traffic in Phoenix? (I'm coming from a midwestern town with roughly 2 million people in the area and traffic is rarely an issue with the exception of rush hour)
5) What are some major things that you noticed about Phoenix, if you are not from the area?
It's your lucky day!!!! I moved from Columbus in January. I am also part of the lgbt community. Columbus is per capita more lgbt than Phoenix but Phoenix offers a lively community too. Great hiking and outdoors activities. I am busy now will post more when not on my iPad.
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hehe).
