Seeking: Realistic experiences from Inland Empire CA to Phoenix transplants (Glendale: house, neighborhoods)

[MuscleCar]

Perhaps this isn't a terribly unique subject, but the search function didnt offer smoking gun answers. So I'll ask.

"IE transplants: What is Phoenix like for you?"

Reason I ask is these tax laws and policies in CA are driving my family and I nuts. We are absolutely not the type of people who want to move somewhere, then make it like CA. That makes no sense!

Amenities wise however, I know Phoenix has a Mills mall, a lot of good shopping, many of the same grocery stores and restaurants as L.A., and has major sports teams to offer as well.

One thing I like about the IE is the walkability of a lot of the little suburbs like Redlands. Are there any places like that in Phoenix?

I know Phoenis is hotter than the IE, but what's your take on it? How's the 90/100 in the IE compare to 115 in PHX?

Any other good info to share? Thanks!

[locolife]

Originally Posted by MuscleCar

Perhaps this isn't a terribly unique subject, but the search function didnt offer smoking gun answers. So I'll ask.

"IE transplants: What is Phoenix like for you?"

Reason I ask is these tax laws and policies in CA are driving my family and I nuts. We are absolutely not the type of people who want to move somewhere, then make it like CA. That makes no sense!

Amenities wise however, I know Phoenix has a Mills mall, a lot of good shopping, many of the same grocery stores and restaurants as L.A., and has major sports teams to offer as well.

One thing I like about the IE is the walkability of a lot of the little suburbs like Redlands. Are there any places like that in Phoenix?

I know Phoenis is hotter than the IE, but what's your take on it? How's the 90/100 in the IE compare to 115 in PHX?

Any other good info to share? Thanks!

There are lots of unique walkable areas in and around Phoenix. Downtown Phoenix has several itself being the actual core nearby the suns arena/dbaks park, a bit north of downtown you’ll find Roosevelt Row, the Mill Ave area in Tempe, old Town Scottsdale, downtown Gilbert, downtown Chandler, downtown Glendale just to name a few.

I love a lot about Phoenix, our events from Sept-May are pretty phenomenal and you almost can’t keep up be it Oktoberfest on town lake, spring training, the Phoenix open or smaller events like First Friday and M3F. I’m a big outdoorsy person personally and almost nothing beats catching one of the famous Arizona sunsets from one of the dozen or so preserves around town McDowell Mountains, South Mountain, Phoenix Mountains etc...

As for the temps, it’s very rarely 115 I think we maybe hit that 2-3 times this year. I’m on my 16th summer and it really doesn’t even bother me anymore, since I love monsoon season I actually look forward to summer.

[Obadno]

Originally Posted by MuscleCar

Perhaps this isn't a terribly unique subject, but the search function didnt offer smoking gun answers. So I'll ask.

"IE transplants: What is Phoenix like for you?"

Reason I ask is these tax laws and policies in CA are driving my family and I nuts. We are absolutely not the type of people who want to move somewhere, then make it like CA. That makes no sense!

Amenities wise however, I know Phoenix has a Mills mall, a lot of good shopping, many of the same grocery stores and restaurants as L.A., and has major sports teams to offer as well.

One thing I like about the IE is the walkability of a lot of the little suburbs like Redlands. Are there any places like that in Phoenix?

I know Phoenis is hotter than the IE, but what's your take on it? How's the 90/100 in the IE compare to 115 in PHX?

Any other good info to share? Thanks!

By IE you mean like riverside and surrounding areas? I think you’ll find it to be quite similar but unlike the inland empire which, while huge, is just the extend sprawl for Los Angelou’s Phoenix is its own metro area with its own urban areas within it.

I think you’ll find it has what’s nice about the IE in terms of pricing and climate but with amenities that you have to go closer to LA propper to get.

[LagunaMom]

I don't live in the IE, but since Laguna's like my second home, I own property in SoCal, had family in Elsinore, and I've gone back and forth for decades, I can give you some sort of an answer.

Whereas the IE can cool down at night in the summer, Phoenix doesn't. We're in a heat island. "Cooling down" may just mean the low to mid-90s. That is what makes a big difference. The heat can wear you down. The older you get, the more intolerant you probably get. We've got pools and lakes, but obviously we're still 6 hours' away from the ocean. There is a difference between 100 and 115. It's not necessarily how many 115+ days we've got, it's whether we get any kind of a break.

While we've got pollution, it's not like being slammed with it when you're outside of Palm Springs and have it not clear up until you're past Irvine. The traffic can be miserable here, but a month ago, it took an unbelievable 8 hours to get from Beverly Hills adjacent into Phoenix. Nearly 4 hours between LA and Palm Springs (Friday night, construction, etc.)

As someone said, though, Phoenix is a metro area of its own, not what amounts to an extension of LA/OC. Some places here are virtually identical to SoCal, except perhaps for the vegetation.

While we have a monsoon season and some wildfires, we obviously don't have the Santa Anas or a wildfire season. No mudslides in Phoenix, although in a few areas, flooding is a problem.

There are a few neighborhoods where you can walk, but as anywhere in the West, you need a car.

[Tokinouta]

Most people I know from the IE that moved here to surrounding suburbs of Phoenix like Scottsdale, Chandler, Tempe, Gilbert, Surprise, Ahwatukee, etc like it. No earthquakes, fires, mudslides, just the heat a couple of months a year and with a nice pool it's more than tolerable.

Most people here are pretty nice, laid back and it's a bit more casual. The money you save and the amount of house you get puts things in perspective. You'll know after a year or two why we vote the way we do. I'm just hoping it stays this way. I welcome Californians who love the state for what it is and aren't trying to extend what they fled at a discount price.