East Coast 50yo professional - need to make a decision between Phx and Tucson (Phoenix: buying a house, neighborhoods)

[spumoni]

I'm going to explain a little about myself to give some context to this post.

50 year old educated professional and single father to a 24yo son with learning disabilities who lives with me.
I'm from the Northeast and have lived in the Northeast all of my life. I'm single and gay. Have my own successful business which I can work from anywhere (although I do plan to have a local office as I do prefer in-person interactions with people).

Over the past 4 months I have done three trips to Tucson and three to Phoenix, with the intention of moving, buying a house, etc. Here's what I've learned during this trips, as well as my concerns.

Tucson
No question I like Tucson more than Phoenix, I quickly fell in love with Tucson. I find it charming, I like the "grit" and character of the city. The size is manageable, I've always liked University towns. The neighborhoods where I'd want to buy are Sam Hughes and Blenman-Elm, possibly West University. I can afford a house there.

My concerns about Tucson:
-It may be very limiting for me socially as a single gay guy my age. I've been told the gay population in Tucson skews older (over 55) and younger (under 30). That being said, I have never been connected to the "gay world", most of my friends are not gay. It does seem the dating options for professional gay men around my age in Tucson are very limited.
-I currently live in a small beach town, and can't stand the close minded, small town mentality here. I've been told that outside of that University bubble Tucson will have the same small town mentality. I don't know how accurate that is.
-My son wants to go into the construction/carpentry field, I'm concerned about the lack of opportunities in Tucson, compared to Phoenix

My concerns about Phoenix:
-I don't like it as much as Tucson, that's the biggest one.
-While I realize I can always sell my house I'm concerned that with the growth Phoenix will become more overcrowded, worse traffic and is on a trajectory to feel more and more like Los Angeles.

At this point, I'm learning towards Phoenix solely for the reasons I mentioned, it just so happens that my heart is in Tucson.

Thanks for your feedback.

[DetroitN8V]

I’ve never considered Tucson and wouldn’t but I think much of what you like about it you can find in Phoenix, with the benefits of living in a major city. The historic districts near downtown have tons of charm, you’ll get your fill of grit, and traffic isn’t much of a concern if you stay in the central core.

[WellTraveled1988]

Ask yourself about the type of lifestyle you want.

That's what I constantly think about, although I'm younger than you , 33, and straight. My success in dating has been good everywhere I've ever lived so that never really concerned me

With Phoenix, this is an ACTIVE and FIT metro man. Tempe is a college town by the way. If you like being fit and active and looking good, Phoenix/Scottsdale is a good choice. I liked that about the metro. I can see the Los Angeles comparison because 0f the "good looking people" in Scottsdale and that's probably mostly true. For every metro I've lived in, Phoenix/Scottsdale had the best looking people if that is important to you.

Also great location to San Diego, Los Angeles. Flagstaff and Sedona if you want that. I liked that a lot about the metro

Downsides to Phoenix are:
1) Extremely BRUTAL summer. If you drive a convertible you'll want to keep it covered. Also watch your tires. You can fry an egg or grill a steak in the Phoenix summers lol

2) ZERO tolerance for DWI. I don't drink much anymore but they are very strict in this metro. I don't know if you do or don't

At the end of the day, ask yourself; what kind of lifestyle do you want?

[DetroitN8V]

The active/fit thing is purely anecdotal. There are plenty of gigantic people in the Phoenix area. We have a large native and Mexican population and they have a high propensity for obesity, plus just the other fatties. It’s nice that you see us in such a healthy light, but it’s not really accurate.

[WellTraveled1988]

Originally Posted by DetroitN8V

The active/fit thing is purely anecdotal. There are plenty of gigantic people in the Phoenix area. We have a large native and Mexican population and they have a high propensity for obesity, plus just the other fatties. It’s nice that you see us in such a healthy light, but it’s not really accurate.

lol, let's not get into race but you may have somewhat of a point.

Overall, I guess I mean you are kind of right. Everyone has a different experience and can be anecdotal. It also depends on what "area" obviously.

But if you look at it statistically, especially in the "Southern US", AZ and Colorado are notoriously very fit, especially considering location. Obviously Cali is considered a haven for health and fitness enthusiasts.

To the OP's point though, for a "southern located" US state that is "affordable', which rules out much of California and (from what I've heard) many parts of Colorado, if you are into a fit and active lifestyle, Arizona and maybe Florida.

As a native Texan, who has lived in 3 other States, I think I have a good "idea" of what fatties are. This is especially true when ALL major metros in TX, outside of Austin (which is a college town btw), are among the fattest in the country. Every time I go home it's astonishing and VERY noticeable. It's disturbing and obnoxious actually lol. Very unpleasant in some areas.

But overall, again Scottsdale when I lived there is an active and fit "culture". Too many gyms to count, endless pool parties, Camelback to hike, great location again as I've mentioned....

I could kind of see the "next LA" for Scottsdale at least and maybe "parts" of Phoenix.

[WellTraveled1988]

Ultimately, the OP should just ask himself, "What kind of lifestyle do I want?"

- do you like to workout/run/stay healthy/decent shape/etc. I am 100% straight, but there are some dudes who could pass for fitness models in Scottsdale (when I lived there) just an FYI
- do you like hiking and mountains?
- do you like to golf?
- are you ok being within a road trip distance of San Diego and Los Angeles beaches?
- are you OK with 120+ degree summers? LOL

[DetroitN8V]

^I’m not “getting into race”. I’m getting into statistics.

[WellTraveled1988]

Originally Posted by DetroitN8V

^I’m not “getting into race”. I’m getting into statistics.

good point

[KO Stradivarius]

Originally Posted by WellTraveled1988

Ultimately, the OP should just ask himself, "What kind of lifestyle do I want?"

- do you like to workout/run/stay healthy/decent shape/etc. I am 100% straight, but there are some dudes who could pass for fitness models in Scottsdale (when I lived there) just an FYI
- do you like hiking and mountains?
- do you like to golf?
- are you ok being within a road trip distance of San Diego and Los Angeles beaches?
- are you OK with 120+ degree summers? LOL

It's a minor point but you keep on saying "120+ degree summers" in this thread and the other "Snowbird" thread.

Our temps here do not often exceed 120. See article, it's from 2017 and at that time 120 was only exceeded 3 times.

Maybe 110+ is more accurate/less hyperbole.

https://kjzz.org/content/491375/phoe...corded-history

"We’ve only hit 120 three times in the recorded history of Phoenix, which goes back, the climate history goes back to 1895," he said.

[WellTraveled1988]

Originally Posted by KO Stradivarius

It's a minor point but you keep on saying "120+ degree summers" in this thread and the other "Snowbird" thread.

Our temps here do not often exceed 120. See article, it's from 2017 and at that time 120 was only exceeded 3 times.

Maybe 110+ is more accurate/less hyperbole.

https://kjzz.org/content/491375/phoe...corded-history

Dude, it's 10 degrees+ over 100 degrees! LOL

Ok I may be a little off, but it's pretty f***ing hot weather it's 110+ or 120+, that's besides the point.