moving from chicago to phoenix BUT (Tucson, Glendale: transplants, apartment complex, condominium)

[marcin25]

I am an outgoing person who loves to have fun, sports, going out, clubbing, biking, rollerblading, going to the beach (well that's not in phoenix).
I'd live in Scottsdale. Can someone tell me if I would be able to do most of those things mentioned above? And if there is a lake near Phoenix that you could swim in? And if getting there wouldnt take too long. Closest beach I know around Phoenix is like in Santa Monica, CA. Because I'm afraid that Phoenix is a ****hole and there is nothing to do besides swiming in the pool.
Currently I live in Chicago and I can do pretty much anything here, BUT the weather sucks we got -30F with wind chills and i hate it and thats why im moving out.

Thank You
I apreciate your help

[irwin]

Originally Posted by marcin25

I am an outgoing person who loves to have fun, sports, going out, clubbing, biking, rollerblading, going to the beach (well that's not in phoenix).
I'd live in Scottsdale. Can someone tell me if I would be able to do most of those things mentioned above? And if there is a lake near Phoenix that you could swim in? And if getting there wouldnt take too long. Closest beach I know around Phoenix is like in Santa Monica, CA. Because I'm afraid that Phoenix is a ****hole and there is nothing to do besides swiming in the pool.
Currently I live in Chicago and I can do pretty much anything here, BUT the weather sucks we got -30F with wind chills and i hate it and thats why im moving out.

Thank You
I apreciate your help

If you like Chicago and the city life, you will not like this place. This is not a city. But if you like the burbs of Chicago, if you can deal with the heat and dust, you may like it here as this place is basically a giant suburb. I think the closest beach is actually San Diego unless you want to drive to some place in Mexico (which I won't do). As far as other outdoors activities, although you are limited in the summer because of the heat, there are some decent hiking and camping close to Phoenix if you are into that. Nothing like Seattle or Portland, but better than Chicago. Other sports, well, just like anywhere you can find places.

The nightlife in Scottsdale is alright and there are some decent places, but again you have to drive everywhere (read suburb) which is not fun. I normally hang out in Tempe because it is within walking distance. There are some decent places there and it isn't as stuck up and wannabe LA as some places in Scottsdale, but it's also small.

Good luck with everything. This place is full of Midwest transplants running from the cold, so I am sure you'll fit in fine. I'm out of here for Boston in May after spending 2 years here. I'm counting the days.

[Ponderosa]

There are lakes within an hour of Phoenix that you can swim in, but it's not a popular pastime with most people having pools. A much more popular water-based activity is tubing the Salt River east of Phoenix, anywhere from 10-60 minutes depending on where you live. Hundreds, if not thousands, of people out there every weekend in the summer.

[Boatdrinks]

Rocky Point, Mexico is only 2 1/2 hrs away. The beaches are incredibly gorgeous. It's a big destination point for Arizonans.

I'd suggest though, that if you're already worried that Phoenix is a ***hole, you're probably not going to like it here. It's definitely NOT Chicago and I can't stress that enough. It's NOTHING like Chicago. NOTHING!!! For some people, that's good. But for some, that's bad. If it'll be bad for you, then stay in Chicago. Winter there only lasts a few months, then you have the rest of the year to do all those fun things you love. If you don't like swimming in pools, then don't move to AZ b/c summer here last 6 months and we do a LOT of pool swimming.

Edited to add that San Diego is about 5/6 hours and LA is about 7/8 hours. And Vegas is about 5 hours.

[shadow91]

you can eat outside in December/January/February.

[mhouse2001]

"I am an outgoing person who loves to have fun, sports, going out, clubbing, biking, rollerblading, going to the beach (well that's not in phoenix)."

Outgoing? Great. If you're liberal and Democratic, then you won't find as many comrades here in Phoenix. Otherwise, the more the merrier--this town needs outgoing ("outspoken") people.

Have Fun? Can't help you there since that's too undefined.

Sports? Wow, lots of sports here. If you like baseball, there's spring training from next week to April with both of Chicago's teams located in Arizona. We have football for what it's worth, hockey, basketball too. Plenty of places for golf and you can participate in sports year round.

Going out? Clubbing? Well, nothing like Chicago. This area's too young historically to have that kind of city vibe. It's just a big suburb here really. Yes, there are clubs and places to go out, but let's never pretend it's Chicago.

Biking? I bike year round from days when it's 55 to 110 degrees. You can bike everywhere down the canals or across the desert (be careful of the rocks in the paths!).

Rollerblading? I haven't seen too many people rollerblading, but it sure seems like it would be fun.

Going to the beach? That's the toughest one. It' not 2.5 hours to Rocky Point, more like at least 4 hours in my opinion (it's 2 just to Tucson). The swimming pool and tubing down the Salt River are your only real options unless you take a day off and drive +6 hours to the Pacific.

That's my story and I'm sticking to it.

[JudithM]

Does anyone know anything about the town of Glendale, AZ?? I am planning on moving SOMEWHERE in the near future.....want warm (NO SNOW) I also heard about a town called Queen Creek, AZ. Just in passing heard it was a nice quiet place to live.....any comments would surely be appreciated. thanks.

[sablebaby]

Originally Posted by JudithM

Does anyone know anything about the town of Glendale, AZ?? I am planning on moving SOMEWHERE in the near future.....want warm (NO SNOW) I also heard about a town called Queen Creek, AZ. Just in passing heard it was a nice quiet place to live.....any comments would surely be appreciated. thanks.

Glendale is a great place to live. But, I would hihgly suggest the northern area of it. There are lots of activities and sports complexes, ect. Queen Creek, I have never been out there (too far of a drive), but I do know a few people who live there. They all say that the drive is too far and as soon as they can they will move back closer.

[marcin25]

Well thank you all for the answers to my question. I was in Phoenix 2 years ago to visit family who has a mansion in the hills and I just saw it from a tourist side and I thought it would be awesome to live here. But I couldnt thinkg of any other things to do besides swming in the pool.
One more question: Is Tempe also a good city to live in? I'm hearing there's lots of things to do there. My commute would be about 12 miles (mapquest) to Childrens Hospital on Thomas Rd, so I dont think it would be a tough comute.
Thanks!

[silverbear]

Originally Posted by marcin25

One more question: Is Tempe also a good city to live in? I'm hearing there's lots of things to do there. My commute would be about 12 miles (mapquest) to Childrens Hospital on Thomas Rd, so I dont think it would be a tough comute.
Thanks!

Tempe is an attractive part of the Phoenix Metro Area. Downtown Tempe, near the campus of ASU, is undergoing a lot of upscale, urban development with 30-story condominium towers, new apartments, and light rail all on their way. The downside is that some of the college-town feel is being sacrificed as chain stores displace independent businesses, and venues for live music, which used to be plentiful, have diminished.

Many independent businesses displaced from downtown have moved south to the more suburban portions of Tempe that lie below Southern, the 60 Freeway, and Baseline. There you'll find attractive neighborhoods of single family homes. It's still a pretty dynamic area, though, with many ethnic restaurants hidden in the various strip malls.

As for recreation, Tempe is near South Mountain Park, a park in Phoenix with dozens of miles of hiking trails. Tempe also features Tempe Town Lake, which is good for canoeing, rowing, and kayaking. Don't try swimming there, however. It's illegal for good reasons. I fell into the water last year after a kayaking mishap and was sneezing and wheezing for a week due to all the algae in the water.

There are some shaky areas just west and east of the ASU campus with marginal apartment complexes. Those areas are being gentrified pretty quickly, however. Tempe is a good choice for both young singles and families with children. It would be a reasonable commute to Central Phoenix, although traffic on the Broadway curve can be brutal. Light rail will improve the commuting options when it opens in two years.

Finally, given the description in your original post, you might also wish to consider the Biltmore and Arcadia neighborhoods on the east side of Phoenix. Both would be a shorter commute to PCH than either Tempe or Scottsdale, and although neither is as nightlife-oriented as Tempe, those neighborhoods are home to several popular restaurants and bars. They're also close to great hiking in the Phoenix Mountains Preserve.