What is Phoenix? (Flagstaff: homes, theater, living)

[JakeInSoCal]

People of Phoenix. I need info on your city. I'm don't know if there are other threads out there like this, and frankly I don't care. I just need to know for myself and others whats it like in Phoenix. I here it's humid air or is it dry air. Is the housing market expensive there or is it fair. I like the Phoenix look. The desert the city. I just need some answers. Thankyou for your help.

JakeInSoCal

[ArizonaBear]

Originally Posted by JakeInSoCal

People of Phoenix. I need info on your city. I'm don't know if there are other threads out there like this, and frankly I don't care. I just need to know for myself and others whats it like in Phoenix. I here it's humid air or is it dry air. Is the housing market expensive there or is it fair. I like the Phoenix look. The desert the city. I just need some answers. Thankyou for your help.

JakeInSoCal

Envision the San Fernando Valley with a Palm Springs climate.

[movin'on]

Originally Posted by JakeInSoCal

People of Phoenix. I need info on your city. I'm don't know if there are other threads out there like this, and frankly I don't care. I just need to know for myself and others whats it like in Phoenix. I here it's humid air or is it dry air. Is the housing market expensive there or is it fair. I like the Phoenix look. The desert the city. I just need some answers. Thankyou for your help.

JakeInSoCal

Phoenix is a huge, sprawling, strip mall place. You have to ask is X place on the SW, SE, NW, or NE corner of any given place, as they all look the same, and pretty much are. And it goes ON and ON, ad nauseum.

[zenkonami]

Gotta agree with both of the above. If you come to Phoenix, you have to be there because you love the Arizona desert...not because you hope to love Phoenix. It's a pretty bland city overall. Sure, if you spend enough time there, you'll find some things you can grow attached to, but if you're interested in a vibrant culture, mild weather and a forward looking city, pick somewhere else. Every time it looks like there's hope for music / theater / art in Phoenix, it seems to vanish back down from whence it came. The weather is only mild in the winter...it's hot and dry through the summer. The only other season is Monsoon season, when it will be dry all day until the monsoon hits, then it'll be humid the next morning while it all evaporates. Frankly, that's the most interesting part of the town weather-wise. The city is just now getting it's act together regarding transit (2+ hour bus rides to get from one end of the city to the other is a bit ridiculous), has no urban core, and as far as I can tell has no real plan regarding what kind of city it wants to be in 10, 20 or 50 years.

That said, people are friendly (if a tad uninteresting much of the time), it's a pretty safe place to raise a family (though bland and with little sense of identity or individuality), and it's fairly easy to get around in (so long as you don't mind driving.) Personally, not the place for me.

[JakeInSoCal]

Originally Posted by zenkonami

(so long as you don't mind driving.)

I'm from San Diego. Having to drive everywhere would be nothing new.

[twiggy]

It's just like San Diego except no ocean, summers go up to 115. Otherwise, you won't really notice a difference. Same as Chula Vista, suburbs and stucco homes. Big beautiful skies, and a lot cheaper. Not for everyone, but a lot of people from Cali love it here. Your so close why not just pop over and check it out for yourself, would only take you 1/2 on a plane.

[JakeInSoCal]

[quote=twiggy;5859950] Same as Chula Vista, suburbs and stucco homes. quote]

I like Chula Vista and stucco homes. I have been to Phoenix just not on vacation trips or anything. It sounds great except for the things I here about it being very dull.

[zenkonami]

I don't know if you'd love Phoenix, but I think from what you've said you'd be alright there. If you can deal with the thinness of culture (there's some there, but you'll have to dig) and the politics (some say conservative, but in Phoenix's case I think it borders on apathetic) then it'll be fine. Also, if you like to hike, there's a lot of nice desert / mountain parks that can put you in a (dare I say) "zen" state of mind. Being two hours from Flagstaff is nice, too.

[borborygmi]

Originally Posted by twiggy

It's just like San Diego except no ocean, summers go up to 115. Otherwise, you won't really notice a difference.

I'd have to disagree there. In terms of the city itself, comparing the downtowns, there is no comparison. S.D. is way nicer. There is nothing in downtown Phoenix remotely as vibrant, walkable, or fun as the Gaslamp District, nothing as beautiful as Coronado or Seaport Village, and nothing as historic or interesting as Old Town. And of course, there's no ocean and the year-round climate doesn't begin to compare.

San Diego pretty much kicks Phoenix's a$$ all around, from my point of view. The only thing Phoneix really has in its favor is a much lower cost of living- but hey, you get what you pay for.

[silverbear]

Originally Posted by JakeInSoCal

People of Phoenix. I need info on your city. I'm don't know if there are other threads out there like this, and frankly I don't care. I just need to know for myself and others whats it like in Phoenix. I here it's humid air or is it dry air. Is the housing market expensive there or is it fair. I like the Phoenix look. The desert the city. I just need some answers. Thankyou for your help.

JakeInSoCal

Unfortunately, this inquiry is so broad that some respondents have used the thread to vent their own frustrations with the area, and their unfulfilled expectations may or may not correspond to your interests and lifestyle. From my point of view, there is no "thinness" of culture here. In fact, most local arts organizations have grown steadily in their offerings and stability during the last few decades. Likewise, the "strip malls everywhere" cliche is a silly stereotype that naysayers use as an excuse for not enjoying the best that the metro area has to offer. Why not rephrase your question in much more specific terms? The more specific you are, the more likely the answers are to reflect your needs rather than the opinions and agendas of others.