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I moved here with my wife and 4 kids (ages 6-11) 2 months ago from Northern NJ and I have to say we have no second thoughts about our decision to come out here. We moved to the West Valley in Surprise.
Our favorite things about the Valley are:
1) The people. We have found with only a few exceptions that people are friendly. Neighbors, folks in stores, and others for the most part are willing to help. I have always thought that the world can be so much more enjoyable if we're actually nice to another- say hello to people who pass by, stop and help where you can. It can be infectious and I find it that way out here. Sad to say but that is a big change from back East.o
2) The Weather. I won't beat a dead horse as I know there are many threads expressing opinions on the weather. I like sunny days, and don't miss the rain and only slightly miss the snow. I'll be more than content to visit the snow 2 hours north when I choose to do that. I know about Summers here as I spent 10 days here in July before moving out. I'll deal with that (and enjoy an evening dip in the pool) as an acceptable tradeoff for the rest of the year.
3) Baseball. Fall leagues for the kids are great and I cannot believe the condition of the fields. In Surprise they play behing the Royals/Rangers Spring facility and the fields have meticulously maintained grass infields. The AZ Fall League is great. I went to the last regular season game last week with only a 100 or so in attendance. We saw quality baseball fora very low admission fee with triple A players and a couple of MLB players. My daughter got a foul ball and a player walking off the field after the game even gave her a bat. We are really looking forward to Spring Training and seeing the MLB clubs. Too bad the Yankees aren't here.
4) Real Estate taxes are 30% of what I paid in NJ.
5) Active AZ lifestyle. I've shed a few pounds and we all are more fit as we're outdoors more because of the weather. There are a lot of active things to do with my family, such as hiking, biking, baseball, volleyball, frisbee, swimming, etc. All of these things are much more limited when dealing with lots of rain, snow and ice. Surprise has a lot to offer to with a Tennis/Raquetball facility and a nice town center. Peoria also has a great recreational facilty that I just discovered. We hope to check out Lake Pleasasnt soon as well.
I do miss some things from NJ:
1) Most particularly family friends and with Thanksgiving this week this is a bit of a rough week as my extended family always got together andother re-unions always were on tap. I'll invest in a webcam tomorrow, but that only goes so far. We do have at least 3 visits planned of family or friends coming out next year though. We'll do our best to recruit them.
2) Food- Lack of good Italian food and pizza. I know over time I'll locate some good places, but good pizza and top notch Italian restaurants were abundant in NJ.
Also I cannot find Taylor Ham (or pork roll) here. If someone knows where to find it please tell me.
The supermarkets have a more limited selection, particularly with produce, and are a bit more expensive.
P.S.- thanks to whoever reccomended Aiello's in Phoenix to me for our Anniversary on a differnet thread. The food and atmosphere there was good, although it was a 30 minute ride from here.
Those are the biggies, I'll throw out a few others.
I miss the beach, boardwalk and ocean, particularly body surfing at the NJ shore. I know San Diego and even Rocky Point are out there, but not the day trips that I was used to.
Driving- I know the grid is good for getting around in a timely manner, but I miss some good old curvy and hilly roads- and lookng for shortcuts. Driving around here is a bit boring. I can't remember exactly where it was, but my oldest son & I were on a main road that suddenly curved and I sarcastically told him how thrilling it was- for a minute.
The dust. We just landscaped our yard, so hopefully it will be much better.
I miss being able to see the Seton Hall Pirate basketball team. They knocked off USC last week.
__________________
All in all, we are enjoying it out here even more than I expected. I'd rate it an A. The kids have adjusted pretty well and we are truly thankful to be here.
I'll bump it up to an A+ when I find some good Italian food in the West Valley.
Location: Prescott Valley,az summer/east valley Az winter
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Hard to believe you think veggies are expensive here~ they are about 1/2 the price of same in midwest! And most here re grown fairly locally so they are fresh!
Glad you found the gyms because you need them in the summer~ just look at your seasons as being reversed! Wnter is great and go time ~ summers are the indoor cause its too bad outside!
Good luck with the pissa and Italian~ can't help there!
well, to me it all comes down to weather. It got so freaken hot here for such a long long period of time that it really wears on you. Nothing else seemed to matter because just about everything else arizonia offers is connected to the weather. Day after day of hotter than hell. 5 months is going to more of a gage than 10 days. I moved here in March, and I was singing that same tune, but now I am searching for a way out of here before the summer starts again.
Gas is about the only thing that is better than the rest of the West
Its still far enough from the coast that its a pain, and expensive
The KKK could flourish here. I hear racial jokes out loud in public here, much to my shock. I grew up in Wa State. They might have been thinking it, but in Wa, they just kept it to themselves.
The air smells funny here
The Mexican food, isnt that Mexican
Housing prices...well are fantastic
Schools are good, but only in Gilbert I think.
Its easy to find things here as the whole darn place is a grid...cant get lost unless your a real idiot.
Stop lights here only seem like "Guidelines" for safety, not laws as they are in most other places I have lived.
Well, welcome to AZ! Forever King above must be feeling grouchy today because it is one of our 30 or so days of rain each year. Anyway, I'm from PA and really would never go back if I didn't have to. The lifestyle here is amazing. You could be busy 24/7 if you chose to with all the concerts, sports events, festivals, shopping, etc... The problem with the food your having is that you chose to live on the OTHER side of Phoenix. Great pizza places over here, just like home. Especially, La Familia at Warner and Alma School, and Floridinos at Chandler and Alma School. Vincitorio's is a great Italian place with live music every Fri and Sat night and that is at Elliot and McClintock. Take a drive over to the east side and see what I mean.
I am with you on the Italian places. My wife and I moved here 26 years ago from upstate NY and we still talk about the lack of Italian places. Granted there are some good places and you eventually will find them but they are few and far between.
Your first summer will probably get to you but for me it has gotten easier each year. Like you said, I will trade the heat for the cold any day of the week.
putting up with 10 days of heat in july is nothing compared to the 6 months your going to have to deal with come May.
lol exactly, who on earth wouldnt love the past 2 months. I always said, if you have enough money that you can save, and be comfortable, Anyplace is great, no matter what the weather. I have to ammend that however, as this place becomes SOOOOO hot it actually affects your bottom line. AC is expensive here, and running your car with AC cost more too. In summer, I seem to either be freezing inside, or baking my tail off outside. I would drive to San Diego, just to get away from it. Im in sales, and lot of people with money vanish for 6 months of the year because of the heat.
I laugh at the "ITS A DRY HEAT" comments. Ask any burn victim in intensive care burn units it they were burned by wet heat. (other that those burned by scalding water I suppose).
I cant even sleep anymore with out at least a fan on in the room, it feels to quiet, and Im used to the hum.
I moved here in March, and I was singing that same tune, but now I am searching for a way out of here before the summer starts again.
I moved here in March and survived the summer just fine. Hot is hot, but I wasn't uncomfortable. My car has no A/C and people couldn't believe I was fine with it.
I moved from central illinois, which doesn't get as cold as Chicago and gets much hotter/more humid in the Summer.
The only thing I miss is a real downtown. One with lots of shopping, people, culture, and dense urban neighborhoods-- like the ones you find in Chicago.
As someone who was contemplating a move from Central Jersey to the Valley, I say good on you. I had a long heart-to-heart with the wife, and she just wasn't ready to move 2500 miles away. We like to visit, but she's afraid of being so far away from her family.
I can understand and respect that, although my retort was, "but you hate your family!"
I moved here with my wife and 4 kids (ages 6-11) 2 months ago from Northern NJ and I have to say we have no second thoughts about our decision to come out here. We moved to the West Valley in Surprise.
Our favorite things about the Valley are:
1) The people. We have found with only a few exceptions that people are friendly. Neighbors, folks in stores, and others for the most part are willing to help. I have always thought that the world can be so much more enjoyable if we're actually nice to another- say hello to people who pass by, stop and help where you can. It can be infectious and I find it that way out here. Sad to say but that is a big change from back East.o
2) The Weather. I won't beat a dead horse as I know there are many threads expressing opinions on the weather. I like sunny days, and don't miss the rain and only slightly miss the snow. I'll be more than content to visit the snow 2 hours north when I choose to do that. I know about Summers here as I spent 10 days here in July before moving out. I'll deal with that (and enjoy an evening dip in the pool) as an acceptable tradeoff for the rest of the year.
3) Baseball. Fall leagues for the kids are great and I cannot believe the condition of the fields. In Surprise they play behing the Royals/Rangers Spring facility and the fields have meticulously maintained grass infields. The AZ Fall League is great. I went to the last regular season game last week with only a 100 or so in attendance. We saw quality baseball fora very low admission fee with triple A players and a couple of MLB players. My daughter got a foul ball and a player walking off the field after the game even gave her a bat. We are really looking forward to Spring Training and seeing the MLB clubs. Too bad the Yankees aren't here.
4) Real Estate taxes are 30% of what I paid in NJ.
5) Active AZ lifestyle. I've shed a few pounds and we all are more fit as we're outdoors more because of the weather. There are a lot of active things to do with my family, such as hiking, biking, baseball, volleyball, frisbee, swimming, etc. All of these things are much more limited when dealing with lots of rain, snow and ice. Surprise has a lot to offer to with a Tennis/Raquetball facility and a nice town center. Peoria also has a great recreational facilty that I just discovered. We hope to check out Lake Pleasasnt soon as well.
I do miss some things from NJ:
1) Most particularly family friends and with Thanksgiving this week this is a bit of a rough week as my extended family always got together andother re-unions always were on tap. I'll invest in a webcam tomorrow, but that only goes so far. We do have at least 3 visits planned of family or friends coming out next year though. We'll do our best to recruit them.
2) Food- Lack of good Italian food and pizza. I know over time I'll locate some good places, but good pizza and top notch Italian restaurants were abundant in NJ.
Also I cannot find Taylor Ham (or pork roll) here. If someone knows where to find it please tell me.
The supermarkets have a more limited selection, particularly with produce, and are a bit more expensive.
P.S.- thanks to whoever reccomended Aiello's in Phoenix to me for our Anniversary on a differnet thread. The food and atmosphere there was good, although it was a 30 minute ride from here.
Those are the biggies, I'll throw out a few others.
I miss the beach, boardwalk and ocean, particularly body surfing at the NJ shore. I know San Diego and even Rocky Point are out there, but not the day trips that I was used to.
Driving- I know the grid is good for getting around in a timely manner, but I miss some good old curvy and hilly roads- and lookng for shortcuts. Driving around here is a bit boring. I can't remember exactly where it was, but my oldest son & I were on a main road that suddenly curved and I sarcastically told him how thrilling it was- for a minute.
The dust. We just landscaped our yard, so hopefully it will be much better.
I miss being able to see the Seton Hall Pirate basketball team. They knocked off USC last week.
__________________
All in all, we are enjoying it out here even more than I expected. I'd rate it an A. The kids have adjusted pretty well and we are truly thankful to be here.
I'll bump it up to an A+ when I find some good Italian food in the West Valley.
Glad to be out here,
Dennis
I love posts like this. I like it here, too.
There is a nice little Italian (kind of fast food'ish) place near Hayden and FLW....very far to drive to, but if you are ever in the area worth it. I can never rember the name...but it is by the BMW store. The owners are from NJ. I knew I would like the food when I overheard the owner (Pauly?) call the sauce gravy.
Also at around 27th Ave and Thomas is a very good little pizza place called Pizza a Metro. Don't let the area scare you off.
Hope you and your family have a wonderful time in Phx.
Oh, and check out one of the Ranch Markets for produce and a great lunch. Mexican food court (fabulous) and very cheap, good produce. A great thing to do with your kids on a Saturday. They grill chickens in the front, the food court is sooooooo good, and sometimes the mariachis play.
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today because it is one of our 30 or so days of rain each year. Anyway, I'm from PA and really would never go back if I didn't have to. The lifestyle here is amazing. You could be busy 24/7 if you chose to with all the concerts, sports events, festivals, shopping, etc... The problem with the food your having is that you chose to live on the OTHER side of Phoenix. Great pizza places over here, just like home. Especially, La Familia at Warner and Alma School, and Floridinos at Chandler and Alma School. Vincitorio's is a great Italian place with live music every Fri and Sat night and that is at Elliot and McClintock. Take a drive over to the east side and see what I mean.
