Phoenix, after 1 1/2 years (Glendale, Scottsdale: middle-class, violent crime, house)

[HX_Guy]

I'd like to know as well. To say crime in Arizona is horrendous makes it sound like this place is a complete dump and I think it's far from it. Of course every city is going to have it's bad spots, but I think as a whole, Phoenix is safe.

[Ponderosa]

The only way Phoenix comes up near the top in dangerous (violent) crime is if you include auto theft as a dangerous crime. FBI does not do that so in the official FBI stats Phoenix is not up there with the bad boys. Some publishing houses do include auto thefts as targeted dangerous crimes, Morgan Quitno being one of them, so they have Phoenix in the top 25 of their lists.

Also, the "Phoenix" crime stats are based on the Phoenix metropolitan statistical area and include PHX, Mesa, Scottsdale. They do not include Chandler, Gilbert, Goodyear, Peoria, Avondale, and others places where a significant proportion of the "affluent" population lives, leading to the dichotomy between personal experience and statistical data on crime.

The perception of crime is also at odds with personal experience of most people. I agree with the above assessment that perceptions are formed by news reports and do not reflect the reality of most people's lives here. So we end up thinking that crime is rampant - but in neighborhoods other than our own.

[Boatdrinks]

Originally Posted by Robin Holland

It may be true about the cities of Ohio, but Greater Phoenix, and not just the city of Phoenix, is rated as more dangerous than anywhere in Ohio, and from what I have read, the crime in Arizona is horrendous as it is ranked as the 4th most dangerous state, while Ohio is only the 23rd most dangerous state. That is quite a bit of a difference it would seem.

I'm also interested in seeing the source you've used to make these comments.

I agree with the person who said that many people who keep saying Phoenix is a dangerous city are people who sit home and watch the news every night and get freaked out. Watch CNN or Fox News Channel for an hour and you'd likely get freaked out that the entire country is a horrible, dangerous place.

I don't disagree that Phoenix has crime, but EVERY city has crime. Likewise, "greater Phoenix" is a bigger, more populous area then anywhere in Ohio - I believe Phoenix is the 5th or 6th largest city. Comparing the two doesn't make any sense to me.

[Robin Holland]

Originally Posted by Boatdrinks

I don't disagree that Phoenix has crime, but EVERY city has crime. Likewise, "greater Phoenix" is a bigger, more populous area then anywhere in Ohio - I believe Phoenix is the 5th or 6th largest city. Comparing the two doesn't make any sense to me.

The crime is calculated per 100,000 people, and it is higher in Greater Phoenix than any metro city in Ohio, so it is an even analysis. Arizona is also ranked as the 4th most dangerous state, while Ohio is 23rd. I do think that it certainly appears to be a little more than just 'spook' stories on the news.

[TeacherGuyMi]

You want to talk about danger? Try driving through Michigan and/or Ohio anytime between mid-November and mid-March. You practically take your life into the hands of your county salt crew, every time that you get behind the wheel..... Talk about danger! Coming from someone who's lived in Michigan his entire life, the crime rate in Phoenix is nothing compared to the danger that the black ice and snow and all the other crap that we have to drive through 4 months of the year presents to us Midwesterners. I've never been to Arizona, but I know that I'm going to feel a heckuva lot safer driving around down there when I move in a few months. I can't wait to get the hell out of here.

[heaton]

Iv lived in Phoenix for over 20 years and Phoenix isn't what it use to be. The crime here is crazy....... I live by Desert Ridge and feel very safe in my neighborhood, but drive 10 min. and it's not that safe. I won't even go to the grocery store after dark.

Good luck driving in Phoenix. The traffic is really bad, and very dangerous. If it rains here, people are scared to death which results in major accidents all over the city. If you do get in a car accident you better hope they have car insurance. Iv been hit three time by illegals who had no insurance, guess who's insurance paid.....MINE.

I can't wait to get the hell out of Phoenix.

[jlhct]

Originally Posted by heaton

Iv lived in Phoenix for over 20 years and Phoenix isn't what it use to be. The crime here is crazy....... I live by Desert Ridge and feel very safe in my neighborhood, but drive 10 min. and it's not that safe. I won't even go to the grocery store after dark.

Good luck driving in Phoenix. The traffic is really bad, and very dangerous. If it rains here, people are scared to death which results in major accidents all over the city. If you do get in a car accident you better hope they have car insurance. Iv been hit three time by illegals who had no insurance, guess who's insurance paid.....MINE.

I can't wait to get the hell out of Phoenix.

Wow, thats a bit unfortunate for you. You won't even go to the grocery store after dark? It just makes good sense to watch your surrondings anytime, espically late at night but you almost sound as if you don't go out after 6:00PM. It sounds like you feel like a prisoner in your own home/neighborhood and that is really too bad for you. I wouldn't want to live my life that way.

Also, from what I know about Phoenix so far it doesn't rain that often, so if traffic snarls with the rain, extra care has to be taken. Driving in snow, ice & rain here in the NE invokes the same response, but those conditions happen much more often than rain in Phoenix.

I hope you are able to leave soon, it sounds like it's driving you crazy.

[heaton]

Yes Jlhct, Phoenix is driving me crazy and it's really sad. I use to love Phoenix.

[steve22]

Originally Posted by TeacherGuyMi

You want to talk about danger? Try driving through Michigan and/or Ohio anytime between mid-November and mid-March. You practically take your life into the hands of your county salt crew, every time that you get behind the wheel..... Talk about danger! Coming from someone who's lived in Michigan his entire life, the crime rate in Phoenix is nothing compared to the danger that the black ice and snow and all the other crap that we have to drive through 4 months of the year presents to us Midwesterners. I've never been to Arizona, but I know that I'm going to feel a heckuva lot safer driving around down there when I move in a few months. I can't wait to get the hell out of here.

Wow, you're in for a big disappointment. I'm a Michigan native myself, and I can tell you that I'd trade the dangers of driving behind the salt trucks in the Midwest to the speedway deathtrap highways with random shootings we have down here. Trust me, if you think just because you won't be dealing with snow and ice down here that the driving will be safer, you're delusional. The hazards of driving down here may be different, but trust me, it's no safer. The statistics back me up on that one.

On another note, again as a native midwesterner, I can also say quite honestly that Phoenix may be the only city I've ever experienced that makes Detroit look like an exciting, happening place. I agree wholeheartedly with EVERYTHING that Bolo33 wrote in his initial post, as far as criticisms of the city itself. It truly is a barren, suburban wasteland devoid of any sense of community. I really miss that about the midwest.

It's also a very pedestrian-unfriendly place, again as Bolo33 pointed out, designed for cars rather than people, more so than other city in the country with the possible exception of L.A. I also agree that the city is incredibly poorly conceived and planned, with a grim future as the prices of energy, gas, food & other natural resources will likely rise significantly in the next decade or so and the water problem really comes to the forefront. It's just not a sustainable city for the long-term future, and when that reality comes to fruition, you do NOT want to be here. I certainly won't.

The one thing that I will disagree on is the comfort of being here in the summer. I believe he likened it to being like "walking around in an open oven" (agree completely), then said that it wasn't too uncomfortable (huh???). To me, 95 and bone dry is much better than a humid 95. But that's about where the real difference ends. That's also what you'll get here as far as temps in about April. By May, it's hitting triple digits daily, and there's no way to sugar coat it- that's HOT. And it doesn't cool off & get comfortable again until about mid-October. That's a matter of opinion, and everyone has their own threshold for what they consider to be outside the realm of comfort- but as a native Michigander, mine's way below what the summer temps feel like here.

In a nutshell, you want to get out of Michigan? Don't blame you, especially if you're in Detroit. You want to get out of Michigan and come here? You can have it. I'm outta here in a few months, and WON'T miss it. You're leaving one hellhole for another, IMO; this one's just hotter.

I would like to point one thing out: I've noticed a trend here. The more educated, cultured, forward-thinking, or otherwise worldly people on this forum seem, the less they seem to enjoy living here. Hmm... I wonder why that is...

[heaton]

Steve22 and Bolo33 have Phoenix nailed. Listen to them, their right.....