Help! I'm black and moving to phoenix!

[Design7]

I would strongly suggest spending some time in Phoenix before making a permanent decision. I love Phoenix. However, in general you will find that it may be a real challenge to cultivate friendships irregardless of race. I have spoken to young couples that moved in who share a common complaint about the challenge of making friends. You will really need to get a feel for your comfort level in coping with that. Because of the rapid growth of the city largely due to cheap real estate, many of the neighborhoods are comprised of strangers from far flung corners of the country who do not know one another. It is quite different from a city like New York where neighborhoods tend to be comprised of clusters of people with common cultural backgrounds that create common bonds. Please take some time to experience the culture of Phoenix before making a permanent move to insure that you will be comfortable with it.

If you have the luxury to do so, visit Albuqerque, New Mexico. It is not nearly as cosmopolitan as Phoenix, but the culture is quite different. It will give you a chance to compare two cities with extraordinarily different cultures.

[KarmaPhx]

I agree with Design7, ever since we moved we have had a hard time finding other people are age who are open to friendships, everyone seems to think you're only looking to get something out of it or from them, it's really odd. We found taking classes like cooking at the community college helped us meet other couples our age.