WHY I HATE PHOENIX! Or is it Feeniks? (Scottsdale, Gilbert: houses, rent)

[KateSeraSera]

I was born in Arizona and after living in the Bay Area had to move back here to take care of elderly parents. For people over 50, it is truly a cultural wasteland. I agree that if you are younger then you can hang out at lots of bars, restaurants (if that is your kind of thing) and participate in the various venues for that age group. It's much more difficult for us boomers. In the Bay Area, you could hang out at local cafe's for hours along with people of all ages. As an artist, there are few places to hang out for boomers that are culturally diverse, well-traveled, earthy but sophisticated people. The caveat is that certainly there are always interesting people (diamonds in the hay) everywhere, it's just that you have to work much harder to find them here.

I find a large amount of the people here really culturally and socially backward. The style (Faux Tuscan large, heavy dark furniture - it's horrible) is often 10 years behind the larger more sophisticated cities (like SF, LA, NY, etc.). Hair styles are still 70's for most of the population. Here there is a strong cultural aversion to older people (partly because of the reputation of the snow birds) and partly because, well, it's so far behind other large cities. Now, if you have a lot of money you may be able to float above the rest of us, go to the best restaurants in town, live in the toney areas (Paradise Valley), and fly out of here on a regular basis to more culturally diverse and interesting places.

It's getting more unusual but so much about Arizona is the SAME. If you have an artists view and are stimulated by new ideas, architecture, unusual stores, etc., this is NOT your place. If you are a gun-toting, truck driving, neanderthal OR a plastic surgeons dream, OR you are a beautiful girl looking to get ahead (it's very old school here - you can move up the ladder with no stops but using your sexuality if you choose) OR you move here with a lot of money to live where you want. Stay away from Scottsdale and instead move to downtown Phoenix where there are more eclectic restaurants (Palette is an interesting new restaurant, City Bakery, Fate, etc.)

So, in conclusion to live here you have to love very hot weather, miles and miles of driving, asphalt, ugly strip malls, mediocre (at best) architecture, desert plants, have a lot of money to get out of here during the hot months and to live in a toney area, love shopping (lots and lots of malls - how BORING), have had plastic surgery, enjoy mediocre cultural events, museum, and art galleries, own and drive a big, black truck with a "Fear This" sticker on the back, gun loving, accept much lower salaries than any of the larger urban areas (including Seattle), expect to pay the same as you do in many of these areas for houses, food, gas, want to get ahead and can do that by using your sexuality (yes, this is done everywhere, but here it's so obvious I'm surprised there haven't been more lawsuits). If you are a hiker, horse person, rancher, construction person, this also might suit. There are truly some beautiful places to hike here and when the wildflowers are out in the desert it's magnificent. Nothing equals the skies, clouds, sunsets here - they are amazing.

[chuck4389]

Been here 25 years myself, and the drivers are getting worse. Are the newer transplants bringing their obnoxious habits with them?
It is getting more crowded here, the rats are beginning to chew off each others tails. Hope it never gets as bad as LA.

[artvandelay]

There's a desperate air here in Phoenix. You can both see and feel it.

Kate, your thoughts are pretty much dead-on with others who have moved here from large cities, at least the educated ones. I don't see the middle class spectrum that other cities (and suburbs) offer. Here, it's mostly the rich (or leveraged), working poor, or upper middle class. I don't see the lower and middle middle-class very often here.

But, even though you have to drive everywhere and look harder, there are nice places and things to do here. It's just too bad the state of AZ doesn't value education much, as the next generation is bound for a well-defined class system.

[COUNTRY_ANGEL_HORSE]

Phoenix is a JOKE!! It hardly rains so the amount of extra dust we consume in our own homes is enough to make you sick!! Seriously dust and youll dust again tomorrow because it never goes away even in brand new homes. My air filters stay plugged up!!

EVERY one of you run outside RIGHT NOW because by the end of April it will be in triple digits. The weather is nice from about December till April the rest of the year its treacherous!!!

Get outside hike, ride your bike breathe in the POLLUTED AIR!! Suck it in baby suck it IN!! Better yet go run in your greenbelt in all the recycled WATER that your dogs cant drink YUMMY!!!!!

The best part about the SUMMERS IN PHOENIX!! Thats when all the pedophiles come out of the wood work and all the child abuse cases flood the nightly news.

Oh yeah and while your sitting on your back porch laughing at your relatives who are having snowfall...remember not to speak to loudly because your neighbors can hear EVERYTHING!!! They are close enough to share your cable!! Which half of them Do =D

OH YEAH and THE FOOD HERE SUCKS..even chain restaurants do not have quality food they would have in othe places.. Stay away from Red Lobster!!!!!!!!

[COUNTRY_ANGEL_HORSE]

Originally Posted by nicole evans

I honestly do hate phoenix...although it wasn't Phoenix as a whole it was more "GILBERT"...Why oh Why did I have to move there? I know I know if you don't like it leave, well I did as fast as I could. Its not the weather or the crime, its not the fact that EVERYTHING is Salmon colored, its not even because it stinks. ITS the people...oh yeah, I said it, the people...The no personality, tooth pic thin mother of 12, no Dr. Pepper drinkin, riding in the golf cart with the baby hanging off your arm, dads saying howdy didly neighbor PEOPLE!!!! Get some personality, I know you are very very very good people, but please for the love of God (oops) go have some fun!!!! No wonder you have to take so many anti depressants...tell me this, how is it that you can't consume Sodas but its ok to take pills???? Alright sorry if I offended anyone...or everyone in the town of Gilbert. But this is why I don't live there anymore

"Home Sweet Home-Diddily-Dum-Doodily"

Those people and I AM one of them have already had the fun part of their life and that IS fun to them. Now they are concentrating on being good parents and being active!! What do you like to do?? Whats wrong with spending time with your kids and saying hello!! And if there is a mother of 12 pencil thin then go girl!!! I guesss youd rather see a obese mother of twelve??? Glad your not here anymore

[azkylady2]

Originally Posted by COUNTRY_ANGEL_HORSE

Phoenix is a JOKE!! It hardly rains so the amount of extra dust we consume in our own homes is enough to make you sick!! Seriously dust and youll dust again tomorrow because it never goes away even in brand new homes. My air filters stay plugged up!!

EVERY one of you run outside RIGHT NOW because by the end of April it will be in triple digits. The weather is nice from about December till April the rest of the year its treacherous!!!

Get outside hike, ride your bike breathe in the POLLUTED AIR!! Suck it in baby suck it IN!! Better yet go run in your greenbelt in all the recycled WATER that your dogs cant drink YUMMY!!!!!

The best part about the SUMMERS IN PHOENIX!! Thats when all the pedophiles come out of the wood work and all the child abuse cases flood the nightly news.

Oh yeah and while your sitting on your back porch laughing at your relatives who are having snowfall...remember not to speak to loudly because your neighbors can hear EVERYTHING!!! They are close enough to share your cable!! Which half of them Do =D

OH YEAH and THE FOOD HERE SUCKS..even chain restaurants do not have quality food they would have in othe places.. Stay away from Red Lobster!!!!!!!!

you mentioned two of the things that bug me most, The inability to keep the house even remotely clean, this dust is so differen't too, its very thick and causes major allergys. you need to wear a mask to clean unless you want a sore throat and stuffy nose the next day after cleaning, messing around with this dust. You can not hold a conversation, much less have a fight,, lol you can sit on my patio ourside and hear anyone talking inside as well as if you were sitting next to them, wow, never lived in a house with zero sound barrier, no wonder air conditioning has to be ran 24-7 in the summer, no real insulation. I can't believe the state did not have building codes for builders to absolutely insulate homes here, windows ect with the best materials, I mean the energy savings alone should have been a major factor. Cardboard houses in triple digits makes no sense!

[Garson]

All I can say is a lot of you misarable people must just be a joy to be around. So many of you mention problems that I just do not experience or if I have I really do not give them much thought. Or it seems some of you have made some poor choices in deciding where to live and what house to buy.
Kateserasera - sorry your experience has been so horrible here but on a lot of the things you mention you are way off. Having spent a lot of time in the cities you list as "sophisticated" and enjoyed their culture I still love living in the desert any day. San Fran is fun to visit but it is also crazy expensive, dirty and in a lot of areas - REALLY ugly. I have traveled the US extensively over the last 7 years and with all due respect - you have no clue what you are talking about. Hope your life here gets better but seems like you have decided it will not be.

[londonbarcelona]

Originally Posted by Garson

All I can say is a lot of you misarable people must just be a joy to be around. So many of you mention problems that I just do not experience or if I have I really do not give them much thought. Or it seems some of you have made some poor choices in deciding where to live and what house to buy.
Kateserasera - sorry your experience has been so horrible here but on a lot of the things you mention you are way off. Having spent a lot of time in the cities you list as "sophisticated" and enjoyed their culture I still love living in the desert any day. San Fran is fun to visit but it is also crazy expensive, dirty and in a lot of areas - REALLY ugly. I have traveled the US extensively over the last 7 years and with all due respect - you have no clue what you are talking about. Hope your life here gets better but seems like you have decided it will not be.

Let me guess, you're a guy, right?
No offense, but even my husband admits it - living here is GREAT for a MAN, but really, really hard and very expensive for a woman. The pressure to keep up is enormous and that is evident throughout ALL of Phoenix, not just the ritzy areas. I can't think of one man who dislikes it here, but I can think of a TON of women who would like to leave.............

[azkylady2]

Originally Posted by Garson

All I can say is a lot of you misarable people must just be a joy to be around. So many of you mention problems that I just do not experience or if I have I really do not give them much thought. Or it seems some of you have made some poor choices in deciding where to live and what house to buy.
Kateserasera - sorry your experience has been so horrible here but on a lot of the things you mention you are way off. Having spent a lot of time in the cities you list as "sophisticated" and enjoyed their culture I still love living in the desert any day. San Fran is fun to visit but it is also crazy expensive, dirty and in a lot of areas - REALLY ugly. I have traveled the US extensively over the last 7 years and with all due respect - you have no clue what you are talking about. Hope your life here gets better but seems like you have decided it will not be.

you do any of the cleaning at home? whos dealing with your constant dust?

[londonbarcelona]

Originally Posted by azkylady2

you do any of the cleaning at home? whos dealing with your constant dust?

After a few years here in the Valley I finally confronted my husband and told him if he wanted a clean house we needed to hire someone to help keep it up. The dust not only gets all over the furniture, but your leather needs to be conditioned all the time to keep it from drying up, wood needs to be conditioned because it will dry (especially grand pianos!) and drapes suck up a ton of dust so those need to be cleaned all the time.

She name is Carmen (and whoever she brings along to help) and she does a great job assisting me keeping my things from shriveling up!