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I love how people are different. I Love sports, and love the Coyotes and D-Backs before I even more there, I love strip malls, target, best buy, ect.
Not sure if I would live in Phoenix if I didn't like the sports teams or strip mall shopping.
Well, see, there you go. There are places for everyone. This is why I should not live here. Target is ok, but then I did grow up with Target (mpls native) and one has to buy toilet paper somewhere.
BTW, both Target and Best Buy are headquartered in Mpls. Difference is, they have "real" lakes there and 10,000 of them, not to mention a bunch of other stuff this place will never have.
Well, see, there you go. There are places for everyone. This is why I should not live here. Target is ok, but then I did grow up with Target (mpls native) and one has to buy toilet paper somewhere.
BTW, both Target and Best Buy are headquartered in Mpls. Difference is, they have "real" lakes there and 10,000 of them, not to mention a bunch of other stuff this place will never have.
Target was but one example, I just enjoy shopping in those kind of malls. Scottsdale Pavilions sticks out to me from my last visit.
But yes, nobody should live where they don't enjoy it.. which is why i'm moving to Phoenix (Surprise to be exact) it just fits my lifestyle and expectations.
I'm not going to Phoenix expecting vast lakes, or greenery, or mild temps. I'm going with the expectation to live in a DESERT.
Target was but one example, I just enjoy shopping in those kind of malls. Scottsdale Pavilions sticks out to me from my last visit.
But yes, nobody should live where they don't enjoy it.. which is why i'm moving to Phoenix (Surprise to be exact) it just fits my lifestyle and expectations.
I'm not going to Phoenix expecting vast lakes, or greenery, or mild temps. I'm going with the expectation to live in a DESERT.
Well then, you are going to be very happy here and good luck. For some reason, I thought moving down here would work out, as I'd meet a bunch of people and rely on other things like people, instead of interesting things to do, and that would get me by. I thought my big pool could compensate for lack of natural water - no way.
The only thing I did not take into account would be meeting like minded people, which hasn't happened. I moved from the SF Bay Area, which is more in line with who I am. The issue up there was my commute time and standard of living. I should have weighed my decision more carefully. If I had it to do over, I would not have moved here. It's great to have security and all that stuff, but it gets really lonely without like minded people and nothing to do for fun.
And, of course, may I add, that everything pales by comparison to the Bay Area. I just got an email from a former coworker and friend who says she must have one of the best views in her work area on the West Coast. She can almost see Sausalito from where she works, which overlooks the Bay. See, I am comparing my experience here to what it was. There is no way this place can even compete with where I lived. I had Chinatown, I had Napa Valley, I had oh so much...so many things to do that a person could never get them done. At the same time, I was exhausted from 70 hour weeks and train rides. But I'd really like to go back there. As the saying goes, however, one can never go home again. But I really get irritated at these "how wonderful Phoenix is" threads.
Last edited by movin'on; 04-18-2008 at 08:46 PM..
Reason: another point
Well, I will interject a REAL I hate Phoenix post. Actually, I live in N. Scottsdale (which is a separate city, adjacent to Phoenix) and I am still not happy and this is the good part of town and oh so overrated. Back to Phoenix, there is no way I'd live in Phoenix.
So now you all know how I feel about living here. I won't get into the myriad of reasons I dislike it here (or maybe I will but, summed up, there is nothing to do that interests me here. I've tried hiking and what a joke. Movies bore me, as do chain restaurants. Hmmm, malls, strip malls on every corner. There is a reason people ask which corner things are located on here. Hmmm, not much else to do here. I'm not interested in sports, so that is out. I hate the traffic and I hate the way people drive here.
Now, on a positive note - I do own my house free and clear. I do have almost a half an acre lot in a quiet neighborhood in N. Scottsdale. If it were not for this fact, there is absolutely noooooooooooo way I'd live here. I like the Filiberto type drive-thrus. I like my roses. I like the fact that after a long hot summer and cold winter, there has been a bit of a Spring which has been pleasant. I like Ranch 99 market and am grateful it's here. There is another Asian market down south I can go to, if I get really bored. They have enlarged the "lake" (how does one enlarge a lake, you might ask) down on Chaparral and Hayden. It is better than nothing. Tempe town lake? Pulease, unless you don't mind a man-made river bed filled in with water with planes flying over every minute and looking at a bunch of electrical lines during your "nature walk." But some folks might think this is just dandy, so I don't want to rain on their parade.
In short, I wish I could still sell my house, but that's out. I should have struck while the iron was hot, and it's quite cold now.
That's my two cents. A "real" I hate Phoenix post and why.
Hey, I just thought of one more thing I really like here - NovaM radio and it just happens to be from Phoenix. Would die without it - either that or stream it from anywhere else . But it does say something positive about Phoenix. The are "some" really interesting people who live here, even if most everyone who lives here is conservative. If John McCain is our next president, I'll just shoot myself. Maybe he'll have sheriff joe run along side him.
So what do you hate about Phoenix?
I hate the heat (I used to like it, but I can't handle it anymore) and the atrocious school systems. And the lack of consideration for children and teens (meaning there is not much for them to do such as, museums, science centers, amusement parks, camping areas, etc.)
And I miss my family. But that is certainly not Arizona's fault. If you are young, without school aged children or your children are already grown, this is a really great place to live as long as you can afford the lifestyle. I don't hate living here, just the part about the kids. It's not a family friendly state.
Other than that, I'd be happy here, but the schools are the biggest thing that really gets my goat. Unless you plan on living and dying in Phoenix this is not place to bring up a child or go to university.
Last edited by londonbarcelona; 04-19-2008 at 04:41 AM..
There's nothing to do here. The best I can figure out is to walk around a man-made lake down at Chaparral and Hayden. The "lake" at Chaparral and Hayden - it's a pond that they stock with fish, not even a real lake. It's man made. Hayden runs along side of it. What kind of deal is this? A busy street along the side of a big pond, with no shade. Did I say along the side of a busy street? I don't have kids, but if I did, and considering AZ is the worst school system in the country, I'd hate that too. The heat? Even I can deal with it, although I don't like it. It's foreign to me to have to close windows from May until September.
I'm tired of having to ask which corner things are located on, because there are so many strip malls where things could be located, that you actually have to ask. This isn't normal.
Did I mention there is nothing of interest to do here? Now, before all the Phoenix defenders jump in, I can say that anything resembling anything of interest can be done in one week, unless you want to drive an hour (at least) or several more to see anything of interest, and even then there's not much of interest. And we're talking about Phoenix here, and not the rest of Arizona. This place is boring. Some may say it's beautiful, but as much as I drive down Scottsdale Road looking at all those fancy resorts, I just don't get it. And thats another thing I hate - Scottsdale Road. Why can't I just walk to a damn convenience store without having to risk my life just to cross Scottsdale Road? This isn't exactly a pedestrian friendly "city," which it is not even a city, rather one giant huge sprawling suburban strip mall "city" with a bunch of freeways that are marked with skid marks due to the way people drive so poorly here.
I could go on and on, if anyone's interested, although I think no one can challenge me on my observations. It's great if you come from Iowa or Ohio and know no better, but if a person has lived anywhere halfway interesting, you will understand where I am coming from. Like I said, the ONLY thing I like here is having a house that's paid for, in a nice neighborhood. And Filibertos and a radio station I could stream from anywhere. Oh, and a couple of Asian markets. Even then, I can buy rice noodles at Safeway or Fryes.
Just my two cents
Last edited by movin'on; 04-19-2008 at 04:08 AM..
Reason: add point.
Other than that, I'd be happy here, but the schools are the biggest thing that really gets my goat. Unless you plan on living and dying in Phoenix this is not place to bring up a child or go to university.
And I think this is a TOTALLY family friendly state - problem is, I have no family. There is no way you are going to get around the sloppiness of the school system here, however. It is pathetic. I am tired of mediocrity. I see it everywhere. Why not move to a state that is known for school systems? Even though I am from Minnesota and couldn't live there again, it does rank consistently at the top, in terms of quality of life and, especially, school systems. Those people are smart up there - must be the cold weather.
My IQ has dropped significantly, since I moved here.
LOL! I love reading posts that complain about the heat and suburbanness of Phoenix! Complaining about the heat in Phoenix is as smart and logical as complaining about skyscrapers in New York or traffic in LA. Please people, what planet are you from...in case you didn't know, Phoenix is in the Sonoran desert which is a hot desert and not the Gobi which is cold.
Also, Phoenix has ALWAYS been a suburban like city. Even in the 20's, 30's, 40's to the 60's Phoenix has been an automobile driven city. Downtown was dense at one time, but never like Chicago, New York or Philadelphia. Seattle, Denver, L.A., San Diego also are not and may never be as dense as those east coast cities. I don't know where you live or how old you are, but I'm 27, have lived in Seattle (where I am from), been to every major city, as I was in the military and my father retired from the army, and find similar things to do in Phoenix but delivered in a different package.
I live downtown and really don't have to drive more than 5 minutes to get to places I love to visit and go out for a night. I love the clubs, museums, nightlife, bars, sporting events, and restaurants in my area. If you live in N. Scottsdale, Surprise, Chandler, and the outlining areas then driving is a fact of life. Anyway, for fun this is my typical month. I love diversity and so do my friends, we go to Phoenix's numerous and large gay clubs (Charlie’s, girlz club, Amsterdam/Malibu/Miami, e-lounge, B.S. West, Cash Inn, Kobalt, and more), upscale latino clubs(club dwntown, PHX, Bar Smith, Silver, Topless, Paco Paco, and more where there is a strict dress code and very friendly people (no gangstas and plenty of white/black/asians/whatever also matriculate), sports bars (Stoudemire's, Marjeles, Tiggers, Brickhouse, Alice Cooperstown, Roscoe's, Ice House, Coach & Willie's and more), artist colony lounges and joints (Violin Cafe, Ticoz, Fate, Heartbreak Lounge, Fleure, Blue Lounge,and more), martini lounges (Picasso, Portland, Donovans, and more), and pubs (my favorites by far are Rosie McCafery's and Seamus!!!). I love going to a game (suns or diamondbacks), visiting not only the Phx Art Museum which has a Monet, Matisse and More exhibit currently on display, but also going to the independent artist galleries along Roosevelt and grand ave...first fridays are NOT the only time these places are packed and rockin! And not to mention, I walk to almost all of these places. The other places I can catch a cab or drive to and take a "club" circulator car home and get a free ride back to my car in the morning. I love walking the tree lined streets and hundred + year old-growth trees that are downtown. I can go on.
Oh! The Mesa Public School district was ranked the number one public school district this year in the country for graduation rates and student performance. Arizona usually ranks close to the bottom in money spend per student. However, Arizona does fair in the middle of the pack for student performance. However, Arizona includes schools on Reservations and schools that have been taken over by the state for failure rates on standardized testing. NO OTHER STATE in the U.S. measures their school system as harshly as Arizona. No other state like Minnesota, Oklahoma, Wisconsin, New York, Washington and the like include very poor performing state run schools or schools on reservations which are dismal EVERYWHERE! But Arizona does, so this drags down Arizona's ranking. In 2004 the State graded itself with out the reservation schools and state run programs and Arizona ranked in the top 20 performing. However, the state refused to change its grading criteria and therefore, its old system stayed in place. One reason for this is that Arizona has the second largest Native American population, segregating them from the rest of Arizona Public schools was looked at as racist. And since Native Americans reside in Arizona in great numbers, the state has in interest in improving and helping to improve reservation schools and areas that receive large native populations of students. Just some info to digest.
Last edited by fcorrales80; 04-19-2008 at 05:11 AM..
LOL! I love reading post that complain about the heat and suburbanness of Phoenix! Complaining about the heat in Phoenix is as smart and logical as complaining about skyscrapers in New York or traffic in LA. Please people, what planet are you from...in case you didn't know, Phoenix is in the Sonoran desert which is a hot desert and not the Gobi which is a cold one.
Also, Phoenix has ALWAYS been a surburban like city. Even in the 20's, 30's, 40's to the 60's Phoenix has been an automobile driven city. Downtown was dense at one time, but never like Chicago, New York or Philadelphia. Seattle, Denver, L.A., San Diego also are not and may never be as dense as those east coast cities. I don't know where you live or how old you are, but I'm 27, have lived in Seattle (where I am from), been to every major city, as I was in the military and my father retired from the army, and fine similar things to do in Phoenix but devilered in a different package.
I live downtown and really don't have to drive more than 5 minutes to get to places I love to go to and go out to. I love the clubs, museums, nightlife, bars, sporting events, restaurants in my area. If you live in N. Scottsdale, Surprise, Chandler, and the outlining areas then driving is a fact of life. Anyway, for fun this is my typical month. I love diversity and so do my friends, we go to Phoenix numerous and large gay clubs (charlies, girlz club, Amsterdam/Malibu/Miami, e-lounge, B.S. West, Cash Inn, Kolbalt, and more), upscale latino clubs(club dwntown, PHX, Bar Smith, Silver, Topless, Paco Paco, and more where there is a strict dress code and very friendly people, no gangstas and plenty of white/black/asians/whatever also matriculate), sports bars (Stoudemire's, Marjeles, Tiggers, Brickhouse, Alice Cooperstown, Roscoe's, Ice House, Coach & Willie's and more), artist colony lounges and joints (Violin Cafe, Ticoz,Fate, Heartbreak Lounge, Fleure, Blue Lounge,and more), martini lounges (Picasso, Portland, Donovans, and more), and pubs (my favorites by far are Rosie McCafery's and Seamus!!!). I love going to a game (suns or diamondbacks), visiting not only the Phx Art Museum which has an Monet, Matisse and more exhibit currently on display, going to the indepent artist gallerys alone roosevelt and grand ave...first fridays are NOT the only time these places are packed and rockin! And not to mention, I walk to almost all of these places. The others I can catch a cab or drive to and take a "club" circulator car home and get a free ride back to my car in the morning. I love walking the treeline streets and hundred + year old-growth trees that are downtown. I can go on.
Oh! The Mesa Public School district was ranked number one public school district this year in the country for graduation rates and student performance. Arizona usually ranks close to the bottom in money spend per student, does fairs middle of the pack for student performance. However, Arizona includes school on Reservations and schools that have been taken over by the state for failure rates on standardized testing. NO OTHER STATE in the U.S. measures their school system as harshly as Arizona. No other state like Minnesota, Oklahoma, Wisconsin, New York, Washinton and the like include very poor performing state run schools or schools on reservations which are dismal! But Arizona does, so this drags down Arizona's ranking. In 2004 the State graded its self with out the reservation schools and state run programs and Arizona ranked in the top 20 performing. However, the state refused to change it grading criteria and therefore, its old system stayed in place. One reason for this is because since Arizona has the second largest Native American population, segregating them from the rest of Arizona Public schools was looked at as racist. And since Native Americans reside in Arizona in great numbers, the state has in interest in improving and helping to improve reservation school and areas that receive large native population of students. Just some info to digest.
Oh, I think I can digest your information. For the record I am 48 and have zero interest in so called clubs. I did my stint in SoCal which happens to be "the place" for youngsters. Data, link to support your assertions on the school system here? I can provide the same to support my statement, but I'll wait for you first. I am not into "clubbing." But I am into people who have something more interesting than clubbing in mind. I did enough of that in California, where I could actually walk on a beach.
I'll wait for a link from you and, BTW, you do not spell check. Which just proves my point - sloppy.
BTW, there are so many errors I'd have to correct in what you just wrote, you would not graduate from high school. Then again, I just happen to have an MBA, so what do I know?
Last edited by movin'on; 04-19-2008 at 05:10 AM..
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I don't get it
