i could use a little help please & thank you!! (Phoenix: apartment, rentals)

[babykeo]

hi everyone!

my best friend and i are seriously considering moving across country to phoenix. it's her dream and i'm just along for the ride. she's the more free spirited just pack and go kind of girl whereas i'm constantly researching until i know for sure this is a good idea. i have a few questions because clearly from good ole philly i have no idea what i'd be getting myself into all the way out here. first off seriously bad area's two girls in their 20's should avoid? i need to know before i go renting an apartment there. secondly where is a good area that's for college aged students that's cheap and still nice? third what is phoenix even like? i know it's hot and in Arizona but that's about it ... it looks beautiful though. and lastly colleges in the area how is the community colleges around here? oh and job market ... i'm in the medical field and going back to school for nursing any major hospitals or dr's offices in this area? thank you so much for ANY input i would really appreciate it.

[Finger Laker]

there are a lot of hospitals and drs offices - the community college network is pretty vast as well

there aren't as many med programs or university hospitals as there are in philly - but there are still about as many people living here who need care

tempe is where ASU is located and that is where you'll find a great place for young people

i went to school in philly and am pretty familiar with it - phoenix is not nearly as urban as center city philadelphia, however the city as a whole is a lot safer - there is no "north philly" or "west philly" type neighborhoods out here

however, it's also much more vast - the size of the metro is huge - it would almost be like if philadelphia expanded to trenton and wilmington and it was all one metro

when you're young is a great time to explore imo - embrace it for what it is and have fun

[davidafan]

You both really need to have a job lined up before you hit the road. Seriously, read the thread near the bottom of this page started by the 19 yo who can't find any work, even in the mall stores. My son, who will be a freshman at ASU this fall, and his gf, will both be looking for retail/restaurant type work when we get out there in July, and the prospects don't look promising at all. In their case however, our son will be living at home with us, so he has a safety net, and his gf won't even be going at all if she can't find a decent job that will afford her the ability to rent a studio apt. in a safe area, since she can stay here and live with her parents.

Based on how you have described your situation, I would be scared to death for two young women who are brand new in town and can't find work, because you might find yourselves in a scary place if you don't have the income to rent somewhere nice.

Sorry, just my $.02 as a mom of a son and a daughter...good luck! : )

[observer53]

Originally Posted by davidafan

You both really need to have a job lined up before you hit the road. Seriously, read the thread near the bottom of this page started by the 19 yo who can't find any work, even in the mall stores. My son, who will be a freshman at ASU this fall, and his gf, will both be looking for retail/restaurant type work when we get out there in July, and the prospects don't look promising at all. In their case however, our son will be living at home with us, so he has a safety net, and his gf won't even be going at all if she can't find a decent job that will afford her the ability to rent a studio apt. in a safe area, since she can stay here and live with her parents.

Based on how you have described your situation, I would be scared to death for two young women who are brand new in town and can't find work, because you might find yourselves in a scary place if you don't have the income to rent somewhere nice.

Sorry, just my $.02 as a mom of a son and a daughter...good luck! : )

I know you are speaking like a concerned mom, and I'm not saying the job market is all rosy here, but the poster you are referring to looked at ONE mall and one small region around a freeway intersection. I'm not sure what we can draw from that about the job market all over the Valley in every field.

[winkalit]

In all the news reports on the economy, health care is always mentioned as one of the areas with strong employment. However, you do need to be careful, because unemployment is high (although not as high as Philadelphia). The upside is that everything is cheap in terms of rentals. In doing your cost of living analysis, make sure that you use a realistic salary. Pay is generally much lower here than on the East Coast.

If you are physically active and enjoy the outdoors, you will probably find that Phoenix has a lot going for it -- year-round. If you are more interested in cultural activities (art, music or dance), you will probably be bored by the few events that you can afford to attend. Here, the best events always seem to come with a high price tag and most of the attendees have gray hair (if they have hair). By the time anything cutting-edge gets out this way, it's already dulled and over-rated.

Moving is always an adventure and the best time to undertake adventures is when you are young.

[omle]

Originally Posted by babykeo

hi everyone!

my best friend and i are seriously considering moving across country to phoenix. it's her dream and i'm just along for the ride. she's the more free spirited just pack and go kind of girl whereas i'm constantly researching until i know for sure this is a good idea. i have a few questions because clearly from good ole philly i have no idea what i'd be getting myself into all the way out here. first off seriously bad area's two girls in their 20's should avoid? i need to know before i go renting an apartment there. secondly where is a good area that's for college aged students that's cheap and still nice? third what is phoenix even like? i know it's hot and in Arizona but that's about it ... it looks beautiful though. and lastly colleges in the area how is the community colleges around here? oh and job market ... i'm in the medical field and going back to school for nursing any major hospitals or dr's offices in this area? thank you so much for ANY input i would really appreciate it.

Plenty of nursing ops here. Sun City to the west of downtown is a retirement area. Always looking for qualified help.

Plus there are lots of ops for furthering your education.

It's not Philly. But it is a very nice area for young adults with ambition.

Good luck. If you lived near Old Town Scottsdale and had a decent job, I think you'd absoutely love it. JMHO.

[LocoAZnative]

Why is everyone telling them there are tons of nursing jobs here. There are news articles on azcentral talking about layoffs. I'm not in the nursing industry, but don't feed people pipe dreams. Just be careful the job market here is pretty bad so make sure you have enough savings to get thru til you find something.

[babykeo]

well i already have a job when i go out there ... it's not a job i'd want for my entire future but it's my job now .. they'll just transfer me out there if i asked no problem ... so that's not any of my concerns. my concern is where i am living. i'm from philly, i know what ghetto is and i can handle here bc i grew up here but there i wouldn't even know where to begin.

[Finger Laker]

don't worry about ghetto at all - it's completely different

the main thing here is proximity

seriously, the size of this metro and how spread out everything is will be a culture shock coming from the NE ..... you don't have the urban core of a place like philly - but you have a lot of things everywhere

i'd start by looking where you're office location will be if you are being transfered

even if tempe was the best place for you to live for lifestyle, if you are working in surprise you'll not dig it as you'll spend hours in your car everyday

[Olive2Bgeeky]

I agree with Old Town Scottsdale area, Scottsdale in general, or Tempe.

Have fun adventuring!