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Old 05-02-2007, 08:44 PM
 
Location: Denver, CO
5,610 posts, read 23,252,894 times
Reputation: 5447

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Here's a photo I took myself that I posted to a city architecture thread (in jest ):



This should give you a good idea of what Phoenix is all about. You have Camelback mountain in the background there-- a big rock sticking up in the middle of the city. Nice contrast. But as for the city itself and the local cuisine... what you see is what you get.

Here's another photo I took, of a neighborhood scene in Tempe:



Keep in mind, with photos... it's all what angle you choose to show. Walk a couple feet ahead of where I snapped that photo, and you're on pollution chocked "Rural" Rd. Like Phoenix in general-- it can be both beauty and the beast. You also might want to consider Las Vegas-- similar climate and scenery as Phoenix, but infinitely more fun, and casino/hotel jobs there will pay much more than in Phoenix.

Question though-- how easy it is for someone from a country like New Zealand to get a work visa in the US? I imagine getting a tourist visa for someone from an English speaking country shouldn't be too hard-- I don't know about work though...
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Old 05-02-2007, 09:14 PM
 
Location: Christchurch, New Zealand
26 posts, read 139,004 times
Reputation: 11
Quote:
You also might want to consider Las Vegas-- similar climate and scenery as Phoenix, but infinitely more fun, and casino/hotel jobs there will pay much more than in Phoenix.
If I remember correctly fromthe sites I have visited, Las Vegas is alot more expensive in terms of average living costs. If I was looking at a place expensive as that I would probably head some where near the ocean and with sports teams.

Quote:
Question though-- how easy it is for someone from a country like New Zealand to get a work visa in the US? I imagine getting a tourist visa for someone from an English speaking country shouldn't be too hard-- I don't know about work though...
To be honest I have no idea. I havn't gone that far yet, but I suspect it shouldn't be a problem.

Your photo's look nice. I watched a neighbourhood "drive through" someone filmed and posted on youtube, it looked great. My mum was wondering what the hell I was doing watching 10 minutes of driving through a neighbourhood though.

Quote:
When are you planning on moving? Keep us posted and let us know what you think.
As I said, this is sort of a distant plan, but maybe not as far off as I think (I'm 17, 18 in Nov). I have left school and should get accepted to a graphic design college without any problems, which is based in Wellington or Auckland, meaning I have to move to one of those cities for the duration of the course which is only 9 months. I can start the course in either Sept this year or Feb/March next year. I will probably pick up a job within the coming month and begin working to get money for me to live their while I learn. When I finish the course I want to move back down to Christchurch and work for a year as a Graphic Designer until when I'm ready make the move. It seems a long way away, but I could be gone before I'm 20.

irwin, Wellington looks nice in photos but there is honestly nothing to see. I have been there plenty of times and it is incredibly windy everyday, overcast skies, rains alot and the downtown doesn't exist to be honest. Also everything is overpriced. Its basically a bigger, uglier version of Christchurch. That photo is Wellington at its best, and everything you see down there is "cental" Wellington. Those buildings look huge in the photo for some reason but they are all very, very small, like 8-10 storeys at biggest. That helps put into perspective the size of everything. The people their are really nice though, but housing is very expensive.

If you like the look of Wellington, you would probably be better off here in Christchurch. It's alot like Wellington except smaller and cheaper.
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Old 05-03-2007, 02:16 AM
 
132 posts, read 515,977 times
Reputation: 64
I love Phoenix. I love the weather, sure it's hot for a few months but the rest of the year is amazing! True , as posted, Phoenix doesn't have much of a downtown but that is changing rapidly. There is a new light rail under construction and it will be open in 2008. The thing about Phoenix is it is huge and its growing very fast so anything this city doesn't have right now it will surly gain in the next 10 years. I personally think that downtown is going to really boom once the light rail is done and that will serve as a catalyst which will just cause a snowball of more developments. I seriously think this city is just a sleeping giant that is starting to wake up. Just my opinion, sorry to get off track.

What I like...
-I love the opportunity here!
-I love that it is only a short drive out of the city to natural wonders, great for camping, hunting, hiking ect...
-I love that this city is growing and there is always exciting development here, I feel like I am watching a city be built!!
- I love the smell of the orange blossoms in the spring and the creosote after a monsoon.
-I love the monsoons and lightning.
-I love the Sun Devils, Suns, Cards and Dbacks!
-I love that I can drive for 5 hours after work on a Friday and spend the weekend in Los Angeles, Las Vegas, San Diego.
-I love warm summer nights.
-I love First Fridays in downtown Phoenix
-I love the view from the top of Camelback Mountain.
-I love the clear blue skies and the amazing sunsets.

Ok this is starting to sound like one of those cheesy self motivation posters! LOL, but I do serioulsy love all those things about Phoenix and much more.

It was interesting to read the convo between Flite and Irwin. Each seems to want to move to cities that the other wants to move out of. A classic case of "the grass is greener on the other side". I also found Flite's understanding that a city must be judged by the individual to be very insightful for a 17 year old.

Good Luck Flite!
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Old 05-03-2007, 05:13 AM
 
162 posts, read 848,062 times
Reputation: 109
Default Forum

I don't live in Phoenix, but my husband and I may move there soon. Your posting caught my attention. When I was 18 I traveled across the US for 6 months and saw the Southwest USA for the first time. I fell in love with the southwest and especially Arizona. (I live on the east coast in the state of Connecticut). I longed to move to Phoenix and have never lost the longing. So, I can understand having the urge to move to another area, etc.

On the other hand, Phoenix has changed as its more heavily populated and there is a lot of traffic there and urban sprawls. I too, like the hot weather and grow weary from gray skies and such. Yet, I wonder, at your age if you might find other cities in the US that have fairly warm climates much of the year more even more desirable than Phoenix - with more city life. My understanding, as someone mentioned in a response above, is that the city itself is not full of typical "city life" - as you might find in NYC. I grew up only 1 hour from NYC and have been there many times. They are very different cities. I wonder if you might want to check out Raleigh, North Carolina. I heard that is a great area for young people and full of life. It too is a bit spread out I think - but I just wonder if you might want to research it some. They have a brief winter but not much snow. Maybe check out San Antonio TX too. Keep in mind what areas offer jobs for the graphic design field and other areas of professional interest for the future you might have. As far as housing costs, Phoenix is not that cheap either. My husband and I are finding we need to spend about $220,000 to find something half-way decent. Better would be $300,000 or more. You probably would not like Connecticut. It's cold and grey and snows a lot here. Anyways....
I do hope you make the right decision. You may find, if you leave, that someday you want to return to where you came from. Sometimes our roots have a hold on us. Good luck! Patty - freezing in Connecticut
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Old 05-03-2007, 05:28 AM
 
Location: Arizona
362 posts, read 1,342,603 times
Reputation: 228
Hi Flite...

I've lived in Phoenix for about 4 years now. Here are some of the things I like about Phoenix:

-Warm to hot weather year-round, with relatively low humidity
-Palm trees!
-Mountains!
-Pretty decorative rocks in (almost) everyone's yards, and forming designs (such as giant geckos and cacti) along the sides of the highways and underpasses, instead of dead grass, weeds, or scrub brush
-300+ sunny days every year
-Close to Las Vegas, San Diego, Los Angeles, Santa Barbara, and Santa Fe
-Casinos on nearby Indian reservations
-Low state income and property taxes
-MLB, NBA, NFL, and NHL teams (some better than others!)
-Fiesta Bowl every January
-Lots of outdoor activities such as hiking and golf
-Lots of nearby lakes for swimming, tubing, canoeing, kayaking, boating, fishing, jetskiing, etc
-Numerous outdoor festivals every year, such as food/wine, chocolate, art, Renaissance, farmer's markets, hot air balloons, etc
-Lots of open space (except in neighborhoods, where most newer homes are built very close together)

Things I don't like:
-Abundance of illegal aliens, many of whom don't speak English
-High sales tax
-Insects (the warm weather allows insects to thrive almost all year long)
-Lack of green space (trees, grass, etc) in many places, but that's to be expected in the desert...I just miss all the green that you see in the east
-High real estate prices
-Traffic
-Smog
-Lack of a sense of community in many areas, since everything is so spread out
-Can be expensive to fly anywhere east of Texas from Phoenix


My husband and I are moving east later this year, for job reasons. We had similar search criteria to yours, so I thought I would include a few additional relatively large cities with relatively low cost of living (similar to or less than Phoenix) and warm weather/mild climates, that you may want to check out, as well:

Atlanta, GA
Dallas, TX
Houston, TX
Nashville, TN
Charlotte, NC (where we're moving)
Raleigh, NC

Good luck!
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Old 05-03-2007, 05:40 AM
 
162 posts, read 848,062 times
Reputation: 109
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I forgot to mention something in my response above. If you move to Phoenix eventually you would need a car. It's not like NYC where you can just hop on a subway or walk the city to get around. Someone mentioned there is a rail being built but still it would not be like a typical city you might think of in terms of the big city life by foot or subway etc. I notice the response above mentioned Charlotee NC in addition to Raleigh. Yes, Charlotte is supposed to be nice too. My husband and I considered that city also. Yet I heard Raleigh is even more oriented towards a younger crowd - can't say for sure since I never lived there - just have friends around there.
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Old 05-03-2007, 05:56 AM
 
Location: Arizona
362 posts, read 1,342,603 times
Reputation: 228
Quote:
Originally Posted by sunshinecities View Post
I forgot to mention something in my response above. If you move to Phoenix eventually you would need a car. It's not like NYC where you can just hop on a subway or walk the city to get around. Someone mentioned there is a rail being built but still it would not be like a typical city you might think of in terms of the big city life by foot or subway etc. I notice the response above mentioned Charlotee NC in addition to Raleigh. Yes, Charlotte is supposed to be nice too. My husband and I considered that city also. Yet I heard Raleigh is even more oriented towards a younger crowd - can't say for sure since I never lived there - just have friends around there.
Hi sunshine! I think you're right about Raleigh being a "younger" city than Charlotte (or most cities, for that matter). I imagine it has a lot to do with all of the major universities in the immediate vacinity (UNC, Duke, Wake Forest, etc). Atlanta is also a great city for young people...lots to do, great weather, low housing costs, etc.

I know that Flite is interested in Phoenix, and didn't ask about other cities...I just thought I would list the cities we found in our seach that had most of the characteristics Flite said he was looking for (warmer weather, lower cost of living, bigger city, etc)

Also, good point about needing a car in Phoenix! That's something you don't need in some big cities, but you definitely need here. Good thinking!
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Old 05-03-2007, 09:34 AM
 
Location: Phoenix metro
20,004 posts, read 77,192,422 times
Reputation: 10370
Flite, gorgeous town youre coming from! You sure you want to leave that for Phoenix???? New Zealand is probably the prettiest country on earth, IMO.

I think youre nuts for wanting to move! LOLOL I understand we all have our opinions, but wanting to leave NZ for AZ is beyond me. Make absolute sure you visit AZ MANY times (in all seasons) before you move. There is nothing worse than moving somewhere, chasing dreams, just to find out the grass isnt greener (especially true in PHX lol) on the other side.

Pros about AZ: winters can be pretty nice, scenery in some areas is amongst the best in the USA, lots of job growth, nice arts scene, short drives to CA, NV, NM and Mexico, great Mexican food, pro sports venues, decent house prices.

Cons: brutally hot for most of the year, winters can be cold/harsh/snowy (but not often), tons of illegals, bad traffic, bad pollution, poor education system.

I strongly urge you (as I do anyone) to make sure you visit lots and often, in all different seasons in many different towns/cities. That should give you a feel for the area. Pictures of palm trees and pretty sunsets are nice, but they dont make a good life. See what Im saying?
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Old 05-03-2007, 09:49 AM
 
Location: Sunny Phoenix Arizona...wishing for a beach.
4,300 posts, read 14,922,104 times
Reputation: 813
Quote:
Originally Posted by Cj81 View Post
I love Phoenix. I love the weather, sure it's hot for a few months but the rest of the year is amazing! True , as posted, Phoenix doesn't have much of a downtown but that is changing rapidly. There is a new light rail under construction and it will be open in 2008. The thing about Phoenix is it is huge and its growing very fast so anything this city doesn't have right now it will surly gain in the next 10 years. I personally think that downtown is going to really boom once the light rail is done and that will serve as a catalyst which will just cause a snowball of more developments. I seriously think this city is just a sleeping giant that is starting to wake up. Just my opinion, sorry to get off track.

What I like...
-I love the opportunity here!
-I love that it is only a short drive out of the city to natural wonders, great for camping, hunting, hiking ect...
-I love that this city is growing and there is always exciting development here, I feel like I am watching a city be built!!
- I love the smell of the orange blossoms in the spring and the creosote after a monsoon.
-I love the monsoons and lightning.
-I love the Sun Devils, Suns, Cards and Dbacks!
-I love that I can drive for 5 hours after work on a Friday and spend the weekend in Los Angeles, Las Vegas, San Diego.
-I love warm summer nights.
-I love First Fridays in downtown Phoenix
-I love the view from the top of Camelback Mountain.
-I love the clear blue skies and the amazing sunsets.

Ok this is starting to sound like one of those cheesy self motivation posters! LOL, but I do serioulsy love all those things about Phoenix and much more.

It was interesting to read the convo between Flite and Irwin. Each seems to want to move to cities that the other wants to move out of. A classic case of "the grass is greener on the other side". I also found Flite's understanding that a city must be judged by the individual to be very insightful for a 17 year old.

Good Luck Flite!


Oh yuk! I hated the smell of orange blossoms that always gave me a headache. I'm getting a headache thinking about that smell now
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Old 05-03-2007, 09:54 AM
 
Location: Sunny Phoenix Arizona...wishing for a beach.
4,300 posts, read 14,922,104 times
Reputation: 813
Quote:
Originally Posted by AOYAS View Post
Hi sunshine! I think you're right about Raleigh being a "younger" city than Charlotte (or most cities, for that matter). I imagine it has a lot to do with all of the major universities in the immediate vacinity (UNC, Duke, Wake Forest, etc). Atlanta is also a great city for young people...lots to do, great weather, low housing costs, etc.

I know that Flite is interested in Phoenix, and didn't ask about other cities...I just thought I would list the cities we found in our seach that had most of the characteristics Flite said he was looking for (warmer weather, lower cost of living, bigger city, etc)

Also, good point about needing a car in Phoenix! That's something you don't need in some big cities, but you definitely need here. Good thinking!

Raleigh for me did not have the Charlotte vibe. Raleigh reminded me of upstate NY (dull). Just my 2 cents on that but................back to the program.

I think she should check Phx out, you never know till you try it.
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