Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Recent grad from U-Md looking for a job in finance .... comes out to visit and interview
seemed to have mixed thoughts at first on the weather
however - the grass is always greener
but maybe it wasn't that bad (btw - phoenix is often the sweatist city in the nation - it just evaporates off a little easier in this climate, the whole air moving towards equilibrium thing.....)
still more initial warning signs that this place doesn't fit you
even knew all about our downtown
hey - at least you grabbed that job
then these are the posts I vividly remember - after you moved here and proclaimed that the weather really wasn't that bad
getting into July still full of that excitment and the weather is fine
now some discontent starts to steep in
after your first summer you started to feel the grin
it's also interesting how you expanded your range of hot temps
however, you're still keen on this place 4-5 months in
you then checked off after living here for a year (moved 6/08 - quit posting 7/09)
until now
hey, sorry things didn't work out for you - but what you didn't like were the things that phoenix smacks you with - suburban feel, lots of sprawl, lots of heat, etc
Not sure what kind of financial analyst you were - if you were employed by a company to help them with their financial decisions that's a pretty solid job
if you were the kind that advised individuals on financial decisions, then that is a very tough road with a lot of burnout - you need a lot of networking and sales to be successful .... can be hard when new to an area
to me it sounds like you got a little homesick - that's fine and that happens anywhere
Had trouble making friends, were unsatisfied at work and started to become bitter about the very things that drew you here in the first place ....... since you were sitting around bored on a Saturday night texting with friends back home who were out partying you just get angry at the lack of things to do
It's hard and I hope you find happiness.
However, to bash phoenix for being too hot or too suburban seems a bit insincere since it's a pretty well known aspect of life here
It's also false to separate phoenix and the "valley" - it's not the way things are setup here and it's pretty clear to anyone who visits or lives here ........ sure there are neighborhoods and some different quirks, but all in all we are one giant metro and it's viewed as such
As for where people should travel - that's your own personal bias/preference ...... you have no right to dictate to others on what is appropriate ..... and as noted, it's not like this was some hidden element to phoenix
I have many friends who moved here and elsewhere run into the same issue
Heck, I moved to minneapolis without ever visiting there and without a job - it was a great challenge, but such a thing fits my personality - i was lucky to find some good friends (and my eventual wife) even if the job climate was not friendly
Out here i've found people to be very friendly and the jobs climate much more open to those who are "outsiders" - however, with this the communities aren't as established, etc
there is a give and take to everything
Look at it as an adventure - remember the good times had, learn from the bad
Life's too short to spend it bitter
OMG Are you quoting the OP's other posts? I understand doing this to expose a liar or a troll, but a change in opinion?
I wanted to like Phoenix, I really did. I convinced myself, it was this desert paradise - low cost of living, endless sun, unique scenery, perfect right? I had one acquaintence in Scottsdale, and being one year removed from college, and fed up with NYC's high cost of living and high stress, I was convinced I made the right decision...I was wrong..
Unfortunately, too many people bundle up Phoenix, with the rest of the valley, and while the suburbs were fairly nice, when you judge Phoenix on it's own merits, it falters. There was just a general blandness to Phoenix, and the novelty of the blue skies, and cacti quickly wear thin. Phoenix just seemed to be endless sprawl. Bland houses, strip malls, chain restaurants and stores, for miles and miles on end, with very little to stand out. With the exception of Ahwatukee, the Biltmore and far northern Phoenix. The downtown was the biggest joke, people should not need to flock to the suburbs for nightlife, the suburbians should be coming downtown. For a city of 1.5 million, I've seen cities with populations of 50,000 have livelier downtowns (and currently live in one). Most of Phoenix seemed to be poor and crime-ridden (all of central phoenix, west Phoenix, and south Phoenix), while in most cities bad neighborhoods are the exception, in phoenix they were the rule. Crime was much higher than I believed, and there was an extreme lack of things to do in the city. Yes, there is Jazz, Museums, book stores, but really what city doesn't have this, and more of it in higher quality. Yes, you can hike, but think twice due to the heat.
And the heat - I was a sunworshipper; I always loved the heat. Miami in the summer, Las Vegas in mid-July, bring it on, never bothered me. Phoenix was a different beast. An unrelenting heat that was not just three months, but began in March and ended in November. By March it was hitting 90, and if you want to say it's dry, the sun was intense and 90 in March felt very hot. If you still want to say it's dry, that might work for 90 in May (which was a rarity), but wait until it's 110. 110 with 10% humidity is far worse than 90 with 65% humidity. 110 degrees is 110 degrees, it will suck the life out of you, make you run for the indoors. Whereas, Las Vegas cools down noticeably at night, the urban heat island known as Phoenix, does not. Oftentimes it was a brutal 100 degrees at midnight, and I would leave for work at 8 AM, and it would be a scorching 95 degrees...And don't think the winters are warm like Miami. After enduring such a summer, a warm winter would have been cherished. However, many days failed to get out of the 50s and felt much cooler due to the dry air and wind. Nights often dropped into the 30s.
Spend an entire summer here, before you move here. Don't give up a lively and cultural city like NYC for this endless sprawl of heat...And I have not missed it.
If at all possible, it is preferable to avoid the Phoenix summers in timing life changes. Summer is the winter of AZ, where many people stay inside, run to their cars, and generally feel the worst.
I don't think the OP was particularly bashing Phoenix as much as lamenting the fact that it didn't turn out to be his/her paradise. Nothing wrong with that.
I agree completely. As someone who is also moving to the Phoenix area soon, I like to hear the reasons people like, and dislike, Phoenix.
Quote:
Originally Posted by mhouse2001
And my native Midwest would keep me in a fetal position!
I too moved to Phoenix and then left.....however....I wish I had stayed. i am now looking at moving back.
Here are my thoughts......
I lived in Phoenix from 98'-05'...
At 1st I didn't care for it and wanted to leave. But soon began to like it. I left for a better paying job and change of scenery.
I miss PHX....I thought there was a lot to do there. There's plenty to do downtown. You can be in Sedona in a hour, Vegas, Calif or the Grand Canyon in 4-5 hrs. There are also lots of lakes and mountains. Lots of sports teams if your into that. Concerts...you name it. Tons of shopping and restaurants.
I moved to Phoenix from Detroit. And i personally think that was the best choice i ever made! I have some family here, but for the most part it is very easy to meet people and get to know good people. Most people here have a good attitude and are in good spirits, whereas Detroit on the other hand is the complete opposite! People are always depressed (i know i was), and seem to have an bad attitude towards everything. I was born and raised in Detroit, and from the day i was born it went on a steady downward slope, and continues to this day. Michigan all together has huge problems facing it, and it will be decades before Michigan will make a comeback. It will be a whole other lifetime for Detroit to ever make a comeback ( if ever)! I feel Arizona has so much to offer, and Phoenix is a great city, it has problems like any other city, but when you came from a place like Detroit, Mi. the problems Phoenix deals with are just so minor. The crime rate is extremely low for a city its size. I wouldn't take back my decision for the world! The summers are wonderful, however, i can see how many people find it unbearable. But for me i love the summers, i love the heat! And this is coming from a guy who works outside for a living. Arizona has a lot to offer, if it's for you, i hope you stay. But if it isn't for you, and you cant find any good from being here, then there's no point in sitting around complaining about it. Just get out and let someone else who appreciates everything Phoenix has to offer live it up!
I too wonder why people who move from AZ feel the need to come back to the forums and write how awful it is here. Maybe they are really unhappy about their decision leaving the valley and to make them feel better and justify their move in their minds they have to bash us and our way of life like a immature school kid. You moved on....so move on!!!!
I disagree. I appreciate hearing what people don't like about a place as much as I appreciate hearing what they do like. It helps me make decisions. I've lived in five states and each place has its pros and cons. If I don't know what they both are, it's harder to have a clearer picture of a place. Different things are important to different people.
The OP was articulate and honest. I enjoyed reading that post just as much as I enjoyed reading one on the Tucson thread by a two-year military resident who thought to give his overall view of Tucson before leaving for another assignment. He said he would never retire to Tucson and explained why. Perfectly legitimate and good info, whether or not one chooses to agree with it.
To me, cheerleaders who simply adore a place totally without reservation are not to be trusted any more than people who trash a place for silly reasons.
Of all of the cities that I have called home, Phoenix was easily the most enigmatic of all. There were times when I would walk outside and feel the amazing low humidity, crisp air of an October morning and think that living there was pure brilliance.
Other times a 115 degree day made me feel like I was living on Mercury and needed to crawl into my refrigerator.
There were nice people and snobby people. At times it seemed like there was plenty to do, other times it seemed like there was nothing to do.
Overall I like Phoenix and would consider moving there again.
What is as certain as death and taxes is that there is no city in America that is even close to perfection or without challenges.
Whenever people move to a new location they often set their expecations so high that it causes them ultimately find a great deal of dissatisfaction in their decision.
Once that happens, people will tend to let those feelings snowball and begin to find all elements of a city to be subpar and to reminisce about how good the last place was.
It seems people want to combine all of the good things about the old place and merge them with the good things about the new place.
Unfortunately that is not an option.
The key to happiness is simply managing your expectations and stepping into a new venture knowing that you will need to make compromises and adjustments along the way.
The first step in feeling good about where you live is feeling good about yourself.
Your post should be a required "sticky" on every city-data forum thread. How many times have people come onto a forum looking for their utopia.
The key to happiness is simply managing your expectations and stepping into a new venture knowing that you will need to make compromises and adjustments along the way.
The first step in feeling good about where you live is feeling good about yourself.
I would add to that that it's really important to do good research before moving. I looked into EVERYTHING before I moved and talked to anyone who would talk to me. I moved to AZ from NJ and have no complaints. I read the good and the bad and took stock of what was really important to me in life. As a result, I'm not disappointed and I love it here. I made the best of NJ when I was there too but I knew AZ had a lot more to offer me in the long run.
I don't think anyone is trashing Phoenix. The purpose of the forum is to give people different points of view to consider before moving.
No, Phoenix is nothing like NY or Chicago or LA, but being the 6th largest city in the country one would expect more than what Phoenix really has to offer. There isn't a whole lot to do here and there is limited culture. There is a lot of crime; it runs about 50% higher than the national average. The cost of living is not nearly as low as it used to be, and unfortunately the wages have stayed rather low. Recently, we have been hit harder than other cities by the recession and housing burst and it has really taken it's toll on not just the city but the surrounding suburbs. I agree with NytoPhx in that each area in the Valley looks like the next... strip malls, franchise dining, etc. and as a former small business owner I believe that is because from a cost perspective, AZ is not an ideal location for the small business owner.. high taxes, high impacts fees, very high licensing and permit fees (especially if you are looking into the F&B market). The heat is unbelievable and it does last for more than 3 months. Granted, there is something to be said for doing your Christmas shopping in shirts and sunglasses, but with the good comes the bad. The pollution is some of the worst in the country. The American Lung Association gives Phoenix an "F" rating in several categories, and a "D" in other categories. Our schools rank pretty low in the nation. The desert is charming at first, but as NytoPhx said, the charm of cacti and pink sunsets wears thin after a while. I have been here 10 years so my experience is not limited. My husband is a Phoenix native and he agrees the city has really gone downhill.
Of course, there are pros. Real estate taxes are ridiculously low. Recently, most of the major freeways have undergone improvements and are really very nice. The traffic isn't that bad, when compared to other cities of equal size. And no snow! I came from Chicago... I have had many years of shoveling my car out and scraping the windshields, so not having to deal with that anymore is a God send.
The op conveniently forgot to mention that New York City has every resource it needs to improve. He/she forgets what NYC was like in the 70s and 80s. Also fails to mention the outragious taxation and gentrification that forced many working class and poor folks out of the city and virtually dumping their poor and their criminals on other cities/states.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
