If Phoenix is that hot, why do so many move there? (Gilbert: 2014, allergy)

[IceCat]

We moved from living in CT and NY for ten years to Flagstaff. We liked that it was drier and sunny most of the time. The last 2 years we were there the snow stayed and stayed and blizzard after blizzard.

We moved to Sedona for a few years thinking Phoenix would be too hot. Well many days in Sedona were 105º which is not cool and the winters often were down to 18º at night which required burning wood or heat. It is a tad more humid in Sedona than Flagstaff so we found the summer hot and the winter not really warm.

We finally moved to Phoenix 2 years ago and wishes we had moved here sooner. NO SNOW and it rarely freezes except maybe 2-4 nights per year. We live north of Phoenix proper about 37 miles so it is about 5-12 degrees cooler depending upon the day which can be a lot.

Yes July and August with highs over 100º and lows in the 80s and 90s is dreadful Hades, but the rest of the year is pretty nice. June and September can be hot depending upon the year, but at least during those months it will get down many nights to 68º or 72º which is really nice after sunset.

I can wear cut offs year round and not have to ever worry about winter clothing. I just don't spend long periods outside during the day from the middle of June to middle of September. We have a horse so I do some chores during the day. Having AC allows me to go out for brief periods to work.

The thing is ... it is not unbearable every single day during the summer. Some days cool off, some nights are cooler, but for the most part July and August are very hot here even after dark. I have gone out at 11 p.m. to be hit with 99º.

But for us the reasonable cost of living, having everything in the world here except lakes and rivers (grew up in Minnesota where there is a *lot* of water), and no winters to speak of make living here relatively easy.

If you want to ski Flagstaff is a couple of hours north, the ocean about 8 hours West, etc. Some people go elsewhere during the summer and spends 9 months here and are very happy. For us tolerating 2 months of heat for the rest of the year is worth it. Winters are hard on us but summer and the UV are hard on cars and auto batteries here in AZ.

[magnum0417]

Being from NY...heat is the tradeoff for brutal cold and high taxes...Whether you are from NY or the Midwest where far morePhoenicians relocate from...the aforementioned reasons are largely the same. Arizona has the second most ecological zones with 10....second only to CA which has 12. I like Phx but LOVE Arizona at higher altitudes but the jobs are in Phx.

[goolsbyjazz]

Originally Posted by IceCat

We moved from living in CT and NY for ten years to Flagstaff. We liked that it was drier and sunny most of the time. The last 2 years we were there the snow stayed and stayed and blizzard after blizzard.

We moved to Sedona for a few years thinking Phoenix would be too hot. Well many days in Sedona were 105º which is not cool and the winters often were down to 18º at night which required burning wood or heat. It is a tad more humid in Sedona than Flagstaff so we found the summer hot and the winter not really warm.

We finally moved to Phoenix 2 years ago and wishes we had moved here sooner. NO SNOW and it rarely freezes except maybe 2-4 nights per year. We live north of Phoenix proper about 37 miles so it is about 5-12 degrees cooler depending upon the day which can be a lot.

Yes July and August with highs over 100º and lows in the 80s and 90s is dreadful Hades, but the rest of the year is pretty nice. June and September can be hot depending upon the year, but at least during those months it will get down many nights to 68º or 72º which is really nice after sunset.

I can wear cut offs year round and not have to ever worry about winter clothing. I just don't spend long periods outside during the day from the middle of June to middle of September. We have a horse so I do some chores during the day. Having AC allows me to go out for brief periods to work.

The thing is ... it is not unbearable every single day during the summer. Some days cool off, some nights are cooler, but for the most part July and August are very hot here even after dark. I have gone out at 11 p.m. to be hit with 99º.

But for us the reasonable cost of living, having everything in the world here except lakes and rivers (grew up in Minnesota where there is a *lot* of water), and no winters to speak of make living here relatively easy.

If you want to ski Flagstaff is a couple of hours north, the ocean about 8 hours West, etc. Some people go elsewhere during the summer and spends 9 months here and are very happy. For us tolerating 2 months of heat for the rest of the year is worth it. Winters are hard on us but summer and the UV are hard on cars and auto batteries here in AZ.

This^^^^ I thank you for your honest assessment of Phoenix. I understand this is all subjective, but people usually bash the heat and dry air eventually writing the entire state off! It does get extremely hot, but I realized, for me, I prefer the dry heat as opposed to the thick humid heat I grew up in back east. Ecologically, Arizona is a fun place to explore. To me, one of the advantages of living here is exploring the different parts of this place taking in its beauty and diversity.

[DesertFlower61]

Originally Posted by TootsieWootsie

This is not meant to be sarcastic at all, but a real question: If it is so gawdawful hot there--and I really have never been there but am interested--why do so many move there? It seems folks there are stuck in the air conditioning for 4-5 months of the year. Can someone clarify this for me?
I'm seriously looking to move there because there are so many baby boomers there, but people in the Midwest keep telling me how hot it is there and that I will not like it.
The Phoenix region surely has to be better for my allergies than Houston was where I had cold-like symptoms way more than I ever should have had.
But, if people are getting stuck living in their homes for 4-5 months of the year due to the heat, that's just like living in Chicago where folks get stuck in the house for 4-5 months of the year due to the chilling cold. Dang!

Well, I moved here two months ago after 27 of years of living in the Pacific Northwest. Why despite the heat? Well, my family is here, and I was alone and lonely up North. Plus there were no chances for job advancement in my old town. I needed a change of scenery and my family was concerned about me because I'm not getting any younger at 54, I was experiencing some significant health issues....which surprisingly have seemed to go away since moving here to PHX. Plus I made a good live-in babysitters for the grandkids, and my daughter and SIL plan to have more kids, and I want to be there to see them all grow up...so after much consideration I decided to come on down to AZ. Yeah, the heat really is overwhelming at times, but I'd rather have the heat and be around family than remain up fighting depressing caused by weeks of rain and clouds and coping with loneliness. YMMV but personally my only regret is not moving to Arizona sooner!

[stevek64]

How about to escape anti-heat, ie 6 months of cold?

And to escape gloomy/cloudy weather regions. And expensive property taxes. And the love of the desert landscape. And having A/C yet many still finding it comfortable to go outside late at night/early in the morning in the summer. Having a long growing season for gardeners. Being so close too so many varied climate zones. And.....

There are as many reasons as there are people.

[deboinair]

I moved from Miami where it is 100% humidity pretty much every day. Phoenix heat is a friggin breeze compared to that. Like others said it's easy to atone to the heat vs having to get ready for the cold.

From September to about April you get some of the best weather I ever experienced. To go through the heat from May to August is worth it. For someone who grew up with constant humidity, I embrace this type of heat easy.

[MotleyCrew]

I can still function when it is hot,,,,not so much when it is icy cold outside.

[1AngryTaxPayer]

Originally Posted by Jnvlv247

If San Diego is so nice and temperate, why don't MORE people live there? Every city has pros and cons and sometimes the pros can outweigh the cons for some people. Plus the fact that people can drive to a cooler location that isn't too far in the summer. Taxes, cost of living and winter are probably the top reasons why people are leaving states like New York, Illinois and the New England states. You can't shovel sunshine and heat

You'll love it here but it will cost ya!! When the kids are out of HS we out!! I'm thinkin mid Texas.

[sexxxcblac]

One of the reasons I moved here was the WOMEN !

California is great and I bash no city....but these tenderloins in Arizona with their pretty summer toe-nail polish on and their beautiful outfits and sexy confident walk...YES THE VALLEY OF THE FUN

[PDF]

Originally Posted by sexxxcblac

One of the reasons I moved here was the WOMEN !

California is great and I bash no city....but these tenderloins in Arizona with their pretty summer toe-nail polish on and their beautiful outfits and sexy confident walk...YES THE VALLEY OF THE FUN

And how's that working for you?