If Phoenix is that hot, why do so many move there? (Sedona: amusement park, buy)

[slackjaw]

Originally Posted by TootsieWootsie

It seems folks there are stuck in the air conditioning for 4-5 months of the year.

Nah, I'd say the time when we're cooped up is about three months, from mid-June to mid-September.

You'd be surprised at how nice it is here in early June when the temperature is 105 and humidity is almost nothing. I think it's a fair tradeoff for many places where people are cooped up inside from November - February.

[AliveandWell]

Originally Posted by singlegurl

Some people from states where there is extreme cold and snow want to get away some place were there is heat and no snow.

I just knew I had to put in my 2 cents worth after I saw this. This statement is so true. There are lots of people who move to Phoenix to get away from the cold and snow. Some of these people also rant on and on about how much they hate snow and 4 season weather. I think that's kind of odd because if they have already moved away from that kind of climate, why would they still rant about how much they hate it?? Life is all about trade-offs. If you move to Phoenix you will have to put up with long periods of warm/hot weather and for some, that heat gets tiring.

[hairdesignjoe]

Originally Posted by tina3219

The heat is more like 5-6 months. It starts by the first of May hitting over 100 and last year did not quit hitting 100 until after October 1st. I know because I was moving to Goodyear during that time. If you do not like heat do not move to Goodyear recently it is the hottest part of Phoenix for some reason.

I guess it all depends if you like the heat or not. I can't stand the heat. It starts in May and it doesn't cool down until the next day after Thanksgiving. Yes the winters are nice but the temps can sometimes get up to 90 degrees.
Also the sun is more intense in Arizona than other places. (I lived in Atlanta for a year.) As far as things to do in Phoenix, it depends on what you are looking for. I personally find Arizona very boring, but I also love amusement parks, the beaches etc. Phoenix does have castle and coasters and, after about an hour, you are bored. I would love to move to Santa Monica but cannot afford the housing over there. Even the housing prices here are starting to get expensive here as well.

[actinic]

Originally Posted by tina3219

Everyone I know who lives in AZ has a pension check/social security check from some other state.

You're either older or your friends are ... or both.

Believe it or not younger people are known to live in AZ. To nonchalantly suggest leaving for cooler climates when it gets hot ignores the reality that vacation is short lived for the working person.

[Pretzelogik]

Some peeps don't like to freeze their keister in winter.

[smilinpretty]

Living in Southern California for 32 years and Northern Arizona for 17 years and I have visited Phoenix 8 times, this is my observation.
1. Many places in southenr California you actually drive through and fear for your life. You don't feel SAFE in some areas.
2. If you live within 20 miles from the coast, you do get FOG and the closer you are to the ocean, the foggier it becomes until the sun burns it off.
3. Southern California gets smog unless you are near the ocean.
4. Southern California has lots and lots of crime. I know, I lived there. Many gangs, they steal cars.
5. Southern California has mucho, mucho, traffic and it is a concrete jungle.

If any of you have been to downtown Los Angeles, you will know what I am talking about. I was in downtown Phoenix and I was waiting to drive in the parts where you see prostitutes, homeless people, druggies, shady looking characteres, walking the streets. Downtown Phoenix is like driving in some of the very good parts of Los Angeles. I never felt frightened for my life driving the streets of Phoenix, like I have Los Angeles. The very good parts of Los Angeles, a 3 bedroom house will cost you close to a million dollars.
Since I am not a city person, I have chose to live in Northern Arizona, in smaller cities.
You will find Arizona has the friendliest people of all of the United States.

I like the dry weather. I cannot tolerate humidity.

[Daniel NC]

because 4 months of the year are very hot, and 8 are not. Only may, june, july, and august are really hot, although september can be pretty hot, and so can october. But things start cooling down drastically around halloween, and it starts really heating up around late may. but january, december, february, and march are quite pleasent in the 60s-and 70s. Abd the rest of the year is in the 80s and 90s.

[azriverfan.]

Originally Posted by hairdesignjoe

I guess it all depends if you like the heat or not. I can't stand the heat. It starts in May and it doesn't cool down until the next day after Thanksgiving. Yes the winters are nice but the temps can sometimes get up to 90 degrees.
Also the sun is more intense in Arizona than other places. (I lived in Atlanta for a year.) As far as things to do in Phoenix, it depends on what you are looking for. I personally find Arizona very boring, but I also love amusement parks, the beaches etc. Phoenix does have castle and coasters and, after about an hour, you are bored. I would love to move to Santa Monica but cannot afford the housing over there. Even the housing prices here are starting to get expensive here as well.

That is an exaggeration. It cools down by mid October typically. Some years, it can stay hot until November while other years it starts cooling down in late September. The Sun is not more intense, that is just in your head. Atlanta is far worse because you have the heat AND the humidity. And Phoenix has plenty of things to do. I like amusement parks too...like once or twice a year! If you haven't found things to do in Phoenix then you are simply not very resourceful. There is a reason Southwest Airlines has Phoenix listed among its vacation cities/tourist destinations. People come here all the time to vacation. There is golf, mountain biking, the lakes, trips to Sedona, a great restaurant and bar scene, professional sports..it amazes me that some people are so uneducated about the Phoenix market yet have the gaul to make comments about it.

[AZDesertBrat]

Originally Posted by hairdesignjoe

I guess it all depends if you like the heat or not. I can't stand the heat. It starts in May and it doesn't cool down until the next day after Thanksgiving. Yes the winters are nice but the temps can sometimes get up to 90 degrees.
Also the sun is more intense in Arizona than other places. (I lived in Atlanta for a year.) As far as things to do in Phoenix, it depends on what you are looking for. I personally find Arizona very boring, but I also love amusement parks, the beaches etc. Phoenix does have castle and coasters and, after about an hour, you are bored. I would love to move to Santa Monica but cannot afford the housing over there. Even the housing prices here are starting to get expensive here as well.

This past May got downright *cold* here. Down to nearly freezing many nights and low temps during the day. Also lots of high winds and cloudy days. I was very nearly regretting putting my garden in the end of April! May isn't "hot" anyway and June isn't all that bad either. July, Aug. and Sept. are probably the worst but the Monsoons help with that too. Basically we really only have three months of summer here, same as anywhere else, but it does get hotter than some places. Right now all my online friends in TX and points East are complaining mightily about the heat and humidity. We aren't!

I can't believe you're saying there's nothing to do in Phoenix! There's tons of things depending on your interests, as you say. And Phoenix isn't that far to a lot of OTHER places with plenty of things to see and do. Somehow we have survived without Disneyland or Knott's Farm type places. Not that it wouldn't be nice to have something like that...or a Six Flags type of park...but if we never get one we'll live and we can always go to CA for our "fix" if we want to.

[tolovefromANFIELD]

Heat, real estate and bugs, only things that really get discussed on this forum. You Phoenicians must be really really really bored.