Nicer place to live overall: Arizona -or- Florida ? (Phoenix, Tucson: best cities, how much)

[wase4711]

well, north phoenix is actually part of the city of Phoenix; the neighborhoods I live near are stetson valley, Eagle Highlands north, Terramar,. Its the northwest tip of the metro area. We border the NE part of Peoria as well

Climate is a few degrees warmer some days, but the nights are definitely 5-8 degrees cooler than the core of phoenix
The unique thing I have noticed about this area is that one area can be sunny, and another can be cloudy and getting sprinkled on. My friends in Scotsdale often have different conditions than I am having here..

Its hot as hell in the summer here, just like it is everywhere in the metro area

[adjusterjack]

Arizona wins hands down.

No hurricanes.
No humidity. (It's a dry heat. LOL.)

[markeg]

Originally Posted by popwar

what towns are considered north phoenix? Is there a substantial climate change between north phoenix and the rest of the metro area?

I was referring to the East Deer Valley dr area, and I believe it's only about 20-25 miles north so I think it's the same temperature.

[BIG CATS]

Originally Posted by adjusterjack

Arizona wins hands down.

No hurricanes.
No humidity. (It's a dry heat. LOL.)

May and June are very dry. July, August, and September are quite sticky.

[movingsoon81]

Lived in both Phoenix and Tampa and taken road trips throughout the state in both areas. Anyone who thinks there is more to do in Arizona is either lying to themselves or never actually lived in both areas. The biggest thing to consider here is that there is way more to do in Florida besides shopping and chains. I for one hating giving all my money that I work hard for to big retail and restaurant chains, yet I am bombarded by them in every single direction here. Yes, Flagstaff and Sedonare are nice for a few hikes, yet they do not offer enough culture, variety, events, etc for year round living. Arizona has a few nice one time attractions like the Grand Canyon, the Petrified Forest, Walnut Canyon, and so on but it gets boring after that. Never been so bored in my life as these past 9 months in Phoenix. Even made a calendar crossing out the dates til I get to move out.

Phoenix is great for shoppers and those who prefer the convenience of big corporate chains. Any local restaurants that exist are either regional chain or a restaurant trying to franchise out which still looks like a crappy template designed chain in a Strip mall. Absolutely no culture or charm anywhere. It's downright depressing and gloomy feeling.

My husband and I have never been so cooped up in the house as we have been since moving here. We lived in Flagstaff for a while and enjoyed the outdoor opportunities and change of weather (although still too sunny), however, having no sense of community, no culture, no events, no water, and limited amenities got boring and old after several months. Not to mention the insane tourist crowds and horrid traffic.

Florida is an outdoor lovers/fitness lovers paradise. Water sports, boating, fishing, nature preserves with tons of wildlife and birds, beaches, paved bike trails, green trees and green grass, beautiful parks, and so on all around you in every direction. Arizona is promoted as a great place to hike and it really is not. It's too sunny all year to enjoy the trails, the trails are NEVER marked, dehydration is always a concern, and the scenery is the same on every trail. Running and biking here is miserable due to the poor air quality, constant sunshine in your face, dehydration concern, limited shade on the trails, and 100+ degree heat for months on end. So tired of the promotion of Arizona as this outdoor paradise. LOL now that's a laugh!!!!!

Being a nature lover and half marathon runner, I can say WITHOUT A DOUBT that Arizona is absolutely the most miserable place I could ever imagine living in for the rest of my life. And yeah, the dry weather not so good in reality. I'll take a few more bugs and extra sweating (although I can say that I work up a pretty good sweat hiking with the sun beating down on my back). Doesn't feel very nice to wake up dehydrated. My husband and I are non drinkers (most people here drink heavily we have noticed) and we still wake up dehydrated with clogged sinuses and stuffy noses. Let me tell you it is the most miserable feeling in the world. Humidity is so underrated. I'll take green grass, trees, water, waking up feeling refreshed, rain and thunderstorms, not consistently worrying about dehydration and dying out in the desert hiking some trail that is not all that attractive to begin with.

Boring, so boring - avoid Arizona if you love the outdoors, come here if you like to spend money shopping, dining, and drinking. I have found that the people I have talked to that like it here (not many) are the ones who spend all their time shopping and dining out. Funny thing is that these same people are doing the same things they would do elsewhere in the country, yet acting like they live here for the "nice" climate. End of story.

[Nanny Goat]

Arizona is 150 % better than any place in Florida. I've lived in both places.

[movingsoon81]

Also forgot to mention that I actually paid much less for rent in Tampa with a 15 minute drive to the beach. Arizona cities like Phoenix and Tucson are only cheap in the actual cities with are infested with crime and basically look similar to the south side of Chicago. They always come up on the cheapest places to live because of this factor. You can find cheaper rent in all the major cities the further you go out - which happen to be the nicer rural areas, where here you would be stuck in the desert. Rents in all the "nice" suburby areas are much, much higher than anywhere else I have lived even Boston! The funny thing is that I paid only $100 more to lived in a 3 bedroom house in Flagstaff's best area (the desirable area of Arizona) compared to a 2 bedroom apartment outside of Phoenix.

[wase4711]

Originally Posted by movingsoon81

Also forgot to mention that I actually paid much less for rent in Tampa with a 15 minute drive to the beach. Arizona cities like Phoenix and Tucson are only cheap in the actual cities with are infested with crime and basically look similar to the south side of Chicago. They always come up on the cheapest places to live because of this factor. You can find cheaper rent in all the major cities the further you go out - which happen to be the nicer rural areas, where here you would be stuck in the desert. Rents in all the "nice" suburby areas are much, much higher than anywhere else I have lived even Boston! The funny thing is that I paid only $100 more to lived in a 3 bedroom house in Flagstaff's best area (the desirable area of Arizona) compared to a 2 bedroom apartment outside of Phoenix.

Glad to hear you wont be living here long; the state doesnt need any more whining, complaining, Alligator/palmetto bug/hurricane/trailer trash lovers here... Enjoy the next hurricane in your new, swamp site..

[movingsoon81]

Originally Posted by wase4711

Glad to hear you wont be living here long; the state doesnt need any more whining, complaining, Alligator/palmetto bug/hurricane/trailer trash lovers here... Enjoy the next hurricane in your new, swamp site..

Unfortunately, I will not be moving to Florida as it is too far of a move right now. Looking at Salt Lake City, Austin, or Bend OR. And to be fair...most areas of Phoenix are extremely run down (although Tucson takes being run down to a whole new level I've never seen before). I have never seen so many run down houses outside of the south side of Chicago. And all the smoking and Polar Pops everywhere is disgusting. There are a few big houses in the fancier suburbs, while the rest are all very small, run down, and overpriced.

Glendale, Phoenix, all of Tucson asides from a few blocks in Oro Valley, and most of Tempe and Mesa are completely run down and just not somewhere I want to be. The vibe is very ominous in these areas, while the vibe in the "keeping with the joneses" suburbs of Arizona is just as bad in another way. Never lived in another area besides Chicago where people live just to shop and show off. Flagstaff and Williams are also dingy and run down. Sedona is hands down the best city in the state, although too limited in amenities or I might consider living there temporarily.

I despise the attitude of people in the Midwest, and unfortunately, all of Arizona has that same attitude due to all the transplants. It's a certain feeling that I can't really explain, although moving to Arizona took me back to that miserable Illinois feel and lifestyle. My goal is to move anywhere with fewer Illinois transplants as I have found these people to be extra snotty, keeping up with the joneses type people. As long as I a moving somewhere w/o a lot of Illinois transplants, I'll be happy.

[wase4711]

Glad I didn't ever meet when i lived in Chicago land for decades, as you appear to be a judgemental, stereotyping person, who complains about every one else s' attributes, except their own..

Maybe you should look in the mirror more often, and try figure out what makes you so much better than those around you...

and, learn to take people for what they are, and not try to make others be "more like you", what ever that might be..