From Boston to Tuscon/Phoenix? (Tucson, Mesa: houses, to buy, scorpions)

[Mcl41983]

Hey All,

My fiance is going to start her career in one of these 2 places. I currently live in Boston and am wondering what everyone thinks of these two places. Boston is over crowded and traffic is crazy. Winters have the tendancy to be pretty bad as well. Any info or insight would be fantastic. Thanks!

[WhiteSandsYucca]

Boston is charming and historic (as you know), and is one of the USA's most beautiful cities, but personally, I would rather live in warm, sunny Phoenix. Not that the desert's water supply needs strained with more people moving in, but I find life better in the West. That is just me, though. It is really different than Boston, though. You may not like Phoenix, coming from such an Eastern, established, sophisticated city, to a hot, scorching desert, sprawling, suburb-like city. Maybe you should fly out and see it, or spend time in Arizona first.

Here are some quick facts, Phoenix compared to Boston:

-Lot of traffic, but it flows well on new, wide freeways, and straight, wide boulevards on a wide, square-cut grid.

-Housing is cheaper, with many homes being western ranch styles.

-Summers are much hotter, but not that humid. Winters are much milder and nicer.

-Both cities have sports teams and city perks, but Boston is much more established and sophisticated (urban-wise). Phoenix is still a fairly new major city on the western frontier.

-In Boston, most (or many) people are from that area. In Phoenix, most people are from someplace else. Meeting people is not the easiest; Most Phoenix people hide away in cool desert homes, with backyards seperated by block walls. Parks are not visited (like with walkers, and pet owners), like they are back East. Most of the city landscape is built oriented for the car -- not the street pedestrian, or for the downtowner. To walk from your house to a local gas station or strip mall can be quite a walk. Everything is sprawling and spread-out.

[michie]

I just moved from Chandler in Oct to come back out east. I am originally from NE OH, then to Baltimore, MD, then AZ, now CT.
AZ was not for me. We lived there for 2 years. We visited it and liked it. We loved our change of seasons but thought that we could drive 2-3 hours up north and get to see snow and a little bit of green. In the 2 years we never did that. Life kind of got in the way! Some people are able to get up there and out of the heat some. I never ventured to Tucson.
Coming from the east I can say I truly missed the seasons. I am loving having snow and trees, green grass and clean air! AZ air quality is really awful. Worse than awful. You do have traffic, sometimes really bad depending on where you work. I worked in Mesa for awhile and took back roads because the highways would have taken me twice as long. My commute was 45 minutes. I also worked in Tempe, which was worse. I refused to work in Phoenix or Scottsdale because of traffic. So leaving Boston you will still have to deal with traffic.
Bugs were a big deal for me. Crickets were horrible during the spring, summer and fall. Red ants, Black widows, spiders and scorpions. Although I was lucky, no scorpions! You can get an exterminator, which most people do, but if you have scorpions you have them. You can spray to keep their food source away, but you will still get them every now and then. The chemicals add to the awful air quality and your exposure to chemicals.
Summers were really hot. We had a pool which helps but still it is pretty intense. Winters are nice, but for me I like the snow. Asthma is a problem and for some the winters are worse. Others it just bad all year round. You can have that anywhere, but breathing problems are of a conern when living there. You also have valley fever...As with anywhere you live you will have things you don't like. You just have to figure out what you want.
AZ for some is paradise. For me it was the lack of seasons, air quality, illegals and the bugs that drove me away. I did not have kids, but if I did that would've added to my concerns because of the schools.
It can be a huge adjustment coming from the east, so look at everything when making the decision. You could love it. Some of my family love it and will never leave, others are trying to get out!
You can great great deals on houses right now. My house has been on the market for a year. I am losing a ton of money on it. I am upside down in it. Priced well below market value and it still won't sell. 2 years old, beautiful and a huge pool. So now is the time to buy a house!

[ji603]

I came out from Quincy to Phoenix four years ago. No complaints. No 93/Pike/Cape traffic, cheaper houses ... taxes and salary for me was a wash, but I like the desert and a real house more than on-street parking and having to move so the plowing can get done... blah!