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.
Seems like a lot of older, retired folks or snowbirds love these 3 cities. Which do you think is best for:
-local charm and culture
-weather
-scenery
-food
-nightlife
-relaxation
-friendliness/people
It really depends on what you're looking for in a city. Although Phoenix does attract an older crowd during the winter months that's not all that's there by a long shot. It is still a BIG city and all that comes with that. And Phoenix proper by itself isn't even where the majority of the snowbirds live. Surrounding cities such as Scottsdale, Sun City, Sun City West, and Mesa is where the majority of the snowbirds live. Palm Springs is definitely more of a retirement town and the weather is similar to Phoenix. I've never been to Key West but I hear it has a large gay population and it's quite the party place. I never heard of it being too much of a retirement destination like Ft. Lauderdale and St. Petersburg (however I could be wrong).
-local charm and culture: I would imagine Key West wins the *charm* factor
-weather: Phoenix/Palm Springs (dry heat, no hurricane threats, uninterrupted sunshine 300ish days a year)
-scenery: Phoenix's desert surroundings is gorgeous and from the pictures I've seen Key West is gorgeous as well with the beautiful clear water and white sand beaches
-food: The Phoenix area has some bomb Mexican food (I love Mexican food so Phoenix wins the food category)
-nightlife: I would imagine Key West blows Phoenix and Palm Springs out of the water
-relaxation: I would say Key West because it's nice and secluded and the beach is calming. However the Phoenix area has some of best resorts in the country where one can certainly relax but it's still hustle bustle big city which can be stressful but to each their own I guess
-friendliness/people: Tie there's friendly people (and not so friendly people) everywhere you go
You make some good points, but I should correct you on a few things. The Keys aren't known for their beaches; it's mostly a rocky shoreline with small, imported strips of sand that get covered in seaweed. A lot of people, while the enjoy watersports there, hate the actual beach because it smells bad from the rotting seaweed. As for nightlife and LGBT amenities, Palm Springs also is popular for this too, and its desert scenery is probably roughly equal to Phoenix. Just thought I'd mention some things.
Although, I disagree on the weather. Key West is more green and not as hot as either of the other two places in summer, plus warmer winters. So I'd choose there. But I appreciate your insight.
Status:
"Pickleball-Free American"
(set 2 days ago)
Location: St Simons Island, GA
23,464 posts, read 44,083,751 times
Reputation: 16840
Quote:
Originally Posted by Hawaii4evr
You make some good points, but I should correct you on a few things. The Keys aren't known for their beaches; it's mostly a rocky shoreline with small, imported strips of sand that get covered in seaweed. A lot of people, while the enjoy watersports there, hate the actual beach because it smells bad from the rotting seaweed. As for nightlife and LGBT amenities, Palm Springs also is popular for this too, and its desert scenery is probably roughly equal to Phoenix. Just thought I'd mention some things.
Although, I disagree on the weather. Key West is more green and not as hot as either of the other two places in summer, plus warmer winters. So I'd choose there. But I appreciate your insight.
I agree with everything but the statement regarding Key West summers. They are BRUTAL. The sun is stifling and the humidity can be cut with a knife.
I'd choose Palm Springs on that score.
Key West is tiny and extremely expensive. Most people can’t afford to retire to Key West even if they want to. It’s hard to compare it to a huge and comparatively cheap metro like Phoenix. Miami would be a better comparison.
I surprisingly really enjoyed going to Palm Springs a couple weeks ago. We were near the downtown strip, which was pretty charming and almost completely full of local stores and restaurants.
I get the feeling I would not enjoy much of the rest of the Coachella Valley outside of that maybe 5 square miles of Palm Springs though. Not really into golfing, shopping the spa or extreme heat.
I surprisingly really enjoyed going to Palm Springs a couple weeks ago. We were near the downtown strip, which was pretty charming and almost completely full of local stores and restaurants.
I get the feeling I would not enjoy much of the rest of the Coachella Valley outside of that maybe 5 square miles of Palm Springs though. Not really into golfing, shopping the spa or extreme heat.
Thats really what PS is all about. Palm Desert is like Palm Springs younger more upscale version. Lots of great resort properties though and the tram up the mountains is fun...
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.
