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Most over rated..........Vancouver and San Francisco. Vancouver is as dull as dishwater and SF has become what it never wanted to be......Yuppy.
Under rated........Calgary and Portland.
Frankly however, I think most Western {Can & Am} are over rated. They are "escape" places for people from "back East" so are viewed with rose-coloured glasses but when you get there you realize none of them have the urbanity of similar sized Eastern cities and are also quite sleepy........Easterners definitely stay out later and have a much better nightlife.
SAn Francisco has been flushed down the toilet years ago.
Phoenix is frequently disregarded as being bland and cookie-cutter or sweltering by many people who have never even been here, but toot what they hear others say like a parrot. Phoenix has a huge lot of benefits that are generally hidden under the surface, like a cheap major metro in the West? That almost doesn't exist anymore
Houses are cheap because land has little value, and labor has little value. Cheap houses are a sign that something is wrong.
What then do you say about Texas cities, Atlanta, Charlotte, and Phoenix? Economically prosperous or otherwise high growth areas that have jobs, regulatory structure, and economic structure that attract new residents? They're certainly cheaper than major coastal megalopolises, and cheaper the farther out into the suburbs you get.
What about cities like Stockton, Modesto, and Riverside? These are cities that, while relatively close to major cities, have high rates of poverty, crime, and unemployment. (Riverside is improving these days in terms of crime, though.) The cost of living in those cities is still 25-50% more expensive than the nice, middle class suburbs of places like Houston or Atlanta.
First group: Houses are cheap because land has little value, and labor has little value. Cheap houses are a sign that something is wrong.
Second group: Houses are a little less cheap because land has a little more value, and labor has a little more value. Cheap houses are a sign that something is wrong.
Phoenix is frequently disregarded as being bland and cookie-cutter or sweltering by many people who have never even been here, but toot what they hear others say like a parrot. Phoenix has a huge lot of benefits that are generally hidden under the surface, like a cheap major metro in the West? That almost doesn't exist anymore
Phoenix is bland and cookie-cutter but the residents like it that way. I will say for right or wrong the residents love the bland-cookie cutter Phoenix metro.
It is a very dull metropolitan area. But the people who live there love it that way. Phoenix is a good fit for many.
As long as one likes to stay at home in a nice, new house for an affordable price and work alot with lots of stores nearby it is perfect city.
Its also a great metro for families who want a large, new looking home for an affordable price with a yard. There are some suburbs like San Tan Valley where huge,new 5 bedroom homes can be had for less then tiny studio condo's in big cities.
I will say amenities like shopping, retail, hospitals, gyms are very convenient. There is usually a massive retail replica every couple of miles and less then a 5 minute drive or 15 minute walk away.
Metro Phoenix also is the king of middle-class jobs in the West. There are alot of $30-60,000 a year jobs in Phoenix and lots and lots of $200,000-$300,000 homes in good condition with 1/8 acre with a massive fenced yard for privacy for the introverted residents.
As far as huge benefits to living in Phoenix, it is a mediocre metro with a massive middle-class. They do have some token nice suburbs but the city itself offers less then any city of it's size in North America.
It is very bland when it comes to things like nightlife, interesting neighborhoods and big-city amenities.
I was very lonely being single with no kids in the Phoenix area as the affordable, middle-class culture of Phoenix has drawn in lots of married people with families.
First group: Houses are cheap because land has little value, and labor has little value. Cheap houses are a sign that something is wrong.
Second group: Houses are a little less cheap because land has a little more value, and labor has a little more value. Cheap houses are a sign that something is wrong.
You're massively oversimplifying the facts to come to a incorrect conclusion. The houses are cheap because land is plentiful, and therefore supply can meet demand. The price of the houses in those cities aren't expensive because they don't need to be, and the market has the home price at a level that is sustainable for both buyers and sellers/developers. There is nothing wrong. In fact, San Francisco's wildly expensive housing is a sign something is wrong, because ordinary individuals are being priced out by the uber-rich techies that are flooding the Bay Area.
You're massively oversimplifying the facts to come to a incorrect conclusion. The houses are cheap because land is plentiful, and therefore supply can meet demand. The price of the houses in those cities aren't expensive because they don't need to be, and the market has the home price at a level that is sustainable for both buyers and sellers/developers. There is nothing wrong. In fact, San Francisco's wildly expensive housing is a sign something is wrong, because ordinary individuals are being priced out by the uber-rich techies that are flooding the Bay Area.
What's wrong is (a) they're allowed to sprawl and (b) labor is cheap.
Another affordable model elsewhere is that infill is cheap to build. No need to pave the hinterlands.
SAn Francisco has been flushed down the toilet years ago.
I would never say SF has been "flushed down the toilet." It is simply to0 beautiful, vibrant, and cultured city to ever have that happen. It is and will always be a lovely city.
The issue with SF is that it has lost that funky, alternative, and easy going character that made it so damn appealing in the first place. Certainly not sterile like Vancouver but it has lost a lot of it's charm.
Phoenix is bland and cookie-cutter but the residents like it that way. I will say for right or wrong the residents love the bland-cookie cutter Phoenix metro.
It is a very dull metropolitan area. But the people who live there love it that way. Phoenix is a good fit for many.
As long as one likes to stay at home in a nice, new house for an affordable price and work alot with lots of stores nearby it is perfect city.
Its also a great metro for families who want a large, new looking home for an affordable price with a yard. There are some suburbs like San Tan Valley where huge,new 5 bedroom homes can be had for less then tiny studio condo's in big cities.
I will say amenities like shopping, retail, hospitals, gyms are very convenient. There is usually a massive retail replica every couple of miles and less then a 5 minute drive or 15 minute walk away.
Metro Phoenix also is the king of middle-class jobs in the West. There are alot of $30-60,000 a year jobs in Phoenix and lots and lots of $200,000-$300,000 homes in good condition with 1/8 acre with a massive fenced yard for privacy for the introverted residents.
As far as huge benefits to living in Phoenix, it is a mediocre metro with a massive middle-class. They do have some token nice suburbs but the city itself offers less then any city of it's size in North America.
It is very bland when it comes to things like nightlife, interesting neighborhoods and big-city amenities.
I was very lonely being single with no kids in the Phoenix area as the affordable, middle-class culture of Phoenix has drawn in lots of married people with families.
Exactly. I think for most households in the country, this is what matters. An affordable home in a safe area with room for a family, with all the amenities of a big city. Phoenix offers this to a T. But part of what makes the homes is affordable is that they are cookie-cutter. Saves costs for the developers.
Nightlife, interesting neighborhoods (that naturally would cost a lot more), are obviously not Phoenix's forte. But I think if you have kids and get to a certain point in your life, these no longer matter. And that is where Phoenix comes out on top.
It's the hot temperatures in the summer that help keep prices down. Proof of that is the near 400-500k people increase we get in the cooler months. Imagine taking out the entire city of Mesa during the summer. If summers were cooler, that 400-500k would stay here year-round.
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SAn Francisco has been flushed down the toilet years ago.
