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I still don't really understand the hype for Pheonix apart from close proximity to the Southern Cal cities and Vegas. We talk about how a city like Atlanta doesn't really have a good downtown, but Pheonix is even worse. It has almost no urban neighborhoods so to speak of. Atlanta at least has that history and historic neighborhoods to boot along with a top 10 U.S. transit system. An extremely expansive tree canopy that provides shade in a lot of it's neighborhoods and a diverse economy that has a lot of white collar jobs. Shopping destroys Pheonix. It's the shopping capital of the Southeast(ignoring Miami). Pheonix's nightlife is unheard of, while Atlanta has good nightlife, though it was top 5 in the 90s. Higher education again destroys Pheonix. Weather is preferential so I won't go there, though I much prefer Atlanta's. I like the possibility of snow.
Oh great...more drama...never-ending. Phoenix and Atlanta are different with Atlanta having been established much earlier than Phoenix. I do not believe one is "better" than the other. It's all preferences specific to an individual. Having said that, Atlanta may offer more shopping experiences, but it is also a bigger metro than Phoenix, so that goes without saying. It certainly doesn't "destroy" Phoenix as that just sounds (and is) ridiculous, and it is not true. Furthermore, while Phoenix nightlife may be unheard of to you, many people are quite aware of the nightlife in Scottsdale (and the pool parties) and Tempe (as well as Phoenix). In addition, while Atlanta may be a hot spot and capital of sorts for hip/hop, r&b, among other genres which may be reflected in those types of nightlife spots, that stuff is not my cup of tea and will likely never be, so it again comes down to preferences.
I think after having read many of your posts over time, it safe to come to the conclusion that you're just not a fan of Phoenix (and that's fine), so there's no reason in beating it into the ground. I understand that Atlanta takes a beating here too on CD, but there's no reason in trying to defend it by attempting to compare it to Phoenix (in an attempt to make Atlanta look better) when the cities are just different from each other.
Final thought for those who continuously attempt to badmouth cities based upon your belief that they lack in urban qualities and features. If the cities you live in are so urban, great, exciting, "diverse", "cultural", etc...why are you wasting away on your computers trashing others cities while you live in these urban paradises? Why aren't you out there enjoying them?
I usually base quality of trips based on how quickly I can get to Jacksonville
This is why you should travel more:
Largest city Jacksonville
Other cities – St. Augustine-
– Fernandina Beach
– Jacksonville Beach
– Orange Park
– Middleburg
– Green Cove Springs
– Macclenny
Obviously beaches are the draw but St.Ausustineis the oldest coty in America and is very scenicn and historic.I recently went and was really impressed,
Let's not pretend Phoenix is devoid of nightlife, things have changed in the last 20 years A LOT, there are more, but not every district has a website.
As for historic walkable districts, i'll give you that there's an old section of Tempe, Scottsdale and Phoenix but most of them are post WW2 bungalows. Tempe is probably the most walkable city in the metro but Phoenix is RAPIDLY improving its downtown with infill and density.
The one district that is historic and walkable that I can think of is Roosevelt.
I've lived in both Atlanta and Phoenix, and if I had the choice to return to either or, I'd pick Phoenix, for sure. And my reasons for preferring Phoenix go far beyond that of weather, scenery, and outdoor recreational opportunities.
For me personally, Atlanta is just too Southern. Even though people say Atlanta is where a bunch of "Nor'easters" and Florida "half-backs" go for bigger, newer, cheaper housing, I disagree. Atlanta, especially in the suburban and outlying areas, is very religious and socially conservative. IMO, there's still too much "Bubba talk" and too many "Bible thumpers" for me to truly like it there.
I found the culture of Georgia to be either very ghetto, very redneck, or very hillbilly, depending on where you are in the state. From what I can remember, there's very little "in between," although I'm sure that's changed over the past 10 years as more transplants and immigrants settle in Georgia and influence/reshape the culture.
Oh, yeah--Georgia natives and transplants from other culturally Southern areas don't particularly care for "Yankees" all that much, either. Boy, do they make that known!
When I lived in Georgia, more so than in the other Southern states in which I've lived (Florida, Texas), I experienced a lot of hurtful comments. It's hard to explain because nothing is really outright, and everything seems to have a second meaning. It's not an issue of being a loud, complaining "Yankee" like others assert--while living in Georgia, I was very respectful of the culture, customs, etc. Also, I didn't talk much there without being addressed first, which is a huge departure from my personality. Finally, I never talked about my home state of Rhode Island unless asked.
Thing is, I was asked about "up there" a lot, usually in the form of baited questions to set me up for some cutting remark or veiled insult. Another common occurrence among native Southerners is being asked a question and then being cut-off as you begin to reply. Lots of backhanded compliments and uncomfortable comments that are said in a polite way.
This weird stuff plus general changes in demeanor when I would speak happened with lots of people--colleagues, neighbors, mutual friends, etc. It felt hard to escape.
Well, if any of that matters, Phoenix has none of those issues.
Phoenix, consistent with the rest of Arizona, has a classic live-and-let-live Southwestern vibe--very casual; polite; laid-back (e.g., you'll rarely hear a car horn in Phoenix, despite it being the fifth or sixth most populous city in the entire country); generally open-minded; tolerant, even if not approving; and although people may seem aloof, they are almost invariably pleasant if you talk first.
Arizona's population primarily consists of out-of-towners. Most people there are from either California, the Midwest, or Mexico, although places like New England and the Pacific Northwest are well-represented, too. Needless to say, no one cares where you're from, and you won't hear the term "Yankee" used outside of reference to the baseball team or in a history lecture.
Jobs--that's the biggest issue with Phoenix, whose economy really leaves a lot to be desired, especially compared to that of Atlanta. However, I will have you know that for a Sun Belt boom-town, salaries are generally proportional to the COL, especially in the professional services sector. But if you're in that sector, good luck finding a job and, more specifically, finding one if that first one you have lined up doesn't work out. To say Phoenix has a very limited corporate presence for a city it's size is an understatement.
However, the lack of investment in public K-12 schools and public transportation, very few reputable institutions of higher learning, and polarizing legislation keeps companies from setting up shop in Phoenix. For example, within the past year, Arizona lost the Tesla plant to Nevada, which is a huge loss, IMO. Innovative, cutting-edge companies don't want to be associated with polarizing ultra-conservative legislation such as SB 1070 and SB 1062 because, if they are, they're going to have trouble attracting bright, talented, largely progressive youth--another demographic that's extremely underrepresented in Phoenix.
Overall, however, Phoenix kicks the believin' Jesus outta Atlanta every day of the week and twice on Sunday, especially with regard to weather, scenery, outdoor recreational opportunities, local and nearby travel destinations, infrastructure, and, most importantly, culture.
Phoenix, FTW.
There is some true=th to your comments but they are not in perspective at all.
Its been 10 years you say since you lived here yet when you did you lived in some far suburb that I can promise you has grow more since.
You can promise you that the further you leave Phoenix,AZ is almost as conservative as Georgia.Look at the current politics.
You ignore the boycots as recent as 2010 and almost again This Wouldn't Be The First Time Bigots In Arizona Lost The State A Super Bowl
Oh great...more drama...never-ending. Phoenix and Atlanta are different with Atlanta having been established much earlier than Phoenix. I do not believe one is "better" than the other. It's all preferences specific to an individual. Having said that, Atlanta may offer more shopping experiences, but it is also a bigger metro than Phoenix, so that goes without saying. It certainly doesn't "destroy" Phoenix as that just sounds (and is) ridiculous, and it is not true. Furthermore, while Phoenix nightlife may be unheard of to you, many people are quite aware of the nightlife in Scottsdale (and the pool parties) and Tempe (as well as Phoenix). In addition, while Atlanta may be a hot spot and capital of sorts for hip/hop, r&b, among other genres which may be reflected in those types of nightlife spots, that stuff is not my cup of tea and will likely never be, so it again comes down to preferences.
I think after having read many of your posts over time, it safe to come to the conclusion that you're just not a fan of Phoenix (and that's fine), so there's no reason in beating it into the ground. I understand that Atlanta takes a beating here too on CD, but there's no reason in trying to defend it by attempting to compare it to Phoenix (in an attempt to make Atlanta look better) when the cities are just different from each other.
Final thought for those who continuously attempt to badmouth cities based upon your belief that they lack in urban qualities and features. If the cities you live in are so urban, great, exciting, "diverse", "cultural", etc...why are you wasting away on your computers trashing others cities while you live in these urban paradises? Why aren't you out there enjoying them?
Atlanta is not just hip hop ,Its just has that which is not usual for a city to offer as many options as does Atlanta.
In fact most of th nightlife is not even centered around hip hop!
The biggest bars and clubs are not hip hop centered.This is a complete myth.
In fact if yu go to every section of Atlanta that has nightlife,you might only see one club that is hip hop out of ten that are something else.
Atlanta is not just hip hop ,Its just has that which is not usual for a city to offer as many options as does Atlanta.
In fact most of th nightlife is not even centered around hip hop!
The biggest bars and clubs are not hip hop centered.This is a complete myth.
In fact if yu go to every section of Atlanta that has nightlife,you might only see one club that is hip hop out of ten that are something else.
Wat a bazaar notion.
I never said Atlanta was just hip hop. Seriously, learn to read!!!!!!!!
I read fine.Especially between the lines.
Then why did you ONLY mention it?As it that was the main thing which its not?
What exactly is your point? I hate when people make me waste my time like this.
What I posted was the following: "In addition, while Atlanta may be a hot spot and capital of sorts for hip/hop, r&b, among other genres which may be reflected in those types of nightlife spots, that stuff is not my cup of tea and will likely never be, so it again comes down to preferences.
There is some true=th to your comments but they are not in perspective at all.
Its been 10 years you say since you lived here yet when you did you lived in some far suburb that I can promise you has grow more since.
You can promise you that the further you leave Phoenix,AZ is almost as conservative as Georgia.Look at the current politics.
You ignore the boycots as recent as 2010 and almost again This Wouldn't Be The First Time Bigots In Arizona Lost The State A Super Bowl
To act like you are talking "Phoenix and Atlanta" rather than you actually talking Phoenix and "fill in suburb" is not very accurate or fair.
I wouldn't go that far, Arizona like a lot of the west has a different version of Republican that leaves the social aspects behind. As for the bills you put up, they were nationally embarrassing to say the least, but the issue stems from a very expensive issue we face as a border state.
I wouldn't go that far, Arizona like a lot of the west has a different version of Republican that leaves the social aspects behind. As for the bills you put up, they were nationally embarrassing to say the least, but the issue stems from a very expensive issue we face as a border state.
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