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.
I'm originally from Phoenix and live in NOLA now and been here awhile- here's my 2 cents-
Quality of living- depends on where you are in life and what you want. I'm gonna say overall Phoenix though. If you have a passion to party and/or enjoy the uniqueness of NOLA, you'll enjoy it more. The infrastructure and shopping are much worse in NOLA. Primary public education is a wash, both are terrible. Music scene is def better in NOLA than PHX though.
Entertainment- it's really NOLA vs. Scottsdale and Tempe here, with a dash of Phoenix downtown. I'd give it to NOLA but I haven't really partied in PHX in a long time so could be different now.
Outdoor activities- nature wise, PHX. Kayaking here in NOLA is terrible, the nearest real park is about an hour and a half away. Walking along the streets here is cool but there's no hiking like there is off camelback or lost dog trail. PHX is close to flag and sedona for great outdoor activities as well, whereas I just drove up to Gatlinburg to go snowboarding last week (about 10 hours away). I will say, I prefer Destin beaches and Orange Beach to SoCal though. I did love growing up in the valley though and being able to go to ranches and horse back riding etc., but most of that has been bulldozed down.
Place to raise a family- PHX
Weather- PHX, but both are meh during the summer and great the rest of the year. I personally prefer a middle ground with some humidity but not like NOLA.
Food- Wash. NOLA's cajun/creole cuisine is better, PHX has great mexican food. PHX has way more to choose from though. I'd give a slight edge to PHX.
I actually really love both cities- if I had to choose, I'd choose Phoenix over NOLA for the long run. Phoenix is so big though now and super busy with terrible traffic. So perhaps going back now would make me think twice. I'm sure the grass is always greener.
Downtown PHX (and Tempe) have been brewing with development the past couple years and continue to do so. Also, more than 115 bars and restaurants have opened in downtown PHX since 2008.
Phoenix.I would think New Orleans would be a pretty bad place to raise my family.I prefer the outdoors activities in New Orleans but i prefer the climate in Phoenix
Quote:
Originally Posted by Shakeesha
Phoenix for sure. I like that Phoenix offers a good value. I could not live in New Orleans.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Crazybreakfast
I'm originally from Phoenix and live in NOLA now and been here awhile- here's my 2 cents-
Quality of living- depends on where you are in life and what you want. I'm gonna say overall Phoenix though. If you have a passion to party and/or enjoy the uniqueness of NOLA, you'll enjoy it more. The infrastructure and shopping are much worse in NOLA. Primary public education is a wash, both are terrible. Music scene is def better in NOLA than PHX though.
Entertainment- it's really NOLA vs. Scottsdale and Tempe here, with a dash of Phoenix downtown. I'd give it to NOLA but I haven't really partied in PHX in a long time so could be different now.
Outdoor activities- nature wise, PHX. Kayaking here in NOLA is terrible, the nearest real park is about an hour and a half away. Walking along the streets here is cool but there's no hiking like there is off camelback or lost dog trail. PHX is close to flag and sedona for great outdoor activities as well, whereas I just drove up to Gatlinburg to go snowboarding last week (about 10 hours away). I will say, I prefer Destin beaches and Orange Beach to SoCal though. I did love growing up in the valley though and being able to go to ranches and horse back riding etc., but most of that has been bulldozed down.
Place to raise a family- PHX
Weather- PHX, but both are meh during the summer and great the rest of the year. I personally prefer a middle ground with some humidity but not like NOLA.
Food- Wash. NOLA's cajun/creole cuisine is better, PHX has great mexican food. PHX has way more to choose from though. I'd give a slight edge to PHX.
I actually really love both cities- if I had to choose, I'd choose Phoenix over NOLA for the long run. Phoenix is so big though now and super busy with terrible traffic. So perhaps going back now would make me think twice. I'm sure the grass is always greener.
Quote:
Originally Posted by bawac34618
Wouldn't want to live in New Orleans. Now for a vacation? NOLA by far. However outside the French Quarter/urban core it just isn't a very nice place in my opinion.
And this is why New Orleans is losing population : (
And this is why New Orleans is losing population : (
How is the economy in New Orleans though? People will move to undesirable places if there is money to be made. New Orleans also has enough going for it that I think that the right turn of events could really turn the place around. The city needs to get past it's "great to visit but sucks to live" perception. Thing is, as of right now that perception is pretty close to reality.
Phoenix on the other hand is the opposite. I think it's a great place to live but it wouldn't be at the top of my list of places to vacation.
Interesting city vs city. The two are so different it is kind of hard to get a handle on it. As others have said, visiting New Orleans is great, living there...not so much. One of the most humid cities in the country, also obviously storm-prone. The economy was almost destroyed by Katrina, and my understanding it has rebounded somewhat, but not completely. I had an employee take a job there back in the 90's and he was back in the Northwest within literally three months. Anectdotal, for sure but gives you some persepective.
Phoenix isn't for everyone, but everyone seems to be moving there. If you can take the extreme heat, you will probably like it the rest of the year as well. The culture isn't quite New Orleans style, but does have a tremendous SW vibe. And as others have said, great Mexican food. Phoenix sprawls even more than Los Angeles, whether that is good or bad depends on your ideals of what makes a great city. Density is not a word used much in Phoenix, but for most who live there, they don't care.
Quality of living: Phoenix -- less crime, more affordable, growing, better healthcare, better schools, better employment.
Entertainment: New Orleans. Bar/restaurant scene is gritty, and tons of adult stuff can be found. Family - oriented though shifts to Phoenix as the winner.
Outdoor activities: Phoenix by a mile. Tons of hiking, rock climbing, camping and swimming, golfing, outdoor in general can be found.
Place to raise a family: Phoenix easily
Weather: Phoenix sunshine is incredible. The intense heat is a factor for 8 months, but it's more "dry." It beats the soupy humidity and rain of New Orleans.
Food: Phoenix by a hair. Just because it is bigger and offers more variety.
Thought this would be a fun thread, since these two cities couldn't be more opposite
For you personally, which would offer better :
Quality of living - Probably Phoenix. It's newer. It's bigger. I feel like could go most anywhere in Phoenix and feel safe.
Entertainment - New Orleans for the music and food.
Outdoor activities - New Orleans most of the time. For a good part of the year, Phoenix can be too hot to be doing outdoor activities for even a short period of time.
Place to raise a family - It's hard to say, but probably Phoenix. I think Phoenix has a brighter future.
Weather - New Orleans. I don't want to live anywhere that has less rainfall than Austin. Austin averages about 34 inches of rain a year. Humidity don't bother me. In fact I kinda like it.
And do you find the bayou or the desert more pleasant to look at? -
For my eyes, the desert landscape is more unusual looking and I find it more interesting and captivating to look at, but if lived there, after a short period of time, I think I would begin to miss the greenery and the humidity. The bayou landscape is swampy but other than some of the plants and trees, alligators and crawfish, it doesn't really look all that much different than the landscapes around many rivers and creeks in the Deep South.
Last edited by Ivory Lee Spurlock; 02-23-2020 at 08:35 AM..
I’m a Phoenix resident and I travel to New Orleans regularly as I have family there.
Quality of life - New Orleans is more my flavor as what the city offers.
Entertainment - New Orleans by far. I’ve seen more entertaining things happening on the sidewalks in New Orleans than entire events in Phoenix venues. New Orleans just has some... interesting people.
Outdoor activities - Phoenix by far
Place to raise a family - These are about equal to me as education in both is subpar.
Weather - Phoenix and it’s not even close
Food - New Orleans
Bayous are cool but the humidity + heat ruins it for me cause that’s all I think about when I see a picture of one. I cannot stand summers down there, I really detest it. Deserts are also really cool and though many are hot they aren’t quite swamp miserable to me. I like looking at rock formations on mountains, more so than water features, but alligator spotting is a fair enough pastime.
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.
