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I like both of these cities and I hate big cities!
San Diego is the ONLY big S California city that I would live in. It just makes sense, people are friendly and happy and the local government isn't totally nuts like many other big California cities. Unless that has changed...
Phoenix has a good vibe for a big city as well, it is more laid-back like San Diego and when I lived there very briefly, I was super impressed with how well planned out and nicely built it was.
I would only choose Phoenix over San Diego because I just couldn't do California government :/ Otherwise San Diego is a beautiful, ocean-side paradise and hard to beat.
How about you learn how to respond to questions without being condescending or coming off like a defensive, insufferable homer for once? While it's great that the Valley of the Sun has made strides in water conservation, long-term sustainability for a fast-growing city in a harsh desert environment is a question worth asking, whether you or other Phoenicians like it or not.
But you didn't just "ask a question". I've been on this forum since 2007 and have heard it all in regards to peoples' opinions about Phoenix from outsiders who think they can school Arizonans about what an inhospitable place this is and how ridiculous it is to continue growing without water. It's annoying. You chose to chime in with a drive-by remark in response to my post about sustainability and then I responded appropriately by presenting the facts to you. You can choose to call it homerism if you like, but I call it responding to ignorance and it still doesn't change the facts. I'm sorry you got salty and didn't like my response. Like I stated before, it is always hot and dry here and Arizonans have been planning for a future where it may be hotter and drier. I'm going to seal this post with love just so no one gets bent out of shape.
How about you learn how to respond to questions without being condescending or coming off like a defensive, insufferable homer for once? While it's great that the Valley of the Sun has made strides in water conservation, long-term sustainability for a fast-growing city in a harsh desert environment is a question worth asking, whether you or other Phoenicians like it or not.
It is a fair question to ask, you should know Phoenix was a farming town long before it was a booming population center and is situated in the Salt River Valley. The farming that has been replaced used a ton of water which is now primarily used for residential purposes. That along with further advancements in water saving technology and more xeriscape replacing traditional grass yards has put the city in a position where it uses less water now then it did in 1950. The majority of water use here continues to be on landscaping, so as we grow it's completely possible to save tons of water by simply reducing grass yards...
Many outsiders don't realize that while Phoenix is situated in a dry climate, much like San Diego, it's water sources do not originate here. We get water from the Verde, Salt and Gila river watersheds in Northern Arizona along with the Colorado River. If we outgrow those sources a solution I've heard considered is desalinization and pumping water to Phoenix from the Sea of Cortez near Rocky Point. This is not all that different then the CAP which pumps water from the CA/AZ boarder to Phoenix, uphill, to fill Lake Pleasant.
It is a fair question to ask, you should know Phoenix was a farming town long before it was a booming population center and is situated in the Salt River Valley. The farming that has been replaced used a ton of water which is now primarily used for residential purposes. That along with further advancements in water saving technology and more xeriscape replacing traditional grass yards has put the city in a position where it uses less water now then it did in 1950. The majority of water use here continues to be on landscaping, so as we grow it's completely possible to save tons of water by simply reducing grass yards...
Many outsiders don't realize that while Phoenix is situated in a dry climate, much like San Diego, it's water sources do not originate here. We get water from the Verde, Salt and Gila river watersheds in Northern Arizona along with the Colorado River. If we outgrow those sources a solution I've heard considered is desalinization and pumping water to Phoenix from the Sea of Cortez near Rocky Point. This is not all that different then the CAP which pumps water from the CA/AZ boarder to Phoenix, uphill, to fill Lake Pleasant.
I'm aware that Xeriscaping and less farmland has reduced water usage in the area quite a bit. And if Phoenix was in a totally uninhabitable area, it wouldn't be there at all. Being in the Salt River Valley gave it an advantage that other parts of the Sonoran Desert did not have. Good for Phoenix...
I'm aware that Xeriscaping and less farmland has reduced water usage in the area quite a bit. And if Phoenix was in a totally uninhabitable area, it wouldn't be there at all. Being in the Salt River Valley gave it an advantage that other parts of the Sonoran Desert did not have. Good for Phoenix...
Yep, being at the base of the AZ high country has some nice advantages, cooler temps in the summer, variation of geography nearby, and so on.
Much better climate. Phoenix real estate is no longer. Inexpensive. And Phoenix is just too isolated for me.
I do love Northern Arizona, but the desert life is not for me.
Relative to San Diego, Phoenix is magnitudes cheaper. Case in point-
Here's a typical sized Phoenix home in an okay part of San Diego, not the most desirable areas near the beach just a run of the mill area. It's $860K, monthly payment with taxes is $5000.
Here's a similar sized home in a run of the mill area of Phoenix, not North Scottsdale or Paradise Valley but not the lower end areas of the valley either for $399K. Monthly payment with taxes is $2000.
Relative to San Diego, Phoenix is magnitudes cheaper. Case in point-
Here's a typical sized Phoenix home in an okay part of San Diego, not the most desirable areas near the beach just a run of the mill area. It's $860K, monthly payment with taxes is $5000.
What a weird comparison...hardly "run of the mill" or even remotely comparable to the Phoenix example.
SD Home:
It's steps from one of the largest and best public universities in California.
The house backs a canyon, so only neighbors on two sides.
It's a 15-min walk to the light rail station and major transit center.
It's very central and proximate to central San Diego.
All K-12 schools rate 8/10
20-min drive to the beach
There's a reason the price is $860k.
Phoenix Home:
Random suburbia
Surrounded by homes; little privacy
K-12 schools rate 3-5/10
You don't need a real estate agent to understand the price difference.
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