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LA has much more to offer than Phoenix ever will. Phoenix basically wishes it were LA, but it doesn't have the glitz and glamour or the ocean, so there's no way it will ever be as great.
This is why I don't like Californians, they think everyone wants to be them and when they see someone of higher class they automatically get jealous and assume they're trying to be something their not. In what way does Phoenix try to be LA? Not all of us try to be wannabe celebrities...
I moved to Phoenix back in August -- would definitely pick it again over LA.
LA is too expensive. The quality of the freeways is horrid. People there are very fake, and pretend to be more important than you because they live in LA.
Phoenix is great. The highways are all paved with rubberized pavement, and they're some of the smoothest roads I've ever driven on. If you plan your living / work arrangement well, you never have to worry about congestion (I've never really been stuck in bad traffic here). There's plenty to do -- several lakes, mountains to hike, day trips to be had. If you want to escape the heat for a weekend, you can drive up north, into the mountains. In the winters, the weather here is amazing, and you can be on a ski slope in a couple of hours!
Earlier, someone said that Phoenix is LA without the beach -- and that's pretty much spot on. And, without the beach, you don't get the stigma that comes with the beach. You get a cheaper cost of living, less tourists, and friendlier people. While palm trees aren't native, they grow well here, so there's plenty lining the streets. Anywhere in Phoenix, you get beautiful mountain views on the horizon. If you ever have to fly out of Phoenix, you'll find Sky Harbor airport is a LOT easier to navigate than LAX, with almost no lines for security, and friendly staff. Flying out of LAX took me three hours from door to gate. It took me less than 30 minutes at Sky Harbor.
I can't speak for job markets, but I think LA might have Phoenix beat here. While there are plenty of jobs in Phoenix, there's more people in LA, and more companies, so probably more accounting / bookkeeping jobs.
And don't listen to ShrikeArghast about the heat. It's the beginning of May, and we haven't seen the hundreds since last October. Because of the lack of humidity, 110 degrees here feels like 85 in Florida. There's maybe 2 or 3 months that are constantly above 115 degrees, and that's when it starts to feel just plain hot. I'd say 115-120 degrees here is about comparable with 90-95 degrees in Florida. Though at night, in the winter, people don't mention that it's a dry cold! 60 degrees at night in the desert feels like 30 degrees elsewhere! Summers in LA don't reach as high temperatures as Phoenix, with highs peaking in the low hundreds, but LA is more humid than Phoenix, so you'll be feeling that 100 degrees.
What stigma does one get with the beach? What's so negative about beaches? If your answers are in your next sentence, then I'd like to point out that a higher "cost of living" is not inherently a bad thing (especially when one is well-off) nor are "tourists" inherently bad. And how does a beach/or lack of one equate to friendlier or not friendlier people?
This is why I don't like Californians, they think everyone wants to be them and when they see someone of higher class they automatically get jealous and assume they're trying to be something their not. In what way does Phoenix try to be LA? Not all of us try to be wannabe celebrities...
Well, I personally don't think everyone wants to be like us nor do I get jealous and assume when I see someone of "higher class," whatever that means. I'm sure I speak for a lot of other Californians too. Seems like you're exaggerating/generalizing like portlanderinOC was. And I can take the same line and say this is why I don't like people who are not Californians: because they think LA only consists of celebrities. Celebrities/famous people make up but a very tiny fraction of the population; not all people in LA try to be "wannabe celebrities." Again, way to generalize.
I went to Phoenix for the first time a few weeks ago... For one, Phoenix did not seem to be as 'bad' as so many people on C-D make it out to be. However, the idea that it is a "mini-LA" does not seem like a very accurate description. Superficially it has a little in common, but for the most part is much more similar to somewhere like San Bernardino or Riverside.
Not just the NFL, all four major sports franchises, a major hub for spring training, the host of all-star games, and super bowls.
It's not about teams that have played in or won a championship.
Despite a missing NFL franchise Los Angeles has a good selection of sports, but I think Phoenix is better in this regard.
L.A. has done all those things as well, and more frequently. The only thing L.A. doesn't have is Spring Training... which.... not sure if that's very important.
Throw in X Games, which L.A. hosts every year, the site of 2 Olympics games, historic stadiums (Rose Bowl, Coliseum), 2 major college sports programs (USC and UCLA)....
The big piece missing is the NFL, but I still don't think that puts PHX ahead. And hopefully that will be rectified soon...
And (I guess) we are not even talking about the number of championships or fan support the teams have in each city...
Not just the NFL, all four major sports franchises, a major hub for spring training, the host of all-star games, and super bowls.
It's not about teams that have played in or won a championship.
Despite a missing NFL franchise Los Angeles has a good selection of sports, but I think Phoenix is better in this regard.
I don't know, I think Los Angeles may have a leg up. LA has USC and UCLA which have had their periods of dominance in both football and basketball... Two NBA teams, it has hosted two Olympics.
If Farmer's Field gets built LA will have the premier sports/entertainment district in the nation - 2 NBA teams, an NFL team and an NHL team plus the space to host World Cups, NCAA tournaments, etc.
Last edited by munchitup; 05-10-2012 at 11:34 AM..
Reason: fail
LA is my choice. The weather and not having beaches are two huge factors why I would not live in Phoenix. I also noticed when it was around 106 in June, no one was outside. No outdoor cafe life, just not much streetlife for a big city. And who would? Different in the winter I suppose.
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What's so negative about beaches? If your answers are in your next sentence, then I'd like to point out that a higher "cost of living" is not inherently a bad thing (especially when one is well-off) nor are "tourists" inherently bad. And how does a beach/or lack of one equate to friendlier or not friendlier people?
