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Reviewing my post, I fail to find where I said I loved living in a desert or was a fan of the growing suburbs around here (well, they haven't been growing too much lately).
Many of the things I do like about the greater Albuquerque area are absent in the Phoenix area which is one reason I live here and not there.
I assumed liking Albuquerque and it's natural surroundings went hand in hand.
It's not an issue of one being better than the other. No city is better that the other. It's an issue of personal preference. At this point in your life you clearly prefer Az. No issue there.
There are people coming and going in many cites/towns/states.........one is not better than the other.
There are lots of people that want to leave Az as there are people that want to move there. Same holds true for LI. Some people DO like all 4 seasons and winters. I could not live in a place that doesn't have all 4 seasons. I like all the seasons. That doesn't mean what I like is better than what you like. It's personal preference.
I wish you well in your new home. Congrats on landing the job.
PS- Enjoy AZ for what it is, don't bash LI because you've made some strides in AZ.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Lavender123
About five months ago I moved from Long Island to Arizona. I noticed many posters here have been discussing the topics of whether they'd stay on Long Island or not. Let me tell you that Arizona is amazing compared to Long Island. The weather is perfect 8 months of the year. Constant sunshine, comfortable dry heat. No more hot and sticky humid summers with mosquitoes, no more freezing, snowy winters. Everything in Phoenix is new and modern, you can get a newer, bigger, more stylish house for half the price of the average home on Long Island. Gorgeous palm trees, easy access to mountains which is great for hiking and mountain biking. No more NYC congestion and the state speed limit is 85mph. Taxes are lower and the schools are good. The authentic Mexican food is delicious and is much better and healthier than pizza and bagels. Arizona provides a healthy, active lifestyle Long Island is lacking. Sedona is a beautiful resort city to visit. Also Phoenix is within a few hours driving distance to SoCal for the beach, Las Vegas, and the Grand Canyon. I can easily go to Los Angeles if I want big, cosmopolitan city life or San Diego which is America's finest city. There are many microclimates if one wants to get away from the heat. You can even go skiing in the mountains in Arizona or California. It seems that everyone who leaves Long Island moves to Florida, North Carolina, or South Carolina and many people aren't pleased. Forget the southeast and move to the wild wild west if you need a break from Long Island. The western United States is where it's at in terms of QOL.
I think the QoL in Arizona is terrible compared to Long Island. Awful schools, terrible pollution, nonexistent services (try catching a bus or receiving public assistance). The politics are very scary, with the racist, anti-immigrant sentiment, and pro guns everywhere (even machine guns in churches!). Phoenix jobs have very low pay compared to LI.
The worst part is the weather. 100+ for many months of the year. And huge dust storms that sting your eyes. Long Island tends to have mild winters, with little snow, and summers tend to be moderated by the ocean. Beautiful beaches, green forests, rolling hills are typical of Long Island. Oh, and you're sitting next to the greatest city in the world. You have much better shopping, restaurants, services, really everything on Long Island.
Really the only advantage in Phoenix is that it's cheaper. Housing is dirt cheap, because the local economy collapsed. But you better come with a job, because jobs are very tough to get.
I think the QoL in Arizona is terrible compared to Long Island. Awful schools, terrible pollution, nonexistent services (try catching a bus or receiving public assistance). The politics are very scary, with the racist, anti-immigrant sentiment, and pro guns everywhere (even machine guns in churches!). Phoenix jobs have very low pay compared to LI.
The worst part is the weather. 100+ for many months of the year. And huge dust storms that sting your eyes. Long Island tends to have mild winters, with little snow, and summers tend to be moderated by the ocean. Beautiful beaches, green forests, rolling hills are typical of Long Island. Oh, and you're sitting next to the greatest city in the world. You have much better shopping, restaurants, services, really everything on Long Island.
Really the only advantage in Phoenix is that it's cheaper. Housing is dirt cheap, because the local economy collapsed. But you better come with a job, because jobs are very tough to get.
I disagree a lot with your post. Public transportation can be better in Phoenix but not public assistance. Too much public assistance is one of the reasons NYS is having serious financial problems. As for politics Phoenix isn't as conservative as you think now because many ex Californians have transplanted to the area.
As for weather, I prefer the dry heat in Arizona over the humid heat on Long Island any day. Winters aren't that mild on Long Island, and if I want winter I'll take Colorado or Utah winters that have even more moderate temperatures and drier snow that doesn't pile up for weeks and becomes dirty.
As for shopping, I can find all the same upscale and specialty stores I like in Phoenix. No need to go to NYC for that. Also where is the hiking and mountain biking in NYC and Long Island? My husband and I are outdoor enthusiasts, we would rather go hiking on the weekend than see a Broadway play. NYC may be the greatest city in the world, that doesn't mean it's for everyone.
Restaurants aren't that great on Long Island BTW. I can't find any Asian food that's as good as places in NYC. And certainly the Mexican food on Long Island isn't as good as Arizona. I had better pub food when I was living in Buffalo. Of course NYC has good restaurants but Long Island is a different story. Most of the restaurants on Long Island fall into these categories: really high end and expensive, pizza parlor/Italian, diner, or chain restaurant. Also, who the heck can afford to eat out in restaurants in NYC all the time?
Green forests of Long Island? Most of Long Island is extremely build up now, they're hardly any forests left. Rolling hills on Long Island, well Arizona has actual mountains. Beaches, I can drive to SoCal in a few hours which have better surfing and topography than any beach on Long Island or New Jersey. Yeah salaries in Phoenix pay less, but the average Long Island private sector salaries are probably on par if not less than Phoenix yet the COL is much higher.
I assumed liking Albuquerque and it's natural surroundings went hand in hand.
Well, Albuquerque does butt up to a 10,000+ ft., forest-clad mountain range and that helps :-)
But 'liking Albuquerque', for me, has more to do with the local culture, food, and most importantly, my friends, than the millions of acres of thorny scrub and sun-baked dirt that it happens to be in.
Well, Albuquerque does butt up to a 10,000+ ft., forest-clad mountain range and that helps :-)
But 'liking Albuquerque', for me, has more to do with the local culture, food, and most importantly, my friends, than the millions of acres of thorny scrub and sun-baked dirt that it happens to be in.
I guess I'm just a thorn scrub sun-baked dirt kinda guy.
I am also a former Long Islander but Phoenix is way too hot. Summer is my least favorite season. I can't even stand 80 degree temps nevermind those 100 degree temps you get in June, July and August. I'm retired and I don't want to spend the daytime indoors. I also like a lot of trees and grass.
Nine Straight Days of 110 or More: That’s Hot, Even for Phoenix
"The temperature rises cruelly here as the day goes on — hot in the morning, very hot by midday and still hot late at night. While that is not uncommon for August, when the mercury breaches the triple digits practically every day, it has been particularly vicious of late as the same routine has played out day after day."
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