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I also selected Tucson since it's at a higher elevation than Phoenix w/ cooler summers & some fantastic thunderstorms.
What about Palm Springs? It is, of-course, much smaller than the 4 listed cities but is very close to Mt. San Jacinto via tram & only 2 hours from both LA & San Diego.
I forgot about Palm Springs. For someone considering moving to a desert city, it should definitely be considered. It has a different feel from the other cities in the poll, but it is most certainly the desert.
Location: northern Vermont - previously NM, WA, & MA
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1: Albuquerque: My favorite on the list, awesome culture, food, great hiking, amazing network of biking trails, just the right size, great freeways, close to Santa Fe with rail connections between the two cities, and very friendly with a nice balanced mix of natives and transplants .
2: Tucson: If I wasn't moving to NM I'd consider Tucson as a second option. It seems to embrace Southwestern culture and food quite well and out of the four it has the most impressive desert vegetation with the Sagauro cactuses and beautiful mountains.
3: Phoenix: Would rather spend a weekend here, very nice hotel resorts (I would prefer over Vegas), too big and sprawly for my liking though. Tucson and Albuquerque seem to have more originality and character.
4: Las Vegas: Couldn't fathom living here. Too seedy, tourist driven, away fromthe strip not a very attractive city, least attractive outskirts for desert scenery given the other choices. And the economy sucks as it will take a very long time for this place to figure out how to reinevent itself.
I like each of those four cities. Any of them can be good places to live-- it all depends on your needs and preferences. Of those four Phoenix, being the largest has the ability to appeal to the widest range of people. They are all acquired tastes, of course, but Las Vegas, Tucson, and Albuquerque would probably only appeal to people looking for a certain "niche." I personally love Albuquerque and I think I could be very happy living there. There are people who would live in Phoenix because it meets the bare minimum of their criteria but would turn down the other three for one reason or another. In terms of work-- Phoenix is the biggest and has the most diverse economy of those four. Las Vegas is doable career wise for many people but not everybody. In terms of play, Las Vegas wins. Scottsdale comes in as a close second. For hiking and exploring the outdoors, each of them have something to offer, but I'd rate Tucson as #1 (Catalina Mountains, Saguaro National Park), Albuquerque as #2 (Sandia Mountains), Las Vegas as #3 (mainly because of the incredible Spring Mountains right nearby, otherwise Vegas would be last), and Phoenix last (a bunch of mountain preserves, but doesn't compare to the mountains of LV, TUS, or ABQ). For climate, I'd rank Albuquerque #1 especially if you're more of a four seasons type and aren't that big on EXTREME heat, Tucson #1 or #2 if you like it hot, Vegas #3, and Phoenix #4 dead last.
But those are the very reasons I would pick Phoenix out of all of those... All 4 sports, closer drives to LA/San Diego, bigger job and media market, better airport hub with exception of LV, and you have Tempe/Scottsdale/Flagstaff all right in your back yard.
For me it is often big and location location location, as I travel a bunch anyway (usually out of town twice a month meeting clients or checking out new areas) and look more "regionally" than city specific, but like to have a big city also. I go to all those more "niche" cities anyway, I don't find I need to live there though to experience it. I would visit all the other 3, but live in Phoenix. I'd rank them Phoenix, Las Vegas, Tuscon, then ABQ. Sacrificing choice by living in the SW and still getting cold/snow as in ABQ would **** me off.
Those other cities are indeed cool and more unique... but those are the very reasons I wouldn't live there, as they don't meet the minimum requirements that I would look at for somewhere to live. I've done the medium sized city thing and they aren't for me or my career.
Large desert metropolitises are in big trouble as they are running out of water. By 2050, water will be a more important resource than oil. Only 2.5% of the earth's water is fresh, and 2/3 of that is frozen near the earth's poles. Large desert cities' economies is based on homebuilding and roadbuilding, and these are not sustainable economies. Lake Mead is now at record-low levels.
In retirement guides and magazines, I often see recommended for retirement, Las Cruces NM, St. George UT and Cedar City UT.
I live in paradise in a small home. My arthritis is terrible here because of the humidity. I need to check out some desert cities. I'm leaning toward Nevada, Las Vegas area because many Hawaiian residents live there but I'm open to other places. I can't do Santa Fe because of the elevation. I have lung issues. But I need more information. I'm a youngish 66 and a part time teacher. Any ideas?
Location: northern Vermont - previously NM, WA, & MA
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Quote:
Originally Posted by mayaone
I live in paradise in a small home. My arthritis is terrible here because of the humidity. I need to check out some desert cities. I'm leaning toward Nevada, Las Vegas area because many Hawaiian residents live there but I'm open to other places. I can't do Santa Fe because of the elevation. I have lung issues. But I need more information. I'm a youngish 66 and a part time teacher. Any ideas?
Albuquerque will probably have the best air quality, however Las Vegas will have the least amount of humidity and rainfall.
I forgot about Palm Springs. For someone considering moving to a desert city, it should definitely be considered. It has a different feel from the other cities in the poll, but it is most certainly the desert.
I did not vote since all four cities are cliquish, with horrible crime, terrible roads, drug problems, many doctors don't take insurance, easy to get fired for a minor infraction, Phoenix is full of trust funder millenials and their wild parties at Arizona state univ and in Scottsdale.
I've lived in all except Tucson.
I've also lived in Palm Springs and hated it. It has nice scenery but the people are rude and nasty.
I'm looking to get out of Arizona to a more sophisticated, normal place like LA or orange county or San Diego and wish to find educated people and get a masters degree and make more money.
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