[canudigit]

My DH and I are both natives of NW Ohio and have lived in Michigan for the past 15 years. We moved to a suburb of Phoenix three years ago and came back within the year. Our main reason for moving was that we had never lived anywhere else, he had an opportunity for a job transfer, and our youngest daughter suffers from seasonal allergies and we thought that her suffering would be alleviated by living in a dry climate. Here are my observations, FWIW:

AZ, and particularly the Valley of the Sun (Phoenix) is H-O-T!!! I mean, not just get a little sweaty and put on some sunscreen hot but the sun feels like a laser beam boring into the top of your head by 7 am hot. All that stuff about "but it's a DRY heat" is malarkey...the interior of an oven is dry heat too, and it's still hot! I can remember one day in July when the temperature peaked out at 116 degrees. We were walking around Old Town Scottsdale, pretty much alone because no one else was dumb enough to be outside if they didn't have to be, and the sun was so hot on the tops of my feet that it was almost painful. That's something I have never experienced here, not even during this miserably hot, dry summer. I used to be one of those people who swore I would be happy if the temp never dropped below 75 degrees again, but living in AZ gave me a fresh appreciation for the four seasons and the crisp beauty of a Michigan winter.

Everything is tan or brown. The ground, the houses, a lot of the yards don't have grass because it's too hard to maintain and keep it alive, so even the yards are tan and brown. Blah. No shade trees either. Palm trees are cool to look at, but they provide zero shade to speak of, and the other trees are just kind of sparse and dry looking. What I would have given to stand under the shade of a big, old Michigan maple tree during those miserable summer months in Phoenix!

People, not ALL people of course, but people in general are much less friendly than they are here. We had next door neighbors that we never met, because they, like pretty much everyone else on our block, would drive down the street, pull into their garage, shut the garage door, and disappear for the rest of the day inside in the A/C or in their walled-in back yard. For some reason, almost all of the newer homes in AZ have cinder block walls enclosing the back yards, maybe because of the risk of someone falling into their pool, IDK, but it makes for a very lonely existence when you never see your neighbors except in fleeting glances as they are coming or going in their cars. I was talking to a lady once who was a licensed therapist out there and she told me that a lot of people seek help for depression because they move to Phoenix from other parts of the country and feel detached and isolated because, in her words, "people here don't invest in relationships with their neighbors in general because Phoenix's population is such a transient one. You get to know someone and they move." I could understand where she was coming from on that, because not only were none of our neighbors-except for one sweet lady who lived across the street-interested in knowing us, but they didn't seem to have anything to do with each other either. Maybe it's because I'm from here, but to me, one of the most endearing traits of people here in the Upper Midwest is their friendliness. We all missed that immensely!

I could add more, but suffice to say, we didn't like AZ and we wouldn't live there again. I don't regret moving there at all though, because what it gave me was a great appreciation for my beautiful adopted home state of Michigan. It's kind of like how someone gets tired of their faithful old spouse and ditches them for a younger model only to find out too late that they were better off before. At least we could undo this mistake, though, thank God. I do regret the money that we spent moving and then moving back, but I just tell everyone that it was our "midlife crisis" and at least if we had to have one, we had one together and it was ultimately cheaper than a red sports car or a divorce.

ETA: The whole thing about allergies being nonexistent in AZ is a myth, people simply develop allergies to things that are indigenous to AZ. I took our dd to an allergist and the office was overflowing with people getting their weekly allergy shots. Live and learn, lol.

[PosterExtraordinaire]

Originally Posted by mostie

P.S.- there are no "Pics of Spectacular Arizona" on the AZ boards, either.

Jussssst sayin', lol

I like the greenery of michigan but pockets of this can be found in the highlands of Arizona, especially around flagstaff.







Then of course the grand canyon



puerto penasco (mexico, but a popular spot):



and lake havasu (for another reason )



ok here's a pic of the lake

[Luzette]

That's the most beautiful picture of the Grand Canyon I've ever seen. No one could doubt there is some real beauty in Arizona to be sure.

[animatedmartian]

Michigan would be perfect if we had snow-capped mountains. Don't know how that'd affect the state climate wise, unless the mountains were in the UP, but that's really the only drawback for me living in the Midwest.

Also, that's too much skin for me. If I see that many people at the beach, I just imagine getting kicked in the face trying to swim or being intimidated by every D-bag trying to show off his muscles. Michigan has the benefit of having a bunch of lakes that are secluded and quiet. Oh the memories...

[mostie]

Those pics are very nice, and yes there are pretty places in AZ- but for the average person who doesn't go on a lot of vacations (I would be a perfect example, lol), or who works too many hours and just wants to veg (by a lake...a close lake...in a place where there are lots of lakes...like Michigan , I'll still take Michigan any old day~!

[HomeIsWhere...]

Originally Posted by JGatti

My family and I visited Arizona back in 2008. We all liked it, my family wanted to move there and then quickly changed their mind upon our return to Michigan. Since I have always pictured my future here in Michigan. A position has opened in our Phoenix plant and as much as I want to move up in the company I am not sure if it will be worth the trouble. I may like it there I may not. But to go for the experience with the desire to return here in a few years makes me wonder is it really worth the trouble. The furthest I have ever moved was up north from Southfield. I also have an 11 year old son, I hate the thought of uprooting him and then bringing him back. Has anyone gone there and just hated it? Regretted it? There is really no place in Michigan for me to move up to at this position and this is the 2nd time it's been open there ( thats another concern, did he suck? Are they that hard to work for? Or are they so bad people get promoted within a year?) Any thoughts would be appreciated.

Straight from the city-data forums:

//www.city-data.com/forum/phoen...e-phoenix.html

Phoenix Dust Storms - Posing a Serious Health Risk

//www.city-data.com/forum/phoen...us-health.html

I have played with the idea of retirement to Phoenix, however, a few years ago I was speaking with a gentleman from Phoenix (related business) and he lamented the hot weather and the sand storms (as he referred to them). He said that the sand gets into every crevice and crack of everything it comes in contact with and you don't ever want to be driving in it or on it as it is as "slippery"as driving on packed snow and ice.

I have no experience with Phoenix, however, this is what I discovered on our forums here. Best wishes in making a tough decision, sincerely.

[mostie]

I completely forgot about the sand storms- as a kid in school, the girls all had to wear dresses- and when we were on the playground and a sandstorm was coming, talk about stinging legs and arms!!

[michmoldman]

I can see a post now in a few years if you move...."looking to move back to Michigan" lol Gotta do what you gotta do though!

[JGatti]

Thanks for all of the replies. Beyond the pro's and cons list of just living there compared to hear, I am starting to take much more into consideration. The $$$ just is not worth making my wife give up 10 years at her job. My son getting uprooted and dragged kicking and screaming away from everyone and everything he has ever known. I need to keep telling myself " stick to the plan, stick to the plan" and it will all work out.

[JGatti]

Originally Posted by PosterExtraordinaire

I like the greenery of michigan but pockets of this can be found in the highlands of Arizona, especially around flagstaff.














and lake havasu (for another reason )

Nice views but that lake just seems nasty to me. With that many people, yuck! Besides didn't some kid die from a brain eating Amoeba a couple year back he picked up in lake Havasu?