Denver Or Phoenix (Parker: high school, tornadoes, pros and cons)

[sberdrow]

Originally Posted by Ron1947

Heat pumps work by heat exchanger. I have read many times that they stop functioning at 122 degrees.

Air conditioners can operate at higher temperatures. If you have a roof unit, you have bigger problems because of solar heating, often on a tile roof. They have wised up a bit and started mounting them on the ground in the afternoon shade. I am a metrologist (precision measurements, not weather) and an electronic engineer. As everywhere, when the temperature goes high and demand increases, the voltage will drop. 104 VAC is the threshold where compressors come to risk of burnout. AKA brownout. FYI, most all the electricity from the nuclear power plant goes to California. Most Phoenix electricity comes from coal fired plants and some hydroelectric.

I lived in Phoenix, Tucson, Flagstaff, Gila Bend and Williams. I never made lower wages than in Phoenix. And I worked at some of the best defence plants. Tucson had the highest wages at Hughes Missile Div. I hold a bachelor of science in electronic engineering, bachelor of science in History of the Levant and master of science in metrology. The first from NAU, the second 2 from U of A.

Phoenix wasn't bad in the 50's and 60's. I well remeber when Phoenix had a population of less than 250,000 and Arizona less than 1 million. My family lived in Paradise Valley and very near Barry Goldwater. To all thinking him a conservative Republican, how wrong you are. He did present that image for votes but was quite the opposite.

Might also be a suprise but you have little chance working for either Salt River Project at Arizona Public Service unless you are Mormon. Among other larger businesses you do much better if an ASU alumni. Though both are likely improving.

Phoenix is the second fastest growing city, right behind Las Vegas. So you can expect it to get more congested and crowded.

Well known fact in Phoenix if you are an illegal is to go to 24th St and McDowell and there are plenty of green card, social security and drivers licenses available.

I won't say where I live because I don't want the influx. But the weather is great. While it can snow it is seldom and gone the next day. Weather very mild and seldom freezes. Lots of mountains and rivers. Both hunting and fishing excellent. Very good wages. About the only negative is high home prices. This makes a high homeless population of working people, but camping is great and preferable to apartments or shared housing. No sales tax either. During summer I can even live off the land with available fruit etc. All I have to do for a garden is throw out some seeds and they will grow. I get a minimum of two deer and two elk every year, plus plenty of trout and salmon (I throw the rainbows back as I like only the German Browns) Both the ocean and high mountains are within my county as well. Only 35,000 people to share the counties 4722 square miles. Crime is very low, but that comes with my perspective as the 3rd ranking sheriff's officer in the county. Most crime is drug related but lacks things like burglary and robbery. Mainly posession, manufacture and sales. In fact most people commonly leave doors unlocked and keys in vehicles without incident.

Im guessing you live in Southern Oregon

[ArizonaBear]

Originally Posted by sberdrow

Im guessing you live in Southern Oregon

Clatsop County I bet.......I cross referenced the population numbers, no sales tax as well as the ocean view in Ron1947's post.

Oregon also has some of the highest property taxes in the nation.

No thank you.

[sberdrow]

Originally Posted by ArizonaBear

Oregon also has some of the highest property taxes in the nation.

No thank you.

was not offering it to you, just guessing where he was talking about. BTW oregon is not even close. Prop taxes are about 1 percent of value (actually a little less). Prop taxes in texas can be as high as 3.3 percent of value. so in Oregon, 300K would run you about 2900 a year, in Texas (keller) Prop taxes would run you about 10,000. Try NY,NJ, CT, VT. I think California prop taxes run close to oregon.

[mortimer]

Ron1947 explained:

> Heat pumps work by heat exchanger.

Heat pumps *are* air conditioners that work both ways.
Air conditioners also need a heat exchanger (that's the bit that
is outside with the loud fan).

> I have read many times that they stop functioning at 122 degrees.

You need to do better than that. I asked for a cite. It's not true.

There is no magic place where they stop functioning, they just become
less and less able to cool as outside temperatures climb - approaching
the point of "no cooling" asymptotically - therefore never actually
reaching it.

[DaHerd]

The bottom line here is that the entire Phoenix metro area used to be a nice, clean, safe place to live. Now it's been overrun with illegals and crime and even the "nice" places like Scottsdale have turned into garbage. If you go way up north to the "affluent" areas well it's so desolate and dusty that it's depressing.

Originally Posted by sheena

Wow that's sad and that's exactly how I feel.

Same here. Phoenix is straight up ghetto. No way else to put it.

[defcon7]

Originally Posted by Ron1947

Hell's Angels are also big in Phoenix. They have clubhouses in Phoenix, Sunnyslope, Glendale, Tempe, Mesa and Cave Creek.

First, it is Hells Angels - no apostrophe.
Second, Hells Angels operate four clubhouses in all of Arizona. There are currently two in the Phoenix metro area. There has never been a Hells Angels clubhouse in Glendale, nor has there ever been a clubhouse in Cave Creek or Tempe. In June of this year, the State of Arizona became the proud owners of the property and structure in Sunnyslope which had formerly been owned by the Cave Creek chapter of the Hells Angels. The Arizona Attorney General's office outbid the chapter for this property in a court-ordered auction.
Third, whatever Hells Angels have to do with this topic is beyond me, not to mention that Denver also has Hells Angels!

Ron1947, please check your facts before posting. You have posted the above as if to be factual. If you believe what you have posted to indeed be truthful and factual, you are wrong. For this alone, I must question anything/everything that you post.

[_Charles_]

I grew up in Colorado and spent most of my adult life (mid 20's on) in Phoenix. I know Denver well.
The difference between Denver and Phoenix boils down to the people.
Denverites SUCK!!! Phoenix is an infinitely, infinitely - one more time for emphasis - INFINITELY better choice.

[vegaspilgrim]

Originally Posted by _Charles_

I grew up in Colorado and spent most of my adult life (mid 20's on) in Phoenix. I know Denver well.
The difference between Denver and Phoenix boils down to the people.
Denverites SUCK!!! Phoenix is an infinitely, infinitely - one more time for emphasis - INFINITELY better choice.

I'm not sure which planet you're living on, dude, but your statement is so far off the wall it's laughable. In my experiences, "Denverites" and "Phoenicians" are very, very similar to each other culturally. Both have the goods and the bads. If anything, Phoenix has a slightly higher percentage of rednecks.

[_Charles_]

I'm not sure which planet you're living on, dude, but your statement is so far off the wall it's laughable. In my experiences, "Denverites" and "Phoenicians" are very, very similar to each other culturally. Both have the goods and the bads. If anything, Phoenix has a slightly higher percentage of rednecks.

I'm living on the same planet as you dude. We just don't have viewpoints that agree.

It's OK dude - on this planet where we both live nobody will die over this.

[synapse]

Originally Posted by diamontesareforever

If you had a choice of either Denver or Phoenix with all reasons aside that keeps you on one place over the other such as your family, your friends, your job, whatever it might be what would you prefer? You can take your family, friends, and your career with you. Would you stay or go? Intangibles like schools, weather, crime, economy, nightlife, recreation all matter. Answers from those who've spent time in both would be appreciated. I have to take on a job that requires relocation from Chicago to one of the two.

If staying in Chicago isn't an option - it's a superior city to both - then I'd go with Denver. Denver is much more similar to Chicago. It has a compact, walkable downtown; a light rail system that, in its loop around downtown, resembles in some ways the "L"; a similar sports-focused environment with the Broncos and Rockies approximating the Bears and Cubs; much more similar weather to Chicago; and a similar young lifestyle.

Phoenix isn't bad, but it doesn't have a walkable downtown - it's too sprawling. The weather is different. The Cubs do play there, and it's a sports environment, but not like Denver or Chicago. Phoenix does have the advantage of better restaurants than Denver, overall, and probably a better nightlife scene in Scottsdale than Denver, at least in terms of bars and art if not in theater.

A bit of a tossup, but I'd go with Chicago first, Denver second, Phoenix third.