Pros and cons to live in Phoenix (Tucson, Mesa: real estate, crime rate)

[Valley Native]

Originally Posted by PoppySead

Exactly that! No buzz, relaxed, no pressure. You can do whatever you want and nobody cares, we have great weather, no stress.

You make Phoenix sound like almost like Mayberry. No pressure, no stress? Who's kidding who? Do you work or drive on a daily basis?

Originally Posted by PoppySead

We have natural gifts that make us a great place to live. Sunshine, no real natural disasters, plenty of elevation and mountains to visit close by and a relaxed bunch of people. I think some people get annoyed that we don't care, but we don't. Why should we? Why would the natural girl care when she is already getting plenty of offers? We don't care because we don't need to care.

Attitudes like yours is EXACTLY the reason why we need to care more. The sixth largest city in the nation can no longer afford to base its economy on silly things like sunshine, relaxation, etc. Maybe that worked all right when we were a smaller place ... but guess what? This isn't a small place anymore. Not Mayberry by any means, as in your imaginary world.

The vast majority of residents work and commute for a living. Not everybody is retired. Not everybody is a laid back recluse with no purpose in life. Thankfully, not everybody has an overly relaxed attitude like yours, but there is still too much of this perception of us being a small resort city like it was 40 or 50 years ago. Times change, and we have to change with them. I don't know about you, but a robust, diversified economy with competitive wages and a high standard of living is what I think we should strive for. If you want sunshine, warm weather, and laid back living as top tier items, other places might be better suited ... like Yuma, Parker, Lake Havasu, Palm Springs, or Death Valley.

[Java Jolt]

Originally Posted by goolsbyjazz

Union?!! I hear what you're saying, but good luck with that out here!

So true.

I find it funny how so many people gripe about the cheap unskilled labor force but the same people resist any kind of union representation that will bring better pay and more skilled manufacturing jobs.

That doesn't mean strikes have to occur regularly, they should only happen when absolutely necessary.

[Java Jolt]

Originally Posted by PoppySead

Exactly that! No buzz, relaxed, no pressure. You can do whatever you want and nobody cares, we have great weather, no stress.

It's like the difference in a woman who always cares what she looks like, adds a bunch of accessories and has surgery to make herself really good looking so she stands out, vs the woman who is just naturally healthy and good looking without trying.

We have natural gifts that make us a great place to live. Sunshine, no real natural disasters, plenty of elevation and mountains to visit close by and a relaxed bunch of people. I think some people get annoyed that we don't care, but we don't. Why should we? Why would the natural girl care when she is already getting plenty of offers? We don't care because we don't need to care.

When thousands of people start leaving here a year and nobody moves here in droves anymore we might care then. We might need some makeup. But that aint happening. Were crowded, lucky we have plenty of growing room.

No pressure, no stress? Compared to what, New York?

My morning and afternoon commutes are anything but stress-free.

Do you live out in the boonies by any chance?

[goolsbyjazz]

Originally Posted by jmac1

The only con is intense heat....but that doesn't bother me, you adust. I lived in LA (San Fran Valley, San Gabe valley, and the South Bay) for 20 years, and the thing I miss is the cooling off of hot summer days during the evening (like last week....wow, very nice). Other than that, Phoenix has the best weather next to LA. The reason people don't like Phoenix is because of perception (year round heat, red necks, illegals, and old people) not reality or they just don't make the necessary changes that make AZ AZ. You can't make it LA, NY, or Chi, you have to make it AZ! Hiking, Skiing, Laking (new word), Fishing, Camping, off roading, et al; and light cosmopolitan things like shopping, dining, museums/arts, culture events, and bar hopping..... If you can do this, your quality of life becomes a STEAL for the cost!!

One other con is getting more friends and family to move out here.

Like the above poster says; as long as it doesn't affect our overall growth financially, who cares, that is their loss.

SE= Humidity and bugs
NE=Blizzards and run downed infrastructure
Midwest=really?!
Rockies=ISOLATION!!
NW=Rain and Gloom
SW: (AZ and her bordering states)= Best landscape and climate in the country. IMHO

Great post jmac1! People get upset if you mention the heat here which makes no sense to me. It's a fact of life and it's a pro AND a con. I, like many, prefer the heat over the cold, but wouldn't mind a cool down in the evenings! Your assessment of the different regions was spot on!

[maverick974]

Originally Posted by jmac1

The only con is intense heat....but that doesn't bother me, you adust. I lived in LA (San Fran Valley, San Gabe valley, and the South Bay) for 20 years, and the thing I miss is the cooling off of hot summer days during the evening (like last week....wow, very nice). Other than that, Phoenix has the best weather next to LA. The reason people don't like Phoenix is because of perception (year round heat, red necks, illegals, and old people) not reality or they just don't make the necessary changes that make AZ AZ. You can't make it LA, NY, or Chi, you have to make it AZ! Hiking, Skiing, Laking (new word), Fishing, Camping, off roading, et al; and light cosmopolitan things like shopping, dining, museums/arts, culture events, and bar hopping..... If you can do this, your quality of life becomes a STEAL for the cost!!

One other con is getting more friends and family to move out here.

Like the above poster says; as long as it doesn't affect our overall growth financially, who cares, that is their loss.

SE= Humidity and bugs
NE=Blizzards and run downed infrastructure
Midwest=really?!
Rockies=ISOLATION!!
NW=Rain and Gloom
SW: (AZ and her bordering states)= Best landscape and climate in the country. IMHO

I agree 100% as well. Moved from Oregon last year and I couldn't be happier.
I'm going to use the "Laking" word. That's fitting.

[jmac1]

@ maverick and goolsby.......Just telling it like it is

[seattlecoming]

LOL! Sunshine and the laid-back carefree atmosphere are reasons to move to Phoenix? Those are some of the biggest reasons to move away from Phoenix!

[jmac1]

Depends on who you are and what you want...... Everyone acts as if they go out every night to bars, operas, museums, restaurants, etc, when they brag about their "big city" living.....Right! Everyone must be rich and single. Believe it or not some people actually work M-F, go home to their family, eat dinner and watch tv or read a book or the internet, maybe a ball game, workout, visit friends, coach., et al. These same people do most things (shopping, movies, travel OUT of town, amusement park, dinner et al) every few weekends, and big things (big city stuff.....what ever that is) here and there

I lived in LA from 1986-2005; myself and most of my friends did pretty much what I posted above, and they are still doing that in LA. Heck, I go to the beach and LA museums now more than I did when I was there!!

Some people prefer slow traffic when they aren't in a hurry!

[NCtoAZ]

I'll be living in the Valley soon. I'm coming from NC, so my view of the pros and cons are skewed based on 30 plus years of living some place else. There isn't much I can add that hasn't already been posted, but here are some thoughts ...

Pros:

Consistent weather. Just recently, in NC, the temperature dropped down to the 30s, then went back up into the 90s about week later; along with the daily 20 to 60% chance of rain we have in the spring, there's also the sporadic thunderstorms and occasional tornado warnings that get to be rather annoying year after year.

ASU: Someone else posted how the quality is low, which is a gross overgeneralization. The business school at ASU is actually pretty good and very strong regionally. The law school is higher ranked than UNC (Carolina) and Wake Forrest (another good LS in NC) as well as many other top law schools in the nation; although, not a t14, it is still very strong (Top 2012 Law School Rankings). Overall, ASU is better than some other public univ., but it all depends on what someone is pursuing and if they intend to seek a job in Arizona or some place out of state.

Overall vibe: What I like most about the Valley is the laid back feel and sense of calm I get being there. I can see where someone else might feel bored and desire a place more fast-paced.

[Valley Native]

Originally Posted by seattlecoming

LOL! Sunshine and the laid-back carefree atmosphere are reasons to move to Phoenix? Those are some of the biggest reasons to move away from Phoenix!

I wouldn't say they are reasons to move away ... however, I do think that people who seek out the nation's sixth largest city for things like sunshine, retirement, relaxation, and quiet atmosphere really need to look elsewhere. Phoenix may be laid back compared to New York, Chicago, or even L.A., but it is still a big metro area with all the elements like congested traffic, crime, pollution, and the like. It's not the small town vibe like it was 40+ years ago.

Originally Posted by NCtoAZ

Overall vibe: What I like most about the Valley is the laid back feel and sense of calm I get being there. I can see where someone else might feel bored and desire a place more fast-paced.

Again, compared to New York or Chicago, it might seem laid back and calm. But coming from North Carolina, I think you might be in for a bit of a shock. Of course, there are some far flung suburban areas that seem very relaxed and quiet ... but if you're going to be anywhere around central Phoenix, Tempe, Scottsdale, or for that matter driving around on the freeways or most surface streets, you're not going to feel very laid back. Traffic here, especially during rush hour, can be very stressful.