Moving from Orlando to Phoenix (I need info). (Scottsdale, Tempe: amusement parks, condos)

[mickey mouse is dead]

I may be moving from Orlando to Phoenix in the upcoming year and I need to know a couple of things from the area.

Even though my move has to do more with the fact that I might land a job with Intel as an electrical engineer, I still want to point out some things I don't like about Orlando:
1) First of all, lack of things to do during the day except for theme parks.
2) Downtown Orlando is virtually dead from Friday to Sunday, and there is only one little park that you can walk in about 15 minutes.
3) There are just two museums in Orlando (in fact there is just one, the other one is in nearby Winter Park), but they are expensive and they suck...one of them had a Harley Davidson exposition once.
4) We only have one professional team, the Orlando Magics, and nobody supports them. Finally, Orlando is too damn flat.

I have visited Phoenix three times since my brother lives there, and even though I can't say is a Mecca of art and culture, it seems like a far more interesting place, but then again I have only experienced it as a visitor. So I want to know, does Phoenix offers a good day life (e.g., museums, coffee shops, bookstores, fresh markets, sightseeing walking areas, parks, etc.)? Is the downtown vibrant (I know about Copper Square)? Is there a sense of community and pride for the city (e.g., people support the local teams, the local musicians, etc...)? My kind of nightlife is watching a play at the theater, go to a concert, go to a jazz club...can I do this in Phoenix? How is the local economy?

Things I don't care about are: traffic, I've been dealing with it all my life. I know the place is hot. Illegal immigrants don't concern me; I'm from Puerto Rico so I can communicate with them. Crime: Unless I have to be dodging bullets on a daily basis.

[jorgitoz]

Most of your nightlife can be taken care of in downtown Phoenix. There is plenty of places to go during the day (specially if you don't mind the heat which is only a concern during July and August for the most part), such as South mountain where you can hike and has great sightseeing. There is Fresh markets like sprouts and trader joe's or something like that (I only know of some in the eastvalley where I live but I'm sure you can find more throughout the valley). Places you might look into Biltmore, which is upscale and downtown phoenix. As far as the economy, Arizona itself is pretty good specially for starting a business. Phoenix's economy is fairly strong and doing pretty good despite the slump of the housing market. I guess it all depends on how you look at things. Some see a recession as an opportunity to make more money while others freak out and run away.

[vegaspilgrim]

Sorry to say, but I don't think you'll find Phoenix an improvement at all over Orlando. This place is basically the same thing you have right now, just with a different climate. Downtown-- downtown Phoenix is a pathetic joke. There's a bunch of people who have hope that might change in the future, but as of now it's a failure. Museums-- there are a couple of decent museums to check out. Phoenix art museum, Heard Museum, and Scottsdale art musuem are worth a look. Coffee places-- I know that Tempe actually does have a bunch of independent coffee shops, but it's not exactly a coffee mecca either. Parks-- there are tons of desert preserves, but there is not one decent landscaped park with grass and trees here. The climate simply doesn't support it. And before somebody screams "Encanto Park"-- sorry-- been there done that, Encanto park is a joke-- that doesn't fit the bill for what a city park should be. Sorry to say this, but I think you're looking in the wrong place.

[sablebaby]

Your complaints of Orlando sounds like our complaints of Phoenix. And I don't think your idea of fresh markets would be Sprouts and Trader Joe's (these are grocery stores and where people buy wine).

My father moved from Phoenix (native Phoenician) to Orlando and has been wanting to move out of there for years. He was going to come back here but more likely will move elsewhere.

[steve22]

Phoenix versus Orlando... hmmm... that's kind of like trying to decide between the electric chair or the firing squad. Is there a choice C? Cause if there is, whatever it is, I'd take it.

[JeepGirl118]

Mickey Mouse - coming from FL, you will find there is absolutely nothing to do here in Phoenix. There are many more productive things to do in FL. My family is headed to FL in December - and we won't be looking back. There are a couple families that we are acquainted with here that are from FL - and they both want to hightail back to FL ASAP. For one, they cannot stand the amount of rude people. You'll find that the majority of people here are a polar opposite from where you are coming from.

[MotleyCrew]

Jeepgirl, best of luck in FL. That is where we wanted to move before coming here. I hope the next major hurricane does not send you guys packing and coming back here. Scared the heck out of us!!! Best of luck and enjoy that balmy breeze.

[JeepGirl118]

Thanks, Motley!

[mickey mouse is dead]

Yep...it seems to me that a lot of the things people don't like about Phoenix are the same things I hate about Orlando.

Productive things in Florida? Well, not in Orlando. Downtown Orlando is ok for night life. Then there's the amusement parks, but that's not Orlando, that's Kissemme....but anyway, how many times can one go to Universal or Disney? That's something you do in one week, and move on.

Then there's the jobs. Orlando is all about tourism and service, so all you see is a lot of uneducated people with three or four jobs. All you have to do to get a job here is to go to a Disney job fair and say that you are available any time....boom, you get a job. They don't even look at your qualifications. Therefore, nobody lives in Orlando because of the cultural offerings, people live here because they can make some money to at least survive, without going through a lot of hazard.

Finally, there is no planning, not enough professional sports, no public transportation, and no life during the day in downtown or any other "urban like" area.

If I make a comparison between Orlando and Phoenix at a glance, I could say that Phoenix is better because of better jobs, geographically more interesting, better infrastructure, more professional teams, and a nicer downtown. But I'm still not sure, since it seems like people in Phoenix don't have any pride for living in it.....and that's bad because that means they won't support local activities....we suffer from that disease in Orlando too.

For those who want to move to Florida, I would suggest Miami (good business jobs, good food, lots of things to do during the day, and the best possible night life in the planet) if you don't mind caribbean latino culture, Fort Lauderdale (good technology jobs, better beaches than Miami, good night life ) if you still like the Miami culture, but you want to still be able to speak some english, or the Tampa Bay area (no freakin' jobs, the best beaches in Florida, some good museums) if you want some Orlando "amusement" park culture mixed with your Florida lifestyle.

[drockisu07]

Originally Posted by mickey mouse is dead

I may be moving from Orlando to Phoenix in the upcoming year and I need to know a couple of things from the area.

Even though my move has to do more with the fact that I might land a job with Intel as an electrical engineer, I still want to point out some things I don't like about Orlando:
1) First of all, lack of things to do during the day except for theme parks.
2) Downtown Orlando is virtually dead from Friday to Sunday, and there is only one little park that you can walk in about 15 minutes.
3) There are just two museums in Orlando (in fact there is just one, the other one is in nearby Winter Park), but they are expensive and they suck...one of them had a Harley Davidson exposition once.
4) We only have one professional team, the Orlando Magics, and nobody supports them. Finally, Orlando is too damn flat.

I have visited Phoenix three times since my brother lives there, and even though I can't say is a Mecca of art and culture, it seems like a far more interesting place, but then again I have only experienced it as a visitor. So I want to know, does Phoenix offers a good day life (e.g., museums, coffee shops, bookstores, fresh markets, sightseeing walking areas, parks, etc.)? Is the downtown vibrant (I know about Copper Square)? Is there a sense of community and pride for the city (e.g., people support the local teams, the local musicians, etc...)? My kind of nightlife is watching a play at the theater, go to a concert, go to a jazz club...can I do this in Phoenix? How is the local economy?

Things I don't care about are: traffic, I've been dealing with it all my life. I know the place is hot. Illegal immigrants don't concern me; I'm from Puerto Rico so I can communicate with them. Crime: Unless I have to be dodging bullets on a daily basis.

Phoenix, NO WAY MAN, I actually just replied to your other post about Portland vs. Phoenix and I just noticed that you are looking for a vibrant downtown -not in Phoenix, not just yet. Maybe in a couple of years, but not now. As of now, it's all construction of condos and light rail so it's a big mess...........Portland = local, Phoenix = suburbia