Planning the move from Seattle area to Phoenix...anyone from Seattle have regrets? (Mesa: apartment, condo)

[Freedom_Seeker]

I know this is a pretty general question that can have many different answers,..... but I am interested in getting feedback from folks from the NW who have made the move and regret it or who are totally happy in phoenix and would never move back. I am just curious. Me, I have lived in Seattle my whole life, and am tired of the rain and gloominess, and am ready to make a change. I have visited the area so I already know what to expect in that regard. So I would love to hear your comments on economics, weather, culture, etc, to compare to Seattle. Thank you!

[Bondurant]

I've might a lot of people from Seattle and Portland here. People will always miss their home but these folks are all happy here.

[Freedom_Seeker]

Good to hear! Thanks

[PNWGuy]

We bought our house in scottsdale mid last year, and will be making the final move this summer. I spent the past 22 years here in Seattle area, and while I'm excited to move down south where there is more sun, I know for sure I will miss Seattle - with the rain does come crisp, clean, cold air, the greenery, the water, the safe driving, etc. We are not selling our home up here yet.

So while I am pretty sure we will be totally happy down in AZ area, it will not be one of those never-look-back kind of deals.

[maverick974]

I lived on the Oregon coast since 1988. I met my wife there, I raised my kids there and I've had businesses there. My wife was from Seattle and most of her family lives there. I enjoyed my time in the PNW and frankly, I think the PNW is the prettiest area in the country but the cold, the wind and the rain finally got to me. My kids grew up and my wife passed away in 2007 so when work slowed down, I decided to move to someplace sunny and warm.
BEST THING I'VE EVER DONE!!!!!
Look at my past posts and you'll see. I absolutely love, LOVE it here.
I've been here since June of 2011 and I don't miss the PNW one little bit even though I liked it there. Well, except for the incessant rain.
I can't say if you'll like it here but I'm thrilled.
I live in East Mesa. I'm close to the lakes, I'm a short drive to the pine covered mountains and I'm on the edge of civilization so the open desert is close by yet all the things a big city can offer are right down the street.
So far, I have found most everyone to be very nice. Nicer, in fact, that people in the PNW. The road system here is FAR superior to the roads in Washington and of course, the weather is FABULOUS.
I guess I should say that the summer heat might get to some and even I have to admit that the sizzling summer temps are a bit much sometimes, overall, I think the lifestyle here far exceeds the lifestyle in the PNW for many reasons but the thing I love most about living here is that I can be outdoors all year 'round.
Look at it this way. Almost every place has some kind of severe weather. The northern states have severe cold and snow. Well, you can do things in the snow. You "play" in the snow. The kids have snowball fights, sledding, skiing, snowmobiling, etc. With the summer heat, you hang out in the pool, you go to the lakes, you take a short drive to the mountains to cool off, you can hike in the early morning or evening. Lots of folks play a round of golf, etc. There are plenty of things to do in the heat but in the PNW, what can you do when it's raining, in the mid-40's with 40 mph winds? You just don't typically go outside and "play" in the rain. You sit inside next to the fireplace. HUGE difference in lifestyle and a difference that I adore.
Gee, is it raining there??????? HA! I see it's supposed to be in the low to mid-50's there with rain and a little wind. Pretty typical weather up there. Here in the Phoenix area? It's supposed to be in the 80's by the weekend. Just rubbing it in a little bit.
Oh! One more thing. I'm a baseball fan and spring training has just started. Every west coast and most of the central division teams play right here for spring training. Gotta love that.
Honestly, I can't say if this place is for you but I know how you are feeling. After so long in the PNW, for me, it was time to move on to something different and it was a great move for me. I couldn't be happier.
Perhaps it could be for you as well.
My advice? Come down for a visit. Stay for a few days and check the place out. I think you should come down twice. Once in March and then once in June. As far as weather goes, that's the best and the worst of it. March will be in the high 70's to low 80's but June will be in the low to mid 100's. You'll really get a feel for the place.
If you have any questions, don't hesitate to send me a personal message. I'd be happy to help.

Good luck to you.

[hikernut]

Hi,

I lived in the Pacific NW (Portland) many years ago, and now live in the Phoenix area. I was right out of college when I moved to PNW, and at the time the weather did not bother me that much... cloudy a lot, but rarely rained very hard, and summers were the best of anywhere I've lived.

Today I think I would have a hard time moving back to the PNW. In Phoenix I never have to shovel show or drive on ice. There's decent weather for hiking/biking in the city for 8 months of the year. During the rest of the year one uses the pool, or makes the couple hours' drive north to cooler weather.

AZ is overall more conservative poliically than PNW, but Phoenix is quite large and there are enclaves of both liberal and conservative if that is important to you.

Phoenix is large enough to attract a good variety of sporting/music/cultural events. Of course, not at NY or SF standards, but between downtown Phoenix, ASU, Scottsdale, Glendale sporting complex, etc... there is always something to do.

hikernut

[Freedom_Seeker]

Thanks for your feedback! You experience of the NW is exactly as mine is! And the part about sitting next to the fire (that's what I do in the winter) is so true. Well this gives me great perspective from different areas, I am looking forward to Az!

[LongThinker]

I lived in Seattle (Vashon and Q.AnneHill) for a long time and then moved back to Phoenix 18 years ago. Whether you want a house or an apartment (or --- shudder--- a condo) will make a big difference in your life here. Beyond those three, there are a lot of mobile home communities as well, many catering to the 55+ folks.

The best advice is to come down for a couple of relocation focused visits, before you move permanently, and look around, get to know your first choice neighbourhoods and meet a few people who can give you eye-2-eye advice.

The toughest thing to get used to for me was the monster electric bill in the summer when its 110 in the day and the per KWH charge is above $0.20. A big house could cost you $300+ per month to cool from June thru Sept ....

The Phx Symphony does not compare with the Seattle Symphony, but it is good. The fishing is hours away (except for urban pond fishing) and the Valley has filled up with people over an 80 mile swath from west to east and 60 miles north to south. Hunting is even further away. (My dad used to hunt wild horses along where the 51 rises thru Dreamy Draw.)

All that said, I would not go back to the weather of Seattle, even though I miss the city and Vashon terribly. Spring and fall are marvelous, and winter is tolerable, if not really sweet most of the time.

Feel free to message me if you want to chat about more details.

Oh... and leave any thought of rational legislative process back up there. The AZ legislature truly qualifies for a place where the inmates run the assylum (not a typo... heh). That is the one thing that bothers me most. Even an old conservative guy like me is embarrassed by these kooks.

[loveautumn]

I can't impress upon you enough how HOT is gets in PHX in the summer...meaning May-Sept. Don't kid yourself...day after day of 105+ dry temps. People there come to SD to get away for 5 months of the year, we call them "Zonies" and we like them alot! Coming from the climate you have lived, I think the summers might be a deal-breaker. They would be for me. Desert terrain is beautiful but it would probably be an acquired taste for you after living in such a lush, green, watery place. Why did you pick PHX?

[azriverfan.]

My very best friend is from Seattle. And I know many of his friends, many of whom live here. What they all tell me is they didn't realize how miserable they were in Seattle until they moved here. They certainly miss aspects of Seattle like the proximity to snow skiing and the lakes. They also miss certain restaurants and seafood but that's about it. Those guys are recruiting people from Seattle on an annual basis. Seattle is their home and they visit particularly in the summer but they could never imagine themselves living there again. The weather in Seattle is depressing. It's cold, gray and wet nearly all year round with the exception of 2 amazing months in the summer is what they tell me.

Originally Posted by loveautumn

I can't impress upon you enough how HOT is gets in PHX in the summer...meaning May-Sept. Don't kid yourself...day after day of 105+ dry temps. People there come to SD to get away for 5 months of the year, we call them "Zonies" and we like them alot! Coming from the climate you have lived, I think the summers might be a deal-breaker. They would be for me. Desert terrain is beautiful but it would probably be an acquired taste for you after living in such a lush, green, watery place. Why did you pick PHX?

I'm looking forward to the summer. I miss being able to jump in my pool, exercise at night, play golf in the early mornings, hike in the early mornings, the movies, the snowbirds leaving, the less traffic, the shorter lines and better service at restaurants and stores, the hospital being less busy, D-backs games...I love summer here. It's nice to get that local flavor back that goes missing when the snowbirds and students come back.