Will I like Phoenix? (Flagstaff, Sedona: transplants, pros and cons, living)

[LS35a]

'Outdoor' stuff in Phoenix is pretty lame. It's the desert. There's sand and rocks. If you like to go camping, etc, it's not such a good match.

Phoenix is strip malls, subdivisions and sand.

I lived in Seattle 20 years and the scenery there is spectacular. Phoenix.... not.

[maverick974]

Originally Posted by LS35a

'Outdoor' stuff in Phoenix is pretty lame. It's the desert. There's sand and rocks. If you like to go camping, etc, it's not such a good match.

Phoenix is strip malls, subdivisions and sand.

I lived in Seattle 20 years and the scenery there is spectacular. Phoenix.... not.

I have to disagree with you. I lived in the PNW for 25 years. The outdoor stuff here is far superior to the PNW but with just a few exception. The snow skiing obviously is much better there and there are tons of lakes and river in Oregon and Washington. Unfortunately, it rains so much, you don't get a chance to enjoy those lakes and rivers much. Trying to do things in the rain, wind and low to mid 40's temps that last so long just made me want to stay inside by the fireplace.
Here in Arizona, I'm constantly outside. I'm on the lakes all the time, in the pool, taking a motorcycle ride or maybe I'm just taking a nice little walk.
Also, I think the scenery in Arizona is incredible. The Grand Canyon, the red cliffs of Sedona, the mountains surrounding the Flagstaff area, etc. are fabulous but I'll admit it is tough to beat the scenery in the PNW

[eastontracks]

Originally Posted by maverick974

I have to disagree with you. I lived in the PNW for 25 years. The outdoor stuff here is far superior to the PNW but with just a few exception. The snow skiing obviously is much better there and there are tons of lakes and river in Oregon and Washington. Unfortunately, it rains so much, you don't get a chance to enjoy those lakes and rivers much. Trying to do things in the rain, wind and low to mid 40's temps that last so long just made me want to stay inside by the fireplace.
Here in Arizona, I'm constantly outside. I'm on the lakes all the time, in the pool, taking a motorcycle ride or maybe I'm just taking a nice little walk.
Also, I think the scenery in Arizona is incredible. The Grand Canyon, the red cliffs of Sedona, the mountains surrounding the Flagstaff area, etc. are fabulous but I'll admit it is tough to beat the scenery in the PNW

gotta agree and also disagree with what you quoted. i dont live in phoenix or arizona for that matter, but it was eye opening when i was there for about 3-4 months and exploring pretty much every area (entire I-1o strip, entire I-40 strip, flagstaff, sedona, prescott valley, tucson, phx, grand canyon, even nogales lol). its incredible what outdoor activities that state has to offer.

[LagunaMom]

I've been reading a lot of posts about AZ, and all I can do is to chuckle.
I lived here for a few months in the early '60s. I've been living here since '73.
There are many hours that traffic is just plain miserable, even on the streets.
No, we're not as cold as Chicago (where I was born), but it does drop into the 30s at night many times and can be even colder. (Wear only a sweater??? Seriously???) After you're here for a year or two, you adjust, and you will dress for winter because it is. Frost on the roof is not an uncommon situation.
The air quality--in the winter in particular--can be miserable. (In the summer, smoke from fires can drift down our way.) In the winter, the inversion layer delivers brown junk settled over the Valley. I remember really blue skies...which we rarely have anymore, unless a good wind blows out the pollution.
It's also hotter than it used to be. Global warming, heat island...I remember in the 90s when it was officially 122 at the airport. (They moved the thermometer so it supposedly won't be that hot, again.) Three or so years ago, I was on the 101 headed toward Arrowhead (west side for you out-of-towners), and the thermometer in my Jeep read 125. It can hit 100 in late March or April and stay there until mid-September, if not longer. Expect it to be in the 90s into October. That is one l-o-n-g summer.
That said, you still can find reasonably priced homes and apartments; we're so spread out that you can breathe and not feel surrounded by people, and there's great shopping and decent universities.

[DetroitN8V]

Originally Posted by LagunaMom

I've been reading a lot of posts about AZ, and all I can do is to chuckle.
I lived here for a few months in the early '60s. I've been living here since '73.
There are many hours that traffic is just plain miserable, even on the streets.
No, we're not as cold as Chicago (where I was born), but it does drop into the 30s at night many times and can be even colder. (Wear only a sweater??? Seriously???) After you're here for a year or two, you adjust, and you will dress for winter because it is. Frost on the roof is not an uncommon situation.
The air quality--in the winter in particular--can be miserable. (In the summer, smoke from fires can drift down our way.) In the winter, the inversion layer delivers brown junk settled over the Valley. I remember really blue skies...which we rarely have anymore, unless a good wind blows out the pollution.
It's also hotter than it used to be. Global warming, heat island...I remember in the 90s when it was officially 122 at the airport. (They moved the thermometer so it supposedly won't be that hot, again.) Three or so years ago, I was on the 101 headed toward Arrowhead (west side for you out-of-towners), and the thermometer in my Jeep read 125. It can hit 100 in late March or April and stay there until mid-September, if not longer. Expect it to be in the 90s into October. That is one l-o-n-g summer.
That said, you still can find reasonably priced homes and apartments; we're so spread out that you can breathe and not feel surrounded by people, and there's great shopping and decent universities.

What part of the valley do you live in? I see bright, vivid blue skies almost every day in north Scottsdale.

[ElleTea]

Originally Posted by DetroitN8V

What part of the valley do you live in? I see bright, vivid blue skies almost every day in north Scottsdale.

I'm in Deer Valley, not far from you, and I see the same thing. Well, so far at least!

To anyone that says the landscape is not beautiful here, it is subjective i suppose. To me it is absolutely gorgeous here. It overwhelms me at times.

Went to dinner last night and ate OUTSIDE, in January. That, seriously, is all the proof I need that I made the right move.

And I can't wait for that LONG summer! It is the only season i have any use for

[blisterpeanuts]

Originally Posted by DetroitN8V

What part of the valley do you live in? I see bright, vivid blue skies almost every day in north Scottsdale.

Me too; I was in north Glendale until 2010 and the skies were gorgeous clear blue, like a lake.

There was this dust storm for a few weeks, but I thought that was temporary.

[caryberry]

Not sure about Denver but Phoenix is the epicenter of transitory population.

The most descriptive stories repeated with great frequently from AZ 'newbies' usually begin with, "...then there's the sunny weather. Really, I just want to start all over..."

Some stay - many don't.

[ElleTea]

Originally Posted by caryberry

Not sure about Denver but Phoenix is the epicenter of transitory population.

The most descriptive stories repeated with great frequently from AZ 'newbies' usually begin with, "...then there's the sunny weather. Really, I just want to start all over..."

Some stay - many don't.

I think it goes (if you believe everything you read on City Data)

1. Las Vegas
2. Phoenix

I personally don't care about whether or not other people come and go.

[hikernut]

Hi,

I grew up in rural Iowa, and have lived in both the Denver and Phoenix metro areas (and the Pacific NW for that matter).

Some of the freeways in both cities can be bad at rush hour. If you don't have to commute into the city center during rush hour, however, you should be fine as long as you live in the same general area as your work.

Winters in either city are, of course, mild compared to Iowa. Sure it will drop below freezing a few nights in Phoenix, but a really cold day in January will still have a high in the 50s. It drops below zero in Denver, but you rarely get weeks of really cold weather without a break. I remember one year when we were rock climbing in Boulder on Jan 1, and it was 70 degrees. Unusual, yes, but you will get occasional warm days even in the winter.

Phoenix has some really nice natural parks within the metro area. Lots of hiking and mountain biking is available within a short drive from most of the city. Denver doesn't really have this amount of natural parks right inside the metro area, although as soon as you leave the city you are in the foothills.

As others have mentioned, Denver has a better downtown area. All of the major league sports venues are right downtown, as well as bars, restaurants, performing arts, etc. In Phoenix metro the venues are scattered all over, with football and hockey in Glenadle, baseball and basketball in downtown Phoenix, nightlife in Scottsdale and Tempe.

Both states are great for outdoor activities, and I expect you could be happy in either one. In Phoenix you have to deal with the heat for 3-4 months, which means either doing outdoor activities really early in the morning or driving a few hours north. In Denver area you can really do things outdoors all year long. There's a huge amount of hiking available within an hour's drive.

Hope that helps... Maybe?

hikernut