Is Phoenix paradise? Is it better than back east? (apartment, rent)

[nep321]

Is the Phoenix metro area an amazing place to move to from New England? I've been there several times and liked it overall. The only thing I didn't really like is that the entire metro area is just a huge grid of streets with almost no natural space within it, and you have to go outside of the metro area just to reach real nature.

But I love the warm climate! One time I visited in December, and another time in January and thought the weather was amazing. Never been there in the summer though. But up here in Connecticut, I love it when it reaches 90 degrees with humidity.

So, is Phoenix paradise? It seems like everything is perfect. Excellent job market, affordable housing, new construction, great climate, friendly people, and great for singles.

Do people from "back east" ever miss anything about back east? Or is Phoenix better in every possible way?

Currently, I have a great job that gives 23 PTO days per year, and I'm getting paid $75K as a corporate tax accountant in Stamford, CT, plus 10-20% bonus, for a total up to $90K. Can I get similar pay in Phoenix? I currently pay $1,550 for a small 1 bd apartment. My family is only a 90-minute drive away, too. And I'm seeing someone special lately, but nothing is official.

It seems like everyone else is jumping on the Phoenix bandwagon, so I figured I would be a possible good candidate, too! Would you recommend Phoenix for me?

Thoughts?

[thatguyoverther]

Originally Posted by nep321

Is the Phoenix metro area an amazing place to move to from New England? I've been there several times and liked it overall. The only thing I didn't really like is that the entire metro area is just a huge grid of streets with almost no natural space within it, and you have to go outside of the metro area just to reach real nature.

But I love the warm climate! One time I visited in December, and another time in January and thought the weather was amazing. Never been there in the summer though. But up here in Connecticut, I love it when it reaches 90 degrees with humidity.

So, is Phoenix paradise? It seems like everything is perfect. Excellent job market, affordable housing, new construction, great climate, friendly people, and great for singles.

Do people from "back east" ever miss anything about back east? Or is Phoenix better in every possible way?

Currently, I have a great job that gives 23 PTO days per year, and I'm getting paid $75K as a corporate tax accountant in Stamford, CT, plus 10-20% bonus, for a total up to $90K. Can I get similar pay in Phoenix? I currently pay $1,550 for a small 1 bd apartment. My family is only a 90-minute drive away, too. And I'm seeing someone special lately, but nothing is official.

It seems like everyone else is jumping on the Phoenix bandwagon, so I figured I would be a possible good candidate, too! Would you recommend Phoenix for me?

Thoughts?

Phoenix is great! Keep in mind that no place is 100% perfect/paradise. But Phoenix, in my opinion, is about as close as it gets! Pay wise? Phoenix is probably going to be lower than CT. It depends on how many years of experience you have and what company you work for in Phoenix. But Cost of living in Phoenix is probably lower than CT. I've heard living in CT is expensive like New Jersey. I think Phoenix is better than the Northeast/New England. I think you'll like it here! Good Luck to you!

[Finger Laker]

Phoenix is far from paradise.

It's a city - nothing more/nothing less.

The metro is large. It is a giant, replicating grid. It's very much different than anyplace in CT.

I disagree about "natural areas" not being within the metro - there are mountain preserves within the city, large city parks, even some farms that are still within the metro ..... not sure exactly what you are looking for though.

IMO, in Phoenix you can make decent money in a white collar profession - however, advancement seems to top out a little quicker at this point as there aren't as many headquarters, home offices or even regional HQs here

Getting into CT can be difficult as the flights from here to there kind of stink

I know many people who've made the move from CT - some liked it, some didn't

It's really a personal decision and the two places are very different ...... from weather, to size, to politics, to schools ...... just a very different place

[nep321]

Originally Posted by Finger Laker

Phoenix is far from paradise.

It's a city - nothing more/nothing less.

The metro is large. It is a giant, replicating grid. It's very much different than anyplace in CT.

I disagree about "natural areas" not being within the metro - there are mountain preserves within the city, large city parks, even some farms that are still within the metro ..... not sure exactly what you are looking for though.

IMO, in Phoenix you can make decent money in a white collar profession - however, advancement seems to top out a little quicker at this point as there aren't as many headquarters, home offices or even regional HQs here

Getting into CT can be difficult as the flights from here to there kind of stink

I know many people who've made the move from CT - some liked it, some didn't

It's really a personal decision and the two places are very different ...... from weather, to size, to politics, to schools ...... just a very different place

Well, the main reason Phoenix appeals to me is because of the mild winters and reasonable cost of living. I also like the desert scenery sometimes. I mean, I do prefer deciduous green forest scenery over desert, but the desert is very nice too. People seem to have beautifully manicured yards in Phoenix and the construction is brand new in many areas.

[8to32characters]

See my previous posts on different threads in which I compare Arizona to some places back east.

[43north87west]

Originally Posted by nep321

Is the Phoenix metro area an amazing place to move to from New England?

As you've noticed, it's basically the opposite of New England.

Originally Posted by nep321

The only thing I didn't really like is that the entire metro area is just a huge grid of streets with almost no natural space within it, and you have to go outside of the metro area just to reach real nature.

True, but you have to understand that a lot of New England dates back to the days of horse travel, and half of the roadways up there follow either the contours of the land, or the contours of water (horses need water). Phoenix is kind of flat, so the streets just run in a grid because they can.

Also, you don't have to leave the metro area to find real nature. We have a ton of it. Our largest city park is actually bigger than all the land area of... Norwalk CT. The difference here is that we don't have ponds and swamps and creeks scattered all over like a lot of eastern states, so people built on all that dry flat ground that we have.

Originally Posted by nep321

But I love the warm climate!...
Never been there in the summer though.

You can pretty much imagine what it's like--hot. I'd suggest visiting, or at least if you don't visit in summer, don't complain when you move here and it's hot.

Also note that the humidity here is rarely--almost never--as bad as it is in the east. I came from Virginia and have a house in the Midwest, and nothing that we get here in Phoenix can touch what we have in either state in terms of humidity.

Originally Posted by nep321

So, is Phoenix paradise?

We may have different versions of paradise. This isn't it--but all things considered, it's a really nice place to live. The state is beautiful, and I prefer other areas, but they aren't convenient for air travel like Phoenix. You have to weigh all the factors that make a place livable for you.

Originally Posted by nep321

Excellent job market, affordable housing, new construction, great climate, friendly people, and great for singles.

There are a lot of advantages. It's good for singles, but it is also a very transient place. Not DC transient, but it doesn't seem like the migration rate is as low as some Midwestern cities (you can research it if you're interested... I'm going by feel). A lot of people are in and out of here. Maybe a lot of my experience surrounds the demolished economy in the late 2000s. I'm sure that drove a lot of people out. I think my social circle is 100% different now, than when I moved here permanently. Not one old face is still here.

On the flip side, a few friends from other cities have ended up here.

Originally Posted by nep321

Do people from "back east" ever miss anything about back east? Or is Phoenix better in every possible way?

I don't miss much of it. If I can help it, I'm never moving back, at least not to one of the major cities back east. The weather, the congestion, uptight people, beaten down infrastructure, crapshoot air travel. If I had to move back, though, I would make the best of it.

I'm not sure about your income, but I am sure that you could probably live in a much nicer accommodation for what you currently pay. Proximity to family might be an issue for you because it takes a whole day (or night) to fly back east. However, once you move out here, they will probably decide that they'd rather visit you.

Originally Posted by nep321

It seems like everyone else is jumping on the Phoenix bandwagon, so I figured I would be a possible good candidate, too! Would you recommend Phoenix for me?

It's a good sign that Phoenix has a high adoption rate. It probably doesn't even need to be said, but understand that there are some people who ignore some of the very obvious realities of the area before moving. My advice is to make the best of what Phoenix offers, rather than focusing on what Phoenix doesn't have.

[crunchtime]

Based on my personal experiences, I would rate the San Diego area as being the closest to what I perceive paradise to be like with perfect year round mild sunny weather leading the list. Other factors would be scenic areas, medical care, crime, educational opportunities, traffic, personal well being, housing costs and employment opportunities. The crime rate, low salaries, mediocre public schools, pollution, and worst of all, unbearable heat and dust storms during the summer put a damper on describing Phoenix as paradise. Just my opinion after living here for 11 years.

[observer53]

No place is paradise. No place is for everyone. What a city is like to visit can be very different than what it's like to live there. If you have not visited on the peak summer heat, you should, just to give you an idea of what it is like. Like every large metro area, it has its good points and bad points. Whether it is the right place for you is something no one else can decide for you.

[ElleTea]

Cost of living wise, definitely cheaper here. You pay almost $1000 per month more than I do for a small 1BR apt! (my rent is $580)

[crunchtime]

Originally Posted by observer53

No place is paradise. No place is for everyone. What a city is like to visit can be very different than what it's like to live there. If you have not visited on the peak summer heat, you should, just to give you an idea of what it is like. Like every large metro area, it has its good points and bad points. Whether it is the right place for you is something no one else can decide for you.

Yes please try to make a trip to Phoenix in August and stay a week or so. On your way home you can decide then whether the heat would be too much to bear for you and your family from May to September if you moved here.