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Hi Everyone,
So my family and I are relocating to Arizona. I honestly don't know anything at all about Arizona besides its extremely hot lol, and I personally am a little afraid of that but we're moving by August to provide a better life for our children. I have teenage boys, and 2 preteens. Chicago as you all know is very dangerous and we don't live in a suburb, we live in the city. So I'm looking for any advice on schools,safe neighborhoods, housing preferably 3 bedrooms to start off, access to transportation, and activities for kids and married folks lol. Thank you all in advance for any advice you can provide, and yes I'm job hunting and applying now.
Hello -- Planning a move is very exciting! I'm a bit confused, though, because you posted last month that you were planning to move to South Carolina, and now it is Arizona. First of all, we can help you more if you can tell what city you plan to move to, or perhaps a smaller town? There are already lots of posted on here loaded with helpful information, so I would read through that info first, and then ask some specific question, so posters can give a more solid answer.
Arizona is a large state, and most of the employment is within Tucson or Phoenix [more likely Phoenix]. Phoenix and Tucson are very spread out and it is sensible to live close to your employment, if possible. There is public transportation in Phoenix and Tucson; however some bus routes offer more frequent service than others. If you plan to use transit for work, it is super important for you to secure housing within walking distance of the bus stop(s) and routes which offer the more frequent service. There is also a light rail line which provides service in limited areas. So, the more you can tell us the more we can help you. Good luck!
Last edited by HollyhockGarden; 06-26-2014 at 02:24 PM..
Reason: change
Hi Everyone,
So my family and I are relocating to Arizona. I honestly don't know anything at all about Arizona besides its extremely hot lol, and I personally am a little afraid of that but we're moving by August to provide a better life for our children. I have teenage boys, and 2 preteens. Chicago as you all know is very dangerous and we don't live in a suburb, we live in the city. So I'm looking for any advice on schools,safe neighborhoods, housing preferably 3 bedrooms to start off, access to transportation, and activities for kids and married folks lol. Thank you all in advance for any advice you can provide, and yes I'm job hunting and applying now.
It will depend on your job. Public transportation is poor in the Phoenix Metro leaving almost all areas car dependent. I guess you could manage without a car by living around the rail but you better get used to walking and waiting in 100 plus degrees.
Hello -- Planning a move is very exciting! I'm a bit confused, though, because you posted last month that you were planning to move to South Carolina, and now it is Arizona. First of all, we can help you more if you can tell what city you plan to move to, or perhaps a smaller town? There are already lots of posted on here loaded with helpful information, so I would read through that info first, and then ask some specific question, so posters can give a more solid answer.
Arizona is a large state, and most of the employment is within Tucson or Phoenix [more likely Phoenix]. Phoenix and Tucson are very spread out and it is sensible to live close to your employment, if possible. There is public transportation in Phoenix and Tucson; however some bus routes offer more frequent service than others. If you plan to use transit for work, it is super important for you to secure housing within walking distance of the bus stop(s) and routes which offer the more frequent service. There is also a light rail line which provides service in limited areas. So, the more you can tell us the more we can help you. Good luck!
Hey, okay so in regards to the South Carolina thing I really want to move there, honestly, but between family saying, why are we moving somewhere where there's no family or friends (because of the kids) and church folks in our ears, its very discouraging. I found excellent schools in SC, but I'm sure I can find the same in AZ. Sorry if it looks like I'm indecisive I just want to go somewhere where we will be safe, have better jobs, in better neighborhoods, nicer places to live and not as expensive as Chicago. Currently I work for the state of Illinois and I'm making next to nothing literally!!! You know the phrase robbing Peter to pay Paul, well that's my husband and I. I've been doing a lot of job searching online for both states and the jobs and pay are so much better. In Illinois I have to travel to the far suburbs to make decent money and that's me being on public trans almost 3 hours and I can't continue living like this. My children deserve the chance to have parents at home at decent hours, making decent money, paying bills, and providing for them in a good way. Sorry for venting but its really been hard. So seriously any advice would be great because I'm at my wit's end here. Oh by the way they cities I will like to move to are Phoenix, Tempe, and in SC, Myrtle Beach
Last edited by Marinoswife; 06-26-2014 at 07:05 PM..
Reason: adding info
Hey: You might be able to get a state job here, depending on what you are doing for IL. Have you looked at www.AZstatejobs.gov and you can see the state is hiring a huge number of CPS case workers. Getting the job first is so important here, since you don't want to travel clear across the metro area for work. The salaries are nothing great; the benefits are decent. I do know they hire out of state workers and you might have a shot. Hope you find something for your family. I came from the Chicago burbs and know what you mean about the city.
Hey: You might be able to get a state job here, depending on what you are doing for IL. Have you looked at www.AZstatejobs.gov and you can see the state is hiring a huge number of CPS case workers. Getting the job first is so important here, since you don't want to travel clear across the metro area for work. The salaries are nothing great; the benefits are decent. I do know they hire out of state workers and you might have a shot. Hope you find something for your family. I came from the Chicago burbs and know what you mean about the city.
Thank you so much for that info and for understanding!!! I'm enrolling people into their Medicaid plans for Illinois.
Hey: You might be able to get a state job here, depending on what you are doing for IL. Have you looked at www.AZstatejobs.gov and you can see the state is hiring a huge number of CPS case workers. Getting the job first is so important here, since you don't want to travel clear across the metro area for work. The salaries are nothing great; the benefits are decent. I do know they hire out of state workers and you might have a shot. Hope you find something for your family. I came from the Chicago burbs and know what you mean about the city.
I moved from Phoenix to Chicago, live in the city in a less desirable area, and have never felt unsafe. But hey, to each their own
You will need a car. Sure, if you live close to light rail it might be manageable without, but there are few grocery stores (7th Ave/Camelback, and 19th Ave/Montebello) right along the rail (I'm not too familiar with the east valley to comment on that). The light rail is 20 miles, one track, and goes along with traffic often stopping for lights... albeit, it's in the process going a few more miles. Phoenix is 500+ sq miles big. Buses are, well, buses. I depended on transit for many years and can speak to how difficult it is to get ice cream, milk, butter, etc home during the summer without it melting :-)
Go where you are happy, I'm definitely not one to tell you where that may be. Phoenix is great for some, not great for others. I'm one of the "others" and you may love it
I think arriving in August is a good time. You will have about a month and a half of HOT temperatures, which will feel even hotter because it is our "Monsoon" season, when we get thunderstorms, often in the late afternoon. We also get a few dust storms during that time. But, the summer will start giving way to the fall and it will start to feel better by the second half of September. Then you have about eight months of better weather before the heat arrives again.
The schools start up here at various times. Some even start in July, and many more start in August. Since it will be the beginning of the school year it is a perfect time for both you and the kids to get involved in new activities and meet new friends. Activities here are the same as anywhere else: soccer practice, Little League, scouting, choirs, bands, church activities.....you can find almost everything here. Getting to these activities likely will require a car, but there is also a lot of car-pooling going on, especially with the rising gas prices. Some of the public schools here require uniforms, and all of the Catholic ones do too. Also in the mix of school possibilities are Charter schools -- there are a ton of them.
One thing that they have in Phoenix which I do not remember from Chicago are six month apartment leases. Phoenix is more transient, with people moving around more often. Remember, you are not fighting bitter cold weather or snowy roads, so it is easier to move. I believe you can get a one year lease and lock in your rental price if you desire. The apartment complexes out here are newer than many of the Chicago area complexes and often have features you do not find in Chicago. One common feature is a community swimming pool for the apartment complex. Many of the complexes are large [250+] apartments and are corporate-owned. There are not many small owner-operated apartment buildings here, especially in the newer neighborhoods. Smaller buildings can be found in central Phoenix.
I was shocked to see you say that State jobs here have good pay compared to Illinois. If you compare the pay of a permanent position in Il with the same position in AZ, they are almost always lower. IL has unionized employees and AZ is a "Right to work" state and the pay is lower. Also, there are no pay raises unless it is authorized by the legislature. Of course, the cost of living is lower here too. The city and county jobs here usually pay more than the state jobs.
There are a lot of friendly people here in AZ; maybe the bright sunshine keeps peoples' spirits up! Your family will make friends. The trick is finding a good spot to settle. Like everyone has said, you will want to live near your jobs in order to avoid a long and expensive commute to work twice a day. It is very spread out here -- it sprawls. Of course, this can be avoided if you choose to live closer to the center of the city -- this avoids the shock if you suddenly have to change jobs and the new jobs is at the opposite end of town. Good luck!
A lot of Arizona is desert but the climate actually varies depending on where you are in the state. For example, Flagstaff isn't really hot in the summer in contrast to Phoenix. Flagstaff rarely gets up to 90 in the summer while Phoenix regularly bakes in 100 degree weather in the summer. Chicago gets really humid in the summer and Arizona does to, but in Arizona the humidity won't feel too bad if you're used to it. And if you do move to Phoenix, there are many ways to offset the summer heat so it actually isn't as bad as you think as long as you drink plenty of water.
If you chose to live in the city of Phoenix itself, there are some areas in the city that aren't safe as Phoenix is known as the "Kidnapping Capital of the US," but there are areas in the surrounding communities that are safe from all that. Gilbert is a good place to live and has some really good schools, but the transportation in Gilbert isn't the best in the area. Some good schools in Gilbert are Campo Verde High, Gilbert High, South Valley Junior High, and Gilbert Junior High. There are more but those are just a few good examples. School in Gilbert usually starts in August and gets out in May, so August is a good time to come here to search for a good school for your kids.
A lot of Arizona is desert but the climate actually varies depending on where you are in the state. For example, Flagstaff isn't really hot in the summer in contrast to Phoenix. Flagstaff rarely gets up to 90 in the summer while Phoenix regularly bakes in 100 degree weather in the summer. Chicago gets really humid in the summer and Arizona does to, but in Arizona the humidity won't feel too bad if you're used to it. And if you do move to Phoenix, there are many ways to offset the summer heat so it actually isn't as bad as you think as long as you drink plenty of water.
If you chose to live in the city of Phoenix itself, there are some areas in the city that aren't safe as Phoenix is known as the "Kidnapping Capital of the US," but there are areas in the surrounding communities that are safe from all that. Gilbert is a good place to live and has some really good schools, but the transportation in Gilbert isn't the best in the area. Some good schools in Gilbert are Campo Verde High, Gilbert High, South Valley Junior High, and Gilbert Junior High. There are more but those are just a few good examples. School in Gilbert usually starts in August and gets out in May, so August is a good time to come here to search for a good school for your kids.
As for Gilbert schools, that district is in turmoil.
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Oh by the way they cities I will like to move to are Phoenix, Tempe, and in SC, Myrtle Beach
