Why does Phoenix Suck? (Miami: apartment, scorpion, live in)

[Catavenger]

Originally Posted by kell490

If you don't mind Stucco and Scorpions. Actually I could understand if you grew up in a big old city where buildings were 4 story's high and city traffic was a daily thing coming here is a big change everything is mostly 1 story and spread out. Maricopa county is probably almost as big as some states back east. I'm from Southern California Orange County it had gotten so crowded I felt claustrophobic I just hated how many people had moved into the beach city's where I grew up in the 1970's. Now I have been here for 20 years i'm growing tired of the non seasons. I want to live somewhere with 4 seasons. I don't mind the snow not sub freezing temps but Colorado, Oregon sounds good to me. Want green getting tired of brown so it's time to move on next year. I do like the politics here I don't care for liberal left state governments like NYC. I actually like Joe Arpaio have always voted for him.

Again with the scorpions?

[Java Jolt]

Originally Posted by LiveByTheSun

You hit the nail on the head for me too. Dull, apathetic, monotonous. I'm not a workaholic and value my lazy free time but the energy in most parts of Phoenix is just soul-sucking.

A large part of this depends on a person's background.

I'm from a rather small city and I think the Phoenix area is plenty big with enough to do.

It seems to lack a 24-7 entertainment vibe but then many other cities are deadzones late at night too, there aren't too many places in the United States like New York or Las Vegas.

[Java Jolt]

Originally Posted by Catavenger

Again with the scorpions?

I know, this obsessive fear of scorpions and other creepy-crawlies has gotten out of hand.

Some of us have lived here many years without even seeing a scorpion.

Enough already.

[ElleTea]

Originally Posted by Java Jolt

I know, this obsessive fear of scorpions and other creepy-crawlies has gotten out of hand.

Some of us have lived here many years without even seeing a scorpion.

Enough already.

I've been here more than a year and have seen more creepy crawlies than I would perfer. Scorpion, black widow, etc. ICK.

[Java Jolt]

Originally Posted by ElleTea

I've been here more than a year and have seen more creepy crawlies than I would perfer. Scorpion, black widow, etc. ICK.

It depends largely on where you live too.

If your home is near a desert-mountain preserve or out in the boonies you will probably see many more creepy-crawlies than the average person.

[AZgarden]

I have held back my opinion due to certain other posters (one in particular) who told me to sell my house and get out if I hate it here. I don't hate it here. But I do think Phoenix, including the other cities surrounding, suffer from a lack of community.

It is hard to get involved here. When I first moved to a street that was a real speedway with little kids living on it, I petitioned the city to get speed bumps. I went door to door, hoping to meet neighbors and start conversations. It did not happen. I eventually got the required number of signatures, after fighting Phx city hall, and the bumps did happen. But later, I realized most of the residents on the street simply did not care one way or another.

I also volunteered to do a newsletter for the HOA, same community, and was beaten down and finally gave up. I thought an informative letter to the residents would have paved the way for some community events, picnics, block parties, etc. Nope. Nobody wanted that.

Its the apathy that gets to you and sooner or later you think, OK, who cares, why should I?? So you just join in. The only community spirit I have found in this area is in 55+ communities where they have hired an event planner for the residents.
This is truly a boring place to live in my opinion. And it sucks the spirit out of you.

[ElleTea]

Originally Posted by Java Jolt

It depends largely on where you live too.

If your home is near a desert-mountain preserve or out in the boonies you will probably see many more creepy-crawlies than the average person.

I am near neither.

[stevek64]

Originally Posted by PhxBarb

I have held back my opinion due to certain other posters (one in particular) who told me to sell my house and get out if I hate it here. I don't hate it here. But I do think Phoenix, including the other cities surrounding, suffer from a lack of community.

My experience says the exact opposite.

We 1st moved to Surprise some years ago to a non-master planned community and found our neighbors to be very friendly, open, got involved with many neighborhood functions, we all helped each other out, etc. I told this story before but it's worth repeating on an example of this. When we bought our house in Surprise, it took us a few months to move out here. We found out that a neighbor of ours was spraying our weeds for us, fixed some outdoor light cover that blew off in a wind storm, and never mentioned a word of it to us....a neighbor of ours had to tell us some time later. Now that's super nice! But beyond that, we often had get togethers with other neighbors(still do), long talks when we see someone getting the mail or walking their dog, etc. And thought we've moved since to a master planned community in Goodyear, we still stay in touch and get together. And in Estrella we've met a whole bunch of friendly people surrounding our home in a short time of moving here with little effort and will be having a get together this weekend with a bunch of them including our other neighbors from Surprise we used to live around.

I've given my experience in the past on this issue but think it's worth repeating as I don't want people thinking that what you are saying is the rule as we've lived in 2 different communities now with an exact opposite experience.

PhxBarb....I don't doubt your experience and I'm sure there are pockets around Phoenix, or anywhere for that matter, where more people like to keep to themselves and sounds like you live in such a pocket. I think the odds increase in a master planned community for what you're looking for as there are interest groups like we have here in Estrella, have a rec center with activies, etc. I think this is what you're referring too in the 55+ communities as most are basically master planned communities or have elements of them mixed in.

[leavingIL]

i know were like 13 pages deep into this thread... but heres some comments. i dont really care, and by that i mean i dont at all, about entertainment. ive been to a bar maybe 50 times since i turned 21, and that was to catch bulls games when my cable was broke. i never been to a club before, and go to a concert maybe once a year. for me, the meat and potatoes of my entertainment is the outdoors through and through, and reading books. i hope to start a small business when i get there. truth be told, i just dont mind quiet at all. but i still like major cities. thats part of what attracts me to phoenix.... its probably the largest city in the US with THAT MUCH wilderness around it.

so what you guys think? sound a lil more my speed based on those facts?

[stevek64]

Originally Posted by leavingIL

i know were like 13 pages deep into this thread... but heres some comments. i dont really care, and by that i mean i dont at all, about entertainment. ive been to a bar maybe 50 times since i turned 21, and that was to catch bulls games when my cable was broke. i never been to a club before, and go to a concert maybe once a year. for me, the meat and potatoes of my entertainment is the outdoors through and through, and reading books. i hope to start a small business when i get there. truth be told, i just dont mind quiet at all. but i still like major cities. thats part of what attracts me to phoenix.... its probably the largest city in the US with THAT MUCH wilderness around it.

so what you guys think? sound a lil more my speed based on those facts?

I think that's a very good summary....lots of city things to do like major sporting events, concerts, general events(for those who take the effort to seek them out!) yet open areas to hike and explore all around.