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I haven't posted much but I think from what I have posted it's clear that I don't really like Phoenix. But it is unfair for people to say that the people who don't like it here can all just leave if they want to. For most people, moving is a huge financial undertaking that can put it out of reach. Or they may have responsibilities here that they can't in abandon in good conscience (caring for a family member, having a child in the area, etc). Personally, I HAVE to live here whether I like it or not, because my job sent me here. I could quit my job in theory, but not without a breach of contract that I simply cannot afford. If I could leave, I would (if it were up to me I would have never come in the first place. I've been here before and knew it wasn't for me).
I think having the opinions of people who dislike an area are just as important as those who do like it. It paints an even picture and can help give balance to the rose-colored view of those who seem to respond to every inquiry with "Phoenix is amazing and perfect and you don't even realize it's THAT hot, I'm sure you'll love it too!".
I agree, bostoncorgi - the person who stated that people should just quit complaining and leave was painting a picture in black & white. I am preparing to leave the Chicago area now that my mom has passed and I have no other family obligations here. I've always had trouble with winter, but stayed here because of a job I liked and family I felt obligated to. Now the family obligations are over, and the job has changed enough that it's no longer the great place it was 10 years ago, so the time is right. Just like I am not moving to the warm weather SOLELY for the weather, I wasn't staying in a place where I hated the weather just to make myself miserable. There were other factors involved.
I agree, bostoncorgi - the person who stated that people should just quit complaining and leave was painting a picture in black & white. I am preparing to leave the Chicago area now that my mom has passed and I have no other family obligations here. I've always had trouble with winter, but stayed here because of a job I liked and family I felt obligated to. Now the family obligations are over, and the job has changed enough that it's no longer the great place it was 10 years ago, so the time is right. Just like I am not moving to the warm weather SOLELY for the weather, I wasn't staying in a place where I hated the weather just to make myself miserable. There were other factors involved.
Sorry to hear about the passing of your mother. Mine is still with us at 86 so I'm thankful she is still here and in good health. I'm not looking forward to the day when mom is not here.
Let me be the first to say congratulations on your move though. I hope you enjoy the sunshine here even half as much as I do. You'll be a happy camper indeed.
I haven't posted much but I think from what I have posted it's clear that I don't really like Phoenix. But it is unfair for people to say that the people who don't like it here can all just leave if they want to. For most people, moving is a huge financial undertaking that can put it out of reach. Or they may have responsibilities here that they can't in abandon in good conscience (caring for a family member, having a child in the area, etc). Personally, I HAVE to live here whether I like it or not, because my job sent me here. I could quit my job in theory, but not without a breach of contract that I simply cannot afford. If I could leave, I would (if it were up to me I would have never come in the first place. I've been here before and knew it wasn't for me).
I think having the opinions of people who dislike an area are just as important as those who do like it. It paints an even picture and can help give balance to the rose-colored view of those who seem to respond to every inquiry with "Phoenix is amazing and perfect and you don't even realize it's THAT hot, I'm sure you'll love it too!".
I understand your plight. I don't choose where I live based on "Is the coolest place?" I choose it based on "Is this the coolest job I can get?"
Years ago I worked 4 1/2 years for a convenience store in Tucson. That job could have gone either way but I ended up with a store in a really bad neighborhood. Fights, knifings, gun threats, threats of all kinds, strange people casing the store in the wee hours. Some nights my mop bucket was bright red from blood before I finished mopping. Two bucket nights. Yet I "couldn't quit" until I found a better job.
And I just couldn't find a better job. Nobody would hire me. Until I reached my breaking point and turned in my resignation. I don't know why but I felt better, more relaxed, immediately. Two weeks later I was working at a better, tho lower paying job. Much happier and I thought why didn't I do that a long time ago.
I'm not suggesting you break your contract. But talk to your boss. Let him/her know you would be happier elsewhere. What's the worst that could happen? They fire you? Then they broke your contract and you're free. Actually from your point of view the worst is they say when this contract is over we'll see about moving you. But even that is a win from your POV.
If you start making your plans now you might be surprised to find you are beginning to feel better. So I say start thinking about what YOU CAN DO. Then get started. Good luck.
Sorry to hear about the passing of your mother. Mine is still with us at 86 so I'm thankful she is still here and in good health. I'm not looking forward to the day when mom is not here.
Let me be the first to say congratulations on your move though. I hope you enjoy the sunshine here even half as much as I do. You'll be a happy camper indeed.
Thank you. My mom made it just past her 93rd birthday, and with remarkably good health until the last 3-4 months (though her poor hearing in the last few years made me do lots of yelling!), so I feel very blessed. I know we will be happy there! We close on our new home in 2 weeks - and then it's simply a matter of selling here and landing there before the first flakes fall in Chicago!
Thank you. My mom made it just past her 93rd birthday, and with remarkably good health until the last 3-4 months (though her poor hearing in the last few years made me do lots of yelling!), so I feel very blessed. I know we will be happy there! We close on our new home in 2 weeks - and then it's simply a matter of selling here and landing there before the first flakes fall in Chicago!
Just curious, where is your new home?
I hope you are able to sell your house in Chicago quickly. It took me almost 4 years to sell my place in Oregon but as it turned out, that was the best thing that could have happened. Not by design but I ended up buying at the absolute low point of the RE market here. July 2011. Got a great place. Way more than I deserve.
Good luck on selling your place and keep us informed how the sale and eventual move is going.
Just curious, where is your new home?
I hope you are able to sell your house in Chicago quickly. It took me almost 4 years to sell my place in Oregon but as it turned out, that was the best thing that could have happened. Not by design but I ended up buying at the absolute low point of the RE market here. July 2011. Got a great place. Way more than I deserve.
Good luck on selling your place and keep us informed how the sale and eventual move is going.
We went out a little farther east than I might have liked (Queen Creek / San Tan Valley), but that was where we were able to get a lot the size I wanted in the price range that we could afford. We have half an acre here, and those 6000-7000 square foot lots just weren't for me. I like my neighbors, but I don't want to look right into their windows, and since we were moving out there so we could enjoy more outdoor time, I wanted a little outdoors of my own.
I'm hopeful that if we price our house reasonably, it will go fairly quickly. Thanks again!
I looked out there before I got my place in east Mesa. I did like it out there very much but since I am an avid fisherman and wasterskiier, being close to the lakes was important to me and where I ended up getting a house was as close to the lakes as you can get.
I think you'll like Queen Creek. The infrastructure is still a little lacking but it will catch up to itself in a few years.
Sorry, but I abhor that kind of attitude. In fact, I think it's one of the main problems with the Phoenix area generally. Most people I know are just blandly positive and uninformedly inert. They don't get really worked up over much of anything.
There's nothing wrong with negativity, especially if it's sort of constructive negativity. If someone says: This is a terrible situation, and here's what I wish would be done about it - to me, that's good, and it makes for good discussion. But I think it's very telling that so many of the posts just deal with housing issues. There are, in comparison, almost no political posts, in the broadest sense, about bigger issues.
And why would you feel that this forum is mostly here to benefit newcomers? Or why would you feel the forum should be deceptively positive to gull newcomers? Or, for that matter, considering that we're a fast-growing urban area which, it seems to me, has done very little planning for how to deal with growth (better transportation, better water use, etc.), why would you feel we should be encouraging people to move here at all?
On the other hand, maybe it's because I don't read all the posts, but I haven't had the impression that people here are miserable. And, in person, most people I know in the area like it very much.
I understand your plight. I don't choose where I live based on "Is the coolest place?" I choose it based on "Is this the coolest job I can get?"
Years ago I worked 4 1/2 years for a convenience store in Tucson. That job could have gone either way but I ended up with a store in a really bad neighborhood. Fights, knifings, gun threats, threats of all kinds, strange people casing the store in the wee hours. Some nights my mop bucket was bright red from blood before I finished mopping. Two bucket nights. Yet I "couldn't quit" until I found a better job.
And I just couldn't find a better job. Nobody would hire me. Until I reached my breaking point and turned in my resignation. I don't know why but I felt better, more relaxed, immediately. Two weeks later I was working at a better, tho lower paying job. Much happier and I thought why didn't I do that a long time ago.
I'm not suggesting you break your contract. But talk to your boss. Let him/her know you would be happier elsewhere. What's the worst that could happen? They fire you? Then they broke your contract and you're free. Actually from your point of view the worst is they say when this contract is over we'll see about moving you. But even that is a win from your POV.
If you start making your plans now you might be surprised to find you are beginning to feel better. So I say start thinking about what YOU CAN DO. Then get started. Good luck.
Thank you for the thoughtful response. My employers do know that I don't particularly like it here and that I plan on transferring out as soon as possible. I started having that conversation with them pretty much as soon as they told me they were relocating me.
Unfortunately, they are just desperate for people here right now. They are not going to fire me just because I don't like it here--they can't afford to lose an employee and don't have anyone to replace me because, ironically, they cannot get any other qualified employees to voluntarily move here (sorry, but Phoenix is a HARD SELL for the main demographic that works for my company). That puts me in the position of being stuck here until I can climb the ladder a little further and attempt to transfer out. That is, of course, assuming that at that time there will even be a position open in a city I would find preferable to this one. I don't love Phoenix, but I'd stay here for the remainder of my contract if my other options looked even more dismal.
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