Michigan to Phoenix, AZ - Questions! (Mesa, Scottsdale: salons, apartments, to rent)

[chart1jj]

Hey,

I'm going to try my best to not ask broad questions and to try to keep them specific. My fiancé and I have been researching our move for over 4 months now, so I have got a lot of useful information stuffed in my head already but want to get more of a viewpoint from someone who has lived in the area for awhile. Here's my story:

Both myself and my fiancé have lived in Michigan our entire lives. We are mid - late 20's in age with no kids, no family ties to where we live and nothing really holding us back from life's adventure. We know Phoenix gets very hot in the summer but we also know that Phoenix does not have the freezing cold weather that we have come to hate from Michigan (3 months of enjoyment?!). Weather is one of the top reasons we want to go to the Phoenix area. We both also enjoy outdoor activities, city life and want to find better opportunities career wise. Some specific questions I have are as of the following:

1. Are tinted windows a must to have on your vehicle?

2. Does anyone have advice on great salons in the area? My fiancé is a hair dresser (a very good one) and is looking for a place to continue her career.

3. Are there lots of trails and parks in certain areas that would accommodate mountain biking, hiking and out door activities?

4. What are commute times like? How far away is too far away from a place of business? We are from a small town right now so commute to work for me right now is 10-15 mins. Hers is 5 mins.

5. How much does the typical electric bill cost for A/C? (1 Bed 1 Bath apartment) We are nervous to get a place that does not include utilities and to have our bill too high to afford.

6. What areas are the best for people our age? We don't want to be surrounded by crazy party college kids and we also don't want to be around retirement areas where everyone is old and boring. We aren't huge into night life seen but like I said like swimming, hiking, biking, jogging, movies, basketball and baseball games, ect.

---- We have been looking into possibly Gilbert, Chandler or Mesa too. Mesa seems to have a lot of apartments but its hard to tell which is for college students and which is for young families.


Thanks!

[infocyde]

1. Are tinted windows a must to have on your vehicle?

No. You just want to be careful about what you leave in your car. Stuff melts. You can burn your hands on the steering wheel. You can get by with just a window screen that you put up when your car is parked and maybe cracking with window just a tiny bit.

2. Does anyone have advice on great salons in the area? My fiancé is a hair dresser (a very good one) and is looking for a place to continue her career.

There are lots.

3. Are there lots of trails and parks in certain areas that would accommodate mountain biking, hiking and out door activities?

There are various places to hike like South Mountain and Camelback, and there are lot's of trails to bike ride on. If you want to travel a little bit there is all sorts of hiking / biking / exploring opportunities just outside of Phoenix in pretty much every direction.

4. What are commute times like? How far away is too far away from a place of business? We are from a small town right now so commute to work for me right now is 10-15 mins. Hers is 5 mins.

The freeways are bad. Generally you want to live as close to work or drive during non peak hours.

5. How much does the typical electric bill cost for A/C? (1 Bed 1 Bath apartment) We are nervous to get a place that does not include utilities and to have our bill too high to afford.

Can't say, for a four bedroom house it would hit close to 300 during the summer peak.

6. What areas are the best for people our age? We don't want to be surrounded by crazy party college kids and we also don't want to be around retirement areas where everyone is old and boring. We aren't huge into night life seen but like I said like swimming, hiking, biking, jogging, movies, basketball and baseball games, ect.

Parts of Scottsdale (though I'm not a fan) would put you near hiking and a lot of riding trails, plus a lot of nightlife is located in Scottsdale. Ahwatukee would work too but it might be a bit too family oriented for you at this stage. There are all sorts of micro areas scattered around as well. Although the Tempe area isn't as close to hiking Tempe is kind of a cool area, and if you live a bit away from the University you can find some nice neighborhoods...in Tempe I'd rent a house over getting an apartment if you can swing it though.

---- We have been looking into possibly Gilbert, Chandler or Mesa too. Mesa seems to have a lot of apartments but its hard to tell which is for college students and which is for young families.

Parts of Mesa are OK. Downtown Mesa has a lot of potential but it seems like it will never be met. I'd actually skip Mesa. Although there are a lot of unique things to explore there, generally it is kind of dumpy. Parts are not, but you can do better. Gilbert and Chandler are nice but at your age you would be bored. Another thing to consider is non-Phoenix areas. For jobs and just getting going the Phoenix area is probably your best bet, but you also have Tuscon and Northern Arizona. My wife is from Michigan and we ended up compromising on living in Prescott. More small town feel, still get four seasons, and lot's of out door stuff to do at our fingertips. It gets hot here in the summer but usually about 15 degrees cooler then the Phoenix area. if you can swing finding jobs in Prescott or Flagstaff, might be something to look into too.

I came from another state into Arizona in my late 20ies. Arizona did me a lot of good career wise and I met all sorts of great people here. Most people don't last here...they go "back home" after about five years. But some come and never leave. Good luck and enjoy the adventure. I would also either vacation here during the heat (which you get used to unless you are a really pale type person...it isn't a big deal) and spend time in areas that you are considering, hang out at coffee shops and talk to locals. You might get some good feedback on some of those little tucked away areas that are cool.

[AZ Bandit]

My wife and I moved from Minnesota when we were in our early twenties and we are in our mid to late twenties now so I think I can provide a good perspective.

1. Not really. There are lots of places to park with shade but I've always been a tint kind of person and it's cheap to have installed if you want it.

2. I don't have any specific examples but there are tons of salons in the valley.

3. Lots of trails to choose from and mountains to hike. I'm a fan of South Mountain myself. The Superstitions aren't too far away, the hiking is great there.

4. I work from home so I don't know much about this but from what I can tell, other cities have it a lot worse than we do.

5. We have lived in a lot of 1 BR apartments and electric bills are consistently between $100-$200 in the summer months.

6. Avoid Mill Ave. if you do not like the college party scene. There are a lot of "hip", upcoming restaurants in downtown Gilbert and downtown Chandler that I find enjoyable. There is also Old Town in Scottsdale that doesn't have too bad of a scene.


I have lived in Chandler and Gilbert and enjoy both of those cities a lot. Good luck with your move if you decide to do it.

[infocyde]

Also, during cold winter months, it seems like there are tons of post about moving from x state to Arizona. Just skim through this forum and you will find lot's of other questions you might have already answered in other threads.

[DetroitN8V]

Do it! Tint your windows, hike Camelback, Piestewa, the McDowells and the Superstitions, live in south Scottsdale (or near work), get on a time of use electricity plan and GO TIGERS!

[infocyde]

Comment on what AZ Bandit said about Mill Avenue. I loved Mill avenue when I lived in the area. It isn't that out of control (or at least it wasn't except for a few times a year on certain holidays). For nightlife and trolling I'd more head out to Scottsdale...but for hanging out in an area that kind of had a unique vibe I'd grab my laptop and work out of the coffee plantation on Mill and then grab something to eat at one of the decent restaurants. Mill had all sorts of characters who were regulars and lot's of people watching. To me Mill ave was a treasure, one of the reasons to maybe look at Tempe as a place to live, but not in the college dominated appartements because they are too loud. If you can find a house to rent just South West of the University I'd look into that. That being said, I've been out of the area for a long time, Coffee Plantation closed, and the dynamic might have changed, which would be a loss.

[DetroitN8V]

^I agree. Mill is awesome and you'll see people from all walks of life. I've never felt that it was overrun with college kids.

[pbenjamin]

Yes, tint your windows, not a necessity but it helps. Just make sure you have it done by a reputable place with a good track record. There are a lot of poorly done tint jobs driving around.

What small town in Michigan?

[asufan]

Originally Posted by pbenjamin

Yes, tint your windows, not a necessity but it helps. Just make sure you have it done by a reputable place with a good track record. There are a lot of poorly done tint jobs driving around.

What small town in Michigan?

It's only not a necessity if you are accustomed to driving with oven mitts on

[chart1jj]

Originally Posted by pbenjamin

Yes, tint your windows, not a necessity but it helps. Just make sure you have it done by a reputable place with a good track record. There are a lot of poorly done tint jobs driving around.

What small town in Michigan?

We are both originally from Iron Mountain but now live in Mount Pleasant because I recently graduated from central michigan university.


I appreciate all the help guys. I will def take a look at Prescott and flagstaff and the southwest part of Tempe!

If you guys can think of anything else to help us all information is appreciated!