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Past few days a sibling of mines is suggesting I should visit Phoenix Arizona. I'm like why do I want to visit a desert? But anyway my sibling cries about moving to Arizona and has had enough of NYC. I too have had enough of NYC from brutal winters, overpriced housing, horrible subway system, shallow and unattractive women, way too competitive job market and the massive rat race of life. Again I did not want to visit Phx Arizona and use the city as an option for relocation but my main relocation attraction is Austin Texas which I fell in love with and a 2nd would be Charlotte NC. I'm only staying in Phx Arizona for five days and I broke my days down into settling in, nightlife, nature, job and housing market before I fly back to NYC. What can I expect from Phx, Arizona? What are do and do not's of the city? I know the city is boiling hot and no public transporation besides the light rail system. Should I rent a car if anything, even though I'm staying right next to light rail system? What are some attractions to check out. What are the nightlife options there like bars, lounges or clubs? Job agencies and Real Estate firms that can direct me to jobs and housing if any? Any suggestions would and will be helpful.
We have public transportation besides the light rail, but it is less effective on the weekends, and the light rail is limited in scope. Visitors should always rent cars, basically, to get around the Valley in an efficient way.
You have already decided you didn't want to come here even to visit, and found two other cities you like very much, so I'm a bit puzzled as to why you decided to come anyway (perhaps your sibling convinced you ) or how to go about telling you how to use your five day schedule. Phoenix is a very spread out metro area surrounded by suburbs (with no gaps in between), some of which are themselves fairly large cities. You don't say exactly when you are coming, it is unseasonably cool here right now, but as we head into summer it will be hot, yes. It is not hot year round.
What sort of "attractions" are you interested in? From a nature standpoint, the Desert Botanical Garden in Papago Park on the Phoenix/Scottsdale border would be a very good choice. There is a fantastic, world-class Musical Instrument Museum in north Phoenix. Nightlife options would be best in the Scottsdale area; downtown Phoenix is getting better in that regard, too. Tempe nightlife skews to a younger crowd because of ASU.
You are not going to learn a lot about the housing and job markets on such a short visit. You don't say what type of jobs you would be interested in/looking for, or your housing budget. Most people try to live relatively close to their work to avoid long commutes. Newcomers are well advised to rent first until they become more familiar with the area and decide what part of it they really want to live in.
If you're staying along the light rail, you can get a taste of Phoenix, but I'd suggest renting a car.
Phoenix is a pretty decent city. Decent nightlife, good job market, and cheap cost of living. First, I'll address your five categories:
Settling in: You'll find Phoenix is a lot more casual and laid back than NYC. There's not much of a "rat race" here. Business attire is khaki shorts and a polo. Weekends are spent relaxing by the pool, traveling around, visiting bars, clubs, museums, parks...
Nightlife: The three "hubs" would be Mill Avenue (Tempe, next to ASU. Light rail takes you straight there), Downtown Scottsdale, and Downtown Phoenix (also accessible by light rail). All three have different atmospheres. Mill Ave is filled with college-aged kids and recent grads, with some fun clubs and bars. Downtown Scottsdale is more young professionals (late 20's and 30's, mostly), and the clubs and bars are ridiculous. It can get expensive on weekends, but not NYC levels of expensive. Downtown Phoenix is undergoing redevelopment, and doesnt really have "one" identity. You've got older professionals, artists, hipsters, dive bars, you name it. Definitely an interesting place.
Nature: Oh boy, you picked the right state! Arizona has the 2nd most biomes out of any state (beat only by Washington State -- they have rainforest, we don't). Only about 1/3 of the state is desert, and even that is beautiful. Our lakes are spectacular. Head north, and you'll find yourself in Ponderosa Pine Forest and snow (hell it snowed yesterday in Flagstaff!). Every corner of this state has more breathtaking views and scenery, and the weather is nice enough year round that you can go out and enjoy it. And I haven't even mentioned the Grand Canyon (though, it's about 3 hours from Phoenix -- if you want to get a feel for the city, I wouldn't waste one of your days going up there).
Job Market: I can't speak for you specifically (not knowing what field your in), but Phoenix actually has a strong job market, and it's growing. State Farm is about to open a huge office in Tempe. REI is putting up a warehouse on the West Side. You can find an unskilled warehouse or call center job that'll start at $10-15 / hour with benefits, or executive jobs with companies like Boeing and Intel. There's law firms, hospitals, car dealerships... You name it.
Housing Market: It's cheap. I'm currently living in a nice house, in a great part of town with some friends. 3 bedroom, 2 bath, 2 car garage for $1200 per month. I was renting a house in Mesa (4 bed, 2 bath, 1 carport) for $900 a month. Utilities are relatively cheap, and Internet speeds are quick. I can't speak for any specific firms, as I've always just used Craigslist and rented from private owners.
The public transit system works, but it has limitations. It doesn't run nearly as late as NYC, and because everything here is so spread out, it takes a while. Schedules are usually every 20-30 mins at peak hours, meaning you want as few transfers as possible. That said, I've used it regularly before. If you plan well, it's workable. Failing that, we have taxis, uber, lyft...
...now, the heat. There's no other way to put it: it's hot. You'll hear people tell you it's a dry heat -- but not everyone is the same. I moved here after living all over the east coast (a few summers in NYC included) and I embraced the heat. Absolutely love it. Now, here's the deal: 100 degrees, on up to about 105 or 110 actually feels incredible. Perfect weather to be outside. When it starts reaching the 1-teens, it's hot. Opening the front door feels like you've opened a hot oven (it literally feels like the same "blast" of heat). But, most places have AC, or covered shade, or misters... And worst case, you jump in a pool. The weather is only this hot for maybe 2 months. Monsoon season cools things off, and after a winter here, you wouldn't trade it for anything in the world. But, the lack of humidity is a double edged sword. Don't be surprised when the Mercury hits 68 and you're grabbing a jacket. Our dry weather works both ways, and when it gets below 70, it feels downright chilly.
Well, first off pack shorts, shirts, chap stick, sunglasses, maybe a hat, and flip flops. Second, rent a car there is a lot to see and if you only have a week you'll want to travel around.
Scottsdale, Tempe(ASU) area, and Phoenix all have areas that are designated to a fun night life. You can't really check out all in one night because of the distance so pick one area a night.
Jobs, depends on what you do but lately it's looking up here, not down.
If you like Texas, then you'll most likely like Phoenix because what I've heard is it's similar but less humid, no major storms and less bugs. We've had several versus threads on here about the two and Phoenix seems to win out.
Politics is our only downfall so if that's important you'll fall on one side or the other, if it's not you won't really notice.
It's so cheap here you can easily rent a house with a pool and I suggest you do, it makes summer fun instead of miserable.
For real estate, go on one of those search sites and find some homes you like, then drive around the areas and see if you like it. We have a sea of housing, and most of our housing is reasonable and new.
Our streets are great, very new and not many potholes. No rust on cars, it's really dry.
It might take some getting use to but the dry climate makes our temps comfortable most of the year.
Have a good time, it's fun exploring!! Most people here are from some place else which makes for a rather friendly crowd.
You can also take a 1/2 hour flight or a 6 hour drive over to Southern Cal and go to the beach for a weekend, or shopping.
We have public transportation besides the light rail, but it is less effective on the weekends, and the light rail is limited in scope. Visitors should always rent cars, basically, to get around the Valley in an efficient way.
You have already decided you didn't want to come here even to visit, and found two other cities you like very much, so I'm a bit puzzled as to why you decided to come anyway (perhaps your sibling convinced you ) or how to go about telling you how to use your five day schedule. Phoenix is a very spread out metro area surrounded by suburbs (with no gaps in between), some of which are themselves fairly large cities. You don't say exactly when you are coming, it is unseasonably cool here right now, but as we head into summer it will be hot, yes. It is not hot year round.
What sort of "attractions" are you interested in? From a nature standpoint, the Desert Botanical Garden in Papago Park on the Phoenix/Scottsdale border would be a very good choice. There is a fantastic, world-class Musical Instrument Museum in north Phoenix. Nightlife options would be best in the Scottsdale area; downtown Phoenix is getting better in that regard, too. Tempe nightlife skews to a younger crowd because of ASU.
You are not going to learn a lot about the housing and job markets on such a short visit. You don't say what type of jobs you would be interested in/looking for, or your housing budget. Most people try to live relatively close to their work to avoid long commutes. Newcomers are well advised to rent first until they become more familiar with the area and decide what part of it they really want to live in.
My sibling suggests that I should visit it since he fell in love with the Phoenix area? I'm like why fall in love with a desert? My sibling did not convince me and I have to convince myself. My time there is going to be short to absorb in the Phoenix area and I do regret that but all I'm looking for is a taste or a sample of what PHX has to offer. My sibling is dying to GTFO of NYC, but I do as well but not to PHX/AZ, but hey let me give the area a shot. I know that Phoenix Arizona is suburban hell meets sprawl, and is not a walkable friendly city especially during the intense summers. I'm going to PHX at the end of May. As for jobs? I'm skilled in some areas but I currently hold a 4 year degree in CRJ, but I currently work in the hospitality/property management/security thing back here in NYC.
As someone who spent his 20's in Austin and has family there, I'd take Arizona any day over Austin. Austin is like that hipster bar that you look weird in if you're over 30. It's great for an era of your life. I got a great education at UT and paid my dues in my field working for pennies on the dollar of what I could get elsewhere.
Phoenix, in my humble opinion, offers a broader spectrum of experience. You definitely have the young and fun crowd, especially around Tempe for obvious reasons, but you also have a good urban core offering fun neighborhoods for once you hit your post college scene and maybe even start a family. Plus there are mountains, actual beautiful mountains. Austin may have some hills, but they don't compare.
Heat is the same (by that I mean awful but bearable) in both cities. Austin can go 30-45 days over 100 in the summers with humidity (all those lakes and beautiful natural springs turn into steam). Austin also gets iced over in the winter a few days. I was trapped in my apartment for two days once when my car was a cube of ice and the city was shut down completely. That may sound like nothing for a northerner, but for this Texas boy it was stir craziness.
But go where you want, find your place. I just get a huge sigh when I hear west coast people tell me, "Oh you came from Austin?? OMG That is like heaven!!"
You've already received some great information above that covers pretty much everything. I am very curious as to why you think the subway system in NYC is horrible. You cannot get around on public transport in Phoenix with such ease and convenience. Do expect to have a car if you move out here.
There's probably more auto garages on Jerome Ave than in all of Phoenix but you'll have no problems finding service for your automobile.
I do hope you enjoy your visit to Phoenix regardless if you move out or not. I suspect you'll miss many aspects of The Bronx but sometimes change is good. Best of luck to you.
My sibling suggests that I should visit it since he fell in love with the Phoenix area? I'm like why fall in love with a desert? My sibling did not convince me and I have to convince myself. My time there is going to be short to absorb in the Phoenix area and I do regret that but all I'm looking for is a taste or a sample of what PHX has to offer. My sibling is dying to GTFO of NYC, but I do as well but not to PHX/AZ, but hey let me give the area a shot. I know that Phoenix Arizona is suburban hell meets sprawl, and is not a walkable friendly city especially during the intense summers. I'm going to PHX at the end of May. As for jobs? I'm skilled in some areas but I currently hold a 4 year degree in CRJ, but I currently work in the hospitality/property management/security thing back here in NYC.
The other responses are excellent and I would like to highlight one of the things they've all said: This is a very spread out area. People coming here for the first time from a population intense area like NYC are usually not ready for this. The Greater Phoenix area is 585+ square miles. That's half the state of Rhode Island or Maryland. If you look at the City-Data page on Phoenix, they also cite the Phoenix Metro Area, which is far larger - 14,565.76 sq mi ... That is larger than the entire state of Maryland. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phoenix_metropolitan_area
It's actually very well laid out in a grid and after you figure out the system, not that hard to get around (but do watch out for things like cul-de-sacs, freeways and airports getting in the way of the grid!) You will be impressed with the road system and the infrastructure. I was impressed how clean this city is when I first moved here from Hawaii. Oh -- and when you punch in addresses on your GPS (and you will need one) just be sure to type in East or West, Street or Avenue, Drive or Place. Those are important markers here.
We have a population of 4.2 million in the Greater Phoenix area. The posters above mentioned several hotspots - all of which are very walkable and not as urban sprawl as you might think. Glendale old town is also a very walkable area. While Cave Creek/Carefree (north of Phoenix) is not always included in the "Greater Phoenix Area" label, I would definitely encourage you to wander up there as well. That is a fun walkable area, though it might not be your cup of tea. It's cowboy town. Worth a look just to get a flavor of it all. Old Town Scottsdale is a mix of Cowboy and Cosmopolitan.
The point is, you really do need to get clear on what you'd like to see here. If you are looking for work, we have hundreds of hotels, many of them top end. I happen to know that the JW Marriott Desert Ridge is looking for people right now. I don't know what a degree in "CRJ" means. I spend a lot of time in airplanes, and to me that's a Canadair Regional Jet. Help us understand that and we may be able to point you in the right direction.
If you want to hike, we have amazing trails and mountains. If you want to go horseback riding, there are many options and many stables here. Want to go dancing? We have clubs of all kinds and stripes, you can even stay up there in Cave Creek and go Country dancing. Go into Scottsdale and find everything from Hip Hop to Jazz to Rock 'n' Roll. If you want zoos, we have them. Casinos? Two very cool ones right off the 101 near Scottsdale. Baseball? Hockey? Soccer? The Racetrack? OTB? We have it all here.
These only scratch the surface of Phoenix, but if you spend a little time on each of the above sites, you might get a better idea where you want to stay, visit and hang out.
It's a beeeeeyootiful time of year right now. It will get hotter in the next few weeks but it will still be bearable. I've been in NYC in July and even though we share the same temps that time of year, it's a different kind of hot. You'll just have to experience it to understand.
Is the heat similar to Las Vegas? When I visited Vegas five years ago I turned pink for the first time
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) or how to go about telling you how to use your five day schedule. Phoenix is a very spread out metro area surrounded by suburbs (with no gaps in between), some of which are themselves fairly large cities. You don't say exactly when you are coming, it is unseasonably cool here right now, but as we head into summer it will be hot, yes. It is not hot year round. 
