Phoenix--& Arizona--What's the Attraction? :) (Tucson, Scottsdale: 2014, apartment, renting)

[ElleTea]

Originally Posted by BIG CATS

Bro, coming from Chicago area where there are entire neighborhoods that only speak Lithuanian, Chinese, Russian, German, Spanish, Somali, Polish, etc, where nothing is in English (except the street signs), there just isn't anything like that in Phoenix. Sure you might stumble across some restaurants here and there in PHX (every city is like that, though), but there are no big enclaves to visit to feel much diversity outside of Spanish-speaking enclaves.

Just because a place isn't just like Chicago doesn't make it "not big city" like. It's just a different type of big city. Nothing wrong with that.

[Renegade007]

Originally Posted by BIG CATS

Bro, coming from Chicago area where there are entire neighborhoods that only speak Lithuanian, Chinese, Russian, German, Spanish, Somali, Polish, etc,

Here, we have entire neighborhoods that speak Spanish. Close enough, eh?

[AZDesertBrat]

Originally Posted by BIG CATS

Bro, coming from Chicago area where there are entire neighborhoods that only speak Lithuanian, Chinese, Russian, German, Spanish, Somali, Polish, etc, where nothing is in English (except the street signs), there just isn't anything like that in Phoenix. Sure you might stumble across some restaurants here and there in PHX (every city is like that, though), but there are no big enclaves to visit to feel much diversity outside of Spanish-speaking enclaves.

Maybe you don't see or hear of neighborhoods like that in Phoenix because those people haven't moved here yet? I'm pretty sure there are probably 'some' people of those nationalities around but why would they all stay grouped together in one neighborhood? Seems to me like everyone is pretty spread out, which I think is a good thing. Comparing the diversity of Chicago and Phoenix is just one more apples/oranges comparison. For one thing Chicago has had way more years to develop neighborhoods like that. Detroit had them too and so does New York, etc.. Why does it matter, really? South Phoenix is fairly well diverse with white, black and Hispanic but I haven't noticed that it's made it any better or worse than any other part of the city. More Mexican restaurants is all.

[BIG CATS]

Originally Posted by ElleTea

Just because a place isn't just like Chicago doesn't make it "not big city" like. It's just a different type of big city. Nothing wrong with that.

I didn't say it wasn't a big city, but it just doesn't offer much in the way of diversity or high-paying jobs. Someone asked for me to explain why I thought that way, and I responded. Yes, PHX is a big city, 6th largest in the nation, but it just doesn't feel like a big city. I think its just the way its laid out, how slowly things progressed, and how it has grown out and not up. We're barely behind Philly in terms of population, but Philly feels more like a "big city" than Phoenix. Luckily for us, Phoenix is growing in the right direction, but... still so far to go.

[BIG CATS]

Originally Posted by AZDesertBrat

Maybe you don't see or hear of neighborhoods like that in Phoenix because those people haven't moved here yet? I'm pretty sure there are probably 'some' people of those nationalities around but why would they all stay grouped together in one neighborhood? Seems to me like everyone is pretty spread out, which I think is a good thing. Comparing the diversity of Chicago and Phoenix is just one more apples/oranges comparison. For one thing Chicago has had way more years to develop neighborhoods like that. Detroit had them too and so does New York, etc.. Why does it matter, really? South Phoenix is fairly well diverse with white, black and Hispanic but I haven't noticed that it's made it any better or worse than any other part of the city. More Mexican restaurants is all.

I agree. But we'll never really get those types of neighborhoods, simply because Phoenix is already so integrated. There's diversity here (duh), but nothing like people are usually seeking. They want ethnic enclaves within a city to visit, and here we don't offer such a thing. We don't have San Fran-style Chinatown. We don't have a NYC-style Little Havana. We don't have a Chicago-style Little Warsaw. For as big as Phoenix is, its not really a big draw for immigrants from Europe or Asia. That's just the way it is.

[FirebirdCamaro1220]

Originally Posted by BIG CATS

I didn't say it wasn't a big city, but it just doesn't offer much in the way of diversity or high-paying jobs. Someone asked for me to explain why I thought that way, and I responded. Yes, PHX is a big city, 6th largest in the nation, but it just doesn't feel like a big city. I think its just the way its laid out, how slowly things progressed, and how it has grown out and not up. We're barely behind Philly in terms of population, but Philly feels more like a "big city" than Phoenix. Luckily for us, Phoenix is growing in the right direction, but... still so far to go.

Actually, 5th largest, we've overtaken Philadelphia again

[JGMotorsport64]

Originally Posted by FirebirdCamaro1220

Actually, 5th largest, we've overtaken Philadelphia again

While true, I've never felt it fair to compare Phoenix with Philly. One is an enormous horizontal sprawl and the other is exactly the opposite.

[BIG CATS]

Originally Posted by FirebirdCamaro1220

Actually, 5th largest, we've overtaken Philadelphia again

Cool. When did that happen? I just read Philly was gaining in population. Perhaps not fast enough?

[locolife]

Originally Posted by BIG CATS

Bro, coming from Chicago area where there are entire neighborhoods that only speak Lithuanian, Chinese, Russian, German, Spanish, Somali, Polish, etc, where nothing is in English (except the street signs), there just isn't anything like that in Phoenix. Sure you might stumble across some restaurants here and there in PHX (every city is like that, though), but there are no big enclaves to visit to feel much diversity outside of Spanish-speaking enclaves.

Wow, on the list of things I care about as a resident, these are virtually zero. Great for when I'm a tourist in a town but could give or care less for where I live.

[locolife]

Originally Posted by FirebirdCamaro1220

Actually, 5th largest, we've overtaken Philadelphia again

I think were still 6th but city population isn't really that meaningful, go by metro rank, were around 13th based on that.