Moving from Austin to Phoenix (Glendale, Scottsdale: crime rate, college, income)

[locolife]

Originally Posted by dajohnson99

Wow! You really are good at making Phoenix sound like a hellhole. You even make Austin sound nice, and I live here! I know how it really is though.

One thing that I may add about my experience in desert heat (I am from Nevada) is that it's often not as unbearable because, as cliche as it may sound, it is a dry heat. So when it's 110 in Phoenix, it would feel like 85-90 in Austin. Let's just say that this last summer when I was in AZ, I was able to go on runs in the morning because I wasn't being eaten alive by bugs, and I was also able to tolerate the heat because it was dry.

I've also considered Tucson before but one thing I didn't care for is the lack of landscaping, most of the city seems to be very wild. That could be a good thing or bad thing, depending on the person.

Thanks for your input!

I spent 2 years working in Austin and I've lived here for 12, Phoenix is a much bigger area then Austin and clearly the person ragging on the town knows little to nothing about it. Their lack of intellect comes out clearly in several faceless rants.

The dry heat is preferred by a lot of people, there's a reason phoenix grows as fast as it does.

Pros of Phoenix to Austin: Bigger city amenities, pro-sports, multiple downtown urban centers to explore, lots of hiking/recreational opportunities at your back door, lots of job opportunities, less traffic congestion, endless things to do, an insane amount of road trip options. The blend of culture in Phoenix brings in a little bit of everywhere, in Austin I felt very much in Texas albeit with a more liberal spin. Easy road trips to big mountains, skiing, national parks, Sedona and more.

Cons of Phoenix to Austin: Downtown Austin is more compact and has a better urban feel, but Phoenix is rapidly improving and Scottsdale and Tempe are other great urban options here. Austin has a unique culture dedicated to live music, Phoenix kind of dabbles in everything but isn't focused on 1 thing.

[goolsbyjazz]

Originally Posted by AZSunDevil83

^^ holy crap...you must work for Austin Chamber of Commerce LOL

I know, right? Lol! I lived in Austin and wasn't crazy about it but that description made me want to take a second look!

[locolife]

Originally Posted by LAX Star

Well I've spent several years in both cities and agree with that OP you guys are criticising.

All his points on how Austin is superior to Phoenix are true. Austin is the classier and cooler...In more ways than one!...City, hands down. Phoenix doesn't have one single attribute over Austin.

If you think I'm wrong, then name something. And we'll see.

There is a reason more people move to Austin than any other place in the nation, and have been for years. I also venture to say neither you or the sun devil dude above your post ever spent much time in Austin.

Adios.

Easy.

Fortune 1000 Companies HQ in Metro
Phoenix 16
Austin 3

Big 4 Pro Sports Teams
Phoenix 4
Austin 0

Population Growth in 2015
Metro Phoenix 88,000
Metro Austin 57,000

Population Growth since 2010
Metro Phoenix 370,000
Metro Austin 284,000

Metro GDP Rank
Phoenix 13th
Austin 32nd

Cultural Attractions per Capita
Phoenix #14 one per 4,727 people
Austin didn't make the list

Most fun cities:
Phoenix Metro: 2 in the top 20
Austin: 32nd
https://wallethub.com/edu/most-fun-c...-the-us/23455/

Best hiking cities:
Phoenix 6th
Austin 10th

Austin does have Phoenix beat for traffic:
Austin Congestion Levels 22%
Phoenix: 12%
http://www.tomtom.com/en_gb/trafficindex/list

[goolsbyjazz]

Originally Posted by LAX Star

Well I've spent several years in both cities and agree with that OP you guys are criticising.

All his points on how Austin is superior to Phoenix are true. Austin is the classier and cooler...In more ways than one!...City, hands down. Phoenix doesn't have one single attribute over Austin.

If you think I'm wrong, then name something. And we'll see.

There is a reason more people move to Austin than any other place in the nation, and have been for years. I also venture to say neither you or the sun devil dude above your post ever spent much time in Austin.

Adios.

Slow your roll there friend! I am going to name an area where Phoenix is superior to Austin...roads! Austin's road system is horrible!

[dajohnson99]

Originally Posted by locolife

Easy.


Austin does have Phoenix beat for traffic:
Austin Congestion Levels 22%
Phoenix: 12%
TomTom Traffic Index

Absolutely! The freeways don't move in Austin. There's a freeway here called MoPac but it's called SloPac, there's a reason for that. Don't get me started on I-35.

Phoenix traffic always seems to be fine on both the freeways, and the city streets, at least the times I've been there.

[locolife]

Originally Posted by dajohnson99

Absolutely! The freeways don't move in Austin. There's a freeway here called MoPac but it's called SloPac, there's a reason for that. Don't get me started on I-35.

Phoenix traffic always seems to be fine on both the freeways, and the city streets, at least the times I've been there.

Yeah, I know all about the Pac, spent plenty of time stuck in it. I'm not here to rag on Austin, it's a great town, but Phoenix has a lot to offer and I'll push back when trolls show up.

There's a few parts of the valley freeways that can get jammed up but for the most part it's modern, wide and flows pretty nicely.

[dajohnson99]

Originally Posted by goolsbyjazz

Slow your roll there friend! I am going to name an area where Phoenix is superior to Austin...roads! Austin's road system is horrible!

^preach^

[timothyaw]

Originally Posted by Bert_from_back_East

Austin and Phoenix are very different cities, IMO.

Regarding climate, Austin has more in the way of a four-seasons climate - trees defoliate in late fall / early winter, frost is more common during winter evenings and early mornings, flowers and trees bud and bloom in the springtime, etc.

Although still quite rare, Austin is more susceptible to snow and ice than Phoenix because winters tend to be cooler and wetter in Austin.

While summers in Austin can get quite hot, the heat you find in Central Texas pales in comparison to the unrelenting high heat you find in the Phoenix Valley. Relative to Phoenix, there are more ways to cool off in Austin, including lakes, swimming holes and natural springs in addition to natural shade.

People in Austin seem to be less "heat-adverse," too. For anyone who has spent any amount of time in Austin during the summer months, this is very apparent.

You certainly see more joggers / walkers / hikers / bikers, children playing in their yards or at parks, people dining "al fresco," etc. in Austin during the summertime. Not to mention there seems to be more in the way of summer festivals and other events in Austin.

If I had to wager, this is probably the result of Austin's slightly cooler summer weather coupled with the fact that most people who live in and around Austin are probably from Texas or neighboring states whereas most people living in Phoenix are originally from California, New England or the Midwest.

By comparison, Phoenix is practically dead-zone from May to September - far fewer cars on the road, much shorter wait times at restaurants / banks / post offices / physician offices, zero community events or festivals, doors and tinted windows shut tightly, etc.

IMO, Austin is a more aesthetically pleasing city at eye-level, which is due to the region having more trees and greenery than very arid Phoenix.

Although Phoenix is situated in the Sonoran Desert, its vegetation is more sparse than nearby Tucson, which is home to gorgeous Saguaro cacti, mesquite trees, an assortment of wildflowers, etc. The mountain vistas are not as dramatic in Phoenix relative to Tucson, either.

Because its natural scenery is fairly nondescript, Phoenix is landscaped to death. This gives the city a very manicured yet contrived and sterile look. Some people enjoy it, but most, especially city-slickers, do not.

In Austin and its vicinity, residential neighborhoods tend to have hillier, more varied terrain. Aside from Fountain Hills, most neighborhoods and suburbs of Phoenix are very flat.

House lots tend to be larger in Austin, too, so there is usually greater distance between neighboring houses. One thing I strongly dislike about the Southwest, including Southern California, is that homes tend to be very close together in suburban neighborhoods, especially newer ones.

People are better educated in Austin, too, which partly the result of UT's presence and the knowledge-based industries it attracts. Among large US cities, I wouldn't be surprised if Phoenix had the highest rate of high school dropouts (lots of white trash and poor Mexicans living in Phoenix).

While people in Phoenix / Arizona are typically polite, people in Austin / Texas tend to be more polite and certainly friendlier and more outgoing. Phoenix, in particular Scottsdale, tends to attract a more hedonistic type of transplant who will easily turn their nose up at you if you don't look a certain way, drive a certain car, etc. People of other parts of Phoenix will seem aloof if you're accustomed to Southern hospitality.

Austin has a stronger hipster element, but outside of the central city, most of Austin is good old-fashioned Texas.

Texas has no state income tax, more competitive salaries / wages for professional and skilled work and a stronger, more diversified economy, so it's a better state than Arizona for the average worker. Phoenix is the epitome of a FIRE town.

That's all I can think of for now. I hope this helps!

I have a problem with this statement ....Because its natural scenery is fairly nondescript,.... Excuse me, but IMO and sure others will agree that the natural scenery is amazing here. I just don't understand how you can come to that conclusion. Yes I saw the part about varied terrain in Austin, but still Phoenix nondescript?

[American Expat]

I'll preface wife and I have good friend couple that moved to Austin 2 years ago after many years in Scottsdale and they do like Austin much better although some of that could be because they are originally from Texas.


My thoughts are that I prefer the vibe in Phoenix more and I also prefer the Phoenix climate and terrain of the area. Austin seems more intense and probably offers a better income versus cost for most. Phoenix is twice as big at least and has a better road system.


If it were me, I would choose Phoenix, in fact, I might move there one day.

[BIG CATS]

Originally Posted by dajohnson99

Absolutely! The freeways don't move in Austin. There's a freeway here called MoPac but it's called SloPac, there's a reason for that. Don't get me started on I-35.

Phoenix traffic always seems to be fine on both the freeways, and the city streets, at least the times I've been there.

It might be better than Austin, but its hardly "good". Rush hour here (especially the 10 near the tunnel area) can be absolutely horrible. Many areas of the 17 (namely 75th Ave and East towards downtown) are crap. The 51 and 101 also have areas that are notorious for horrific traffic. It gets so bad that I usually take surface streets home, bypassing all the crap on the 51. Ill jump on the 51 at Bethany Home, Glendale Rd, or Northern Ave because that's when the traffic is usually moving well again. Then it can and does get backed up close to Thunderbird lately, too.