Almost pulled the trigger.... Shame on you Valley.... (Phoenix, Chandler: transplants, tech jobs)

[Hal Roach]

Originally Posted by spike1999

I spent 17 years in North Phx. The area is stunning. The beauty of AZ is outside. Go on some local hikes and you would see natural beauty you have never seen before. Also I always felt people were way more friendly and polite when compared to the Midwest. But call it like it is- its our weather that is the attraction for most. When you spend 8 months hoping for that perfect day in MN- they enjoy the perfect day pretty much everyday for eight months. No, its not perfect- nothing is. I lived in Chicago, Phx and now Southern CA. If I had my choice I would still be in PHX. I had to laugh about your comments restaurants because coming from Chicago- I actually thought PHX kind of sucks for good restaurant choices. I don't care for Gilbert or Chandler- but I can see why some love it. I hate scorpions and snakes too... But I loved driving up to Telluride 2-3 times a year for some of the best skiing in the country. Anyway- glad you decided it was not going to work for you. MN has some great things about it that might just be a better fit for you and your family.....now I have to go back to looking for an overpriced shack in CA to live in....lol. Best of luck to you.

I agree about the restaurants. I first moved to Phoenix from Berkeley/Oakland and was dismayed by the poor dining scene. Filiberto's sure was impressive. The choices have improved a lot, but there are few cheap gems, and the franchises still dominate.

[smoochaz]

You came with the intention of talking yourself out of it - congrats! Arizona certainly not for everyone - there are some things here that I don't particularly like, but the good outweigh the bad for ME ... no place is perfect - just like no one is perfect - it has to be good enough for you and your wife - at least you are both on the same page! best of luck in finding your Shangri La.

[locolife]

Originally Posted by Hal Roach

I agree about the restaurants. I first moved to Phoenix from Berkeley/Oakland and was dismayed by the poor dining scene. Filiberto's sure was impressive. The choices have improved a lot, but there are few cheap gems, and the franchises still dominate.

Does anyone ever claim that Filibertos is impressive? Other then an occasional drunk night out burrito I don't know anyone who reps Fili B's as a local point of culinary pride. Even if you want cheap Mexican food the recommendations are usually Carolinas, Ritos, Los Taquitos etc..

I'd say the franchises still dominate the suburbs but if you're centrally located it's pretty much silly to not eat at a local or at least regional restaurant these days.

Just look at North Central Phoenix on 7th Street near Bethany Home, it's been blowing up.

Barrio Urbano, Culinary Dropout, Little Cleos, Stock and Stable, Mora, Pure, Spinatos, Phoenix Ale Brewery, Fuego, Okra, Otro, Joes Midnight Run, 613 grill, Mary Coyles, Windsor, go over a block to 16th street and add in Lucis, TexAZ Grill, The Vig, Golden Phoenix, CJs, Sweet Republic, Niccollis, Phoenix City Grille, Garage Wine/Tap Bar, Dicks Hideaway.

Downtown Phoenix has been a hotbed of new restaurants over the last several years. And add to that what I'm sure most consider the valley's culinary crown jewel, Scottsdale.

Breweries, Italian, Middle Eastern, Asian, Indian, you can find almost anything you want here without too much work. The unofficial china town that has been blowing up on Dobson/Main in Mesa is nothing short of awesome, if you love Asian food like me.

[Tokinouta]

Originally Posted by rtloucks

i don't know that its fair to jump all over my OPINIONS telling me Im wrong all over when I clearly labeled this post as MY OPINION. I actually wasn't complaining at all. I was really just stating some things i noticed that I didn't care for. I could go on about several other things like $400k and up homes that back up to horse ranches and cattle farms all over. Or Power lines in every neighborhood, or the artificial inflation investors in the area area creating to drive up home prices. Or maybe how people take the whole "tile roofs last the life of the home" way tooooooo seriously! Everyone's roof is decaying. rotted, dried broken tile roofs everywhere. How about untreated homes with little baby scorpions crawling around like ants Or maybe how the schools are all fenced in with tall iron fencing like a prison... want me to go on? Probably not because why would anyone want to think negatively about someone else s wonderland?! Again, I left those things out so people wouldnt get down about things that may not directly affect the opinions they have.



Mountains in Colorado are boring from Denver. Go to Denver and drive around and tell me you get joy out of seeing the hills out of your window. Especially when 9 out of 10 days they are covered with a haze. You soon forget they are even there. IN the mountains is a different story, but that wasn't what I was comparing.

to the point of only scouting 2 cities... NO TRUE if you actually read the post, you notice that we traveled almost the whole metro area over 5 day of deep driving through neighborhoods and cites. From Goodyear to Queen City and Deep south Chandler to Fountain Hills. We concentrated on Chandler and Gilbert for family friendly housing with the understanding that it is suburbia, but wow that takes it to the extreme. But the west valley towns are hideous. empty and industrial feeling.

Oh and I never singled anyone out as liars.... READ THE POST. I said that "Some of us are just opinionated. Some of us actually went out, spent $1500 on flights and hotel and 5 days of our tie t get the answers, and some are just liars. But you have to judge for yourself." Referencing general population myself included. I never said that anyone lied to me. But that doesn't mean some wont.

This was purely meant to share my OPINIONS of what we experienced with others who may want to do the same. Too bad you all feel the need to jump down someones throat for having an opinion..... may be another reason some people are turned off by the area if they are surrounded by close minded people. Some of us are open and honest and its too bad that others cant take a step back and say...."Okay, fair enough. they have an OPINION." it mmay not be a popular opinion but non the less its our own.

You spanked and expect no crying? LMAO Good luck! Seems to me you're enjoying this a bit. Be honest now.

[Mister-A]

Originally Posted by locolife

Barrio Urbano, Culinary Dropout, Little Cleos, Stock and Stable, Mora, Pure, Spinatos, Phoenix Ale Brewery, Fuego, Okra, Otro, Joes Midnight Run, 613 grill, Mary Coyles, Windsor, go over a block to 16th street and add in Lucis, TexAZ Grill, The Vig, Golden Phoenix, CJs, Sweet Republic, Niccollis, Phoenix City Grille, Garage Wine/Tap Bar, Dicks Hideaway.

We're still looking forward to getting back to Ocotillo.

[Finger Laker]

Even in the suburbs the chains are probably the minority of options, but many who just drive down the street see the big box on the corner and not the 3 places right behind it

Or drive by what looks like a small commerical office park and not realize there is a good coffee shop/bakery and two other restaurants in there

[locolife]

Originally Posted by Finger Laker

Even in the suburbs the chains are probably the minority of options, but many who just drive down the street see the big box on the corner and not the 3 places right behind it

Or drive by what looks like a small commerical office park and not realize there is a good coffee shop/bakery and two other restaurants in there

True, we have gone out to the burbs for food before, off the top of my head I recall going to Gilbert to try Joes at Agritopia and Queen Creek to eat at the olive mill restaurant.

[azriverfan.]

The OP went to Chandler and Gilbert and based his impression of the entire Valley on that. A lot of people are ignorant like the OP. They fail to understand how large the Valley truly is. It's obvious by his post that he spent no time in the Biltmore, PV, Arcadia and midtown. He is clearly lying when he says he went to every downtown and area. For example, Camelback mountain is not a "hill" I realize he formed his impression by probably looking at the foothills in Ahwatukee. And it's also obvious, he probably made no effort to actually hike those and based his impression by staring out of it from his car.

Also, Phoenix is a large city. Small town folk like the OP experiences traffic and panics. The OP will experience that in any large metropolitan city unless he lives in Mayberry. I was most amused with his comment about traffic light after traffic light...I'm like what large city doesn't have that? What did you expect one large free way with yellow lights? LOL

Nonetheless, I appreciate the OP's post. As I've stated repeatedly, the Valley needs to focus on recruiting certain type of people. The small town parochial minded person like the OP would not add any real value to our city. We used to recruit a lot of those type of people 15 years ago. Now, we need more savvy people who understand what living in a large city is like.

I'm surprised the OP is responding to this thread. I would be embarrassed if I posted a thread about the entire Valley when it was clear he based his entire opinion on Chandler and Gilbert. Of course, he is trying to backtrack and say he went to all of these places but it doesn't take a genius to figure out he wasn't telling the truth and based his opinion on limited exposure by focusing on the East Valley. For example, how can you go to Surprise and say that city is "industrial and ugly" It's clear he never went there among most other places in the Valley.

[RenW]

Originally Posted by ElleTea

About everything being beige...Visit Las Vegas and see if you still think Phoenix is ALL beige. In Phoenix you will see a lot of houses in neighborhoods that are various shades of grey, red, green, dark brown, all of which still work with the desert color scheme. Neighborhoods in Vegas are more beige, white, vanilla, eggshell...It's more rare there to see even a dark brown or grey.

The first time that I came out to Phoenix was when I had four days to find an apartment for us. The most experience I had with American desert city was Vegas and the area around it. I was so pleasantly surprised when I saw Phoenix. The Sonoran desert is the most beautiful desert I've ever seen. To me it has an alien beauty about it. I continue to be impressed with how diverse the state as a whole is with natural beauty. I love the fact we can drive a couple of hours outside of Phoenix and things look very different.

[azriverfan.]

Originally Posted by rtloucks

and again, my post was clearly identifying Chandler and Gilbert since that is the popular direction that people steer others in most cases. Or at least in cases like our involving families. SO you cant get upset if I dont mention inner city Phoenix neighborhoods, or other areas. The two top things people desire are what... Schools and Safety so if you wouldnt put your kids in schools in a certain area then dont argue for that city. this thread is a family relo post not a one toward young singles. You guys should know best, that 90 percent of people on here will say Chandler or Gilbert.. Cant lose!!!! Some of you are the same posters we took advice and comments from and are not crucifying me for mentioning things that yall directly pointed out to us.... thats hypocritical.

Chandler is large. I live in a part of Chandler in which everything is close by and you don't have to drive a lot. North Chandler is very different from South and Southeast Chandler. Again, it's clear you didn't explore even Chandler and Gilbert much as you would like everyone to believe.

Furthermore, you need to toughen up a bit. I post strong opinions that offend people and take a lot of criticism in return. If you lack the strength to receive criticism, then don't post opinions. It comes with the territory. Whining about it after the fact just makes you look weak. It's obvious you can't handle criticism otherwise you wouldn't have essentially begged people in your initial post not to criticize you in return.