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I recently had a phone interview with ASU and they contacted me to move forward with an in-person interview. They're having myself and one other candidate "fly in" for an in person.
The job pays $68,000/year, which is a nice step up for me as I make about $55k now. I don't think I'll ever get rich working in education, but being comfortably middle class is my goal at this point. I'm pretty excited about the opportunity for an in-person interview and would obviously accept the job if offered. The only concern is I've never been to Phoenix in my life. The job would actually be in Tempe.
Wondering if anyone has made the move from south FL to phoenix area and what their experience was like. So far, I like the idea of a warm weather climate and being in a "sun belt city" I guess. Curious at to what the challenges would be? Cost of living comparison? Culture? City amenities? Admittedly, I'm a big beach person and enjoy the many beautiful beaches of south Florida, so I know Phoenix won't offer that, but I'm sure there are great places for outdoor activity. If anyone moved from south FL to Phoenix would want to kind of share their experience with me, I'd be grateful. How was the climate change for you? The people? The culture? The area vibe in general? Is it super conservative? It is mixed? Demographics (I'm Hispanic, tho not Mexican).
Location: Live:Downtown Phoenix, AZ/Work:Greater Los Angeles, CA
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Originally Posted by OptimusPrime69
I recently had a phone interview with ASU and they contacted me to move forward with an in-person interview. They're having myself and one other candidate "fly in" for an in person.
The job pays $68,000/year, which is a nice step up for me as I make about $55k now. I don't think I'll ever get rich working in education, but being comfortably middle class is my goal at this point. I'm pretty excited about the opportunity for an in-person interview and would obviously accept the job if offered. The only concern is I've never been to Phoenix in my life. The job would actually be in Tempe.
Wondering if anyone has made the move from south FL to phoenix area and what their experience was like. So far, I like the idea of a warm weather climate and being in a "sun belt city" I guess. Curious at to what the challenges would be? Cost of living comparison? Culture? City amenities? Admittedly, I'm a big beach person and enjoy the many beautiful beaches of south Florida, so I know Phoenix won't offer that, but I'm sure there are great places for outdoor activity. If anyone moved from south FL to Phoenix would want to kind of share their experience with me, I'd be grateful. How was the climate change for you? The people? The culture? The area vibe in general? Is it super conservative? It is mixed? Demographics (I'm Hispanic, tho not Mexican).
There is one user I know of who moved here from the Miami area, I think his name is Miamiman, and lists his location as 520 (which is an area code here, mainly Tucson, but areas like Maricopa and Casa Grande are covered by it as well)
I went to college in Miami and lived in Florida on three separate occasions. You couldn't pay me enough to move back to Florida. Humidity, bugs, traffic, crime, hurricanes, sink holes...did I mention the humidity?
Cost of living is similar. Florida has no state income tax, but Arizona's is minimal...especially for a retiree such as myself.
Other than beaches (which I went to only once or twice), Florida has nothing going for it. At least for me.
Your mileage might vary.
I recently had a phone interview with ASU and they contacted me to move forward with an in-person interview. They're having myself and one other candidate "fly in" for an in person.
The job pays $68,000/year, which is a nice step up for me as I make about $55k now. I don't think I'll ever get rich working in education, but being comfortably middle class is my goal at this point. I'm pretty excited about the opportunity for an in-person interview and would obviously accept the job if offered. The only concern is I've never been to Phoenix in my life. The job would actually be in Tempe.
Wondering if anyone has made the move from south FL to phoenix area and what their experience was like. So far, I like the idea of a warm weather climate and being in a "sun belt city" I guess. Curious at to what the challenges would be? Cost of living comparison? Culture? City amenities? Admittedly, I'm a big beach person and enjoy the many beautiful beaches of south Florida, so I know Phoenix won't offer that, but I'm sure there are great places for outdoor activity. If anyone moved from south FL to Phoenix would want to kind of share their experience with me, I'd be grateful. How was the climate change for you? The people? The culture? The area vibe in general? Is it super conservative? It is mixed? Demographics (I'm Hispanic, tho not Mexican).
My family moved to Sarasota, not sure if that qualifies here but I'm going to go with it.
There was a period a couple months ago I was looking at jobs in Florida and in Arizona, since my family lives over there. I found the same exact job in Tampa and in Phoenix... and it paid 10k less in Tampa. That job was paying $20/hr in Phoenix and $16/hr in Tampa if I am doing the math correctly. I noticed on the internet Phoenix tends to have a better pay to COL ratio than Tampa and Miami.
I noticed housing costs between Phoenix and Tampa are similar. I believe Miami is more expensive. What I also know is that utilities are cheaper over in Florida, significantly cheaper I might add for electric bills. From what I have been told regarding Florida electric bills, you can budget an extra couple hundred dollars more a month towards the electric bill here in Phoenix. This can be counteracted by using a swamp cooler (evaporative cooling) during the dry months rather than just central air, which means buying a home older than about 1975 (some newer homes have swamp coolers but they don't seem to be that common), and having the right orientation (most used rooms not facing west, etc.). Getting a ground floor apartment versus the top floor, and investing in fans. Having the A/C unit on the roof... If you are smart about it, the electric bill shouldn't be that big of a concern.
From what I recall, Arizona seems more relaxed than Florida does, less "live to work" attitudes and is much more pleasant in that regard.
Demographics I believe here are pretty much 60/40, 60% non-Hispanic white and 40% Hispanic white, with the heavy majority of that Hispanic white being Mexican descent. Other races are here obviously, but they are in much smaller figures in comparison to a lot of other cities and especially in comparison to Miami. We don't have areas like a Chinatown, but there are a couple non-formal areas (i.e. no exact boundaries or names) that do have larger populations of certain ethnicities. There is a place near Central Glendale and out in Chandler (or is it Mesa?) that are the closest we have to a Chinatown, they have a larger per capita of Asians and the only places in town I've seen that have Asian markets. South Phoenix is really the only place I've been able to find soul food restaurants. Phoenix will be a lot less diverse than Miami.
With the Phoenix metro it pretty much abides like all cities in the sense that the further out you go the more conservative it is. Generally sticking to the four core cities/suburbs (Phoenix, Glendale, Scottsdale, and Tempe) will provide more liberal policies in comparison to the other suburbs (Gilbert, Mesa, Avondale, Surprise, etc.). Arizona has very large boundaries for its counties and its cities, and we banned gerrymandering a few years ago, you will find that there are blue pockets scattered about. North Phoenix (phoenix proper) is more red leaning in comparison to West Phoenix (again, phoenix proper) which votes blue. So again, the closer you are in to Downtown and ASU, the more blue it will be. That's just a rule of thumb, there are exceptions to this of course.
Near Phoenix are Lake Pleasant and Lake Roosevelt which do have "beaches" in the sense that they are big lakes with a coastline. There really aren't any waves, however you can camp and take boats out on the lake. They are also more rocky than sandy. Near ASU there is the Tempe Town Lake which also provides water amenities. The water is very cold out west, something you will discover for yourself if you move out here, even on a 115 day the water of Lake Pleasant can be 70 degrees at best. California is like this too, but I believe Mexico is warmer water and is four hours away at Puerto Penasco. The lower Salt River is great for tubing, and I believe the upper part has rapids. Of course there's also any form of mountain and desert recreation, like dirt bike riding, dunes, mountain climbing, etc. that will be new and accessible coming from Florida.
Other than beaches (which I went to only once or twice), Florida has nothing going for it. At least for me.
Your mileage might vary.
If Florida's weather wasn't so horrid, I would move there in a heartbeat.... lots to love... the ocean, the Gulf, the wildlife, the Everglades, the Miami nightlife, Disneyworld, the waterparks, the beaches, the zoos, Epcot, the lush vegetation, the amazing winters, the architecture, the Keys... lots to love about FL. Its the humidity and hurricanes that keep me away. That's really about it.
If Florida's weather wasn't so horrid, I would move there in a heartbeat.... lots to love... the ocean, the Gulf, the wildlife, the Everglades, the Miami nightlife, Disneyworld, the waterparks, the beaches, the zoos, Epcot, the lush vegetation, the amazing winters, the architecture, the Keys... lots to love about FL. Its the humidity and hurricanes that keep me away. That's really about it.
Wow to each his own - so OP it's really up to you! My sister lived in Miami/Ft Lauderdale area for 10years and she would never move here to AZ because she is a "beach girl" and likes the east coast in general to hop on a plane and go to NY or Caribbean. I just took my family to Disneyworld in early October - and went to Tampa and Tarpon Springs, and Daytona as well - urgh - I couldn't wait to get out - we had a beautiful room facing the ocean and I was underwhelmed (granted water wasn't blue because of the hurricanes that just passed through) and a lot of people had just collected insurance money (in Daytona) and just left so it looked pretty sad! I forgot how much my hair can frizz and my face all puffy when I wake up from humidity - I gave my family a good laugh each morning :\ Depending on where you're coming from - I feel AZ is much cleaner, newer, more prosperous, less issues with weather - and I would take a hot day in the summer in AZ any day then a hot day in FL in the summer! woke up with headaches too!!
My family moved to Sarasota, not sure if that qualifies here but I'm going to go with it.
There was a period a couple months ago I was looking at jobs in Florida and in Arizona, since my family lives over there. I found the same exact job in Tampa and in Phoenix... and it paid 10k less in Tampa. That job was paying $20/hr in Phoenix and $16/hr in Tampa if I am doing the math correctly. I noticed on the internet Phoenix tends to have a better pay to COL ratio than Tampa and Miami.
I noticed housing costs between Phoenix and Tampa are similar. I believe Miami is more expensive. What I also know is that utilities are cheaper over in Florida, significantly cheaper I might add for electric bills. From what I have been told regarding Florida electric bills, you can budget an extra couple hundred dollars more a month towards the electric bill here in Phoenix. This can be counteracted by using a swamp cooler (evaporative cooling) during the dry months rather than just central air, which means buying a home older than about 1975 (some newer homes have swamp coolers but they don't seem to be that common), and having the right orientation (most used rooms not facing west, etc.). Getting a ground floor apartment versus the top floor, and investing in fans. Having the A/C unit on the roof... If you are smart about it, the electric bill shouldn't be that big of a concern.
From what I recall, Arizona seems more relaxed than Florida does, less "live to work" attitudes and is much more pleasant in that regard.
Demographics I believe here are pretty much 60/40, 60% non-Hispanic white and 40% Hispanic white, with the heavy majority of that Hispanic white being Mexican descent. Other races are here obviously, but they are in much smaller figures in comparison to a lot of other cities and especially in comparison to Miami. We don't have areas like a Chinatown, but there are a couple non-formal areas (i.e. no exact boundaries or names) that do have larger populations of certain ethnicities. There is a place near Central Glendale and out in Chandler (or is it Mesa?) that are the closest we have to a Chinatown, they have a larger per capita of Asians and the only places in town I've seen that have Asian markets. South Phoenix is really the only place I've been able to find soul food restaurants. Phoenix will be a lot less diverse than Miami.
With the Phoenix metro it pretty much abides like all cities in the sense that the further out you go the more conservative it is. Generally sticking to the four core cities/suburbs (Phoenix, Glendale, Scottsdale, and Tempe) will provide more liberal policies in comparison to the other suburbs (Gilbert, Mesa, Avondale, Surprise, etc.). Arizona has very large boundaries for its counties and its cities, and we banned gerrymandering a few years ago, you will find that there are blue pockets scattered about. North Phoenix (phoenix proper) is more red leaning in comparison to West Phoenix (again, phoenix proper) which votes blue. So again, the closer you are in to Downtown and ASU, the more blue it will be. That's just a rule of thumb, there are exceptions to this of course.
Near Phoenix are Lake Pleasant and Lake Roosevelt which do have "beaches" in the sense that they are big lakes with a coastline. There really aren't any waves, however you can camp and take boats out on the lake. They are also more rocky than sandy. Near ASU there is the Tempe Town Lake which also provides water amenities. The water is very cold out west, something you will discover for yourself if you move out here, even on a 115 day the water of Lake Pleasant can be 70 degrees at best. California is like this too, but I believe Mexico is warmer water and is four hours away at Puerto Penasco. The lower Salt River is great for tubing, and I believe the upper part has rapids. Of course there's also any form of mountain and desert recreation, like dirt bike riding, dunes, mountain climbing, etc. that will be new and accessible coming from Florida.
Hey, thanks for all this good information.
I've done a little research on the area as a whole. It seems pretty nice from what I can tell. I like that it's only a 5 hour car drive to San Diego.
I was born at Jackson Memorial, and have owned five homes in Arizona, including three in PHX. My mom had moved to Miami in 1941. She often said "looks like Miami," on her first trip to Phoenix, as she named just about all the varieties of palms. They had always talked about moving back to Florida. My dad just never liked the dominance of the tourism industry down there, and liked the stability of the DC area. They took a pretty good look at Sun City Grand as it was being built, and mom was impressed by the activities; dad by the price/taxes. They just bought a new house in central Virginia...dad always says Virginia is a sensible state compared to others. For me, I always felt like there were just too many New York misfits down in Florida. I also really like the mountains. The beaches always seem to attract more bad elements. So now I live in the tropics, but in the mountains. If I moved back to the US, it would probably be AZ,NM, or NV....I don't do business in California. After getting a touch of the cold a few weeks ago, I will probably always stay in the sun. Phoenix is a Hellhole, but generally, there are opportunities if one must work. As a retiree, I probably wouldn't go near the place, and would much more likely be in Southern Arizona. The house my dad bought in Miami in 1956 for 13,000 is now worth 350K, and I hear it is mostly Venezuelans. There was even more appreciation in Virginia, but at least they have the wages to support it. For the same wage, PHX is going to be better than SoFL, and both would be better than many places. 68k in Tempe? Over 55k in Miami.....start packing.
I lived in the Miami/FTL metro area a few years ago and really loved it. Made a lot of friends and have fond memories. I recently moved here to Phoenix from the Great Lakes, and Phoenix is much different from both Miami and the Great Lakes. However, I'll compare to Miami to help, and do a bit of compare/contrast.
Cost of living - Phoenix wins this hands down. Your money will definitely go farther here than in Miami. People - * This is my opinion* While I made some great friends in Miami, people are nicer overall in Phoenix. What I mean by this is that people seem a bit more genuine, and less people seem to be out for themselves. Though, good people can be found in both places. Traffic - The traffic in Phoenix is much better. Climate/Landscape - While I love both because they are both warm and sunny, it basically comes down to humidity. In the summer, during my visits here (haven't lived here during the full summer yet), the summer in Phoenix feels way hotter than Miami (because it is), even with all its humidity. I personally like Miami's climate overall more, because I'd still play volleyball in the height of summer, and it was more bearable. Though, I love both places! Also, do you prefer desert and mountains, or green and ocean. This all comes down to preference.
Overall, Phoenix is a really good place to live so far in my experience.
I used to live in Ft Lauderdale and Tampa. I'm in PHX now, moved here from ABQ. I looked at moving back to Tampa, but I would have been hit with a $8-$10 an hour pay cut (from ABQ wages to Tampa). Moving here, I got a $5/hr pay raise. Cost of living for a single renter seems to be about the same currently comparing Tampa/PHX.
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