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With that kind of money why would you move here? Especially if schools are a concern? People move here because it’s relativley cheap. If I had that kind of budget I’d be on the coast, not In the middle of a burning hot desert.
Haha. Well after 20+ years in cold climates & apartment dwelling we’re looking forward to a big house and easier lifestyle, including cost of living. Even with a high income we feel like we are constantly spending money. Another option is Dallas (these two choices are driven by job). So neither is on a coast. The hope is that we’d maintain a second home in the east coast for the AZ summer.
With that kind of money why would you move here? Especially if schools are a concern? People move here because it’s relativley cheap. If I had that kind of budget I’d be on the coast, not In the middle of a burning hot desert.
Not everyone here is poor, seeking cheap housing. This is a great place to live for much of the year. If you have the means, you can live here in during the best parts and go to a vacation home or travel when it's an inferno. The notion that all we have going for us is a low cost of living is detrimental and becoming less and less accurate.
With that kind of money why would you move here? Especially if schools are a concern? People move here because it’s relativley cheap. If I had that kind of budget I’d be on the coast, not In the middle of a burning hot desert.
Wow what a sad statement - it's so progressive here and certainly far from cheap in all parts of the metro valley not just Scottsdale. There are plenty of coasts that are affordable if that's where you want to go - was just talking with a friend who's buying a modest home on the NC coast beautiful and affordable!
Welcome! I would highly recommend you visiting in summer to see if you can handle it.
Also, coming from the Democratic, vertical, population-dense, multi-cultural world of NYC to the Republican, horizontal, population-dispersed, bi-cultural world of The Valley Of The Sun will be a culture shock. So expect to freak out some.
Welcome! I would highly recommend you visiting in summer to see if you can handle it.
Also, coming from the Democratic, vertical, population-dense, multi-cultural world of NYC to the Republican, horizontal, population-dispersed, bi-cultural world of The Valley Of The Sun will be a culture shock. So expect to freak out some.
Welcome! I would highly recommend you visiting in summer to see if you can handle it.
Also, coming from the Democratic, vertical, population-dense, multi-cultural world of NYC to the Republican, horizontal, population-dispersed, bi-cultural world of The Valley Of The Sun will be a culture shock. So expect to freak out some.
Please. This is nonsense. Anyone that has traveled any has been around different cultures enough not to be shocked, and certainly not by somewhere moderate. Phoenix is hardly an extreme on either end.
nothing here to freak out about culture wise; Phoenix is NOTHING like the reputation is has had back east/and in the midwest
the only thing that might freak you out will be walking in the sun when its 118 degrees..other wise, culturally and politically, its alot more centrist that you might have thought..
I am a born-and-raised NYer, moved here 3.5 years ago, and moving back east in the next 1-2 months.
If you are looking for places with good schools, as someone else said, I would avoid moving here, unless you are willing to put your kids in a charter or private school. Arizona is dead last, or next to last with regards to education - the per student spending is pennies compared to other larger cities. Our teachers are currently set to walk out next week because of the horrendously low pay, poor quality of classroom materials, etc. Most teachers I have met here are planning on either moving out of Arizona, or leaving the education field entirely in the next five years - ALL of them work second and third jobs just to make ends meet, because the teaching salary here is so low.
If you can afford the private education, based on your housing salary, I would say Paradise Valley, Arcadia, Scottsdale (north of Shea Blvd), or even NE Phoenix/North Scottsdale (DC Ranch, McDowell Mountain are two popular areas). You will have no problems buying what you want, or even having it built to spec with that budget. Do you already have employment lined up? I would STRONGLY recommend renting for the first year, and then buying in an area with both good schools, and a close proximity to where you are working - it will make the difference between a decent commute, and an absolutely horrid one.
Do you/husband/kids have asthma or allergies? This city is one of the worst for asthmatics - part of the reason that we are unfortunately heading out. We're in a valley, so everything lingers - dust, pollen, smoke. Air quality can routinely be poor or severe for weeks at a time - especially in the cooler month when people start lighting fireplaces when the temperatures drop below 60 degrees. There is no "allergy season" - expect to be on daily regimen (Zyrtec, Flonase, etc) most of the year, either due to native plants, or plants that people have brought with them from other areas.
Do not get me wrong, Phoenix has it's perks - the weather is pretty much amazing save for the 3-4 hottest months of the year - 120 is unbearable, no matter how you look at it, but there's no humidity or oppressive heat indexes. We have some of the most beautiful landscapes in the country. As a fellow New Yorker, I'm just giving you the real deal. I am more than happy to give you more information. Best of luck to you guys!
I am a born-and-raised NYer, moved here 3.5 years ago, and moving back east in the next 1-2 months.
If you are looking for places with good schools, as someone else said, I would avoid moving here, unless you are willing to put your kids in a charter or private school. Arizona is dead last, or next to last with regards to education - the per student spending is pennies compared to other larger cities. Our teachers are currently set to walk out next week because of the horrendously low pay, poor quality of classroom materials, etc. Most teachers I have met here are planning on either moving out of Arizona, or leaving the education field entirely in the next five years - ALL of them work second and third jobs just to make ends meet, because the teaching salary here is so low.
If you can afford the private education, based on your housing salary, I would say Paradise Valley, Arcadia, Scottsdale (north of Shea Blvd), or even NE Phoenix/North Scottsdale (DC Ranch, McDowell Mountain are two popular areas). You will have no problems buying what you want, or even having it built to spec with that budget. Do you already have employment lined up? I would STRONGLY recommend renting for the first year, and then buying in an area with both good schools, and a close proximity to where you are working - it will make the difference between a decent commute, and an absolutely horrid one.
Do you/husband/kids have asthma or allergies? This city is one of the worst for asthmatics - part of the reason that we are unfortunately heading out. We're in a valley, so everything lingers - dust, pollen, smoke. Air quality can routinely be poor or severe for weeks at a time - especially in the cooler month when people start lighting fireplaces when the temperatures drop below 60 degrees. There is no "allergy season" - expect to be on daily regimen (Zyrtec, Flonase, etc) most of the year, either due to native plants, or plants that people have brought with them from other areas.
Do not get me wrong, Phoenix has it's perks - the weather is pretty much amazing save for the 3-4 hottest months of the year - 120 is unbearable, no matter how you look at it, but there's no humidity or oppressive heat indexes. We have some of the most beautiful landscapes in the country. As a fellow New Yorker, I'm just giving you the real deal. I am more than happy to give you more information. Best of luck to you guys!
As a fellow NY/NJ'er after working in Manhattan for over 12 years and dealing with the commute, constant siren noises, condensed population, nasty temperaments, urine smellling subways, paying top $$ for an apt that faces walls, it was horrible, and there was no work life balance. I decided to leave in '93. I started interviewing in San Diego but there were many contract positions open in Phx - which wasn't even on my radar - so I decided to take a 3mos assgt while interviewing still in SD and flew in and hated the "brown"!!! I too was definitely a coastal girl. At the AZ job I met my now husband so San Diego plans were no longer. I had great life in AZ w/a beautiful house in Ahwatukee etc. and we had a active healthy lifestyle hiking in S Mountain etc- but we left in 2000 for the many reasons Davey Jones mentioned. Thought we'd never come back I was done!
Cut to 13 years later, we since have twins and were just coming on a winter break to visit old friends and finally go to the Grand Canyon which we never did living here. When we were here we missed the beauty, the cleanliness, just the lifestyle here and we both were on the same thought pattern as to why the heck did we leave here in the 1st place?? We initially started to look in Ahwatukee because that's where we were familiar, but soon went to Scottsdale because we had middle school kids at the time and were looking for top rated schools. Basis (charter) accepted my son but he didn't want to go there and stayed with his twin at the public school. I'm curious Davey Jones where you live in the Valley because we have a constant cool breeze living by McDowell Mountain, I sleep with my windows open and covers! For someone who had serious allergy issues 2x a year in NJ and had to take shots, mine here are mild in comparison and usually just in the morning after waking up and I'm good to go!
No doubt the school systems are "RATED" at the bottom - but the teachers are troopers and their walkout is to make sure that Ducey's 20% increase will actually be passed not just words and I hope they get it - they're very professional very good to my kids and I have no issues with any of the them! My kids in NJ were in the #2 school of the state. Yes we were paying a hefty tax price for it. My son now is in IB (which is an amazing program-honors- and you get college credits for it) is thriving and constantly challenged.
Someone once said to me - which would you rather have: "A mediocre student in a star school? or a star student in a mediocre school?" School can be rated a 0 for all I care he's learning tons and much more positive, happier, and motivated (he's already got his sights on UofA or MIT, etc.). So he feels like a star student and that's all that matters! In NJ he was struggling, he was too kind and sensitive to deal with the roughhousing, cliquish, stuck up kids - I hate generalizing - but just stating his experience. My daughter is going to 1/2 day tech school for the remaining 2 years and she can't wait - so it's what you make of it.
It's been 5 years already that we moved back and I love it - is it perfect -no- nothing is!!! - but for us it's close to it - do I miss the beach?! not really and if I want it CA is a great weekend getaway or even Rocky Point! To be honest, last few times we went to CA I wondered why I was pining for it so much - so glad to be living here!
I am a born-and-raised NYer, moved here 3.5 years ago, and moving back east in the next 1-2 months.
If you are looking for places with good schools, as someone else said, I would avoid moving here, unless you are willing to put your kids in a charter or private school. Arizona is dead last, or next to last with regards to education - the per student spending is pennies compared to other larger cities. Our teachers are currently set to walk out next week because of the horrendously low pay, poor quality of classroom materials, etc. Most teachers I have met here are planning on either moving out of Arizona, or leaving the education field entirely in the next five years - ALL of them work second and third jobs just to make ends meet, because the teaching salary here is so low.
If you can afford the private education, based on your housing salary, I would say Paradise Valley, Arcadia, Scottsdale (north of Shea Blvd), or even NE Phoenix/North Scottsdale (DC Ranch, McDowell Mountain are two popular areas). You will have no problems buying what you want, or even having it built to spec with that budget. Do you already have employment lined up? I would STRONGLY recommend renting for the first year, and then buying in an area with both good schools, and a close proximity to where you are working - it will make the difference between a decent commute, and an absolutely horrid one.
Do you/husband/kids have asthma or allergies? This city is one of the worst for asthmatics - part of the reason that we are unfortunately heading out. We're in a valley, so everything lingers - dust, pollen, smoke. Air quality can routinely be poor or severe for weeks at a time - especially in the cooler month when people start lighting fireplaces when the temperatures drop below 60 degrees. There is no "allergy season" - expect to be on daily regimen (Zyrtec, Flonase, etc) most of the year, either due to native plants, or plants that people have brought with them from other areas.
Do not get me wrong, Phoenix has it's perks - the weather is pretty much amazing save for the 3-4 hottest months of the year - 120 is unbearable, no matter how you look at it, but there's no humidity or oppressive heat indexes. We have some of the most beautiful landscapes in the country. As a fellow New Yorker, I'm just giving you the real deal. I am more than happy to give you more information. Best of luck to you guys!
Thank you so much for this! We do have work set already. Near Camelback & 24th Streets. Sounds like we’ll do Charter or private. We’re ok with that, public was just a hope I guess! Coming from the NY private schools cost a lot less. Was just hoping there’s a sense of community at the privates.
Being from Illinois originally, the heat will definitely be the biggest change!!
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- it's so progressive here and certainly far from cheap in all parts of the metro valley not just Scottsdale. There are plenty of coasts that are affordable if that's where you want to go - was just talking with a friend who's buying a modest home on the NC coast beautiful and affordable!
