Hi. Exploring the area for retirement relocation. (live, areas) - Phoenix area - Arizona (AZ) - Page 2 - City-Data Forum

tonyp22 · 08-22-2018, 05:43 PM

@BIG CATS, I appreciate your info. I'm actually accustomed to access to urban life. While I grew up in the NY Boroughs, most of my life since has been in suburbia. But suburbia within easy reach of urbia. :-) I've actually been looking at the areas just North of Atlanta, but GA is not quite as financially friendly as either AZ or FL. Still, I do plan to visit that area.

@ringler24, whereabouts in Eastern PA did you live? I'm often in the Bucks County area.

ringler24 · 08-22-2018, 11:34 PM

Northampton County. We could throw a rock over the river to NJ.

locolife · 08-23-2018, 12:22 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tonyp22

@BIG CATS, I appreciate your info. I'm actually accustomed to access to urban life. While I grew up in the NY Boroughs, most of my life since has been in suburbia. But suburbia within easy reach of urbia. :-) I've actually been looking at the areas just North of Atlanta, but GA is not quite as financially friendly as either AZ or FL. Still, I do plan to visit that area.

@ringler24, whereabouts in Eastern PA did you live? I'm often in the Bucks County area.

BC tends to be provide a glass half empty perspective when many of us who have also spent time in big eastern cities look at it half full. Phoenix offers a good amount of urban options that don’t be to grow.

Rosanne · 08-24-2018, 07:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ringler24

Northampton County. We could throw a rock over the river to NJ.

Hey ringler, we're in Forks Township (Easton). We're planning on moving to the Prescott area soon (hopefully by the end of the year, if we can swing it).

tonyp22 · 09-09-2018, 03:33 PM

We're back from our first visit to the area. Had a very nice time, and I think it was informative and helpful. I had houses selected in various neighborhoods in Mesa, Gilbert, Chandler, Scottsdale, and Phoenix. All within my price range. I had Google Maps set up to avoid highways just to take opportunities to explore the area further. As an aside, I did use the highways for trips to dinner and trips back to my Airbnb - and I have to say I love the highway system in this part of AZ. Love it! Beats the pants off anything in the Mid-Atlantic, and Florida.

Anyway, of all the places I saw, I liked Chandler the most, followed by a couple of communities in Mesa. I liked the neighborhoods in Chandler that I found on either side of the Whole Foods. I also liked that these neighborhoods had easy access to the highways and hospitals.

I did like Scottsdale, but the neighborhoods "in town" that I could afford had houses that I felt were not up to what I was looking for. I found a couple of houses way up in the 140s to 160s that were just beyond the upper limit of my price range. I wasn't sure it was worth it - compared to what I saw in the other towns. I did like that Mayo was right there, and the fantastic conveniences of the kinds of shopping I have available where I am now was a big draw. But I didn't feel like I'd be getting as much for my money there.

There was something about virtually all the houses I saw that had me wondering. Why all the walls around the properties? That's new to me. I wasn't quite sure why that was. I guess with so many properties having pools, maybe for that? Or is there some basic thing about these parts that just makes this "the way things are done"?

goolsbyjazz · 09-09-2018, 06:09 PM

Glad you enjoyed your visit. I lived in that area of Chandler you referred to and it is a nice area to live in. Loved the access to the highway and Whole Foods and Chandler is a good city.

tonyp22 · 09-10-2018, 05:27 AM

Yes, it was a nice trip. The heat? It was only

up to about 108 or so when I was there. Is it better than Florida's 95 degrees with 90% humidity? Mmm, maybe. I think I could get used to it, but I haven't been exposed to 118-120 yet.

hikernut · 09-10-2018, 10:08 AM

It was a pretty hot weekend, actually. The 118+ days are pretty rare, maybe one or two of those on average each year.

ldl5112 · 09-10-2018, 12:04 PM

I've lived in Atlanta, Miami, and now Phoenix. I definitely wouldn't recommend Florida for long-term retirement. I like Phoenix, and I've been impressed by the restaurant options here. That said, I think I'd recommend GA to you, based on the 4-season climate, ease of travel, etc. Atlanta is one of my favorite cities. It has a great urban area, is generally very clean, and you can get great prices on travel, since ATL is a Delta hub. There's lots of stuff to do, great festivals, and a huge variety of ethnic foods available. Phoenix is great, but it tends to be one giant "suburb," instead of having a distinct urban area, in my opinion.

Now, with Atlanta, you do have to deal with some fairly intense traffic, especially on the north side. I'd actually recommend looking at suburbs on the south side, if you're going the suburb route (I personally prefer the city proper, but that's me). Newnan and Peachtree City are both popular south-side suburbs, with some nice amenities, and are within 45 minutes of Atlanta, so you'd still be close enough to visit all the amenities of the city. They're also generally at a better price-point than many of the north-side suburbs.

tonyp22 · 09-10-2018, 12:45 PM

Thanks ldl5112. GA is my next stop on the list!

I love Atlanta. Great food, a vibrant city, great symphony. Your note about the southern side is interesting as I've heard great things about the areas in and around Alpharetta. But I don't want to get this thread too OT.

Still, having sun most every day sounds sooo nice. It's dull and raining here in Jersey.