Is Phoenix anything like Los Angeles minus the size? (Maricopa: transplants, neighborhoods)

[Need4Camaro]

So I know nothing about Phoenix except that I cant help but Google Map it from time to time because I like its road infrastructure. Mainly the SPUI's implemented with access roads (Tampa FL, Atlanta GA, and Huntsville AL have similar configurations)

Okay anyway enough rambling...

Would Phoenix transplants mostly be from California and does the overall feel, architecture, and personality of Phoenix in any way or shape or form resemble a miniature Los Angeles?

I've always wanted to know if Pheonix acted as a secondary LA.

[JGMotorsport64]

It feels like LA in that it’s a lot of dense sprawl and a mediocre city center. But Phoenix is more like the IE than LA proper

Transplants would be SoCal + Midwest

I get the LA Phoenix comparison but beyond the surface they’re actually very different. The most similar cities for different reasons IMO are Dallas and Albuquerque

[TedMosby]

I'm from SoCal and now live in Phoenix. Yes, it feels like LA. I wouldn't say exactly, but similar in many aspects. It doesn't feel like a small LA, I think of it more as a medium sized LA, or a nicer version of the Inland Empire on a high dosage of steroids.

[MrJester]

LA native here, been all over the West including Phoenix and have to say, everywhere in the West feels like an extension of California. Vegas and Phoenix and even SLC feel like the Inland Empire. Seattle feels like a mini-Bay Area.

I'm always amused at how Californians will say they're going to Phoenix or Seattle, a " completely different part of the country," in their words. If you haven't gone East of Colorado, you haven't seen a different part of the continental US yet.

[Burning Madolf]

These threads = deja vu all over again.

[Need4Camaro]

Originally Posted by MrJester

LA native here, been all over the West including Phoenix and have to say, everywhere in the West feels like an extension of California. Vegas and Phoenix and even SLC feel like the Inland Empire. Seattle feels like a mini-Bay Area.

I'm always amused at how Californians will say they're going to Phoenix or Seattle, a " completely different part of the country," in their words. If you haven't gone East of Colorado, you haven't seen a different part of the continental US yet.

I see. I've seen Vegas and asside from the casino's, it would basically be impossible to tell it apart from IE if one were to be transported to Vegas from LA blindfolded. And yeah Seattle reminded me pretty much exactly of San Francisco although I personally like San Francisco alittle more than Seattle with the exception of Seattles nature and Cascade mountains.

One thing that I did notice that surprised me is how different San Francisco and Los Angeles felt. San Francisco / San Jose seemed more gentrified.

Anyway, I read something that predicts Pheonix to become the 4th largest metro in the nation by 2030, that seemed alittle extreme, is there any truth to that?

[KurtAZ]

Maricopa County, i.e. Metro Phoenix, is the fastest growing county in the US. We added 222 people per day (net) over the past year. People fleeing CA's high taxes and CoL and Midwest winters have been coming here for years. This is causing our CoL to go up, primarily housing costs...but it is still more affordable then CA. Our mixture USED to be heavily weighted with retirees but the median age is trending downward and political climate is moving left of center.

I agree that Phoenix is more like the IE than LA proper though. Strip malls, cookie cutter neighborhoods (not that there aren't unique neighborhoods, just the majority are stick and stucco) and restaurants. There is a ton of info on specific areas on here so if you are interested, search and ye shall find...

[DesertSnow]

A major difference is that unless you like hiking or walking around a "street fair" (usually with the same artisans at different fairs) Phoenix offers none of the entertainment options of Los Angeles and surrounding areas. None.

Many people come here to escape the financial and traffic pressures of California, but once they are settled in to their cheaper housing, they tend to get bored. Money saved on housing tends to be spent on travelling for stimulation......

[JGMotorsport64]

Originally Posted by Need4Camaro

I see. I've seen Vegas and asside from the casino's, it would basically be impossible to tell it apart from IE if one were to be transported to Vegas from LA blindfolded. And yeah Seattle reminded me pretty much exactly of San Francisco although I personally like San Francisco alittle more than Seattle with the exception of Seattles nature and Cascade mountains.

One thing that I did notice that surprised me is how different San Francisco and Los Angeles felt. San Francisco / San Jose seemed more gentrified.

Anyway, I read something that predicts Pheonix to become the 4th largest metro in the nation by 2030, that seemed alittle extreme, is there any truth to that?

Maybe Phoenix Proper could become the 4th largest city, but the metro? Highly unlikely. It would have to effectivey double in size. But I don’t think we ever get larger than Houston which has similar growth patterns and is also a fast growing city.

People have a warped view of Phoenix and it’s metro. Phoenix proper is enormous both in land size and population. The metro it anchors is not that large and ranks with cities like Detroit or the IE. Part of that is because Phoenix is effectively a suburb of itself.

[FirebirdCamaro1220]

Originally Posted by JGMotorsport64

Maybe Phoenix Proper could become the 4th largest city, but the metro? Highly unlikely. It would have to effectivey double in size. But I don’t think we ever get larger than Houston which has similar growth patterns and is also a fast growing city.

People have a warped view of Phoenix and it’s metro. Phoenix proper is enormous both in land size and population. The metro it anchors is not that large and ranks with cities like Detroit or the IE. Part of that is because Phoenix is effectively a suburb of itself.

The IE isn't even a metro area, it's part of Greater LA. You don't change metro area's when you cross that invisible line between Pomona and Chino