Question for people who recently moved here! (Phoenix, Tucson: transplants, real estate)

[goolsbyjazz]

Originally Posted by CLEOPATRAZEUS

Our ALMOST move may still happen someday. Wanting a change was what started it. After we retired and we have lived in Florida for 29 years it was an itch. We were starting to want less humidity and heat. We also had some active years of Hurricanes but honestly relatives that moved there complained so much of the dryness and severe heat that we started to wait until we could visit there more. The more we researched the Phoenix area the more we did not see the attraction we once felt. My niece in Flagstaff thinks we should check out Prescott but we are now priced out of a house similar to what we live in. Hope to travel back to Arizona this year and visit Prescott. But for now Florida is where it's at for us. We live in St Petersburg.

On another note. My son and daughter moved to Flagstaff 15 months ago at relatives urging since they could work from home and were both single. They wanted to try it. My daughter has been back to FLorida now for 4 months and my son wants to move back when his lease is up in May. He misses his friends and family here and says there is so much more to do here in St.Pete and misses the great restaurants and concerts. I guess the mountains were not enough to stay. He got tired of driving to Phoenix for a lot of things.

My friends tell me St. Pete is very nice. They also tell me how much I would like it there!? Maybe one day I will take a trip over there to see for myself. Full disclosure; we lived in Daytona Beach for a short period of time. We loved the ocean but did not care for the city. I am partial to Miami , but my wife likes Ft. Lauderdale. Heck, now that I think of it, we spent our honeymoon in Orlando.

Flagstaff (for us who live in the greater Phoenix area) is a nice place to VISIT when one wants to get away from the hustle and bustle of the city. It doesn't surprise me that your children moved back because it is not as cosmopolitan as St. Pete and, comparatively speaking, doesn't offer as much to do. That drive to Phoenix can be tough depending on the time of day. You and your spouse may enjoy Flagstaff more than your kids did.

[mlulu23]

Originally Posted by Valley Native

a vast swath of sand, rocks, cactus, creosote, rattlesnakes, and coyotes,

Rofl, everything you mentioned, except for the critters, is underneath all the asphalt, concrete, and buildings. The desert is still there, just underneath everything else. It was covered up, not extinguished out of existence.

[Valley Native]

Originally Posted by mlulu23

Rofl, everything you mentioned, except for the critters, is underneath all the asphalt, concrete, and buildings. The desert is still there, just underneath everything else. It was covered up, not extinguished out of existence.

Absolutely nothing is beneath the infrastructure other than dirt & rocks. Furthermore, the desert certainly has been extinguished where massive development is established. All the concrete, asphalt, and buildings have caused night & early morning temperatures to be about 5 to 10 degrees warmer than in the open desert. It's commonly referred to as the UHI. You'll notice the difference between a night in midtown Phoenix vs. somewhere like Tonopah, especially in January or July. Plus, Tonopah is very sparsely developed while Phoenix is a sprawling urban area. Huge contrast between a desert setting & city setting on many levels.

Once again, the difference is easily noted in the visual images. First photo is a desert, and the second is a city. If you can't tell the two apart, then I don't know what else to say.

[phetaroi]

Originally Posted by mlulu23

Rofl, everything you mentioned, except for the critters, is underneath all the asphalt, concrete, and buildings. The desert is still there, just underneath everything else. It was covered up, not extinguished out of existence.

I would not describe it that way. A desert is not simply sand. It's a living, interacting environment. And where man has built on top of it, that living environment is forever drastically changed.

[goolsbyjazz]

Originally Posted by Valley Native

Absolutely nothing is beneath the infrastructure other than dirt & rocks. Furthermore, the desert certainly has been extinguished where massive development is established. All the concrete, asphalt, and buildings have caused night & early morning temperatures to be about 5 to 10 degrees warmer than in the open desert. It's commonly referred to as the UHI. You'll notice the difference between a night in midtown Phoenix vs. somewhere like Tonopah, especially in January or July. Plus, Tonopah is very sparsely developed while Phoenix is a sprawling urban area. Huge contrast between a desert setting & city setting on many levels.

Once again, the difference is easily noted in the visual images. First photo is a desert, and the second is a city. If you can't tell the two apart, then I don't know what else to say.

Valley Native, I admire how strong you stand for what you believe regarding this matter. However, can both things be true? For example, the beautiful pictures you posted; one showed a wilderness area while the other showed a downtown area. The truth is that both are located in what's considered the Sonoran desert, right?

[mlulu23]

Originally Posted by phetaroi

I would not describe it that way. A desert is not simply sand. It's a living, interacting environment. And where man has built on top of it, that living environment is forever drastically changed.

But if all of man's garbage was removed, over time, endless amounts of time, nature would reinstitute herself. We see that everywhere humans have relinquished their hold, and nature gains control. There is a wonderful thread about abandoned places that shows that beautiful process. I think it's on Reddit.

[phetaroi]

Originally Posted by mlulu23

But if all of man's garbage was removed, over time, endless amounts of time, nature would reinstitute herself. We see that everywhere humans have relinquished their hold, and nature gains control. There is a wonderful thread about abandoned places that shows that beautiful process. I think it's on Reddit.

True, but irrelevant to Phoenix in our lifetime.

[pathrunner]

Originally Posted by Valley Native

Absolutely nothing is beneath the infrastructure other than dirt & rocks.

And caliche. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caliche

It's the reason there are no basements in the PHX metro, especially around the mountain preserve. Caliche sits right on the surface of hiking trails.

[CLEOPATRAZEUS]

Originally Posted by goolsbyjazz

My friends tell me St. Pete is very nice. They also tell me how much I would like it there!? Maybe one day I will take a trip over there to see for myself. Full disclosure; we lived in Daytona Beach for a short period of time. We loved the ocean but did not care for the city. I am partial to Miami , but my wife likes Ft. Lauderdale. Heck, now that I think of it, we spent our honeymoon in Orlando.

Flagstaff (for us who live in the greater Phoenix area) is a nice place to VISIT when one wants to get away from the hustle and bustle of the city. It doesn't surprise me that your children moved back because it is not as cosmopolitan as St. Pete and, comparatively speaking, doesn't offer as much to do. That drive to Phoenix can be tough depending on the time of day. You and your spouse may enjoy Flagstaff more than your kids did.

We did visit Flagstaff twice several years ago and liked it but a vacation is a lot different from everday living. I am used to getting around St Pete, traffic and all. We can get to Hardrock casino in Tampa in quick when the traffic is moving. (Love it there) The elevation might be a problem for my husband in Flagstaff at this point in life. We do not like the Daytona area either. We spent our honeymoon (50 years ago) in Miami. Growing up in the Midwest was great. My remaining relatives in the Chicago area want to leave now. (a shame) what has happened to Illinois but it seems to be all over. My relatives in Flagstaff have to go to Phoenix sometimes for specialists. We do not want to have to do that as retirees. Funny how priorities change as we get older. We thought Sun City in Phoenix looked fun a few years ago. But when all the activities closed up because of covid, it lost it's appeal. I am sure it's coming back. Maybe we just are not ready yet.

[smoochaz]

Originally Posted by ringler24

We moved here almost 3.5 years ago from the East Coast for my husband's job. It has been a really tough transition, not because we don't like it here. It's just very far and very different. That said, our kids have adjusted well and I do love the landscape, our neighbors, our church, as well as my job. It feels strange to consider staying long term as all of our family is back East, but since our kids are settled, I also don't see us leaving.

I've been here on/off since 1993 - so it's been a while - it was good for the kids; however now mine are in college.... thinking long term - is this the place I want to retire - ? I don't know ? I love it but like you - all my family is in NJ - esp during the holidays I feel it the most like wth am I doing here - but quality of life here is so much better for us - so we stay -