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I've been following the Phoenix 2023 Go Bond which has some interesting projects including the construction of a new permanent home for Valley Youth Theatre, an expansion of the Children’s Museum of Phoenix, the creation of a new Latino Cultural Center, accessibility upgrades to the Phoenix Theatre Company, and the creation of a Holocaust Education Center at Cutler Plotkin Jewish Heritage Center. https://www.azcentral.com/story/news...l/69725790007/
Those are all good, but look at the Forbes article I referenced about what makes a city great.
1. Public transportation. It has definitely improved in coverage compared to when I rode the city buses. The initial light rail line has done quite well, but any future expansion should be concentrated mainly to the highest demand areas (downtown, midtown, west side) ... not to suburban areas which are more vehicle oriented & ridership would be limited.
2. Endless dining options. I've noticed an uptick in the various cuisines available compared to just 10 years ago. Even so, there is room for improvement. On the list of best food cities, Phoenix is nowhere in the top 20. Wallet Hub ranked Phoenix at #34 for 2022, which is rather low for a city this size.
3. The commute is short. The article mentions the advantage of being centralized in both residential and business. Phoenix is one of the most decentralized cities in the U.S. More people are living in the central core now, but a fair number of financial institutions have moved out of their downtown offices. It's bad enough when a person who lives in a central location has to commute to a suburban office, but it's even worse when a person who lives on one side of the metro area has to drive to the opposite side every day. A side note: not everybody has the access to work from home, and some people prefer to be at their physical work location.
4. The skyline is stunning. Phoenix is definitely lacking in this regard, despite an increase in the number of multi story buildings in recent years. Not only do we need to build taller, but there should be more structures that are unique in architectural design, and would be crown jewels or points of pride for the city.
5. Social clubs are everywhere. This is something I don't really get involved much in, but I've heard that the Phoenix area has a pretty good assortment of these.
6. Entertainment comes in lots of forms. We seem to have a good amount of entertainment venues, but I think we're still overshadowed too much by L.A. and (sadly) Las Vegas in this regard.
7. They're diverse. Based on the fact that the vast majority of people who live here are originally from somewhere else, consisting of various ethnic backgrounds, I'd say we're pretty diverse.
8. They're energetic. Mixed opinions on this one. It seems to be buzzing with energy when there are big events, but otherwise, it can be hit or miss. If you go downtown on a summer weekend during a day when there are no concerts or games, it can be pretty dead.
Quote:
Originally Posted by locolife
I'm surprised people mention May as a bad month, it may actually be my favorite month. No pun intended. I think May gets a bad rep because June-September follow it but it has more in common with April than the true summer months of Phoenix.
- The days are long, sun is up by 5:30am and sets late; civil twilight is close to 8pm for the month
- The highs are usually 90-100 making it warm enough to swim in the afternoons
- It's not humid, so the temps are pretty comfortable and it cools off nicely at night
- The lows are generally in the 60s or right about 70, making mornings great for spending time hiking or other outdoors activities
- Evening temps are warm enough to grill comfortably after work or whatever
May is usually the last of the decent weather months as far as temperatures, but it can feel hot during the middle of the day because of the greater sun intensity. It's one of the driest months, so the humidity can be very low along with the usual lack of rain, and it can also be frequently windy. These are the reasons why May is often the beginning of the wildfire season. Not a bad month to be outdoors, but not the best.
You guys can keep pretending away the reality of our weather through shared delusion if you want, but I tried going for a walk on Christmas Day and it was unpleasantly hot in the middle of the day in the sun. The sun is extremely intense and unrelenting 12 months a year and there is no shade in this city. The fact that it can be too hot to enjoy walking outside even on Christmas tells you everything you need to know about Phoenix weather.
You guys can keep pretending away the reality of our weather through shared delusion if you want, but I tried going for a walk on Christmas Day and it was unpleasantly hot in the middle of the day in the sun. The sun is extremely intense and unrelenting 12 months a year and there is no shade in this city. The fact that it can be too hot to enjoy walking outside even on Christmas tells you everything you need to know about Phoenix weather.
Maybe too hot for you, I was out all day and enjoyed every minute of it, same story yesterday. I left town prior to the holidays and had multiple days of sub-freezing high temps, I was thrilled to get back. There is nowhere else I'd rather be right now. If the intolerable December sun is that hard on you, go walk early or later in the day? I don't get it...the sun angle is so low right now the north side of any mountain or building will have a major shadow, just walk there even mid-day...
Without trying very hard I can think of plenty of shady places to walk
It's not true that "there is no shade" in the Phoenix metro. Take a drive up Central Avenue through the stately older section of Phoenix (where McCain lived for many years, by the way) and you will find a non-desert type of landscaping. There are also shade trees at parks and on walkways. It may not be to your liking, but many people like it and even love it.
I don't get it either. During the months of May through October, I got up early and hiked in the mountain preserves with my dogs. We did just fine. Some people just don't like heat and if that's the case with you as it seems it is, the desert is not your place.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Maroon197
You guys can keep pretending away the reality of our weather through shared delusion if you want, but I tried going for a walk on Christmas Day and it was unpleasantly hot in the middle of the day in the sun. The sun is extremely intense and unrelenting 12 months a year and there is no shade in this city. The fact that it can be too hot to enjoy walking outside even on Christmas tells you everything you need to know about Phoenix weather.
If you think Christmas day was intolerable for a walk in southern Arizona, maybe Alaska would be a good fit?
May is usually the last of the decent weather months as far as temperatures, but it can feel hot during the middle of the day because of the greater sun intensity. It's one of the driest months, so the humidity can be very low along with the usual lack of rain, and it can also be frequently windy. These are the reasons why May is often the beginning of the wildfire season. Not a bad month to be outdoors, but not the best.
Yeah, the sun is intense because by the end of May, you're only a few weeks from the longest day of the year and that's also why the days are long. But I think it's an overall pretty solid weather month here. I wasn't a fan of May in New England as the weather could be erratically and annoyingly variable, going from 80 one day to 35 the next. Here it's going to be warm/hot in the afternoons, cool/comfortable in the mornings and evenings, we sometimes get some passing storms/cold fronts, but it's not going to be cold and won't be July/August hot. It is the start of fire weather season but usually fires get going in June, so even that is fairly minimal in May.
It's not true that "there is no shade" in the Phoenix metro. Take a drive up Central Avenue through the stately older section of Phoenix (where McCain lived for many years, by the way) and you will find a non-desert type of landscaping. There are also shade trees at parks and on walkways. It may not be to your liking, but many people like it and even love it.
I don't get it either. During the months of May through October, I got up early and hiked in the mountain preserves with my dogs. We did just fine. Some people just don't like heat and if that's the case with you as it seems it is, the desert is not your place.
Exactly, there's basically two large desert cities in the US, so if you're like some of us who prefer dry/warm/hot weather with many sunny days and want to be in a major city this is one of our two options. If you want something else, you have literally a plethora of other cities to choose from.
You guys can keep pretending away the reality of our weather through shared delusion if you want, but I tried going for a walk on Christmas Day and it was unpleasantly hot in the middle of the day in the sun. The sun is extremely intense and unrelenting 12 months a year and there is no shade in this city. The fact that it can be too hot to enjoy walking outside even on Christmas tells you everything you need to know about Phoenix weather.
So why stay here. Work?
I hated the weather in Tokyo (hot humid summers/ cold icy winters) but I stayed for years because I really liked my job.
I'm surprised people mention May as a bad month, it may actually be my favorite month. No pun intended. I think May gets a bad rep because June-September follow it but it has more in common with April than the true summer months of Phoenix.
- The days are long, sun is up by 5:30am and sets late; civil twilight is close to 8pm for the month
- The highs are usually 90-100 making it warm enough to swim in the afternoons
- It's not humid, so the temps are pretty comfortable and it cools off nicely at night
- The lows are generally in the 60s or right about 70, making mornings great for spending time hiking or other outdoors activities
- Evening temps are warm enough to grill comfortably after work or whatever
It gets into the 100's starting in early to mid-May. That might be okay for YOU, but not for me. Typically the mornings are still pleasant 60's ish, but 100's in May is not ideal for me.
You guys can keep pretending away the reality of our weather through shared delusion if you want, but I tried going for a walk on Christmas Day and it was unpleasantly hot in the middle of the day in the sun. The sun is extremely intense and unrelenting 12 months a year and there is no shade in this city. The fact that it can be too hot to enjoy walking outside even on Christmas tells you everything you need to know about Phoenix weather.
You've got to be kidding. It was 74 on Christmas Day, which was above the normal high, but still not anywhere close to unpleasantly hot. The sun is at its lowest angle this time of year, so I don't understand your rationale that the sun is too intense right now. You certainly can't complain about the heat today because it's cloudy, drizzly, and cool (without being too cold), and a half inch of rain this morning, which is very much needed. I always love these kinds of days here.
Quote:
Originally Posted by pathrunner
It's not true that "there is no shade" in the Phoenix metro. Take a drive up Central Avenue through the stately older section of Phoenix (where McCain lived for many years, by the way) and you will find a non-desert type of landscaping. There are also shade trees at parks and on walkways. It may not be to your liking, but many people like it and even love it.
Agreed. There are lots of shady areas and a few established greenbelts. Most of the historic districts have grass lawns & lush shade trees. I hope the water situation doesn't become so desperate that we end up being forced to sacrifice these things. Greenery is very much needed in this kind of climate.
Quote:
Originally Posted by john3232
So why stay here. Work?
I hated the weather in Tokyo (hot humid summers/ cold icy winters) but I stayed for years because I really liked my job.
Yep, the main reason for residing in a large city is jobs/money. That's why eastern metros like NYC, Philadelphia, Boston, and D.C. have large populations, despite the frequent inclement weather much of the year. Many people dislike the climate where they live, but making a good living easily takes precedence.
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