Seattle to Phoenix....should we make the move?

[justadad]

Congratulations wsugrad03, it sounds like you made a decision that you and your family are happy with and that is what is most important.

Good Luck with everything.

Rob
Agent4Autism.com

[wsugrad03]

I'm sure by the time March comes around we'll be regretting not moving to Phoenix. That's about the same time you'll find me ranting in the Seattle board about how the continuous gray and rain is wrecking misery on our lives. It's a love/hate relationship with the weather up here.

Nevertheless, timing is important. Unfortunately now wasn't the best timing for a career change. Maybe next year.....

[mahenley]

Originally Posted by wsugrad03

I'm sure by the time March comes around we'll be regretting not moving to Phoenix. That's about the same time you'll find me ranting in the Seattle board about how the continuous gray and rain is wrecking misery on our lives. It's a love/hate relationship with the weather up here.

Nevertheless, timing is important. Unfortunately now wasn't the best timing for a career change. Maybe next year.....

I think in the long run you will be happy that you didn't make the move to Phoenix like many of us did and now regret. The ideal situation would be to purchase a vacation home here so when you get tired of the rain you can fly here and enjoy some sun.

Good luck to you, I'm still hoping to get back to that area in the near future!

I sure wish I knew about this board before I moved, otherwise I would still be happy in beautiful Seattle!

[borborygmi]

Originally Posted by Beena

Funny!!! I rep you because that was a great explanation

I just happen to like it hot. House is at 84.

Hey, thanks! I don't mean to be a smart aleck or anything. I do come by this stuff honestly, though, it's my line of work .

[justadad]

Below is a post from someone in January of this year...I hope they don't mind that I pasted it here. Good Info.
__________________________________________________ ______________

Since there are so many negative threads about Phoenix, I decided to offer why I love Phoenix. I feel that people get the wrong idea about Phoenix because there are so many threads from ex-Phoenicians who want to bash the city. I grew up in New York's upper east side and I'm currently in Houston. I'm trying to get back to Phoenix, here is why

1 Low Stress: You don't have to worry about any natural disasters or weather that could add stress to your life. The summers are hot but it doesn't affect your commute to work or traveling for business. The weather in New York is not that bad but we got a month or two of snow and I remember how I would have to spend 10 minutes or so removing the snow from all the windows on my car.

2 Weather: I think the weather is beautiful. I enjoyed the consistent blue skies and sun. In New York and the east coast in general, you can go for weeks without any sunlight. During my summers in Phoenix, I avoided the worst part of the heat because I traveled to work in the morning and left in the evening so I never really experienced the worst part of the heat. In Manhattan, I would leave to work in the morning in which the wind and cold was at it's worst and then leave in the evening in which the weather would get bad again. In Houston, the heat is almost as bad then you have humidity. In the winters here, it's a bit warmer than Phoenix but it also rains constantly which can make it feel more cold. I also like how Flagstaff and Sedona are nearby so if I missed snow I could drive there. In Houston, we don't really have any type of outlet like that.

3 Cleanliness: I do miss the culture and diversity that New York had to offer but I don't miss the smokestacks, the pollution and the old buildings. The east coast is also very dirty and you can see vomit and soot on the ground. There are a lot of places in New York that has stagnant water. The desert is really clean and I appreciate that. The city can also smell awful at times particularly in the summer.

4 Less Traffic: Every city has traffic. Phoenix only really has traffic during rush hour. Houston has far worse traffic even on the weekends. When I was growing up, the traffic in New York wasn't bad during non-rush hour but now there is traffic there all the time. It's difficult to even get cabs in New York. You are limited to the subway which is nice but it can be scary at night.

5 Less Crime: I have to laugh when people think Phoenix has crime because they haven't lived in a city that offers real crime. Both NY and Houston have neighborhoods and ghettos that are outright dangerous. These are places in NY that you don't walk through even during broad daylight. And even in central park, I would walk or job with my husband because women are repeatendly assaulted or mugged. Often times, these incidents are not reported because people will just lose an I-Pod or petty cash and the incident isn't worth reporting to them.

6 Low Cost of Living: Houston seems to offer a lower cost of living than Phoenix particularly for houses. NY was expensive. It adds up. Groceries, gas, car repair, shopping, utilities, food. 200K in New York seems like 80K in Phoenix. People have to make big sacrafices to live in New York, we certainly did and both my husband and I earn over 6 figures. The type of lifestyle and quality afforded to one in Phoenix and even Houston can't be had by the majority of people living in NY. You often have to get roommates or live in one poorer areas of the burroughs.

7 West Coast Attitude: I like the laid back nature of the west coast. At my division in Phoenix, we are allowed to dress business casual at all times. In our NY office, we were required to wear formal attire at all times. I also enjoy how the work day here starts a little earlier and ends early. In New York, managers would expect you to arrive early and stay late. I feel like the companies including the investment banking branches on the west coaches are much more hospitable and understanding of lifestyle than on the east coast. I know a lot of my friends from Goldman Sachs who are trying to transfer to San Francisco and they are having a difficult time because there is so much demand in the company to go west. Interestingly enough, if someone wants to go to New York, there are a lot of open positions.

8 Nice Houses: I love the houses here. I don't like how many of the homes look alike, but I do like how all the homes have modern ammenities. A house like that in New York would cost you a fortune because most of the homes are old and have inferior plumbing, ventilation and fixtures. People are always having trouble with their heat, air conditioning and bugs. Many of the homes back east don't even have heat.

9 Appearance and Health: Some have been critical of Phoenix for their insistence upon being fake or having a fake appearance. At the same time, I do appreciate how people do take the effort to look nice in Phoenix. Perhaps Phoenix is a fat city or whatever but I never saw that. When moving to Phoenix from NY, I felt that I had to lose weight and spend more time getting ready just to fit in because many of the women really take an effort to look nice. In NY, a lot of people were not members of gyms and would justify their exercise through walking. In Phoenix, there is a nice gym on every corner and everyone seems to be a member of one. I've never seen so many health spas either.

10 People: I love the people in Phoenix. I think it is very comforting to know that you will never feel like an outsider because the city is full of outsiders. I can talk to people and immediately strike up a conversation with them because they are not from here. You certainly don't get that in Houston. In New York, there are a lot of outsiders but people are not as friendly there. We kept to ourselves in NY. In Phoenix, you can be open and yourself and people don't take offense or find it to be weird.

[goolsbyjazz]

Lots of people move to Phoenix from all over the country, however, many stay a few years and end up moving someplace else for various reasons. Summers are hot and sometimes unbearable and no, there is not much green or water. The desert does grow on you, though. It really depends on what you are looking for. It is certainly not for everyone. I grew up in Massachusetts and still miss the culture, history and greenery back East. I miss being near the ocean, but I DO NOT miss the snow or winters! Here, I can drive an hour to the mountains and get snow if I want it.

[DR2012]

Hey the dude made his decision - back in 2008
I know that even though some people say there's not much to do there, it already seems like a mecca for me, where I currently live has NOTHING. It's 100% flat and I want mountains (or even hills) more than I want green trees. I want something different, but I'm stuck here in flat land of the same old trees. Looks like where I grew up. The point of us being military was for us to see and experience as many different things as possible. PHX may not be as cultured as say, Seattle, but it's got way more than Bossier City, Louisiana. You can drive 2 hours in any direction and still not be anywhere but a dirty, flat field with nothing in it.