Transition from North East to Arizona? (Phoenix, Glendale: transplants, renting, how much)

[JGatti]

Hello everyone. I hope I can find a few Michigan ( or surrounding cold states) transplants to answer a few questions for me. My wife and I are considering moving to the Scottsdale area. We visited last spring and really enojoyed out visit. I have two brother out there who are trying their best to get me to come work with them. I however am a little hesitant. For a number of reasons. I'm Michigan born and raised for 41 years. I do not hate it here but am wondering if the change would be good for my family. Unlike many here I have options that could lead to great opportunities, yet there seem to be great opportunities there as well. I love it here. Winter is long but I love the change of seasons. My family not so much. LOL I love it up north, the lakes, the tree's the people.
Arizona on the other hand offers new experiences. Flagstaff is a hop skip and a jump, as is the Ocean ( I still have not made it there) Colorado and surrounding states etc. There just seem's to be so much there, except the safeness and security of home.
Anyway I'm sure you all went through the same thing so I'll get to my point. How hard was the trasition moving from a North East State to Arizona? I understand they do not have 4th of July fireworks due to the dryness of the desert. We have always spent the 4th on the lake. The lakes are few and far between, and the BIG question. How do you get into Chirstmas with no snow on the ground? Renting a cabin in Flagstaff for Christmas is an option but it just seems so weird looking at the snow here, knowing it's been 75-85 there. How much do you miss it here if at all? Does Christmas suck without snow on the ground? How hard is it going from the green of the tree's to the brown of the desert? How bad was the heat? My one brother just moved there from Ohio but has not been through the Holidays yet. He said summer was not as bad as everyone made it out to be. He said it was no worse there at 115 then here at 90- 95 and humid.
Any help would be greatly appreciated. Look forward to hearing from you. Thanks in advance.

[Ponderosa]

Some adapt to things well, others don't. You will hear from both in response to your question. Which are you? It comes down to that. I came here 35plus years ago as a young guy. I never missed Michigan and Wisconsin where I grew up one bit. But I am the kind of person, even in my old age that likes change. Change is exciting to me. I could live anywhere. There are people on this forum who are so set in their ways that you wonder if they even change their underwear. They are miserable here and long for what they left behind. They follow their old sports teams, look for food like "back home", whine and wimper about no seasons, complain about the heat and a myriad of other things that can't be changed while totally missing the opportunities for exploration and discovery that living in a new part of the country offers. You're going to have to decide for yourself if you are the curious explorer or the one who likes the comfort of the familiar.

[MsJen]

You are a very smart gentleman. I am planning to move from the Northeast to the Phoenix area. I am in the planning and research stages of my process. I am looking for a family oriented community, with good schools. I am hoping to get an inter-company transfer with my job, if not I will be looking for employment in the Accounting/Finance field.

In my research Chandler, Gilbert, Peoria and Surprise seem like very nice towns.

Any information or advise you can give would be very much appreciated.

Thank you so much.

[sablebaby]

Oh, we have LOTS of firework displays here in the city and suburbs. Just about every city/town has them. Yes, a couple were canceled, but there are MANY choices to go see them. Not to worry.

[JGatti]

Originally Posted by sablebaby

Oh, we have LOTS of firework displays here in the city and suburbs. Just about every city/town has them. Yes, a couple were canceled, but there are MANY choices to go see them. Not to worry.

That's funny because I spoke with my brother right on the 4th and he said he did not see any or hear about any anywhere. Not that I can't live without them, it was just an example of one thing we do here.

[JGatti]

Originally Posted by MsJen

You are a very smart gentleman. I am planning to move from the Northeast to the Phoenix area. I am in the planning and research stages of my process. I am looking for a family oriented community, with good schools. I am hoping to get an inter-company transfer with my job, if not I will be looking for employment in the Accounting/Finance field.

In my research Chandler, Gilbert, Peoria and Surprise seem like very nice towns.

Any information or advise you can give would be very much appreciated.

Thank you so much.

Have you been out there to visit yet? We went to Gilbert. VERY nice area and the schools from what I have heard are excellent. I've heard many people say Gilbert over Chandler and vice versa so it's all a matter of opinion. From what I have heard Gilbert has a year round school system. I think they only have like a month off for summer break. We thought about Gilbert, but it's a bit far from my brothers and my job. But hey who knows. If you compare what you get in Scottsdale for $300,000 to what you get in Gilbert for $200,000......well let's say your house in Gilbert will be much bigger and cheaper. Gilbert is still growing also so I'd guess when the market rebounds your $200,000 home will be worth much more in 10 or 15 years. That's something to think about.

[Ponderosa]

Originally Posted by JGatti

That's funny because I spoke with my brother right on the 4th and he said he did not see any or hear about any anywhere. Not that I can't live without them, it was just an example of one thing we do here.

Like Sablebaby says, they are everywhere - but fireworks, even sparklers, are illegal here - so there's no DIY stuff going on. I think we have all the same traditions that the rest of the US has. Your brother needs to check azcentral.com for locations next year. Me, I find it too darn hot to enjoy the shows and have given it up.

[military spouse]

I think you will really miss Michigan from your description of what you enjoy. We moved here 1 year ago from PA and we loved what you described. It has been a tough adjustment, but I suppose a good one. All of our family is in CA and my husband's job has allowed him to come home nightly here, which wasn't true when we lived in PA and he worked as a govt. contractor. What about AZ will improve the quality of your life and that of your family? If there isn't much and you are happy where you are, I would urge caution. Life here is very different. I think it is probably an easy transition for people from CA, since life here is very similar.

[Ponderosa]

I think one of the key ingredients to happiness is to have a fairly easy commute to where you work. The city is replicated over and over again, so you can find the same things in every quadrant including good schools, shopping and safe neighborhoods. Outside of the Scottsdale restaurant and watering hole corridor, the Tempe college atmosphere, and to a lesser extent the sports complexes in the Glendale area, there is no true locus of services, amenities or even employment. So it is really helpful to know where you are going to work and then focus on that general area. But take comfort in the idea that you will be able to find nice places relatively convenient to where you have your job.

[Ponderosa]

Originally Posted by military spouse

I think you will really miss Michigan from your description of what you enjoy.

I got the same impression.