Phoenix ???s (Tucson: houses, neighborhoods, theater)

[jdub2447]

You guys have provided some great info to an interested potential transplant. Thank you!

I'm considering several major areas: Dallas, Denver, SLC, Raleigh/Durham, and Phoenix.

Well, not really Phoenix....not yet.

I'm having a hard time convincing my wife that the heat there isn't as bad as where we are now...Hot, HUMID SWFL (Fort Myers). If it's true about the dry heat vs. humid heat thing, I think we can handle anything. Florida in the summer is awful, it feels like you're constantly sweating, and your skin is melting whenever you go outside.

The second thing I'm having a hard time convincing her about, this is funny, is the architecture. Does Phoenix in general look like Santa Fe/Albuquerque with Adobe/Adobo structures everywhere? I know downtown doesn't look like that, but what about houses in the suburbs?

I know these are kinda dumb questions, but most of the serious ones I've had have been answered. I love what I read about the area, and I'm trying to convince her to join me in my love. As of right now, Dallas is the major front runner in our relocation process.

Thanks in advance for any info!

[sh9730]

Well, I ve only been here less than a year, but I ve spent plenty of time in both Dallas and FL in the summertime. Dallas can get very hot and is also humid, though maybe not quite as bad as FL.

That said, it IS hot here in the summer! But, I found it quite tolerable the first year anyway, and Im pretty sure I ll be fine for years to come. There really IS a difference between 100 at 7% humidity and 90 at 65% humidity like FL has in the summer. You sweat, but dry quickly, and the nights stay very warm, but the sun is not beating down and again, no humidity. But, it is hot.

As for architecture, no...not like Albequerque in most places. Tucson has more that feel than Pheonix. To be sure, there are some places and neighborhoods in that style, but most of the subdivision are more like Florida actually with tile roofs and white (or various shades of tan) stucco.

[synapse]

> I'm having a hard time convincing my wife that the heat there isn't as bad
> as where we are now...Hot, HUMID SWFL (Fort Myers). If it's true about
> the dry heat vs. humid heat thing, I think we can handle anything.

I'm not a fan of the Phoenix summers - I think they're excruciating and endless, and I don't care if they're dry, it's 110 - but that said, it beats Florida in the summer by miles. Phoenix summers are annoying, but they're tolerable. Florida summers could kill you. They're just awful. There's no escape from the relentless humidity. Here, you pour some water on yourself, and you're good. It's hot, but you're OK.

> The second thing I'm having a hard time convincing her about, this is funny,
> is the architecture. Does Phoenix in general look like Santa Fe/Albuquerque
> with Adobe/Adobo structures everywhere? I know downtown doesn't look l
> like that, but what about houses in the suburbs?

Not so much Santa Fe. Looks more like Albuquerque.

[buckeyenative01]

As far as architecture is concerned, "Taco Deco" (white stucco, red tile roofed houses) and "Southwest Mediocre" (brown concrete with some hints of brutalism) are probably the best ways to describe the architectural designs in Phoenix since the 1960s.

[ibarrio]

Doesn't look like Santa Fe.

[YAZ]

I like the older homes here, especially "block homes". They seem to last forever. One drawback is that they're compartmentalized; lots of small rooms. I prefer the openness.

A good thing though is that you can "open it up" with some elbow grease and a 'lil cash.


Older homes tend to be smaller 'round these parts but sit on a decent sized lot. Great for this climate as we like to spend a lot of time outside. Most of the year, in fact. 112 degrees doesn't bother me at all as long as my brain isn't frying in the direct sun.

Keep in mind that we visit the great southeastern part of th U.S. in the summertime (Georgia), and find the weather delightful. I like to think that it's all of the shades of green that we see....

[azdr0710]

don't make a big move without really checking the area out...spend some time looking around...

Phoenix in the summer is very dry thru late June....cools off nicely at night to about 70, then warms up very quickly to 110 or so by 10 or 11am....low humidity allows the big swing between day and night temps....from July thru early September, we have our rainy season with higher humidity...not comfortable at all and nighttime lows in the metro area rarely get below 85 or 90 at that time of year....your A/C will run a lot and your electric bill will soar...

also, remember that most of AZ does not do daylight savings time...so, in June, actual sunrise is at about 5:20am (starts getting light at 4:40am!)...many people start work very early in the summer and quit by 1 or 2pm....the dry heat feels good to many here, especially after coming out of a cold building or theater...(we take sweaters to the theater in June)

[Boomerbiker]

It's hot in Florida and it's hot Arizona - theres no getting around that fact - but I think Phoenix is quite nice 8-9 months of the year.

You mentioned Dallas and Raliegh - two cities that can get very uncomfortable in the summer. Hot and humid!

Denver can have hot summers and COLD winters!

I have choosen to retire to Phoenix - escaping the furnace for Minnesota in the middle of summer!

[SpeedyAZ]

I think you need to come to Phoenix in July and see if you can tolerate the heat. I've lived here nearing 10 years now and I find the Phoenix summers to be much more tolerable than the humidity of Florida. In Phoenix, I can go home and take a cool shower and feel very refreshed but in a humid climate such as Florida, I can get out of that shower and still feel all sticky and sweaty. Dallas has humidity but not on the scale that Florida does. I've been in Dallas in August and it was really humid, I sat on a leather sofa in shorts and I had to PEEL myself off the sofa because of the humidity, you don't get that in Phoenix.

Denver is a great city but it gets too cold in winter for my liking, I lived in Iowa for 18 years and I've had enough of the snow and ice to last me a lifetime. I've never been to North Carolina and don't have any reason to go there so I couldn't comment about either city.

Come to Phoenix, stay for a few days and get a feel for LIVING here. Drive rush hour traffic, get a feel for the different cities, find out if it's a place where you can see yourself permanently. If you like it and can tolerate the heat for 3-4 months, you'll love it the rest of the year. It's especially fun to call your family/friends on Christmas and tell them you're grilling outside in shorts while they're knee deep in snow.

[YAZ]

Truth, Speedy.

We'll get phone calls from friends/family in Michigan next month....They'll say something like: Hey what's up?

We'll reply with:

Went to a baseball game, sat on the grass and ate a hot dog.....blah blah.