What do YOU like abou living in the Phoenix area? (Mesa: apartment, to rent)

[Runemaster]

Originally Posted by maverick974

That wasn't what I wanted out of this thread. I wanted to know the good stuff. What people LIKE about Arizona and the Phoenix area. Not what you hate about it. That's easy to find and there are many, MANY threads about that so lets get back on topic and tell me the GOOD STUFF!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! That's what I really want to hear about. What do you find interesting, what do you find fun and exciting about desert living, what is "cool" about Phoenix and what you do there????
Give me some good stuff to tell my daughter about what kind of life we could have there???

In no particular order:

1) Great churches

2) I haven't HAD to wear long pants in years (I choose to when it's appropriate, but I can wear shorts & tee shirts year round if I want).

3) I've never had to shovel sunlight

4) Great restaurants, even though my waistline might think this is a negative.

5) For the most part, nice people.

6) Rubberized asphalt!

7) All the major sports are here

8) I love watching F16s flying overhead.

Now, my list of things I don't like is far longer, but that's not what you asked for...

[maverick974]

That's what I'm talking about.
Rubberized asphalt??? What's that and why does that make you happy?
I really look forward to wearing nothing but shorts and T-shirts. Living in Oregon, I currently only own ONE short sleeve shirt and I bought that when I was in Phoenix during Christmas.
Where are the F-16's from? Is there a base nearby???

[Finger Laker]

Luke AFB is located in the west valley - if you take glendale rd west you'll run into it

rubberized asphalt provides a smoother, quieter ride - i could see this being a big plus if you had a home near a freeway - i don't so it doesn't mean too much to me

[pbenjamin]

Originally Posted by maverick974

I really look forward to wearing nothing but shorts and T-shirts.

The average high in December and January is in the 66-69 range, with lows in the mid 40s. If you see somebody in shorts there is a good chance that they are a tourist or a newcomer just arrived from Minnesota. Some people's mileage clearly may be different but for most people who have been here through a summer or two, 67 degrees is not shorts weather.

[NJ2AZSusan]

Originally Posted by Runemaster

In no particular order:

1) Great churches

If you want an extraordinary Catholic Church, go to Saint Patrick's on 84th Street in Scottsdale.

Read about it at:

Transplants To Phoenix Examiner: Saint Patrick's sings its way to the top

[maverick974]

Originally Posted by pbenjamin

The average high in December and January is in the 66-69 range, with lows in the mid 40s. If you see somebody in shorts there is a good chance that they are a tourist or a newcomer just arrived from Minnesota. Some people's mileage clearly may be different but for most people who have been here through a summer or two, 67 degrees is not shorts weather.

Yes, I know the average temps. I've done my homework on the weather and a good many other things as well.
Frankly, it doesn't matter to me much if I would look like a tourist or a "newby". Being from Oregon, I can tell you that I would have no problems in shorts when it's in the mid 60's although I would be perfectly comfortable in anything at that temp. Lows in the 40's and I'll definately have a coat on.
Add to that the sunshine and I'll be very happy.

[ArizonaBear]

Maverick974 reminded me of Oregon's drawbacks as well-----------I lived in Springfield in 1990.

And; that state's biggest liability is that it is competing with Washington State----------which seems to have its act together.

[blueeyz911]

There is not much I don't love about the valley or Arizona. But these are my favorite things:

I really love the dry climate.
The beautiful winters. (although no shorts at Christmas for me) I'm chilly once it gets below 80, seriously.
The beautiful sunsets.
The mountains.
Not too many rainy days.
The fact that you can drive 2 or 3 hours and escape the heat of the summer.
I love how Arizona is so spread out so much with many different areas/neighborhoods.

What keeps me here? Well, all of the above and just because it's home.

[maverick974]

That's a great post blueeyz911. I really like to hear stuff like that.
No matter where we live, we always feels like the grass is always greener on the other side of the fence.
It's very refreshing to hear someone that lives there really loves the place. That's what I'm looking for. I wanna hear from the "glass half full" kind of people.
I have been reading for months about all the bad stuff that people don't like about Phoenix. It's the same in most places. Crime, drugs, traffic, bla, bla, bla. Any city, large or small, will have similiar problems. There might be some subtle changes but essentially it's the same. Even here in Oregon. We have crime, we have drugs, probably more per capita than Phoenix. We have traffic, we have bad weather, just not heat. So you see, it's the same everywhere just with a different twist.
I say enjoy the sunshine and accept the negatives as no place on earth is perfect. Yes, accept what you percieve as negative (unless you can change it) and if the positives outweigh the negatives then be happy and enjoy the sunshine. If the negatives outweigh the positives then it's time to look elsewhere.
I have been in Oregon for better than 20 years and I loved it hear until my wife passed. It was a great place to raise a family. Oregon is arguably one of the prettiest states in the nation with all the lakes, rivers, the Pacific ocean, the high desert on the east side, the culture and diversity, the green forested mountains, yes it's a beautiful state but with the wife gone and my two older boys grown and gone, it's just no fun for me any longer. I can complain about the weather, the cold winds and the constant rain among other things but honestly it's about me. If it just isn't fun any longer, if I just don't enjoy it around here any longer for whatever reasons, then it's time I look elsewhere and that's what I have done.
I picked Phoenix for the wonderful desert landscapes, the housing prices, all the lakes, the mountains so close, and some other stuff so that's what I like so much about the Phoenix area and I want to know more about all the good stuff. What do you like to do and why? What keeps you from moving someplace else? What kind of nightlife do you enjoy? When you go someplace else in Arizona, where do you go and what is there to see and do????
If you had 2 weeks off and you had to stay in the Phoenix area or perhaps within a 2 hour drive, what would you do? Even if it's just hang out by the pool? I'd like to know........

[azriverfan.]

Things I love about Phoenix

1. the Weather: 4 months of hot weather and 8 months of perfect weather. Beautify sunny clear skies 300 days out of the year
2. 4 Major Sports
3. friendly, open and laid back people
4. great restaurants
5. great shopping
6. fantastic golf
7. great houses with nice yards and lots of space
8. drivable to Las Vegas, San Diego and LA; can go there for a weekend and back
9. Liberal but not crunchy granola annoying liberal ie not Portland (thank God)
10. Hispanic and Latin culture
11. Evolving city: it's exciting to see a city change overnight.
12. New- i love how everything is new. Whether you are talking about roads, a Target or Wal-Mart, a McDonalds, houses etc. everything is new and thus the quality is top notch as opposed to the east coast in which everything is old
13. great roads and grid highway system; it's easy to navigate this city
14. Clean- you don't see litter on the streets, trash on the freeways or stores etc. very clean city
15. Low cost of living especially now that houses are starting to come down in value