Is Phoenix worth it if you don't like the heat? (Tucson: living in, military)

[notmuch69]

If it was 100F right now, I'd find a way to deal with that.

100 is a cold day Jun - Sep. 113 is more like it. 100 is for May & Oct.

[Wyoming Darrell]

Originally Posted by ArizonaBear

Q is much colder than Phx...........especially in the winter.

It gets really cold at night this time of year, I was outside until after ten last night and actually had to slip on a long sleeved shirt over my tee shirt.

Take note: first complaint on weather, now that i'm a resident.

[TrueDat]

Originally Posted by yukon

I'm basically looking for higher quality of life and a place where people are not as stressed out.

Are there any other areas of the US that have a climate similar to PHX(except Las Vegas) that may be a better fit?


Albuquerque. We have all four seasons, none are extreme. And a rush half-hour.

From what I've been told by some, Reno might be worth checking out as well.

Loves me some ABQ and northern New Mexico in general. And I love the four seasons with none being extreme. However, if the OP wants some of the nightlife/club scene of LA which seems to be the case, that's going to be hard to replicate in a city of 600,000-700,000 and it's even farther from the beach. One of the things the OP seems to like about Arizona is its (relative) proximity to the ocean compared to other landlocked states. But ABQ should definitely be on the shortlist of places to move.

[yukon]

Originally Posted by ArizonaBear

Q is much colder than Phx...........especially in the winter.

Yeah, but it's a DRY cold

[Steve97415]

Originally Posted by AliveandWell

Well, I've been thinking about this question for several days. I'm wondering if Phoenix is worth it for year round living if someone like me doesn't enjoy the heat? Is it still doable? I think that I'd rather put up with the dry heat over the humid even though it leads to dry skin which is an annoyance. Some people can even get nosebleeds but I've been lucky that in 26 years of living in Southern CA I've only had nosebleeds once.

I would pose the question a bit differently. It's really about liking the desert, not just the heat. If you like the desert: its climate, the quality of light, the look of the landscape, the feel of the air, the flora and fauna and the human cultures that give it the flavor it has, then you should find enough payoffs in Phoenix to make up for the negatives (though the desert is beaten back there to a much greater extent than in Tucson). If you don't particularly like the desert per se, then I would take Phoenix and anywhere else in southern Arizona off the consideration slate.

[shiphead]

Originally Posted by yukon

Yeah, but it's a DRY cold

ZING!

Its a lack of wind cold

[R_Cowgirl]

Originally Posted by SpeedyAZ

I don't think anyone really likes the heat, we tolerate it. For me it's getting through 4 months of 100+ temps for the tradeoff of 8 months where it's quite pleasant to live here!

It was hot hot hot from May through late October this year. Even November was in the 90's. Then we had two weeks of "autumn" and now it's freezing and storming. It was 29 on my patio yesterday morning. It's around 56 now... warmest in a couple of days. Our "winter" is here. Tolerable if you are from really cold climes. Here's a good weather site to help you understand our weather. I don't understand why they have such low "averages" when you look on the monthly average... probably because they also include night temps. National Weather Service - NWS Phoenixs

There's good and bad here. I happen to like the airport - and I fly in and out a LOT. The freeways (so far) are pretty well maintained and easy to get around. If one is blocked with an accident, there's another one or a surface street nearby that is workable. There are more than 150 networking groups and associations here - for every imaginable group, creed, race, interest. Lot of imports from all over. Not as racially diverse as a Toronto, New York, or Hawaii. But still have a lot of variety. Great food if you know where to find it. 15 minute drive and you are in the desert. Too many strip malls for my taste, and I wonder how many will hold up in this economy.

City is broke right now - delaying some projects. Fed money is feeding all the road construction, so that should keep that infrastructure going.

Who knows what the future of Phoenix is? There are things I love - the ease of getting around, the ease of getting out of here, the availability of goods and services. You never need to pay retail here if you know where the good deals are.

Obviously water is a concern, as it is in southern cal. Finally getting rain today. But trees are dying in places where people never thought to water them because of the ground water that used to be under the city. We have 5 beautiful Eucalyptus on my block that just died. Unusual. Supposedly, we are in the "zone" for an increase in temps in the next decades. And of course that is always hotly (no pun intended) debated: State in 'bull's-eye' for change | www.azstarnet.com ® (http://www.azstarnet.com/business/297365 - broken link)

Since none of us has a crystal ball - I suggest you go back and read through old posts on this forum. In between the ones who hate it and the ones who love it, are some very common sense posts that will help you inform your decision. One thing's for certain -- you can get smokin' deals on Real Estate in Phoenix right now.

[AliveandWell]

I truly think that if you are a person that is happy for the most part and has the correct attitude, then in that case, a place like PHX IS worth it in spite of the 100+ degree weather in the summer. Having said that when I was a teenager, I would LOVE to see the sun come out and shine the whole day. Now I find it a bit monotonous but it is what it is. After all, PHX heat is still more comfortable than heat in the South US, isn't it? I think the majority of people prefer dry heat. As I have mentioned in previous posts, the heat does not last the whole year and there is at least some variation in the weather contrary to what some might say. In spite of its faults, PHX continues to be a place where people move to. Would I make the leap and come live here one day if the chance was there? I'd say that's still a possibility.

[observer53]

Originally Posted by Wyoming Darrell

It gets really cold at night this time of year, I was outside until after ten last night and actually had to slip on a long sleeved shirt over my tee shirt.

Take note: first complaint on weather, now that i'm a resident.

Thanks for the chuckle, Darrell. Going to go put my coat on over my thin-blooded body now.

[MotleyCrew]

I cant wait for the heat to come back.