Arizona!

[kelleigh1]

Hubby and I have often discussed moving out of MA. He is originally from NJ, but neither of us wants to go there either. The main reason we'd like to move is because it's just so darn expensive to live here and we don't think we'd ever be able to afford to buy a house. My sister would love for us to move to IL, but I prefer not to live in tornado country.

I once mentioned to hubby that I think I'd like to live in Arizona and he seems really, really interested in that idea. We know that it may be a little while before we can do anything, but I thought I'd ask around and get some opinions about living there.

So...tell me everything! The good, the bad and the ugly. I prefer to get advice from people who live there or who have lived there and not just speculation or opinions from someone who's third cousin's, hairdresser's, best friend's plumber went there once on vacation. I want real insight.

What are the good areas to live in? How is the job market? (Yes, I know the job market is miserable everywhere right now, but is it any better or worse in AZ than the rest of the country?)

Tell me your stories.

Oh - and we don't have kids, so an "awesome school system" probably isn't the most important thing. We are sports fans, although I watch way more than I participate. (I'm a Red Sox fan and he's a Yankees fan, so we said we could move to AZ and both become Diamondback fans just to stop the fighting. :wink

 

[Tooblessed]

We were one of the hardest hit from the housing boom but the prices of houses are falling and getting better or rather more resonable now. It depends on the industry as to whether or not there are jobs here. Some industries have been hit worse than others.
We have beautiful winters but you have to be able to stand the heat in the summer. Location is a big factor also, prices and job market vary by location too for example if you want some place like Flagstaff they tend to be more expensive with less pay because it is a college town plus some other factors than say the Phoenix area.
It is a very diverse state from desert to mountains and of course the Grand Canyon. There is lots to explore on weekends if you enjoy the outdoors from ruins to Sedona and slide rock etc.

 

[kelleigh1]

I'm currently a legal secretary and an executive assistant prior to that. My husband is currently laid off from a manufacturing job that he hated and is now doing unemployment retraining in Advanced Microsoft and medical billing & coding.

Not sure if that helps give you an idea about jobs we might be looking at.

I've been to Phoenix/Scottsdale, and fell in love with the area. Hubby just likes the idea that it's warmer there without the major snowstorms we have here.

 

[IDoDis]

You might want to join the city data forum and ask questions there. You can lurk without posting. Just click on the link for Arizona.

http://www.city-data.com/forum/

 

[Pollito916]

Hello, we moved to AZ a little over a year ago from the Chicago area. It is a big change, but I have to say I don't miss the snow or cold at all!!

Housing is considerably cheaper than back east, especially right now, but Scottsdale is one of the most expensive areas so you probably won't find as much of a break there.

We live in Gilbert, in the SE Valley, just off US-60, so it's very convenient to get anywhere in the area. The Cardinals play in Glendale in the West Valley, and the DBacks play (if you can call it that) in downtown Phoenix. There are also a ton of MLB teams that play here during spring training, though I can't remember all of them, I'm sure you could look it up somewhere.

We love it so far, though there are a lot of things to get used to, like not having grass in your front yard, and some really big bugs (just find a good exterminator!). We don't have any other complaints so far, other than DH missing some family back in IL. The heat is intense in summer, but not unbearable. You may want to consider coming for a vacation in July or August to see how well you can handle 110+ temps. There are some really good rates at some of the nicer hotels in Scottsdale right now.

Feel free to PM me if you have any more specific questions!

 

[AZMickeyfans]

Hi! I have lived in Arizona for 25 years. Moved from KS when I was a child. I grew up in Scottsdale and have lived in Tempe, Mesa, Chandler and currently live in Gilbert. I could never imagine living anywhere else. The weather is gorgeous (yes even the heat). I call it protection from everyone in the world moving here. Most people are transplants from somewhere else.

Housing is very affordable right now due to the drop we faced. Not that great for those of us who have owned a home but wonderful if you want to buy one right now.

I love having all of the different climates and landscapes in our "backdoor" The Mogollon rim is just 2 1/2 hours away and its my favorite area of Arizona. We can be at Disneyland in 5 1/2 hours and many of us have annual passes and take quick overnight trips so its a nice getaway. I love living next to California without actually living IN California. So many lakes near Phoenix for boating to enjoy. You can go to the Grand Canyon, Sand Dunes near Yuma, Flagstaff, Sedona and Oak Creek Canyon etc. Everything is beautiful.

As far as the job market goes it seems to be much the same as around the country. I can offer my experiences only. I am a stay at home mom but my husband was laid off in April as a restaurant general manager. It only took him 4 weeks to get another job. Scary but not as bad as I thought it would be.

In the East Valley there is still growth although it has stalled considerably but I expect it will pick up once the economy does.

Feel free to PM me as well if you like.

 

[Beca]

We lived in AZ for 11 years, and unlike the others who have posted....we were not crazy about it!!

We lived in Phoenix, Ahwatukee, Chandler and Gilbert, so pretty much all over the SE Valley. We left in 2005, right as the housing market was cooling off.

We are originally from N. Texas, so we are very used to four seasons. The problems with AZ for us were:

1) The brightness. The heat is terrible, but the brightness is even worse. The only thing I can compare it to is skiing on a snow-covered mountain. You can tolerate it for a little while, but for 300 days a year it got irritating really fast.

2) The lack of seasons. Christmas was always a really hard time for me. When I first moved to AZ, I thought everyone had really tacky taste in Christmas decorations (a lot are REALLY over the top), but then I realized that was their way getting into the season when the weather didn't offer much help.

3) The traffic. This is probably not a big deal if you are used to Chicago traffic (we lived there as well....driving in Chicago nearly gave me a heart attack!), but the traffic is bad. However, if you can get your hands on an alternative fuel vehicle (dh had natural gas), you can drive in the HOV lanes which helps a LOT!!

4) The lack of greenery and trees. AZ is just very orange and yellow. I missed the colors I grew up with. Xeriscape is also very interesting, but is good for conserving water, and honestly....who wants to mow when it is 115 outside!!

I am not trying to be a downer or talk you out of moving.....I just wanted to give our experience.

Good luck in whatever you decide!!!

 

[minnie56]

I was there last month..in Scottsdale. It was very brown..as I guess one might expect lots of desert to be! and HOT HOT HOT. Too hot for me! Neat place, good shops..restaurants. We did some day trips..Sedona was pretty. Not sure I'd need to go back but happy to have seen.

 

[pigletgirl]

Are you thinking of the Phoenix or Tucson area? I think both are fine, however the job market is probably better in the Phoenix metro. I have found that Tucson is a more diverse city and is more of a college town than Phoenix is.

I say there are 2 seasons, hot and hotter. Yes we do have days in the late fall, winter and early spring that are quite cool, but it is nothing compared to NE winter!

BTW, I would recommend you visit both places to get a vibe to make sure you choose a place that you like (and hopefully has a job too!).

Good luck!

 

[MoniqueU]

I am nuts but we go to Az nearly every summer. I like the heat. The freeway traffic is great but the surface streets the drivers drive real slooooooow. it is spread out. i don't know all the neighborhoods but there are several nice new ones that i am sure are reasonable. Again the heat is not an issue and you are real close to one my favorite beaches down in mexico, do a search for Rocky Point, it is an easy drive from the Phoenix area and pretty clean with nice hotels and great beaches and weather.

 

[golfgal]

We have some friends that live in Anthem, AZ, north of Phoenix. It is a nice area but the brown would get to me after a while. They like it there but miss the midwest.

One thing about "tornado country" is that the chances of actually experiencing a tornado in IL is slim to none. Living in Kansas might be a slightly better chance. I have lived in tornado country for over 40 years and have never been in a tornado.

 

[kelleigh1]

Thanks for all the posts. This is exactly the kind of stuff I was looking for. Hubby has never been, but something about the idea just appeals to him. I was there once in September, and we definitely want to visit before we make any decisions.

I do wonder how I'd feel about the lack of green. It would definitely be a huge change for me after almost 40 years in New England.

Great info! Thanks again.

 

[RN2003AZ]

We're also from MA. Moved to Scottsdale for 2 years and then returned to MA about 4 years ago. I am not a winter person so the weather was fantastic for me. We left in the end of 2004 when the housing market was still crazy. I know it was expensive but if we had stayed we were looking to buy a house in the north Scottsdale area or Anthem. We rented in Greyhawk and both worked in within 10 minutes of there. The hospital I worked at was awesome (Scottsdale Healthcare Shea). I will never find another place around here like it. I would go back in a heartbeat... but now with a little one and all the grandparents around here, I think I would be burned at the stake if I tried to take him across the country and away from everyone!

 

[Chicago526]

My father and brother live in AZ. I've only visited them in the winter so I can't say much about the heat. But I love the winters there. Even though the landscape isn't as green as IL, I find it very pretty in it's own right. If you get into a development with good land scaping, you can still have a lot of green plants and very pretty plants.

Traffic is bad by most peoples standards, but it's about what I'm used to in Chicago. However, red lights are just a suggestion and seem to be completely optional in the Phoenix area. And you don't know fear until you've seen a giant RV the size of a tour bus driven at 90 miles an hour by a man that looks like he turned 100 last week!

Housing tanked, but that's a good thing if you're looking to buy. Layoffs have been huge, but like others said, a lot depends on what industry you're in.

 

[kelleigh1]

I would go back in a heartbeat... but now with a little one and all the grandparents around here, I think I would be burned at the stake if I tried to take him across the country and away from everyone!

We don't even having kids and MIL is ready to have a coronary just at the thought. She was devastated when hubby moved to MA from NJ. (Although she likes me and thinks I'm good for him, so she doesn't use that against me.) He keeps mentioning Arizona to her, probably just to see her reaction. I'm just glad we don't live in NJ, because she is the type that I know she'd be at the house every day if we lived close. My parents are the complete opposite and wouldn't care too much if we took off. They never visit and I think if we lived next door they wouldn't even come over. So moving across the country probably wouldn't be much different with them.

 

[kelleigh1]

Traffic is bad by most peoples standards, but it's about what I'm used to in Chicago. However, red lights are just a suggestion and seem to be completely optional in the Phoenix area. And you don't know fear until you've seen a giant RV the size of a tour bus driven at 90 miles an hour by a man that looks like he turned 100 last week!

Ever driven in Boston? Somehow I don't think the traffic would be much of a problem for me.

 

[kkmcan]

Lots of good advice here so far I see. I am a native Tucsonan now for 38 years. Tucson is a little like a small town. We go to Phoenix area to shop the stores that never made it down here. Jobs here are scarce, lots of people out of work and just not that many big businesses or job opportunities. But, it is about 5 degrees cooler here than in Phx.

The whole state offers so much to do and see but you have to bear the long hot summers. It's Oct/Nov and I'm so done with the summer and heat and ready for it to cool off (70's). It warms back up again in April. People from back east usually hate that there are no real seasons here. It's hot or its cool (for a short time), nothing in between. No leaves falling, no beautiful fall colors- just green for summer and brown in winter.

After being here so long I can't stand snow and ice and cold. Ugh!

You really need to come in the summer (Aug is the hottest) and stay for a week to see if you can stand it. It's so hard to judge whether you will like it or not without ever having been here.

Housing is on the up and up here so it might be a good time to buy but definitely not a good time to sell. We bought our home at just the right time in 2005 so we've got good equity unlike lots of people who bought at the top selling price right before the market fell.

I do have to say its so nice to be so close to DL but still I wish I was closer! Good luck with your decision.

 

[Chicago526]

Ever driven in Boston? Somehow I don't think the traffic would be much of a problem for me.

No, I've always taken the "T" while in Boston. But then I don't drive in downtown Chicago either. The burbs are about as adventurous as I get!

 

[AZMickeyfans]

Here is the way I look at our summers in AZ. They are like winters up north somewhere. Both are unbearable at times and you just dont go outside on horrid days! As far as Christmas goes I remember riding my bikes and skateboards around in 80 degree temps Christmas morning instead of waiting til the ice thawed! Couldn't do that in Kansas so that made me happy! Now we celebrate outside brunch in the morning after all the presents have been opened. Its so nice to make new traditions. If I want snow I can always go visit it just a couple hours away. I dont know if anyone has mentioned it but we also have some decent snow skiing here too. Nobody really figures that when they think of AZ. Its not Colorado but its nice for a weekend trip.

 

[Pollito916]

Hi! I have lived in Arizona for 25 years. Moved from KS when I was a child. I grew up in Scottsdale and have lived in Tempe, Mesa, Chandler and currently live in Gilbert.

Hi neighbor! I live in Gilbert too! And I look at summers the same as you - kind of like winter up north.

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Some other people commented on traffic - coming from Chicago and working in LA part-time, the traffic here is nothing. I commute 45 miles each way to work, and I would NEVER do that in the Chicago area. Here is takes me 40-50 minutes. There it would likely take 1-2 hours.

The biggest difference is that the freeways are so much bigger here - some are up to 6 lanes on each side. Back east you're lucky to have 3-4 lanes, many major highways are only 2 lanes! There are also radar/speed cameras on most of the freeways (which have a higher speed limit than most back east), but they have been turned off for a little while, not sure if/when they will be turned back on.

You can't really run red lights much anymore, at least not in the SE valley - there are traffic cameras everywhere. This used to really bother me, but now I like it b/c traffic doesn't back-up as much due to people blocking the intersection like it does in Chicago & LA. I've never been to Boston, but I imagine the traffic is more like Chicago than Phoenix, so Phoenix would seem great to you!

And there may not be much greenery, but there are so many other colors that make up for it - there are flowers everywhere! It seems like something is in bloom every season and there are flowers on almost every tree and bush at some point in the year. This can be bad for allergies - especially the first season, but zyrtec is your friend!