Thinking of Moving to Arizona - Opinions of AZ Residents, Please

[DrTomorrow]

Greetings!

I could use some advice - and where better to turn to than the DIS family! Any/all answers, comments and smart remarks will be much appreciated.

DW and I are in our 40s, both work in tech field and have been empty-nesters for about a year. We have lived all our lives in the Midwest (Mich/Wisc) and have decided that we don't want to grow old and die in the snow belt. We're seriously considering the metro Phoenix area - Tempe, Mesa, et al - and, while we've done a lot of research, all we have is facts and figures: average this, cost of that. What we'd like is some opinions of people who actually live / have lived in AZ: if you moved there, how did you like it? If you left, why? If you were born there, do you still like it? What are the best-kept secrets - good and bad - about living there?

Feel free to PM or email if you are not comfortable posting; every tidbit of info helps - this is a big decision; almost as big as what day to do the MK!

Thanks again!
Erick

 

[Rajah]

I'd like to know too! I know it'll be several years before we move, but Arizona is one of the places I'm considering when/if we do move. DH *loved* Phoenix when he visited there last fall, and I *really* want to be back in the 4-corners region again.

 

[Toby'sFriend]

DH and I hope to retire to Scottsdale one day. We spent 2 years in the Phoenix area attending ASU.

One thing I will say though, I don't think I could stand to live through those summers again. Fall/Winter/Spring are heavenly, but July and August....I don't think there are words to describe it.

Maybe we'll have a 2nd house in Seattle or something for the summer.

 

[mickeyfan1]

I lived in Mesa for 8 years. Here is my take on some of it.

Phoenix, a big city with out a lot to do after dark.

Scottsdale, a big city with lots to do day and night, but very expensive to live in (in most areas)

Tempe, a small city, with a college, although not a "College Town", trying hard to improve the quality of life for all its citizens.

The west side, didn't get there too much but big big big growth in that area.

The far east valley, also growing very fast. Gilbert is one of the fastest growing cities in the country, but its all houses and littel commercial, so taxes are high.

I left Mesa for last. It is a city as big as Atlanta square miles wise, but only has 5 (?) high rises, and they are only 12 stories. There is a large hispanic population, and a very large LDS population. The Arizona LDS Temple is in Mesa, not anything grand like the one in Salt Lake, or San Diego, or Silver Spring, but it is there. There are many many LDS churches in the city, and there are no zoning ordinances against church building of any type, so they (ALL Churches) spring up all over. I bring this up because, while I never experienced it, I have friends who lived with problems always because they weren't LDS and had no desire to become LDS. You see the LDS influence in stores, doctor and dentist offices, etc. Taxes are certainly lower on real estate, our house was valued at about $115,000 and I paid less than $1000 per year in taxes. Sales tax is 8.75% in Mesa, less in all other cities. Public transportation is very poor, not a lot of busses, and no other transport, although they are suposed to be building light rail in PHX connecting to Tempe and the far west side of Mesa.

AZ is retirement heaven because of the lower cost of living. Summers can be hot, but everything is air conditioned, and in ground pools are everywhere. I moved there because of my job and moved away because of my husbands. There are not a lot of "natives" there, the state isn't even 100 years old.

I loved living there, if my husband had not gotten the job offer he did, I would still be there. My brother lives there also.

Please PM me if you want.

 

[p-nut]

I love living in Arizona. I have lived all over the country and the only other state I would rather live in is Florida. I live a few hours SW of Phoenix but I do have relatives in Mesa. I love the Mesa area. Winters are wonderful. Summers you stay indoors until sunset

 

[Rajah]

Anyone lived in both Phoenix-area and Houston so can compare the summers? I know Phoenix is dry heat but gets hotter than Houston, but Houston's humidity is a killer too. I'm thinking that if you can survive the summers in Houston, you'd survive the ones in Phoenix the same way -- is that fair/true?

 

[Toby'sFriend]

I'm not sure Rajah. I visited Houston in the summer and I found it to be hot but bearable. But in all fairness, one of the summers I was in Phoenix I gave birth in August which certainly added to my being miserable. It was also one of the hottest summers on record. Temps were frequently in the 120's. Simply touching the asphalt with your bare hand could give you a 2nd degree burn. People aren't kidding when they say you stay indoors until sundown.

But also, I would think that the dry air would be more beneficial to your Asthma.

I guess there are always trade-offs.

 

[DrTomorrow]

Thanks so much for the info!