Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire OK, Tell Me About Phoenix

I have a meeting in a week or so with someone to discuss a potential job which, if I accept, would require me to quickly relocate to the Phoenix area.

Would love to hear some thoughts from those who know the area well. The good, the bad, the ugly... (and, yes, I know there are some very bad areas -- that alone wouldn't deter, as I grew up in LA from age 12 and have more than a little common sense about avoiding the 'hood). Specifically interested in some of the nicer areas within a reasonable commute... housing prices... traffic congestion... property taxes... wages compared to other major metropolitan areas... crime level/impact in the nicer 'burbs... kids are in college, so I don't care about schools... whatever's useful.

I've spent very little time there, but quite a bit of time to the north up in the rim country. Many of the "plus" aspects (hunting opportunities... being politically sympatico... pro-gun laws, etc.) are a given.

All input appreciated.

There is this one strip club...............................




Alright, I've never been there.

Just adding worthless information and upping my late night post count.



time to go to bed fish head

I bit on the first sentence. Thought there might actually be some actionable intelligence forthcoming.

I graduated high school in Phoenix.

First and foremost.. Can you handle the heat? The summers are brutal.

Yes, I'm aware that it's AC-or-die in the summer. I've been going to Yuma every Sept. 1 for a great many years now, and know all too well what 117 degrees plus saturation-level humidity feels like. (For starters... I can tell you I don't shoot doves all that well under those conditions... heat stroke plays hell with your concentration).

The Phoenix/Scottsdale/Glendale/Tempe/Chandler/Mesa/ etc. etc. megalopolis is a mass of humanity and traffic - nothing like the relatively serene desert of the 60s and 70s. But, there are reasons why so many people have flocked there.

Beautiful weather from mid-September through most of May (but some serious inversion pollution in winter at times) and some parts of the noted communities are just lovely and very safe. But, with the flocks came the higher crime rate, big rush-hours traffic, tax issues etc. - and a steady change from what was a very conservative political tone to less and less so as the years pass.

The area is quite clean in appearance compared to most metro areas, and there is a lot of great outdoor recreation. Housing is fairly affordable right now, by normal comparison, due to the crunch. Yes, it is "don't touch the steering wheel" hot from june through August and it DOES NOT cool down at night in summer - so try to get a place with a nice pool.

My wife is from Scottsdale. She left there about 25 years ago.

While some of her best friends are still there, and we go to visit now and then, every time she says there is no way she could move back.

While the area is nice (but did anybody mention the heat yet? ), I guess for those that were there back then, it's just changed and grown way too much.

Only been there once. The people I visited had painted rocks in their yard "gree" to simulate grass and had tiny water sprinklers on their walkway by the house to make it cool enough to walk on. That's pretty much all I took from the visit.

[quote=Kentucky_Windage] Specifically interested in some of the nicer areas within a reasonable commute... housing prices... traffic congestion... property taxes... wages compared to other major metropolitan areas... crime level/impact in the nicer 'burbs... [quote]

There are nice enclaves all around the area. I live on the far western edge. I can see downtown from my front yard, though it's over thirty miles away. The metro area continues far past what I can see. That's the thing, it's really big here. It would help if you could narrow it down the potential location.

Housing prices are down but there's competition to buy as speculators are back.

Traffic not bad as many places. Taxes the same. Wages depends. Crime not bad in the nice places especially since the illegals are at least partially on the run, absconding for greener pastures.

I came here in 2004 from back East, and the heat doesn't even bother me much anymore. You just learn to deal with it.

I like it here and may never leave.

Our daughter lives in Scottsdale. Their home is now worth exactly half what they paid for it a few years ago. They CAN'T leave.

As mentioned, the place is exploding with new developments - or was. North and east of Phoenix proper are where the "good" folks live. (No other way to say that, I guess.) Scottsdale is all uber-rich and pretentious, If you don't drive at least an Audi, you are nothing. Everything is expensive. Lots of golf, if you play, but it's only affordable when the weather makes play miserable. City water tastes awful.

Great sports town for both profssional and college teams. That is even if the D backs are the door mat of the NL West. Plus side is that you'd be sort of close to Tucson, which I do like.

The valley is huge landmass wise, about 80 miles end to end, maybe more now. Depending on your job location will dictate east or west side. If you like the rim, fishing lakes, skiing lakes, eastside is closer. If you like Flagstaff and Sedona, party lakes, rivers, westside is better.

I an eastsider from birth and my activities are hunting, fishing, water sports, golf, rural living (though right now I live in a golf community) I spend a lot of time over in 'Powellville' where my family has property and looking to pick up another acre of citrus grove behind the barn when the deal goes through. Also in Mesa.

Going rural is a luxury and if you have the dollars there are places to do it right in town.

Kent

wife grew up in Tucson, I went back with her for thanksgiving when we first started dating, and told her you realize we will never live here right? I'd consider Prescott but PHX is no different than LA (crime, traffic, too many people, etc) with added heat.

ML

I hope no one actualy believes this.

As I said, I can see downtown from my front yard. I can also go a 1/4 mile from my house and hunt on public land, or drive the 36 miles to Sky Harbor in 40-50 minutes at any time of day.

Is it a big city with the attendant constraints? Of course. But it's nowhere near the bottom for either crime, traffic, or overcrowding.

It is the absolute azzhole of Arizona, I wouldn't live in Phx if ya held a gun to my head, I don't know how people do it. A hot, miserable, green haze covered,sweltering, people choked hell hole of a city....did I mention how much I hate Phx?

I guess i shouldn't mention that for the last three years on sept 1 i have been at a county island in glendale which is part of the metro phoenix area for the thousands of dove that like to feed there. On a bad day, and shooting over your shoulder with a mirror, takes about five minutes to get a limit.
I live on the north side, mainly because i was born/raised in prescott and wanted quick access back there. saturday morning i drove up to the house in prescott, then to chino valley just north of there for a family gettogether barbeque/horses were trying to get in line for the food, then up to williams to scout for elk. In the phx metro area within a few hours driving time you can have any kind of land you want. mountains, desert, ocean, etc.
Most of the year it is real nice. The bad months are july august with the heat/humidity. You quickly learn the standard dress is shorts/t shirt/flip flops. If you look you can have horse property dead center in the city.
If you have the money, it is a could time for property as prices are way down from a couple of years ago.
I also might mention built in the arizona consitution is a provision about the right to firearms. It is in general a gun friendly state.

I will second everything that Rufus,Ron and KRP have said.

Phoenix metro is NOTHING like Los Angeles, thats probably the worst comparison I have heard yet.


Also Arizona is an open carry state as well as "constitutional carry" meaning no need for cocncealed carry permits.

It IS closer to Texas.

Texas has its drawbacks..... Pat being one of them

Wife's cousin lives close to Phoenix - she says it's pretty hot there.

Our former neighbors moved there a little over a year ago - they say it's pretty hot there.

Never been there myself, but I hear it's pretty hot there.