Posted on 03/15/2014 7:23:40 PM PDT by Ghost of SVR4
So I am thinking seriously about moving to Phoenix. I have lots of job opportunities out there but am at a loss of the topology as of current. I have a friend out there in Maricopa and he loves it. I will have to rent to start off so I am looking for decent rent for a 3 bdr. Looking for a quiet place or as quiet as I can get it. I currently commute an hour one way. So long as I can keep that, I am open to quite a bit of travel I believe. Also, and this may sound lame, but can I do home garden's out there? Is it simply too hot? What about water? (I'm looking at this from a SHTF perspective as I am accustomed to my area now and its abundance and ease.).
Any input would help...thanks!
True, in the summer if power is lost and doesn't come back you die from heat and thirst -- your choice.
OTOH, here where I am in eastern Washington State it can be 110F in the summer, but I can walk one mile to the cool and fairly clean Columbia River and will not die of heat or thirst anytime soon.
“Unlicensed open and concealed carry is legal.”
I was waiting for a gun post, and that’s all i needed to know. Besides, I don’t get why people are bitching about the heat. I’m ex-canadian. God knows you never see the sun for 9 months from my former province growing up so seeing the sun in January is a plus for me.
Just like in DC, choose in the northwest quadrant. Or, plan to commute from someplace outside the city.
The valley is sonoran desert. Lots of sun but nothing grows without irrigation other than desert plants.
If you buy horse property or some acreage in the fringes you can grow citrus and other items but be prepared for a lot of work and little profit unless you quit your day job. Gardening is okay for showy stuff, but other than a few citrus trees that is all you are likely to do. Roses do better than you would expect.
Find a job first and then rent in an area you like in that segment of town. Be prepared to not understand that all the little cookie cutter subdivisions all look the same but some may have a lot of problems while others don’t.
I have guys that work for me that love the east valley, or Cave Creek, or Chandler, Surprise, Peoria or Buckeye but they are all 35 miles apart.
Sounds like you’re talking about Indian School and 51st Ave. They nearly killed my business in ‘74.
I would not willingly choose to live in an oven, even for 4 mouths out if the year.
I would agree. Make sure of your water rights if you plan to irrigate or have a yard or garden. Especially if you have horses, for example. Further out in the desert the wildlife will be coming to partake of your pool, so make sure it's properly fenced or it will be party time at the watering hole every night. In the more urban areas the heat island is severe, not to mention the subtropical conditions in late summer and the pollen from the non-native plants in the landscaping. Plan to have an escape to the cool. As far as SHTF all of the western desert cities are completely unsustainable at the current population levels if there is any significant breakdown in technology.
I’ve lived in several different areas of this country and I always end up back in Eastern Washington. Winter temps are a bit brutal for my taste but the spring, summer, and fall are very enjoyable. I just wish some of the East side mentality would seep into the West side of the state.
I lived in Tucson for 8 years and loved it, I would go back in a heartbeat. It is 10 degrees cooler that Phx on the real hot days and always less humid. It is a dry heat and yes there is a difference.
Yes you can garden, just build above with R?R ties and get soil etc to have raised beds. Careful of direct all day sun, but it is sunny most days even during monsoon season. Rain and humidity rolls in in the afternoons, pours like hell and then goes. You feel the heat when it gets humid.
Phoenix (pronounced “Pee-nis”) has a marvelous invention if you have accommodations with it: the swamp cooler. From April to the end of the first week of July, the air is so dry that a swamp cooler can cool your place down close to chill for about a quarter of the cost of a/c. But when you need a/c you have to have it.
Do ask around about restaurants, because Phoenix metro, all 16,573 square miles of it, has an enormous assortment of restaurants.
Lots of people have guns here, open carry and concealed without licenses, so there really isn’t a whole lot of crime. Demographically, only 4% of the people in Arizona are black, so don’t be surprised at their absence.
The only real segregation is in retirement communities that want to stay that way, so while young people can visit, they aren’t encouraged to move in.
WOW! I’ve been looking for someone to catch me up on Western PA! I haven’t been there in a few years...I’m very familiar with P’burgh, Washington, and points South. Almost forgot Port Vue-never saw so many fat (and very friendly) chicks in my life!
Grand-daughter lived in Monessen-what a s**thole! Is it still that way? BTW, Frances McDormand grew up there...
I’d appreciate any updates!
During the summer you will want to open a window, perhaps two or three to get a little breeze.
There's nothing to rent in Tuscany.......Jerry.
With Obama's threat to make electricity more and more expensive for us proletarians, factor those costs into your decision. Also think about what might happen if the electric grid should go down for a prolonged time due to sabotage, attack or ??? The S.W. is naurally a desert and also is in a serious drought. No one knows how long it will last.
Oh the wit on FR!
You did not tell us where your prospective employment was to be. That can make all the difference. We moved to Phoenix 40 years ago. When we bought our second house, my primary requirement be that it was within 15 drive of work. My wife managed to find a place and we have lived in Glendale in the same home for over 33 years.
You also did not talk about kids. School quality varies in the valley. For instance, on the west side I would suggest Peoria over Phoenix for school districts.
A lot of coworkers grow tomatoes. We grew okra for a couple of years. One of my friends kept a compost heap and did normal truck gardening. You might have to spend some effort on the soil composition. It can be pretty lousy.
Unlicensed open and concealed carry is legal.
What else do you need to know?
-=o=-
Spanish
Me too. Just south of Tucson. This summer!
50 year Mesa, AZ resident here.
If you are thinking of the suburbs and not Phoenix proper I would say look to the East Valley: Tempe is ASU & Liberal. south Tempe is ok. Mesa is conservative but slowly changing, Gilbert is pretty nice and very conservative (Mormons) Chandler is pretty good, not as conservative as Gilbert.
Ahwatukee is considered a part of the East Valley it is within the Phoenix city limits but separated from the rest of Phoenix by South Mountain. It’s pretty nice, tends to be conservative.
South, Central, East and West Phoenix, Glendale, Peoria and generally the west side of the metro area seem to have a high number of drive by shootings. It is a lot of railroad yards, tank farms, industrial plants, etc. The East Valley is more soft industry; Semi-conductor and light manufacturing.
North Phoenix is nice. Paradise Valley is very nice, Scottsdale north of Indian School Rd. is nice, especially far north Scottsdale. Fountain Hills is about 15 miles NE of the metro area but it’s nice because it’s removed from all the hub bub. Buckeye about 20 miles to the SW of Phoenix is new, growing and nice. Queen Creek and San Tan Valley are the new, growing areas in the far SE metro area but the infrastructure has not caught up with the growth there yet.
If you consider Mesa I would advise staying east of Gilbert Rd and north of University Dr. There are some very nice areas in NE Mesa. Living there would mean about a 1/2 hour commute to downtown Phoenix for your reference.
The weather is very, very nice for about 9 months out of the year and hot as hell for about 100 days.
Big city, lots to do. All four big pro sports, spring training, cultural activities and events, etc.
Message me with any more questions.
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