Life in Phoenix

[Thythe]

Feel free to refer me to the QLC boards, but I've heard it before, believe me. So I'm in the position to accept either a job in Chicago or a job in Phoenix. Here's the pros and cons by factor:

Location: I'm used to Chicago (also lived in Minnesota for 20 years). Phoenix would be a big change.
Job Type: Similar type jobs in both, more stability and upward movement at the job in Phoenix.
Salary: About 30% more in the job at Phoenix. Hours are the same at both.
People: I know no one in Phoenix and will know at least a few people in Chicago.

Anyone from Phoenix and can comment on life there? I have 36 hours to decide.

[Alobar]

[ QUOTE ]
Feel free to refer me to the QLC boards, but I've heard it before, believe me. So I'm in the position to accept either a job in Chicago or a job in Phoenix. Here's the pros and cons by factor:

Location: I'm used to Chicago (also lived in Minnesota for 20 years). Phoenix would be a big change.
Job Type: Similar type jobs in both, more stability and upward movement at the job in Phoenix.
Salary: About 30% more in the job at Phoenix. Hours are the same at both.
People: I know no one in Phoenix and will know at least a few people in Chicago.

Anyone from Phoenix and can comment on life there? I have 36 hours to decide.

[/ QUOTE ]

If you are making 30% more in phoenix, its going to be at least double that, because the cost of living out here is cheap as hell.

There are 3 hot months out of the year, the entire rest of the year is so nice it isnt even funny. When its sub zero and blowing snowin chicago, you will be walking around in flip flops and shorts out here. Im not even kidding, in jan and feb its not uncommon for the temps to be in the 70s.

There are also quite a few posters who live out here, no one has organized any sort of get together, but there is at least people out here you share a common interest with.

Also, the women out here are jaw dropping, and the fact that its nice all year and hot in the summer, means they are always wearing incredibly skimpy clothes.

[kerssens]

you, sir, make a very persuasive argument. I'm moving to Phoenix tomorrow! Actually, I've been looking around various areas because I want to try living in a place that's not Seattle for a little bit. My choices are Chicago, Denver and Phoenix recently entered into consideration.

[SuitedSixes]

I live in Tucson (100 miles away), but have spent time in Phoenix. The previous poster was right. You are going to have 3 months when the weather sucks, but you learn to deal with it, what you can and can't do during the day. But the rest of the time you will just laugh when you look at weather across the country.

Phoenix is very much of a big city, so you are not going to miss out on anything from a cultural and entertainment standpoint. The women are hot and wear less clothes for more months than most other places.

There are several casinos with good poker selection (no NL, though).

[Alobar]

[ QUOTE ]

There are several casinos with good poker selection (no NL, though).

[/ QUOTE ]

oh yeah! I forgot to add that. God bless those indians!

[mmbt0ne]

You know that itch you can get to play golf around February 15th? Well, now you just get up from beside the pool, grab your clubs, and go play.

[Deathbear]

Move to Phoenix and join the rest of us. Real estate has been fairly cheap compared to most of the country though prices where I live have jumped up about 30% in the last 12 months. I wish I was a homeowner, ugh.

[blindu]

life in phoenix (or at least a suburb)

terrible.

msn.com rated the most depressing and energetic cities in the U.S. phoenix is 7'th for most depressing.

that pretty much sums it up. the only good part of this town is the suns. and that, only now.

arizona is good if...your 68...live 9 months of the year in the east coast..and drop by from december to february every year in your retirement.

other than that, its easily chicago.

[jrobb83]

I'll echo what Alobar said about the money issue. If you are making more nominally in Phoenix then your real income will be substantially higher than this, because the cost of living is much lower. Combined with the greater stability and upward movement in the Phoenix job the difference is fairly large.

The weather does suck for 3 months, but it only truly sucks during the day, and a/c is so prevalent it only really truly sucks in the car on the way home from work. The rest of the year wealthy people pay ridiculous amounts of money to come here play golf and lie by pools.

Also a variety of live poker available, a 5.5 hour drive to Vegas, about the same to L.A., and boating, hiking, and skiing all within 2 hours driving.

[ChoicestHops]

I would go with Arizona. Bar life with ASU college chicks, and cheap cost of living.

[NoChance]

I have lived in MN for the past 8 years. Before that it was WI my entire life. I too am being relocated to AZ. I will be in Chandler. My move date is August 8th.

[jcx]

Phoenix is a great place to live. While not the absolute steal it was 10 years ago, housing is still reasonable (you can get a nice house for $250-275K, less if you are willing to live in a far flung suburb).

If you are into outdoor activities, the opportunities are endless. Hiking, mountain biking, water sports (There are lots of lakes nearby) and of course golf (over 300 courses in Maricopa county).

I enjoy the summer heat. As long as your new job is not pounding nails on a roof, you shouldn't mind it too much. It's great after the sun goes down - nice and dry. And you can sit outside in the summertime at night and not get eaten alive by mosquitos. If you golf, you can golf $200 courses for 1/4th that in the summer - just get an early tee time (sun comes up at 5am here in middle of summer). Flagstaff, less than 3 hours away offers 7K foot altitudes and a reprieve from the heat in summer (and skiing in winter).

Culturally this town is not in the same league as Chicago. But it has come a long way and isn't the cowtown people make it out to be. There are many fine restaurants in PHX and Scottsdale, and plenty of nightlife.

Good luck whatever you choose.

[Patrick del Poker Grande]

I didn't take the time to read all the replies, so maybe I'm being repetitive, but here's my take:

Phoenix blows huge chunky assballs. It's brown, it's hot and dry, and it's just... it sucks. The cost of living will be much lower in Phoenix than in Chicago, but with the way it's blowing up right now, I'd imagine the COL is going up (as is the traffic - but we all know what Chicago's like there). The 30% more you'll be making there will effectively be a noticeable amount more than that because of this. If you like it so hot you can't walk outside longer than it takes to get to your mailbox and back and you can handle the ocassional dust storm (probably about as fun as a Chicago blizzard, but with no snowball-related fun), then Phoenix may be for you. Your extra income will go towards huge A/C usage (instead of heat in Chicago). If you're not sure, I'd tend to err on the side of hating it there. I sure as hell did.

Also, what kind of city do you like? Chicago's a proper city, whereas Phoenix is a sprawl.

All that said, there are a ton of good looking women hanging around ASU and there are a few decent places to go out in that area. I'm not sure how old you are or if you care about that.

[istewart]

Living out west is for noobs.

[shayneon]

I moved to Phoenix from Milwaukee 4 years ago and I am here to stay. Great weather, beautiful ladies, wonderful mountain and desert scenery - If you like to do anything outdoors move now. Yeah the weather sucks for a few months in the summer, but sucks for a few months everywhere. What would you rather do during the bad time of year - lay by the pool or drive in a snowstorm? As an added bonus - if you buy a house anywhere in the valley now, you aren't going to believe how much you can sell it for in a couple years.

[tek]

Tucson--biggest group of crooks in one city ever, not to mention mexican drug users and dealers-a-plenty (and I mean that in a -EV way).

Phoenix--big sprawl, crime growing pollution and drug dealers and users who don't like the hot weather in Tucson.

[Thythe]

Thanks for all the advice. It's a tough choice. I really love the midwest, especially Chicago, but I have huge debt from college and making a lot more a year would really help.

[FeliciaLee]

I live in northern Arizona, about three hours from Phoenix.

I don't think I could live in Phx, but given the choice between Phx and Chicago, I'd choose Phx every time.

You could make enough money to pay off your student loan in no time, if you invest in real estate. I just can't believe the jump out here. Our house has already doubled in value and we just moved here in Sept 2003.

If you are willing to drive, you can buy a house at a higher elevation than Phx, and avoid some of the intense heat. We are at 2800 Ft. and don't have nearly the heat that Phx has.

If you want more of my opinion, please feel free to PM me. Everyone else has pretty much said the same thing, though, so you are being told the truth. It's not the greatest city, but it is far from the worst.

Felicia /images/graemlins/smile.gif
www.felicialee.net (http://www.felicialee.net)

[jackdaniels]

The west is the best baby!

[meep_42]

Someone here hook me up with a job in PHX!

(BA in Economics, BA Psychology - looking business/analyst positions, but i'll take anything with a career path. :P )

-d

[Alobar]

[ QUOTE ]
drug dealers and users who don't like the hot weather in Tucson.

[/ QUOTE ]

that would make more sense if phoenix wasnt actually hotter than Tuscon.

I admit, Tuscon is a giant [censored] hole, and I wouldnt want to live there. Phoenix is nothing like Tuscon tho.

[Bulldog]

I lived in Phoenix for a year and loved it. Weather is excellent (yes, 110-120 midday in peak of summer is hot like an oven) but most people work during the day. 85 at night in the summer, 70 during the day in the winter, sometimes 50s-60s at night in the winter allows for all sorts of outdoor activities. I played bball at one of several local parks almost every night.

There is a great nightlife downtown, and on Mill Avenue in Tempe with the ASU crowd. Traffic can be bad but nothing like an LA or a Boston (or Chicago, I presume). Your money will go farther in PHX.

Trump card: women with bodies made for shorts and tank tops all year round.

[groo]

The only down side I find to Phoenix is the excessive heat in the summer, but even that has it's upsides:

1) It keeps all the intelligent people off the golf course midday, which means 2 hr rounds for me /images/graemlins/smile.gif

2) When you walk down the middle of the street in 115 degree heat and inhale through your nose, you won't need to trim your nose hair for a couple of months /images/graemlins/smile.gif

Seriously though, You'll be inside inthe A/C all day, you'll be outside in the heat for less than 5 minutes most days. And you'll love talking to people in Chicago when they tell you it's 50 below with the wind chill there, and then ask how the weather is here, as you sit on a lawn chair in the back yard wearing shorts and a t-shirt.

[Thythe]

I like to drudge up all old threads! I'm in Phoenix now (very northern side), am 22 years old, and am looking for things to do. Any fun home games? I'm far from downtown, how do you get away with somehow getting there, getting drunk, and getting back? Taking a cab I assume, but that seems expensive. PM me if you play in any home games or go out to Casino Arizona or for any other Phoenix related reasons. By the way, thanks for all the help everyone.

[tdarko]

man this thread has me reminiscing of when i went to school at ASU. /images/graemlins/cool.gif

[tdarko]

there is a great japanese restaraunt (not pf changs) at fashion square mall, great food and slutty gorgeous hostesses and waitresses. they have a nice bar there too i can't remember the name of it but its where the parking garage is.

there are tons of places to go. this fall after the football games fumbles is a good bar to go to, its right next to sun devil stadium. i was just in that area last feb for spring training and i still think scottsdale is one of the best places to be when it comes to women and nightlife.

[Luv2DriveTT]

Phoenix, and is not even close. I have two words for you...


CASINO ARIZONA

TT /images/graemlins/club.gif

[Alobar]

dude, PM me, we can go to casino AZ and get all [censored] up and wreak havoc on the 2/4 game!! /images/graemlins/smile.gif

[rusellmj]

I grew up in AZ. You can't beat AZ for immediate access to the outdoors if that's your thing. You can even get that sh!tty chicago style pizza if you want.

[The Glove]

The name of the bar/restaurant is Kona Grill. It's a big chain and the food is avg, not great IMO. Regarding the slutty and gorgeous hostesses, waitresses and customers, I definitely agree.

GP

[DasLeben]

I live in Prescott, AZ, which is about an hour and a half drive to the north of Phoenix. I've never lived in Phoenix, but I've spent a good amount of time there.

The city itself is very nice about 9 months out of the year like everyone has been saying. The only issue is that for 3 months out of the year, you'll be running your air conditioner non-stop. I was down there last Saturday, and it was 115F out at about 2pm. Fun. The perk to this, however: Many many desert bunnies running around in skimpy clothing. Man, I should move to Phoenix. /images/graemlins/tongue.gif

Wow, I didn't realize how old this thread was. [censored] it.

[The Glove]

I'm in north-north Phoenix too. I don't know of any fun home games (the ones I do know of are rare and boring). As far as getting to Casino AZ is concerned, it's definitely not easy or advisable if you're wasted. This city is so damned spread out and the cabs suck.

Unfortunately, this post did not solve anything.

GP

[Alobar]

I'd be down for hosting a home game at my house. Then everyone can get trashed to their little hearts content without having to worry about getting home from the casino. I know there is at least a dozen of us who live out here

[jrobb83]

I'd be down for a phx 2+2 home game, but only if we played all sorts of crazy games like 2-7 TD and crazy fox. Maxpowers21 (see my avatar) would also probably be down.

BTW, does Casino AZ really do 2/4 now? When I was there the lowest was 3/6.

[maxpowers21]

I would most certianly be down for it. Although i would probably go broke playing a 3-6 twoplustwo homegame in the long run /images/graemlins/frown.gif.

[Thythe]

Yeah I'm definitely in. Getting a regular rotating home game or something like that would be awesome.

[maxpowers21]

thats 4 so far, who else is game?

[Sponger15SB]

[ QUOTE ]
Seriously though, You'll be inside inthe A/C all day, you'll be outside in the heat for less than 5 minutes most days.

[/ QUOTE ]

That sounds awesome!

[Femto]

[ QUOTE ]
Tucson--biggest group of crooks in one city ever, not to mention mexican drug users and dealers-a-plenty (and I mean that in a -EV way).

Phoenix--big sprawl, crime growing pollution and drug dealers and users who don't like the hot weather in Tucson.

[/ QUOTE ]

somebody needs a hug. but seriously, you're saying its hotter in tucson?? it is routinely 10 degrees hotter in phx... you never read about the windshields exploding?

anyways, tucson isn't so bad. but most people who move here from somewhere else hate it. it has way more culture than phoenix, way better food, and a so-so nightlife. it grows on you, but not for the first 5 years you'll live here.

phoenix isn't so great. i never grew up in a big highway city, so i hate the driving. some of the suburbs are nice though... and downtown is home of the best pizza joint in the country. and thats not just my opinion, its everybody's. open any pizza book and they will mention bianco's in phoenix.

[Alobar]

[ QUOTE ]
I'd be down for a phx 2+2 home game, but only if we played all sorts of crazy games like 2-7 TD and crazy fox. Maxpowers21 (see my avatar) would also probably be down.

BTW, does Casino AZ really do 2/4 now? When I was there the lowest was 3/6.

[/ QUOTE ]

Man I know all kinds of crazy pimp poker games. [censored] like pass the trash, california challenge, all kinds of good stuff /images/graemlins/smile.gif

I played a tuesday night tourny at casino AZ earlier in the month, and they were indeed spreading 2/4. Dunno if its a regular ocurance, as I usually dont play there.

[Thythe]

Cross posted in B&M:
I figure this is a good thread to propose some Arizona meetings for 2+2ers. Specifically some meetings at CA and a home game. Another Phoenix poster and I are trying to get a home game together for this coming Saturday (August 6th). It wouldn't be for high stakes and would mostly be to just meet other area 2+2ers, play some poker, drink, etc. PM me or post here if interested.

[Alobar]

[ QUOTE ]
Cross posted in B&M:
I figure this is a good thread to propose some Arizona meetings for 2+2ers. Specifically some meetings at CA and a home game. Another Phoenix poster and I are trying to get a home game together for this coming Saturday (August 6th). It wouldn't be for high stakes and would mostly be to just meet other area 2+2ers, play some poker, drink, etc. PM me or post here if interested.

[/ QUOTE ]

*bump* cuz I be there