Bonneville America Forums Forums Off Topic Discussion Forums Lounge Way OT: Phoenix, Arizona

There is an opening in my company for a job I really really want bad. The problem is, I would have to relocate to the Phoenix area (Avondale). I've never been to Phoenix, so I have very little knowledge about the area. I know there are some people here from AZ, so I'm hoping to get some insight. Other than "it's hot", what are some pros/cons about the area? Schools, crime, taxes, etc. Is it a good place to raise 2 young boys? Thanks.

But its a dry heat! No snow! Great traffic system. Dwight lives close by. Cost of living will be less in the area of property taxes. Sales and income tax are about 11% total.

Your State has a ranking of 6th for best high schools where Arizona is around 23rd.

and did I already say its a dry heat?

And Scott...and now that that little self-deprecating joke is out of the way ...I wish I could be of some help here, but I've never lived down Phoenix way. I know a little about the area but not all that much, as Judie and I moved from SoCal to Prescott which is about 90 miles northwest of Phoenix, and as you probably know, we've now just moved to Sedona which is about 120 north of Phoenix.

Right off the top of head I remember that "mailman" lives in that area, but he seldom visits BA.com much anymore.

Hopefully someone with some experience in living in "The Valley of the Sun" will pipe up and tell ya what you're after. I DO know that like most large cities, there are "good areas" and there are "bad areas" down there.

And yeah, like Ron said, it DOES get pretty warm, okay, pretty darn HOT during the summer months, but the other three months out of the year are VERY comfortable and temperate.

(...and anyway, during the summer is when you'd be headed my way and up in elevation to escape that heat)

I know several people that have lived in Phoenix many years. They all love it. Lots to see and do and fairly easy to get around in compared to other SW large cities.
They also had kids go through the school system, but felt it is a bit lacking in quality in that area.
I don't want to start aPC argument, but I have been told the biggest school issue is the number of illegals attending and the amount of PC crap the schools have to follow can be a distraction in some school districts.
And it is HOT, did anyone mention that? There is big $$$ in selling ice for swimming pool parties.
But it's a dry heat

I spent 4 months in 2010 working in Phoenix. It is a very modern city with everything from Museums to Markets just like the north. The traffic system works well and housing is pretty darn cheap compared to the north. You ride your motorcycle 9 months a year, a plus over the north. 3 months you cant ride because the chrome will melt off to a puddle under the bike and your brain will boil in 11 seconds.

The cons are illegal immigration and the disruption in the schools as mentioned above. For that teaching to the lower 1/3 to ensure everybody learns something pulls the ranking for the schools to 23rd in the nation.

After a while you get tired of brown. Yards generally don't grow without huge investments in watering so most have rock yards or desertscaped yards. Saguaro Cactus are cute when you first get there and at least they are green to help the palm trees provide some decoration.

Air conditioning 7 months a year running on high gets major pricey and folks go through those 5 ton rooftop Heat pumps on a regular basis. But you won't spend money heating the house.

If I had a job I really wanted, I would surely move there. Not being into ice and snow coming from Philadelphia, if I were you I would not just go there, I would run there. I hate ice and snow. As Dwight said, in an hour you go up in elevation a few thousand feet and down in temperature by 20 degrees.

Oh! If you like the west coast you are only a day drive away.

It's harder for dead people to vote there also.

Thanks guys. Have to decide if the job, cost of living, and the weather outweigh the illegal immigrants and subpar schools.

If you like Rock n Roll and baseball there is this in Phoenix... Alice Cooperstown

Schools are what your kids make out of them. I brought mine when they were small to Texas. It was like the year in review. My kids teachers thought they were genius material.

Anyhow, my daughter is a Pharmacist and my son got his degree and works a good job at Allstate Insurance. They have accelerated classes for kids whose parents actually read to them, make them do homework, and care about learning.

An obsolete form of parenting I know but some still do it.

Remember, being 23rd makes them still in the top 1/2

Yep Brent, Alice is quite the Hometown Boy here in AZ. He also has a nightly DJ radio show on the classic rock stations around here...in northern AZ it's broadcast on KWMX 96.7FM aka "The Wolf" out of Williams AZ, the railhead for the Grand Canyon Railway.

(...yeah yeah, I know...what color is their studio painted, huh!)

Ya know Ron, I was thinking the very same thing. It seems in too many cases nowadays, parents believe "it's solely the responsibilty of the schools to teach their kids".

(...yep...good post there, ol' buddy!)

Avondale was a cow pasture when I first went to Phoenix, but it has grown up a ton. They have In and Out burger which is a huge plus. I believe that charter schools are pretty popular to combat what everyone has said about the public schools.

I believe Phoenix still leads the nation (Florida close if not tied) in foreclosures, so it a buyer's market, no question.


It is a love hate kind of place. Lotsa concrete and lotsa brown, but beautiful mountains, Northern AZ, Grand Canyon, West Coast all within reach.

One con would be that it might be harder for you to organize the Midwest Rally from AZ.

I flew from Denver to Phoenix in the mid-90s for a job interview. I'm kinda glad I didn't get it. I don't mind seasons and I like trees on my mountains. Actually I like mountains on my mountains, too.

Well, the Arizona NL baseball knows how to win when it counts, plus you have spring training to appreciate.

Plus: No having to mow your lawn or rake leaves.

Minus: The airport shuts down when it's over 120 degrees.