Carrie

My husband and I are thinking about moving to Arizona. I've heard that both Phoenix and Tucson are wonderful. Please tell me which would be a better place to live as far as high-tech employment, raising a family with young children, climate, etc. I'm going to visit both places soon, but I'd love to hear from people who live there, too.
Please help! Thanks

diane

Both Phoenix and Tucson are HOT, but Tucson is a little cooler because it's higher. When it's 110 in Phoenix in July, it may be only 102 in Tucson. It's hot for six months and then nice for six months, but I missed the change of seasons when I lived there--I missed the colors in the fall and the beautiful flowers (and end of winter) in the spring, but I also missed the occasional snow. Now I have humidity in the summer, but the other seasons make up for it. I was happy to leave Arizona. However, I was obviously in the minority because the stream of people was mostly going the other way. We lived in Tucson for three years and Phoenix for one. Tucson is quite a bit smaller and has something of the feel of a college town.

Shannon

I would vote for Phoenix. There are so many suburbs that are literally minutes from downtown Phx, that you can pick and choose the type of neighborhood, cost of living, etc. They vary from area to area. There is MUCH more to do in the PHX. area than in Tucson. Weather is about the same in both places - not enough of a difference to matter. There are endless employment opportunies in Phx, also. I would recommend checking out Fountain Hills, northern Glendale, Scottsdale, and east Mesa for some nice, livable areas. I have lived in the phx area myself for my whole life and wouldn't dream moving away. If you have any specific questions - please let me know.

Carrie

Thank you both for your input. I'm afraid that I would miss the change of seasons, too. As much as I hate the winters here (Chicago area), I love the fall. In order to convince me to move there, I was told I would "get used to it" referring to the heat and it wouldn't bother me after awhile. Did you find that to be true? I also read somewhere that most people leave Phoenix after about three years because of the heat, so it's probably the norm. Please tell me more about why you left. I'm having a hard time agreeing to move there in the first place. I still want to visit, but if I hear enough reasons not to move there, we'll start looking for somewhere else to go.

davej

I have lived in Phoenix for 30 years and I would advise that you look elsewhere. What used to be a great place to live has become a very large. overcrowded town. The weather is good for 6 months and very hot for 6 months, and you do not get used to it anymore than you get used to the winters in Chicago. Many people move out here looking for a new life, find that just moving to a new place does not make things better, and then move out after several years. Or they stay and bitch about the weather and how it is better "back home"

Carrie

That's what I've heard. I'd probably be one of those people leaving because of the heat. My husband really enjoys hiking, so the mountains and the southwest atmosphere, combined with the big city for jobs (he could transfer with his company) is what is motivating him.

Linda

You never get used to the heat, trust me. Phoenix is slightly better (city wise, job wise) then Tucson. Tucson is a hick town with little going for it except the University. Phoenix has more employment opportunities, but overall it's a "third world" state. If you have to choose take Phoenix, you will regret moving to Tucson in the long run. There is just nothing much there.

Brian

Well, Linda, I'll beg to differ.
I'm from Chicago originally and don't mind the PHX summers much at all.
Put it this way: in Chicago you get a cool, wet spring lasting 3 months, 3 months of reasonably warm weather, then a couple cool fall months before the nasty 4-5 month winter grind begins.
In PHX you get 4 months of really warm late May thru late September DAYS, and about 8 months of good to excellent weather, but even during the hot summer months the nights can be quite beautiful.

Of course it's NOT the heat that pushes people away in my opinion.
"davej" hit the nail right on the head. 10 of every 13 people who move to PHX leave within 3 years because most were seeking a place that would MAKE them happy. Happiness is not externally induced. It only comes from within. Heck I spent some great years in Wisconsin where the weather is horrid.
PHX makes me happ"ier", but it couldn't eliminate problems from my life.

Carrie: you sound as though you'd never really be content in Arizona because your heart would never be there. If you'd be moving to appease your spouse, you must recognize that and either come up with a 'compensation' plan which would allow you to get something in return for moving (for example, 3 times yearly trips back to Illinois or something), or not move there.

Abby

Hi,

My vote would be for Tucson (obviously I'm biased because I've lived here for five years and love it).

I love Tucson for its small-town feel, while there are still big city advantages (ballet, opera, spring training baseball, good shopping, great Mexican restaurants, fun country-western bars).

Although I don't have kids, I would say that this is a great town to raise them in culture wise, however, I've heard it said that schools in Tucson (and Arizona in general) are much worse than the rest of the country. That is not to say that there aren't some good schools around...but it would be important to find out.

As far as high-tech employment, what field are you interested in. Raytheon Missile systems employs about 10,000 engineers and other technical people. Plus there is alot of high-tech research at the University of Arizona here.

I don't mind the climate (being from Pennsylvania I don't miss shovelling snow). You can always go skiing up in the White Mountains if you need a snow fix. And since you said your husband is an outdoorsy-type, the hiking here is magnificent, and more importantly is only a short drive in any direction (you can be at wonderful hikes after just a 30 minute drive from the center of Tucson).

Finally, I've only visited Phoenix, never lived there, but from what I've seen, it seems to be an ever-expanding suburb that just doesn't have the small-town feel that Tucson still has to a certain extent.

Well, that's my two cents. Enjoy your visits to both and good luck with your decision.

Not saying

Frankly, you can do a lot better than Arizona. I grew up there, and I couldn't wait to get out.

The heat has been discussed, so I won't get into that. What hasn't been mentioned is the dreadful traffic, horrid sprawl, and general bleak appearance outside of the wealthiest areas. Most neighborhoods have no character at all -- spec houses every place you look, each with a matching strip mall. The major newspapers are jokes, and the culture is extremely conservative, so you'd better be mighty conservative or be prepared to pull your hair out. Phoenix, in my opinion, has about been ruined.

What would be better? Hard to say. But I'd think about New Mexico or North Carolina.

Just one opinion.

Sandy

I live in Scottsdale, near a major multi-use path which I use often. I can walk to restaurants and coffee shops, my fitness and tennis clubs are nearby, the community colleges are wonderful, and most of the year, the weather can't be beat. I would never live anywhere again where it snows or rains (I've lived in Calgary, Spokane, and Seattle). Flagstaff and Prescott, two cities with changing seasons, are only a couple of hours north of here (that's one of the reasons the Phoenix area might be preferable to the Tucson area). I would live just about anywhere in Scottsdale (it's safe, the schools are good, people maintain their properties, but it's more expensive than many of the other nearby cities). I don't care for Phoenix itself. As for some of the other nearby cities, I've heard some good things. There are nice homes and neighborhoods at reasonable prices. I would never want to commute to work though--the rush hours on the freeways are horrendous.

On the downside, the summers are hot and long (I leave for at least 2 months), and I haven't found a real sense of community here like there was in the other cities in which I've lived.

bj

Try 1-800-THIS-IS-NOT-A-FREAKING-RELO-FORUM

Give me a break...

Michelle

I am 24 and my husband is 29. We moved to PHX 2 years ago and have just moved to FLorida due to a job. We had no family there so I think that made the move difficult, but I loved the town. If you already know people there that will make the move easier. We lived just North of PHX (right near Scottsdale). I LOVED PHX, it was a city with a small town feel. There is a lot of employment opportunities (6th fastest growing city). The city has one of the best road systems I've seen (always an alt to highway). But there is no other reliable transportation except buses at this time. Most younger couples are chosing to live in Chandler or East Mesa, the commute to downtown PHX is about 45 min, but unless your job is there it's not a big deal. Cost of housing in CHandler is better. There is a lot to do, theatre, major sports teams, hiking, and within 5 hrs, Las Vegas, Sedona, San Diego. Never been to Tucson except to drive through, but I thought it looked old. When you go, check out housing areas in the St's, stay away from anything in the Avenues (ie 1st Ave). Coming from New England I definitely found the climate hard to get used to, but during the summer you just get used to being in AC. It's usually 100+ from May until September. Please e-mail if you would like to know more. We didn't have kids, the education is not highly rated in the country, but I had a lot of friends with kids who found the schools fine. Good luck!

Carrie

Thanks to all of you for your help. I'm very interested in seeing both places in Arizona. I can't really tell if I would want to live there or not, but I guess you really can't decide something like that without being there.

I have one more question - Is there a western atmosphere there? What I mean is do you see people with cowboy hats and boots walking around, or is that strictly a country bar thing? I've heard that it's "southwestern" but I'm not sure what that means.

Sandy

Neither Phoenix nor Tucson has what I would consider a "western" feel. These are both large cities, Phoenix especially. People dress business-casual for work and casual for other activities. I'm not sure what "southwestern" means either. I would associate that expression more with Santa Fe, maybe.

Linda

Both Phoenix and Tucson are great cities. I've lived in both and, personally, would choose Tucson over Phoenix. But that's me. I love the climate, especially Tucson. (Phoenix is more humid and 110 plus humidity can be terrible). And Phoenix is really cosmopolitan, a large city with all the amenities that a large city can give. But the really great thing about Tucson is that, although it grows, it never really seems to "grow up". It's kind of like a frontier town that really doesn't want to change. I feel that it has much more of a family feel about it. And I differ with those who say there isn't anything to do. There is always something going on. (And, no, except during El Dorado days, you won't find most people walking around with cowboy boots and lassos, any more than in any other western city.) Have fun on your discovery trips. And keep an open mind--I think you'll find that one city or the other fits your needs and wants wonderfully.

Shannon

Carrie -

I'm not too sure about Tucson, but you won't see too many people with cowboy hats and boots in Phoenix. You'll see them occassionaly, but few and far between. Phoenix is a very diverse city because people move their from all over the country. You will see business types, students, cowboys, mod types, sophisticates, and much more!

Kameha

There will always be a war between those that choose Tucson and those who choose Phoenix. OK, it's hot! The winters are grand. There are places with real weather close by - decent skiing in the White Mountains. Several areas to go to for Fall colors, too. No place is perfect, but Tucson is very lovely. Surrounded by mountains with a trip to Mt. Lemmon and evergreen trees (feels like Colorado) less than an hour. Some great outdoor activities. Summer can be brutal, but that's true for many places that have horrendous humidity, or places that have bone chilling, snow filled winters. My pick, of course I'm biased, is Tucson. Beg to differ with the person who seems to think Tucsonans are "hicks". Give them both a try and see what you think.

gwen

From another perspective, I've had a number of good friends leave Chicago becuase there is so little real wilderness anywhere nearby compared to other areas...and fairly flat...so if you can't settle on Phoenix or Tucson, might consider a city like Boulder, CO, which I think has a high-tech industry now...or Seattle, which has some city amenities of Chicago, but also great wilderness nearby...

Carrie

We were actually talking about Boulder, CO at one time. After living in the Chicago area and dealing with all the winters, I wanted to move somewhere that didn't have snow.

Thanks for all the information!