Phoenix is one of the places I'm thinking of moving to. The "Places Rated" book raved about Phoenix, saying the crime rate is low, the cost of living is low, great job outlook, and basically it's the #5 best place to live in the U.S.

What is it like to live in the area? Not actually in Phoenix, but in the surrounding areas, up to about 30 miles away. What are the smaller towns like (pop. 30,000 or less)?

I'm interested in hearing about the scenery, the weather, the general atmosphere, etc. Is it laid back and casual or hectic and crowded?

I've heard that Phoenix is really a mixture of people from everywhere else. Is there anything about living there that really makes it unique from anywhere else?

I'm from the Chicago area, so any comparisons would be helpful.

Thank you!

I've moved to PHX 3 times during the past 20 years, and was originally from Chicago. You're asking 2 rather distinct questions here: what's PHX like and what are the surrounding areas like. The city does NOT have a low overall crime rate, but as with all large cities there are better and worse parts. More than 75% of people who move to PHX leave within 3 years. Lots of reasons. Some can't take the summer heat. Some think it's truly ugly (the desert has its own unique beauty). Some don't like the lack of cohesion in neighborhoods due to all the people moving in and out so quickly. Commutes are pretty bad for many people. The metro area is now as wide as the distance from Chicago Heights to Kenosha.
People that stay tend to love the outdoors, value the 330 days of sunshine each year, like 'desert beauty', don't mind doing without grass and lots of verdant trees, don't mind the lack of real seasons, and don't need an overabundance of culture.
By all means, before you move, spend a little time out there, maybe even during summer...drive a typical commute if that's a consideration.
As for the surrounding areas, if you go far enough north you can have almost the best of all worlds...less summer heat, more green, less traffic, smaller town 'feel', low crime, etc etc.

If you like 109 degree heat in May, Phoenix is the place for you. Also, many people like Phoenix because they don't have any grass to cut, unless they are very rich, in which case they hire it done. You don't have to worry about raking leaves either, because there are no trees. And if you like a sun tan, you can burn to a crisp in about 3 hours in Phoenix. Lovely place.

I have lived in Phoenix all my life and love it, except for the traffic and the fact it has grown so much since WWII. If you are still working, I think the career opportunities are terrific, but it you are not, it would be nice to live in a smaller town. I always recommend Wickenburg, a little town about an hour west of Phoenix. It has wonderful areas, casual, safe feeling. The little shops are really nice and they have a good amount of cultural activities going on. Of course, it is hot for at least five months a year and you might want to rent for a year to see if you like the heat. It would be ideal if you could have a summer home in Illinois. We are used to the heat, as you are probably used to the snow...it "ain't" fun, but could be worse. There are also numerous small towns in Northern AZ. and NE Arizona. They will have cold winters and cooler summers(but still hot) than Phoenix. The thing is that the Phoenix area does not cool down, at all, at night during summer, but it is so nice to be able to open up the house all spring and fall and some days in winter. You will just have to weigh the pros and cons and come out and try it.

There are no small towns in the phoenix area. Wickenburg, mentioned above, is near the NW Phoenix area, but is too far away from most places in town to commute. Casa Grande is not too bad if you work in the SE valley.

If you are a Cub fan, you might want to be in or near Mesa, where they hold spring training