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Recent grad from U-Md looking for a job in finance .... comes out to visit and interview
seemed to have mixed thoughts at first on the weather
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During my visit to Phoenix, I did think it was hot and locals looked at me as if I had two heads. The mid 90 degree temperatures actually were not much of an issue at all for me, but the sheer intensity of the sun and the temperature inside of my car was something I never experienced in New York, even in July. I actually thought the temperature in the shade was extremely pleasant as well as the nights.
however - the grass is always greener
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Cold is when I got off the plane in New York at night, wearing a t-shirt and shorts, and it was 48 degrees with a 25 mph wind. I can't wait to get back to Phoenix.
but maybe it wasn't that bad (btw - phoenix is often the sweatist city in the nation - it just evaporates off a little easier in this climate, the whole air moving towards equilibrium thing.....)
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I was in a suit all day last week in Phoenix for job interviews, my first time ever in Phoenix. Despite the fact it was 94 degrees, I hardly sweat at all. It didn't feel normal, especially coming from New York, where I would sweat in a suit when it is 75. Especially, being in the shade, it really was not that bad. I was warned, however, wait until it is 112.
still more initial warning signs that this place doesn't fit you
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Just out of nowhere, it seemed I was in a nice area in North Phoenix than Van Buren. I had heard South Phoenix was rough, but I thought Van Buren was central Phoenix. I decided to head north as soon as I could, and 10 minutes later I was in Padadise Valley, lol.
I also agree, in terms of the airport, I landed late at night, and pulled over into a deserted parking lot on 24th street. A guy came over to me, and asked if I was here for the girl ($100). Apparently, there was prostitution going on right there, and I got out of the area as fast as possible. Overall, I was in for quite a surprise. I felt very unsafe at times, at the areas I mentioned, and I am from New York city orginially .............. Is it just me, but I also felt like the freeways were a deathtrap
even knew all about our downtown
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While I am eager to move to Phoenix from New York for a myriad of reasons (cost of living, warmer, sunnier weather, friendlier people, and more laid back style of life) ......... Like I said, I loved the Phoenix metro area, but I am not moving there for the downtown nor would claim that its downtown is more unique than any other cities. It actually reminded me of Los Angeles' downtown, which is not a particularly good thing, even though I love Los Angeles. Honestly, when I was there for my first time, I was driving on I-10 past downtown Phoenix, and I guess I was looking northward for a second, and by the time I turned my head I realized I missed the entire downtown.
hey - at least you grabbed that job
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Just got a position in finance today and moving out there June 18, can't wait. What lured me to Arizona away from the east coast, was the fact that rent was about half the costs for a much nicer place to live. Grad school is another issue, and ASU offers a great program for me at half the cost of east coast cities. For my profession, entry-level finance, I did not notice wages to be much lower, maybe 5k, but with the costs of living it was more than offset (that could change as I move higher up though). I wanted to be in a large and growing city, in a warm (hot) and sunny climate, with friendlier people, where I could actually afford to live, and Phoenix seemed to offer exactly what I was looking for.
I would love to see more people my age move down here, and when I tell my friends back home they all think it is too good to be true. The grass always does seem to be greener on the other side, but for a young professional, who wants to live affordably (and not forced to pay half their salary/live cramped in a box), Phoenix (area) is a great deal
then these are the posts I vividly remember - after you moved here and proclaimed that the weather really wasn't that bad
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I moved out here last Monday from New York, and compared to past data, this looks about as bad as it gets, and honestly it's nowhere near as bad as I imagined. I was at the pool all day yesterday, and while it felt hot, I couldn't believe it was 115. It had been 97 in New York two weeks ago and humid, and that felt worse. Today it was 109, and that didn't even feel bad at all. Granted the humidity has been extrememly low, around 2-6%, but will it feel a lot worse when the humidity is 20% as it gets late July??? If this is as bad as it gets, I think I will be fine, and I felt Miami was more uncomfortable.
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Been here since Monday from the northeast, and all I can say is, is that it? Has it really been 112 or higher these past seven days, sure didn't feel nearly as bad as everyone tried to scare me into believing. A 100 degree night here is more comfortable than an 80 degree Florida night
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I just moved here from New York to Tempe last week and am 23, similar to you. So far, I like it a lot, there are tons of young people here from all over, so you will feel as if a lot of people are in your shoes. The nightlife in Tempe and Scottsdale seems good too. The cost of living is much less than New York, which is a big reason why I moved here. It has been 112-115 every day so far, and it is nowhere near as bad as I thought. A 110 degree day here feels like a 95 degree day in New York, or a 90 degree day in Miami; uncomfortable and hot, yes, but it is certainly bearable.
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The key is not to look at the temperature, that will almost subconsciously make you feel hotter. Once you keep looking at the weather, and read excessive heat warnings and see it is 112, its going to make you feel even hotter. Coming from New York, and dealing with humidity back east, it easily could have said 98 degrees, and I would have believed it. It really does feel a lot cooler than the number on the thermometer.
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I'm a financial analyst, starting salaries seemed to be about $45,000 here in the Phoenix area, not bad at all, and comparable to cities with a much higher cost of living.
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Maybe if you are a moronic high school drop out. I am 23 and have less than a year job experience and just landed a job paying a 45k base plus a bonus in Tempe. I also was just offered a position paying 52k. I actually found salaries in my field, finance, to be on par with what I was making in the NYC area, a city with 3 times the cost of living as here. The people who complain that the city doesn't pay, are typically people who don't have degrees or much of a desire to do anything. I am paying about 1/5 of my income on rent, try and find that standard of living in many areas of the country.
getting into July still full of that excitment and the weather is fine
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Lol, really muggy and a bit hard to breathe.... I don't know, maybe because I just moved here from the east, but I hardly even felt the humidity. Yes, it didn't feel nearly as dry and it was noticeable, but I didn't think the humidity of the past 2 days was really that bad at all. It got up to maybe 60-70% humidity. This weather of the past few days, is in my opinion, far preferable to that oven-like heat of 3 weeks ago, where every day was 112-115. I would much rather it be 95-100 and 30% humidity, then 115 and 5% humidity.
now some discontent starts to steep in
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I moved here a month ago to Tempe, and quite frankly, hardly anything about Phoenix appeals to me. I like Tempe though and Scottsdale, so I'm pretty happy here. I can't quite put my finger on what I don't like about Phoenix, but I'll just say there is hardly anything about it that stands out, or that distinguishes it. Granted the north is pretty nice, just doesn't really appeal to me. But Central Phoenix, and the areas surrounding downtown, (I'm not even going to mention South Phoenix or west Phoenix, because every city has it's ghettoes). The majority of Phoenix is just continuous and near limitless sprawl in every direction, without much of an identity, or character whatsoever. There isn't anything wholely defining that makes you say... that's Phoenix, it's the lack of character and identidy that makes one say, that's Phoenix.
I am by no means, saying all of Phoenix is the ghetto, because that is ignorant; it's the lack of uniqueness and ubiquity that characterizes Phoenix, to me, more than anything else. I actually think the downtown is nice and looks like it can be the epitome of an interesting urban core, but it just has a ways to go. I have to agree, for the most part, with your comment. I feel as if too many who boast about Phoenix, are in actuality, boasting about the valley, as I have done in the past. I would like to see more people judge Phoenix on it's own merits. Phoenix should be judged independently and not based on it's suburbs. It should be the city that defines the suburbs, and not vice versa.
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It is pretty stress free here, but then again there is a distinct lack of hustle and bustle and that often goes hand in hand in stress. Some people need the hustle and bustle, others don't.
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I agree, I just moved here, but have been to south Florida numerous times in the Florida. I would honestly say 110 here is more than or about as comfortable as 90 in Florida. You can't go by the temperature here, it is nowhere near as bad as I thought. It doesn't really bother me until it is well over 110.
after your first summer you started to feel the grind
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Keep in mind, it is now the fall. I said that too when I first visited in May and then again in early June. 110-115 degrees is MUCH worse than 95 degrees, and also in July and August its not as dry as this and the temperatures are a good 5 degrees warmer with a stronger sun angle. 95 in the sun and in the shade are also two different things.
it's also interesting how you expanded your range of hot temps
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+ months of extreme heat....'come on. Maybe 2-3 months tops. If you're gonna say 7+ months, then at a minimum you're saying from mid-April to mid-November is extreme heat, I'm assuming. on April 15th, the average high here is 85 degrees and November 15th it is 75 degrees, I would hardly consider that extreme heat. In fact, I wouldnt say extreme heat until the temperature is over 105. I hate when people make exaggerations like that, because you don't hear us saying its extreme cold in Indiana for 7 months.
however, you're still keen on this place 4-5 months in
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I have been here since June, so if anything I should have a negatively skewed opinion of the climate, and I think its fantastic.
you then checked off after living here for a year (moved 6/08 - quit posting 7/09)
until now
hey, sorry things didn't work out for you - but what you didn't like were the things that phoenix smacks you with - suburban feel, lots of sprawl, lots of heat, etc
Not sure what kind of financial analyst you were - if you were employed by a company to help them with their financial decisions that's a pretty solid job
if you were the kind that advised individuals on financial decisions, then that is a very tough road with a lot of burnout - you need a lot of networking and sales to be successful .... can be hard when new to an area
to me it sounds like you got a little homesick - that's fine and that happens anywhere
Had trouble making friends, were unsatisfied at work and started to become bitter about the very things that drew you here in the first place ....... since you were sitting around bored on a Saturday night texting with friends back home who were out partying you just get angry at the lack of things to do
It's hard and I hope you find happiness.
However, to bash phoenix for being too hot or too suburban seems a bit insincere since it's a pretty well known aspect of life here
It's also false to separate phoenix and the "valley" - it's not the way things are setup here and it's pretty clear to anyone who visits or lives here ........ sure there are neighborhoods and some different quirks, but all in all we are one giant metro and it's viewed as such
As for where people should travel - that's your own personal bias/preference ...... you have no right to dictate to others on what is appropriate ..... and as noted, it's not like this was some hidden element to phoenix
I have many friends who moved here and elsewhere run into the same issue
Heck, I moved to minneapolis without ever visiting there and without a job - it was a great challenge, but such a thing fits my personality - i was lucky to find some good friends (and my eventual wife) even if the job climate was not friendly
Out here i've found people to be very friendly and the jobs climate much more open to those who are "outsiders" - however, with this the communities aren't as established, etc
there is a give and take to everything
Look at it as an adventure - remember the good times had, learn from the bad
Life's too short to spend it bitter
Last edited by Finger Laker; 03-30-2010 at 02:22 PM..
Recent grad from U-Md looking for a job in finance .... comes out to visit and interview
seemed to have mixed thoughts at first on the weather
however - the grass is always greener
but maybe it wasn't that bad (btw - phoenix is often the sweatist city in the nation - it just evaporates off a little easier in this climate, the whole air moving towards equilibrium thing.....)
still more initial warning signs that this place doesn't fit you
even knew all about our downtown
hey - at least you grabbed that job
then these are the posts I vividly remember - after you moved here and proclaimed that the weather really wasn't that bad
getting into July still full of that excitment and the weather is fine
now some discontent starts to steep in
after your first summer you started to feel the grind
it's also interesting how you expanded your range of hot temps
however, you're still keen on this place 4-5 months in
you then checked off after living here for a year (moved 6/08 - quit posting 7/09)
until now
hey, sorry things didn't work out for you - but what you didn't like were the things that phoenix smacks you with - suburban feel, lots of sprawl, lots of heat, etc
Not sure what kind of financial analyst you were - if you were employed by a company to help them with their financial decisions that's a pretty solid job
if you were the kind that advised individuals on financial decisions, then that is a very tough road with a lot of burnout - you need a lot of networking and sales to be successful .... can be hard when new to an area
to me it sounds like you got a little homesick - that's fine and that happens anywhere
Had trouble making friends, were unsatisfied at work and started to become bitter about the very things that drew you here in the first place ....... since you were sitting around bored on a Saturday night texting with friends back home who were out partying you just get angry at the lack of things to do
It's hard and I hope you find happiness.
However, to bash phoenix for being too hot or too suburban seems a bit insincere since it's a pretty well known aspect of life here
It's also false to separate phoenix and the "valley" - it's not the way things are setup here and it's pretty clear to anyone who visits or lives here ........ sure there are neighborhoods and some different quirks, but all in all we are one giant metro and it's viewed as such
As for where people should travel - that's your own personal bias/preference ...... you have no right to dictate to others on what is appropriate ..... and as noted, it's not like this was some hidden element to phoenix
I have many friends who moved here and elsewhere run into the same issue
Heck, I moved to minneapolis without ever visiting there and without a job - it was a great challenge, but such a thing fits my personality - i was lucky to find some good friends (and my eventual wife) even if the job climate was not friendly
Out here i've found people to be very friendly and the jobs climate much more open to those who are "outsiders" - however, with this the communities aren't as established, etc
there is a give and take to everything
Look at it as an adventure - remember the good times had, learn from the bad
Life's too short to spend it bitter
That was a really enjoyable read. Thanks! Like getting a dose of my favorite soap!
This is supposed to be an open forum, where people can express their views whether negative or positive. I came to Phoenix with an open mind. Most other websites, such as Yahoo travel, have at least an equal amount of negative reviews on Phoenix, but as soon as somebody says something negative here they get attacked. I never once put down the people. NYC isn't perfect either, but there's a reason it is the most powerful city in the world, it's because people are open-minded and don't always find such a need to conform. That scenery and the housing are just a microcosm of the people in Phoenix, and the narrow-mindedness of the people themselves. The fact that I went to a top college with a degree is certainly too difficult a concept to grasp for most of you.
I thought your op was pretty objective, expressing the negatives that needed to be hashed out.
The original post seems like a kind of rant but let me clarify a few points made here by the OP. First of all, if anyone does any sort of legitimate research, they will know that it does not start hitting 90 degrees in Phoenix in the month of March. I have done quite a bit of research on climates in different cities and it usually hits 90 degrees by mid April. Secondly, if Phoenix is so bland, why do lots of people move there? They would not do so if it was that bad. And then, the OP makes the assertion that 110F with 10% humidity is worse than 90F with 65% humidity. I have experienced both and would gladly take Phoenix summers over those in Miami. 110F with 10% humidity is hot but you don't really sweat as much. And of course Phoenix winters are not warm like Miami. What did the OP expect? And lastly, overnight lows in the 30s are not to be feared. Phoenix weather is probably overall more comfortable compared to cities like Cleveland or Miami.
Also as an outsider who is planning to move, the OP seems very closed minded, and moving from NY city to Phoenix will never work if you're closed minded. I'm not sure what he thinks NY is if he thinks Phoenix is sprawl. And him complaining that there is nothing to do in downtown and you have to go to the suburbs? So what? I thought everyone knew that. If you want to be close to the nightlife then live close to the nightlife, where ever that may be. Don't live in the wrong area then complain about it. And lastly, saying that Phoenix has nothing to offer, let me know the last time you went hiking in mountains in NY...
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