Why are SO many Illinois folk attracted to Arizona? (Chicago: house, neighborhoods)

[desert student]

Originally Posted by Steve-o

I think we might have a winner for the "dumbest post of the year award" right there, folks!

Please, by all means, enjoy your overly hot, cultureless, sprawling, dusty, bad-paying, tract home infested, scorpion/black widow/rattlesnake haven, single season, crappy "downtown" havin, brown cloud wearin city that you call Phoenix.

Enjoy "paradise"!


"Enjoy" months of this too while youre at it.

Thanks Steve-O! My first response and I'm called dumb. You really make people feel welcome!

What I find funny about your post is that it appears from your posting history that you spend your time on here talking at great length about this hot, cultureless, sprawling, dusty city than most people than live there do.

I also find it funny that this rattlesnake and tract home haven is gaining more buisness and population than Chicago.

But then again you probably have tons of time on your hands since that lovely huge ice storm hit Chicago. Meanwhile, me and my friends will just sit here in our shorts and long sleeve, perfect 78 degrees on our deck.

By the way. How is stating common facts dumb. I gues that National Geographic and the Smithsonian and dumb too!

[Bill-]

I grew up in the Chicago Area and lived in Elgin, Geneva, Lake Zurich, lakeview and Ravenswood. I chose to move to AZ about 10 years ago, haven't looked back and have been very happy since. I enjoy the outdoors and felt the opportunities were pretty limited in Illinois. It's flat,cold, often wet and there's very little public land. Arizona offers a lot more terrain for hiking, mountain biking, camping, off road vehicles etc. It's also quite easy to escape the Phoenix heat by taking a drive into the mountains on the weekend or hopping a cheap Southwest flight to San Diego.

If Urban culture is your thing, Chicago is obviously far superior to AZ. I did my stint after college in the city and grew tired of congestion, parking hassles, cold weather, gray slush and bad attitudes. I'm happy with palm trees, a swimming pool in the backyard, and millions of acres of deserts and forests to play in on the weekend.

[Steve-o]

Originally Posted by desert student

Thanks Steve-O! My first response and I'm called dumb. You really make people feel welcome!

What I find funny about your post is that it appears from your posting history that you spend your time on here talking at great length about this hot, cultureless, sprawling, dusty city than most people than live there do.

I also find it funny that this rattlesnake and tract home haven is gaining more buisness and population than Chicago.

But then again you probably have tons of time on your hands since that lovely huge ice storm hit Chicago. Meanwhile, me and my friends will just sit here in our shorts and long sleeve, perfect 78 degrees on our deck.

By the way. How is stating common facts dumb. I gues that National Geographic and the Smithsonian and dumb too!

Well, saying things like "Chicago has 2 weeks of good weather" IS dumb. Your "facts" about Chicago are downright ludicrous, as are your viewpoints on how PHX is some "great place". You mention how "bad" our weather is, but you dont look at how bad yours is too. Sure your winters are mild and sorta nice (but not truly nice like Honolulu or Miami) but your summers are the worst in the country. Chicago is FAR and above PHX in terms of business, finance, etc. Chicago is not only one of the most important cities in the country (which CANNOT be said about PHX), but its global importance is also super high, unlike PHX. Perhaps when you truly understand what a global power Chicago is, then youll understand how silly your comments are. Heck, there are more Fortune 500 companies in tiny little Oak Brook, IL than there are in all of AZ. And there are also more corporate relocations to Chicago than anywhere else in the country as well. Read and weap. I wonder what goofy things youll come up with next...

http://www.gdi-solutions.com/fdi/200...SA/chicago.htm

http://www.worldbusinesschicago.com/Portals/0/25AP5-30-01.pdf (broken link)

http://edition.cnn.com/2007/BUSINESS...lobal.economy/

"By landing EA Sports' US$6 million, 200- job regional headquarters at 215 West Ohio in Chicago's River North neighborhood, the Windy City capped a remarkable year that saw the metro area secure 165 corporate facility projects totaling more than $5 billion in capital investment, according to the criteria established by the Conway Data New Plant database.
The Chicago- Naperville- Joliet area (including suburbs in Illinois, Indiana and Wisconsin) easily outdistanced No. 2 Washington, D.C.- Northern Virginia, which had 110 projects, and No. 3 Atlanta, which had 107. Chicago's victory made it two years in a row and five of the last six for the MSA with more than 9.5 million residents and a work force of over 4.5 million"http://www.siteselection.com/issues/2007/mar/topMetros/

"The New York Metro area again led the nation’s 361 metros in economic output in 2005, generating $952.6 billion, with a projected real GMP growth rate of 3.0% for 2006 and 2.3% in 2007. The Los Angeles/Long Beach metro is the second largest in the country in terms of output, with a 2005 GMP of $604.8 billion, and an expected real GMP growth rate of 3.8% in 2006 and 2.0% for 2007. Chicago again claims the slot of third largest metro with a 2005 GMP of $422 billion and real GMP growth of 2.8% in 2006 and 2.1% for 2007. Washington, Dallas, Philadelphia, Houston, Boston, San Francisco/Oakland, and Atlanta round out the nation’s top ten metro areas in this category."
http://www.usmayors.org/metroeconomi...eyfindings.pdf

[via chicago]

Originally Posted by desert student

I also find it funny that this rattlesnake and tract home haven is gaining more buisness and population than Chicago.

Yea, Chicagos really struggling

-3rd largest GDP in the nation
-most diversified economy in the US
-rated 4th most important business center in the world
-greatest number of new or expanded corporate facilities in the United States for five of the past six years
-2nd largest central business district in the US
-home to the worlds largest financial exchange: the Merc. the underlying value of all contracts traded on an average day is between $3-4 trillion dollars
-also home to the chicago boards option exchange and chicago stock excange
-3rd most popular convention city
-home to 11 fortune 500 companies, with 21 more in the metro region. 17 Financial Times 500 companie
-2nd largest labor pool in the US
-10th on UBS' list of world's richest cities

[Steve-o]

Originally Posted by via chicago

Yea, Chicagos really struggling

-3rd largest GDP in the nation
-most diversified economy in the US
-rated 4th most important business center in the world
-greatest number of new or expanded corporate facilities in the United States for five of the past six years
-2nd largest central business district in the US
-home to the worlds largest financial exchange: the Merc. the underlying value of all contracts traded on an average day is between $3-4 trillion dollars
-also home to the chicago boards option exchange and chicago stock excange
-3rd most popular convention city
-home to 11 fortune 500 companies, with 21 more in the metro region. 17 Financial Times 500 companie
-2nd largest labor pool in the US
-10th on UBS' list of world's richest cities

Well, you see, in the mind of some Arizonans those facts dont mean anything if you dont have 85% sunshine year round. Seriously, many will come back with things like "well oh yeah? At least we have warm winters" or some other hilarious, vile spew. Its great that PHX has grown and yada, yada, yada, but the city is still eons behind Chicago.

[Bill-]

Originally Posted by Steve-o

Well, you see, in the mind of some Arizonans those facts dont mean anything if you dont have 85% sunshine year round. Seriously, many will come back with things like "well oh yeah? At least we have warm winters" or some other hilarious, vile spew. Its great that PHX has grown and yada, yada, yada, but the city is still eons behind Chicago.

Lots of people, myself included, could care less about living in an economic powerhouse as long as we have a decent job and can provide a nice living for our families. As for vile spew, how is someone commenting about warm winters in AZ any different than your endless droning on about the hot summers in AZ. I mean really, you posted pictures of a thermometer.

[Steve-o]

Originally Posted by Bill-

Lots of people, myself included, could care less about living in an economic powerhouse as long as we have a decent job and can provide a nice living for our families. As for vile spew, how is someone commenting about warm winters in AZ any different than your endless droning on about the hot summers in AZ. I mean really, you posted pictures of a thermometer.

Im glad youre happy, really. Having a job is always a good thing. I do enjoy AZ very much, but when Zonies come and spew ridiculous crap about Chicago w/o knowing the truth, I tend to get a little defensive. I find it funny how Phoenicians proclaim how "great" their weather is, but mysteriously leave out May through mid October. And the reason I posted pics of the thermometers is to point out that no place has perfect weather, Chicago and Phoenix being the perfect examples.

[Bill-]

Originally Posted by Steve-o

I posted pics of the thermometers is to point out that no place has perfect weather, Chicago and Phoenix being the perfect examples.

We can certainly agree on that. Winters in Chicago and Summers in PHX certainly have their drawbacks.

[Steve-o]

Originally Posted by Bill-

We can certainly agree on that. Winters in Chicago and Summers in PHX certainly have their drawbacks.

Cha-ching! I think all would agree on that.

[desert student]

Originally Posted by Steve-o

Im glad youre happy, really. Having a job is always a good thing. I do enjoy AZ very much, but when Zonies come and spew ridiculous crap about Chicago w/o knowing the truth, I tend to get a little defensive. I find it funny how Phoenicians proclaim how "great" their weather is, but mysteriously leave out May through mid October. And the reason I posted pics of the thermometers is to point out that no place has perfect weather, Chicago and Phoenix being the perfect examples.

So I'm dumb and a "Zonie." LOL! Could I get any lower? Did you just make that up, or is it some cool new ghetto 'west side' term. I'm glad that you consider a recent degree from Elmhurst College, and now graduate work at ASU easily accomplished enough for a "Zonie." Can't wait to see what you have as formal education. I hope that when I head up to Flagstaff tomorrow that I can talk and drive at the same time. I'm a little worried since now you have gave me the title of "Zonie." LOL! Did you not get the fact that I grew up in Chicagoland and know the area well? Probably better than you since it doesn't look like you live there. The "crap" that I know about Chicago is nothing but the truth. The stuff that you guys hear in po-dunk about the burbs is about a week old every time. If you can't afford the burbs, don't act like you live there. In fact, my flight got delayed and than cancelled all because of that GREAT Chicago weather wasn't causing any delays the other day. It must had been the crystal clear sky that I was looking at outside the airport that was causing the issue. I'm sorry that you feel Chicago's weather is that great. You are really missing out on some great stuff. I think I may know what side of Chicago you recieved your high school education came from.