Where to move in Arizona? Looking for different weather! (Phoenix: condos, job market)

[ashley61290]

My husband and I currently live on the east coast. We want to move somewhere out west, where we will not have the horribly humid summers we have now. We both have bachelors degrees (his in criminal justice, mine in behavioral science) and do not want to have kids for a few years. We want to live where we will have some land, but I also don't want to have to drive very far to get to cities/places where there is stuff to do/jobs. We live in Delaware now, and it is incredibly boring. Ideas? Doesn't HAVE to be Arizona, open to any ideas. Thanks!

[adventuregurl]

Do you need jobs?

[observer53]

Originally Posted by adventuregurl

Do you need jobs?

Their post does say "stuff to do/jobs".

The majority of the jobs are in the two large metro areas. (Phoenix and Tucson). I don't know what you mean by "some land"; (some mean one acre, some mean 5-10, or more); some idea of your budget would help, too, so we can give you a better idea of where you can find what you are looking for.

[Packard fan]

The OP should look at the smaller cities as well since there's always a need for people with their job skills IMHO.

[goolsbyjazz]

I am from the east and prefer summer out west as well. Arizona has different summer climates. Flagstaff probably has the coolest temps in the summer, and, consequently, gets all four seasons. Sedona, Pinetop, Payson and Prescott can get warm, but not nearly as warm as the desert basin. Jobs, on the other hand, are a different issue. You are more likely to find one in Phoenix or Tucson.

Colorado also has great summers as well as California. You won't encounter the same type of humid weather like back east. Good luck with your search.

[adventuregurl]

Originally Posted by observer53

Their post does say "stuff to do/jobs".

Oops, sorry I don't usually miss that !

[coolwiththecool2]

Originally Posted by ashley61290

My husband and I currently live on the east coast. We want to move somewhere out west, where we will not have the horribly humid summers we have now. We both have bachelors degrees (his in criminal justice, mine in behavioral science) and do not want to have kids for a few years. We want to live where we will have some land, but I also don't want to have to drive very far to get to cities/places where there is stuff to do/jobs. We live in Delaware now, and it is incredibly boring. Ideas? Doesn't HAVE to be Arizona, open to any ideas. Thanks!

INFOGRAPHIC!

Before we start I have lived in the Los Angeles area from 0-15, the Phoenix area from 15-18, the Portland Area from 18-23, and the Phoenix area from 23-28 (current). So some of this stuff I know from experience/research

Climate Advise
So...first off, the Los Angeles, San Francisco, San Diego, Seattle, Portland, and any other areas directly or almost directly on the coast has humid to semi-humid summers. Almost all of these usually aren't hot enough for the humidity to have an effect on what it feels like outside. However, Los Angeles is an exception. The urban heat island can make the temperature at the beach 70 and the temperature inland in the 90s, not to mention California has frequent droughts (google it) and is in another one now.

Location Advise
Phoenix is very hot and very cold (not below freezing though), and the monsoon season brings some really heavy yet short and isolated rain. There is obviously lots of land since its a desert, but Phoenix is very spread out and a car is a must even as you get closer to central phoenix, and walkscore.com can prove it. Phoenix is boring to me (I am out here because my wife forced me), but it really depends on who you are. Some people think Phoenix is the funnest place on earth. Most of the people who call it boring are single or from a bigger city so you don't have to worry about that. In the summer it rarely gets above 115, lower as you go toward the suburbs, and in the winter it rarely goes below 35, again lower toward the suburbs.

Los Angeles is very sprawly, thus creating smog, long commutes and a noticeable urban heat island. For land you will obviously be far from the L.A. Basin (meaning you will be in the San Fernando valley, still the city of L.A., the inland empire, or orange county) so your commutes can range anywhere from 20 minutes to 1.5 hours, depending on where you find your job at. Los Angeles isn't a desert, despite reoccurring droughts, and the inner-city doesn't have much climate variety, but fog can rule the mornings and sometimes early afternoons in May and June (May Gray and June Gloom, google it).

Portland, is different, people-wise. It's actually good the people are different, good place for anyone younger than 30 or older than 50 in my opinion. The Pearl District has REALLY nice condos, but you want land so again, you will be in the suburbs, though not as far out and there might be some in or around Gresham, which is right next to the actual city of Portland, however it is still considered the outskirts. Portland does get cold but usually not below 25, and not hotter than 90, while snow isn't a seasonal guarantee, Portland and Seattle can sometimes, but not often, see a winter with no snow at all since storms come at the wrong time (5 days after its below freezing). This winter was almost like that but snow made it a few days ago.

Summary
I think Phoenix will be best for you, but for land you might have to deal with a commute of 35+ minutes minimum in a fast growing metro area with slowly growing congestion on freeways (I-15 in Downtown already has daily rush hour stop-n-go traffic, something that wasn't there when I was 13 years ago).

Los Angeles obviously has bad traffic, but from experience and other people opinions, you will get use to it and ignore it (you still might complain though).

There is other metro areas like San Diego or San Francisco-San Jose (which has a good job market and might be good for you two) or Seattle (also good job market), but I don't know much about those.

[observer53]

I know the OP says it "doesn't have to be Arizona", but let's keep this thread about Arizona locations, since this is the Arizona forum.

[nancyny]

Think about AZ like that sign you saw in the comics "Last gas station for 200 miles." It's not like back east where there's a million and one small towns all over the place. You have to live near a major city in the desert although there are a million and one suburban cities. Up north, not much different the landscape is pretty rugged.