HELP!?! Looking to move to Phoenix soon!

[phxgreenfire]

C'mon. This isn't a city. It's a monstrous suburb. If you're familiar/comfortable with those, Phoenix shouldn't be intimidating. If Zippy's comments made you giggle, you'll feel right at home here because Phoenix defies the "big city=tolerance" model most American cities follow... it's a pretty closed-minded, intolerant place. Welcome to the Mississippi (and coming soon, Detroit) of the West.

[Ragnar]

Originally Posted by phxgreenfire

C'mon. This isn't a city. It's a monstrous suburb. If you're familiar/comfortable with those, Phoenix shouldn't be intimidating. If Zippy's comments made you giggle, you'll feel right at home here because Phoenix defies the "big city=tolerance" model most American cities follow... it's a pretty closed-minded, intolerant place. Welcome to the Mississippi (and coming soon, Detroit) of the West.

I can truly feel the love and uselessness of your key strokes. Give the OP a break. She's trying to gather data in order to make the most informed decision possilbe about a HUGE life change for her and her family, and this is the best information you can give her? Maybe it's time that you finally resolve your daddy issues and take that fixed-gear bicycle out for a spin in the sunshine.

[phxgreenfire]

Originally Posted by Ragnar

I can truly feel the love and uselessness of your key strokes. Give the OP a break. She's trying to gather data in order to make the most informed decision possilbe about a HUGE life change for her and her family, and this is the best information you can give her? Maybe it's time that you finally resolve your daddy issues and take that fixed-gear bicycle out for a spin in the sunshine.

Yes! Sunshine! Thanks for reminding me! OP, it's September and there's an excessive heat warning today.

In any case, shot in the dark... but maybe East Mesa or Anthem are good bets. If she wants even smaller and a commute is no issue, fringe communities like New River, Wickenburg, Apache Junction or Casa Grande. I can't vouch for schools or amenities...

And what's wrong with offering different opinions about a city? Is there some Politburo on this site that feels you can't say anything bad about a city? As you said she wants to make "the most informed decision possilbe [sic]" before moving. I'd sure like to know bad qualities of places to which I'm considering moving.

[Steel Ovaries]

Originally Posted by momtoty2001

I am hoping I can get some advice as our family just recently found out we are possibly moving to Phoenix in the next couple of months. We are moving from the midwest and neither my husband or myself have ever lived in a city over 100,000 people so we know this will be a big change from what we are used to.

I would love any comments or advice on great places to live in Chandler, Gilbert or Queen City: We are open to other areas but have family and friends in Chandler so would like to stay around that area.
Here's some of my hopes for in a community/home:

*good schools and safe community
*smaller feel to community or master planned community
*would really like neighborhoods with families in hopes to help the transition for my 2 kids who are 8 and 7 go a little smoother. They both have lots of friends in our current neighborhood and we love having kids their ages close by to play with.
* my son loves all sports and my daughter is very involved in dancing so I want to make sure there is a dance studio for her to join nearby.


My husbands job will take him all over the Phoenix area as he is in sales so commute really isn't a problem for where we live. We have read some good things about areas like Gilbert (Seville neighborhood) and really would like to find out more.

Thank you so much for any advice anyone can offer. My husband and I will be coming to Phoenix next week and I'm just not sure where to begin with finding a community/home for our family.

I, too, moved from the Midwest and was accustomed to tiny towns, and Church potlucks and Friday night football games (practically a religion!). I am going to tell you something that everyone on here will bash, but it's because they don't know, they don't live where I do and they didn't come from where I came from: Try Queen Creek/San Tan Valley. If commute is no problem (and really it is not that bad of a commute now that the 60 and the 202 are widened and expanded) then I would recommend the area b/c it still has a very small town feel; most of the subdivisions are smaller although there are a couple of mega huge master planned if you change your mind. DEpending on your budget, you also have the option of acreage which is super affordable right now. Lots of farms and ranches, WAAAYYYYY affordable housing (we were hit hard by the recession, bad news for existing homeowners but great news for you!!), tons of new schools and parks, clean, and the people are ALOT nicer. It often reminds me alot of the Midwest. The town has expanded and we have everything you need... shopping, groceries, beautiful new library, daycare, new hospital, dining and bars, several malls and movie theaters and 2 Costcos within a 15 minute drive, doctors, dentists, etc. The stuff you need is close, and the stuff that causes too much traffic is far enough away that you can get there in a few minutes yet the traffic doesn't make it's way to your neck of the woods.

[Steel Ovaries]

Originally Posted by phxgreenfire

Yes! Sunshine! Thanks for reminding me! OP, it's September and there's an excessive heat warning today.

In any case, shot in the dark... but maybe East Mesa or Anthem are good bets. If she wants even smaller and a commute is no issue, fringe communities like New River, Wickenburg, Apache Junction or Casa Grande. I can't vouch for schools or amenities...

And what's wrong with offering different opinions about a city? Is there some Politburo on this site that feels you can't say anything bad about a city? As you said she wants to make "the most informed decision possilbe [sic]" before moving. I'd sure like to know bad qualities of places to which I'm considering moving.

Oh, greenfire, you said it yourself... this is an intolerant city. You should expect that you are not allowed any other opinion. If you breathe one negative word about Arizona, or even sing the praises of your home state without even mentioning Arizona, you will be verbally attacked, berated, belittled and if you're lucky you may even get some hate mail out of it!! At least that has been my experience. Oh wait, personal experiences depicting AZ in a negative light are not allowed either. When will I ever get this straight? Oh well.

All these folks do is reinforce the national belief that AZ is a mean and crazy state. And now... let the hate mail begin.

[raredeminaz]

I haven't heard many good things about QC schools.

[Steel Ovaries]

Originally Posted by raredeminaz

I haven't heard many good things about QC schools.

My kids aren't in school yet, so I can't say for sure, but what I hear most is the complaint that they just don't have their act together. I think that can be expected in a district that has added a couple dozen new schools in the past 2 years. One thing I do know is that they are safe. In a state who's education ranks in the bottom 10 in the nation, I wouldn't waste my time splitting hairs over who is the best of the worst. Honestly, I plan to send my kids to private school. I wish the schools in AZ were better.

[Kimballette]

Originally Posted by Steel Ovaries

Oh, greenfire, you said it yourself... this is an intolerant city. You should expect that you are not allowed any other opinion. If you breathe one negative word about Arizona, or even sing the praises of your home state without even mentioning Arizona, you will be verbally attacked, berated, belittled and if you're lucky you may even get some hate mail out of it!! At least that has been my experience. Oh wait, personal experiences depicting AZ in a negative light are not allowed either. When will I ever get this straight? Oh well.

All these folks do is reinforce the national belief that AZ is a mean and crazy state. And now... let the hate mail begin.

Now now, not everyone is intolerant, and you and I have disagreed and remained civil with each other. I think arguments are weakened when one makes broad sweeping generalizations about a metro area of 4 million people. I'm sorry if you've received "hate mail," but surely you've also had discussions (and even disagreements) with people that didn't end up as you described above. Your wild statements don't exactly bolster your arguments. By the way, you are absolutely entitled to your own opinion!

[Steel Ovaries]

Originally Posted by Kimballette

Now now, not everyone is intolerant, and you and I have disagreed and remained civil with each other. I think arguments are weakened when one makes broad sweeping generalizations about a metro area of 4 million people. I'm sorry if you've received "hate mail," but surely you've also had discussions (and even disagreements) with people that didn't end up as you described above. Your wild statements don't exactly bolster your arguments. By the way, you are absolutely entitled to your own opinion!

Funny how you say "I think arguments are weakened when one makes broad sweeping generalizations ..." and then follow it up with your own broad sweeping generalization of "Your wild statements don't exactly bolster your arguments." Besides, who's arguing?

As a side note, several of your comments to me have not been civil and in fact have included capital letters and bold letters and underlined words. In the world of "net"-iquette, that is quite rude. I have also followed your other posts and civil is not the word I would use. But that just goes to show you how peoples' frame of reference and viewpoints differ and what you consider tolerant and civil, I do not.

Oh, and I did notice your subtle suggestion that I am a liar.

[Kimballette]

Originally Posted by Steel Ovaries

Funny how you say "I think arguments are weakened when one makes broad sweeping generalizations ..." and then follow it up with your own broad sweeping generalization of "Your wild statements don't exactly bolster your arguments." Besides, who's arguing?

As a side note, several of your comments to me have not been civil and in fact have included capital letters and bold letters and underlined words. In the world of "net"-iquette, that is quite rude. I have also followed your other posts and civil is not the word I would use. But that just goes to show you how peoples' frame of reference and viewpoints differ and what you consider tolerant and civil, I do not.

Oh, and I did notice your subtle suggestion that I am a liar.

So much for civil discourse. I've made no personal attacks on you, nor did I "suggest" you're a liar. I was trying to suggest that people are not as intolerant as you stated, and that, perhaps, there are many good people on this board with valuable experience and opinions, even if they do differ from your own. And I do understand netiquette, and nothing I've written is considered rude in general use, nor was it written with the intention to offend. Emphasis - yes, insults - never. For someone with a screen name like Steel Ovaries, you seem rather fragile. I apologize for offending you, and I wish you all the best.