How would you describe Phoenix to someone who has never visited? (Mesa: refinance, home)

[Valley Native]

Originally Posted by Ponderosa

Phoenix is a lot like what you see in small town America if you take a road trip. It seems every exit to these towns has a cluster of fast food joints, chain hotels, gas stations and they all look alike. Replicate one of those freeway off ramp clusters by a few 1000 and you have all the character and appeal of Phoenix.

Motels, coffee shops, fast food, and gas stations are plentiful near freeways for the purpose of convenience to travelers. These types of businesses can be found off freeway exits just about anywhere in the U.S., regardless if it's Phoenix, Houston, Indianapolis, or Cheyenne, WY. Does Small Town America have restaurants like Ocean, Compass, Dominick’s, or Benihana?

[Minntoaz]

Oh boy that’s hard. It would depend where else they’ve lived in where in the valley they were moving to. For instance parts of Scottsdale are more like Denver area. Parts of chandler are like California (San Diego specifically) and the Midwest. Parts of Glendale remind me of parts of the Midwest as well.

More than anything though and something I think people forget is that we live in a desert. It’s desert terrain and there is a lot of brown. It is its own beauty. So in that regard it’s better than Albuquerque and Las Vegas. Much more developed and scenic.

ETA after I read the whole question: Pace is significantly slower (and more chill) than any major northern city I’ve lived in (Minneapolis, Seattle, nyc) and generally more laid back then any of the 33+ states I’ve been to so far. People aren’t chronically looking for something to be upset about. “Live and let live” really defines what I’ve experienced in the valley. Where I used to live you couldn’t go anywhere without someone trying to force their agenda on others and give you the stank eye if you didn’t oblige by their ways. I’ve yet to experience much of that. It may not be a beautiful place per se but it’s a happy place and people are overall friendly. I’ve lived all over the country and been to quite a few places and we deliberately chose to move back to Phoenix for various reasons.

[Ponderosa]

Originally Posted by Valley Native

Motels, coffee shops, fast food, and gas stations are plentiful near freeways for the purpose of convenience to travelers. These types of businesses can be found off freeway exits just about anywhere in the U.S., regardless if it's Phoenix, Houston, Indianapolis, or Cheyenne, WY. Does Small Town America have restaurants like Ocean, Compass, Dominick’s, or Benihana?

But the whole Phoenix metro looks like a freeway off ramp. Nothing but endless strip malls and power centers full of off ramp offerings.

[WellTraveled1988]

Overall very pretty and a good quality of life, BESIDES during the summes lol...

Fairly affordable COL and tax structure, pretty landscapes, pretty people, etc.

Good location to SD and Los Angeles beaches and great mountains....

I could see the overall Phoenix metro (including Scottsdale, Tempe, Gilbert, Mesa, etc.) as the "new/new Los Angeles" if people are calling it that.. But I could definitely see that.

*Just REALLY be aware of the summers though lol

[locolife]

A unique city built in a unique backdrop, home to plant life not found anywhere else in the world along with stunning scenery and incredible sunsets. Everything I'm talking about/showing is basically central Phoenix from South Mountain to Phoenix Mountain Preserve. Like every other big city you can sprawl out to the burbs if you want but the heart beat of the metro is downtown. Although some of our burbs, like Tempe, are far from sprawling or boring.

- Charming historical neighborhoods including encanto palmcroft, FQ story, coronado and others.
- Surprising arts/culture scene (especially if you rely on this forum) including Roosevelt, Grand Ave, and Melrose districts
- Great foodie town, some unexpected such as the pizza scene like Pomo and Bianco, unique venues like Farish House and Sottise among others to be expected such as amazing Sonoran cuisine like Centrico in the historic San Carlos hotel.
- Great bar/nightlife scene, from the speak easy options such as Melinda's Alley and Valley Bar to the rooftop scene like Lusture to the more traditional options like Seamus McCaffreys and Kettle Black.
- Then there's the local breweries (Wilderness, Greenwood, Pedal Haus, State 48, Huss, etc..) Great local coffee spots (The Grand, Filmore Coffee, Press, Songbird)
- Cool live music options (Crescent, Van Buren, Lost Leaf, The Nash)

[locolife]

Originally Posted by Ponderosa

But the whole Phoenix metro looks like a freeway off ramp. Nothing but endless strip malls and power centers full of off ramp offerings.

Yes, the WHOLE metro area is nothing but strip malls and power centers here. I'm sure every off-ramp includes offerings equal to MIM, Desert Botanical Garden, Heard Museum, Binkleys, Durants, Odysea, the Phoenix Zoo, The Biltmore, etc...

My personal photos endless power centers and strip malls below...

[locolife]

Originally Posted by KurtAZ

Just remember that those $5M+ homes/properties, most of those are second or third homes of people that live in Chicago/NYC/SFO etc.

We have 12 Billionaires that call AZ home, most on the list are actually home grown, true, but many traders/commodity brokers/etc. have bought properties to "get away" from the rat race of higher pressure metros.

And that's a negative on AZ how? Are you trying to make into a negative that extremely rich people want to have slice of Phoenix in their world?

[DAXhound]

I once asked a teacher, when he was coming back to Phoenix. His response:. "That Hellhole?"...He had moved to Colombia...I was a certified Substitute in AZ for 18 years, now in Wyoming....so much more money here for k12.

[NearFantastica]

Phoenix = Desert Los Angeles filled with Midwestern transplants

[Adamson865]

Originally Posted by NearFantastica

Phoenix = Desert Los Angeles filled with Midwestern transplants

Technically no. Numerically, the west coast predominates.

Inflow into Phoenix for the period 2015-2019:

CA 38,845
WA 10,026
TX 9,574
IL 9,414
CO 8,089
OR 6,538
UT 5,451
MN 5,398
FL 5,183
NM 5,169

https://azbigmedia.com/business/10-s...ts-to-arizona/