Considering a move to AZ.

[midnight]

Would love to have some input. Want to be near Tempe. Can anyone tell me what the politics are like in that community? I'm an Interior Designer and would also like to know how building / remodeling industry is doing? Thanks!

[never cry wolf]

1. I can't help you as far as the lay of the land

I do not know where you are from, but my best friend moved from Illinois to Phoenix 2 years ago and after 2 summers there cannot wait to get back to the midwest... I hear Tempe is more moderate due to the altitude but it is all desert...

No idea on the job market, i am an architect and gl to you!

[midnight]

3. Hi never cry wolf. I guess a more moderate altitude is an

important criteria. Coming from the midwest also. My daughter has been accepted to ASU. We have been talking about this for some time, and I thought I would plunge in and start asking. I hear ASU has a great architecture program. Did you graduate from there? Thanks for info.

[never cry wolf]

6. Opp, I mistook Tempe for Tuscon

Tuscon is more temperate, Tempe is a suburb of Phoenix. I don't know about ASU's architecture program, I graduated from U of I - Chicago.

[Phx_Dem]

8. Tempe is not a suburb

it's a separate city. Same with Chandler, Mesa, Scottsdale, Glendale, Peoria and Gilbert.

[never cry wolf]

16. Does Phoenix have any suburbs?

Are they not all the greater Phoenix area? Evanston, Arlington heights, Mt. Prospect, Berwyn, Cicero, Des Plaines are all all seperate cities too... Would they exist without Chicago? I don't think so....

[Phx_Dem]

18. Just a technical point

Here in the west these cities did not start as suburbs of anything, they were seperate towns that grew together. Actual suburbs of Phx would be areas like Arcadia, Moon Valley, Deer Valley, Maryvale etc.

[never cry wolf]

20. Thanks for the clarification... n/t

[Horse with no Name]

24. Urban sprawl.

I grew up in Buckeye and remember when it was an isolated area. But, many years ago, Maryvale used to be it's own town too. It was never a suburb really. Deer Valley used to be a landfill...Sunnyslope and Paradise Valley would probably be very good examples of suburbs.

[ProudDad]

38. Phoenix is L.A. in the heat

Most of it's also rather republican...

That's why I settled in Tucson...

[midnight]

13. That's a good school too. My parents went to Loyola. My first

home was in Evanston.

[kaizen]

22. ASU

Yeah, from what I hear ASU has an awesome architecture program. 10th best in the nation. 4th in the West.

I'll be moving to Tempe too this summer to get my M.Arch degree.

[silverojo]

44. Whaddya mean, "altitude"?

Phoenix, Tempe, and all these places are in a VALLEY, "The Valley Of The Sun". It gets just as hot everywhere here, unless you're living in an outlying area, which might make a difference of about 2-3 degrees. And when it's 115 in Phoenix, you're not going to be able to tell the difference between 112 and 115.

[NoodleBoy]

2. Tempe and central Phoenix are the more liberal parts of Maricopa County

I hate when people complain about how Republican some parts of the Valley (Phoenix metro area) are-- because usually they complain, then do nothing about it. Meanwhile, we've been on the rise over the past decade in this are, so progressivism in this area has nowhere to go but up.

Something you might hate as a lefty but like as an interior designer/remodeller are the copious amounts of suburbs the Valley has. All those new developments mean alot of business for your trade, even if it's a blight on desert wilderness in a metro area with not enough vertical living. However, the inner city has seen something of a small boom in condos/apartments (the ghetto area of the Valley is south Phoenix, not the urban center), so there's probably some business there. If you're in Tempe, Scottsdale is really close, and that's where, by god, people need new countertops, carpet and furniture every year or else they might as well be wearing burlap sacks and sending their kids to public school.

But that's not my biz, you might want to check with other industry people. I just dated an interior design major once, that's where I know that stuff from.

[midnight]

4. I never thought about political leaning in an area before , but

it has become important to me. I remember a trip to Sadona a few years back. I saw on the news that some joggers/bikers can't remember which, intentionally burned the building of homes that were sprawling into the desert. I can imagine the sprawl has only increased.

[NoodleBoy]

5. that was a while ago... it was a bunch of bikers (not motorcycles)

it brought alot of attention to sprawl.

the only thing that's seemed to slow sprawl down has been the housing bubble burst. I wouldn't be suprised in 10-20 years if there was a backlash against all of those distant suburbs by the children raised in them-- they're so far away from anything, you absolutely have to have a car to get anything done.

[Phx_Dem]

7. Tempe

Tempe is Liberal but it's next to Mesa and Scottsdale which are both very conservative. The construction boom is still going strong here, and I imagine that that the remodel business is strong as well, especially in Scottsdale.

[midnight]

14. I'm glad to hear that Tempe is liberal. What if any part of it has

the better housing?

[Phx_Dem]

17. By zip code

85281 is the most diverse but also the poorest area in Tempe, lots of students due to proximity to ASU.

85282 is centrally located, but borders Mesa. Pretty good housing options in this zip code.

85283 best housing area in Tempe, but on the south end bordering Chandler.

edit: there is a growing area on the west edge of Tempe bordering Phx called the South Mountain area. Lots of very affordable housing.

[ChazII]

34. What price range?

South Scottsdale has projects being built. About 5 miles from ASU there are wine lofts being built tha are going for $400,000.

[silverojo]

45. Go south

Northern Tempe, around ASU, is scum city. The newer homes are being built to the south, because that's the only place there's room to build them.

Tempe is sandwiched by Phoenix, Scottsdale, and other cities in the East Valley, so it really has very little room for expansion. It's a nice place (I used to live there), but I always avoided the ASU area. It's horrifically crowded because of bike/foot/car traffic around ASU.

Two things you need to know about driving in Tempe:

1) Traffic cops on motorcycles have an alarming tendency to drive between lanes of stopped traffic. Be VERY careful making a right turn on red, making sure no idiotic cop has decided to pass you on the right.

2) In some areas, the traffic lights are weird--they don't stretch all the way across the street as they should. So the left-turn light could be to the right of the left turn LANE, and instead hanging directly over the through-traffic lane. It's disconcerting when you're going straight on a green light, then you look up and there's this red arrow over your lane--it doesn't apply to you, but to the left-turn lane on your LEFT. The newer traffic lights aren't like that, but beware of the older ones that are, so you don't panic and hit the brake for no reason. :scared:

[ben_meyers]

9. A lot depends on what you need for housing

The good news is that it's a buyers market(Over 51000 resale homes on the market) The not so good news prices have really gone up the last 2-3 years so someone from the midwest may find some sticker shock. March resales were up 36% from last month and prices are holding steady to up a little in the most disireable areas. If you're can afford 300,000 plus, plenty of properties, under that pretty limited close to Tempe.

As to the building/remodeling industry, both are strong, you have to be hiding not to do well in Int Design. The gal I use for staging is turning down business.

[midnight]

12. I'm glad to hear that the building industry is doing well.

Thats the kind of information I was hoping to hear. Next week Chicago is having a Green Festival that I plan on attending. So many great speakers will be there. I hope to gather more information from industry experts in solar instillations. Hopefully some folks from Arizona will be attending.

[lonestarnot]

10. Are you thirsty? I suggest you stay put. LOL

[midnight]

11. I have been aware of the H2O situation for many years.

It is one of the reasons I hesitate to make this move at all. What exactly do you have concerns over besides the obvious. I would love to have more information on this topic.

[lonestarnot]

15. I have concerns that some new housing has been constructed on

land with no water. The drought is forecast to continue for many years. The growth that has already occurred and being maintained is not sustainable with out water from another state. Colorado rationing already, and I think parts of New Mexico. Accck. Don't like it. :scared:

[Phx_Dem]

19. There is plenty of water in AZ

The issue is what it's used for. Right now farmers in AZ use upwards of 90% of the available surface water. In southwestern AZ water-intensive crops like brocolli, lettuce and melon are grown in quantity because the farmers can produce three crops per year. They also pay next to nothing for the water. With more availability to surface water, cities would not have to use so much groundwater.

There are areas that have serious water issues though, the San Pedro river is getting sucked dry from water well users in Sierra Vista and Fort Huachuca. The San Pedro river is the most diverse riparian habitat in the world, over 350 different species of birds have been spotted over the years.

[lonestarnot]

37. Bullshit! Not plenty of water!

[silverojo]

46. We're thinking of leaving AZ

The summers are very hot...as in, if the power goes out for a prolonged period of time, you could literally die if you're not careful. The "nighttime lows" during the summer average around 90 degrees.

It's a five-season climate: Spring, dry summer, monsoon season, autumn, and winter. The hot, dry summers turn quite humid when the monsoon flow moves in. You get daily thunderstorm activity, but you're more likely to see dust storms than rain. When it does rain, it's torrential, and flooding is common in the streets. There's a "stupid driver law" here--if you're dumb enough to drive into a flooded road and need to be rescued, you'll get fined.

Another concern: Very high cost of living. Also, expenses you don't have elsewhere (like monthly pest control, b/c the desert heat makes bugs very active and they reproduce quickly).

Insects: Check your shoes and clothes before wearing them, so you don't get surprised by a scorpion sting. If you're in an outlying newly-built area, also watch for rattlesnakes; it takes them a while to figure out that humans have decided to take over the land. The best way to deal with a snake is to leave it alone, unless it's in your toilet or something. Snakes don't go out of their way to hurt humans, but if you scare them, they'll feel threatened and strike.

Finally, traffic is a big problem. The infrastructure sucks, with nowhere nearly enough freeways or through streets. Plan on driving no longer being a pleasure, but a chore.

[Kali]

21. did you read the older thread, down the page?

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=139x139

I grew up in North Tempe and have family there, what sort of info are you looking for? Being a university town it tends to be more liberal than the surrounding area, though there are plenty of liberals in Maricopa county and even more in Pima county (Tucson).

The Phoenix metro area is almost unbearably hot in the summer, but most function with air conditioning just fine (or it would not be so huge) - heck my sister has to take a sweater to work because the office building is too cold.

Housing is rather insane and I don't personally know that much about it although I have an acquaintance in Chandler that is selling a nice little place with a pool - PM me if you want to be put in touch)

The School of Architecture is one of the better in the country if I recall (dated an Architecture student when I was at ASU - fond memories) also the area is home to Taliesin West and Arcosanti.

[Kathryn STone]

23. hi I lived there from 1987-2000 got B.A. at ASU lived in Tempe while student there...

I'm going to be candid the summers are DAMN hot. But I live in Dallas now since 1st part of 2000 and I don't know which is more gross, the super (110+ heat) high temps with dry or here (TX) with the HUMIDITY and I've been told it's worse in Houston. So pick your poison.
I miss the mountains, when the weather was good, I was constantly hiking-GREAT exercise. And ASU pretty much makes Tempe a "college" town, which is good. If you like golf, really highbrow shopping and better neighborhoods, try Scottsdale. I have a friend who lives there she's from Orange County (LA) and can handle that (LOL she's a snob but she should be.)
I wish you all the luck in the world-I've leave Dallas maybe it's possible but they''re being honest-Phoenix and AZ (home of John McCain) is another form of conservative. 2 words: Barry Goldwater. Have Fun! K.

[Horse with no Name]

25. I will be moving there in 6 weeks.

Nice to see some other liberals going in too.
I have had a job offer there, but it is a job that I can work at home or in the office--either, so I plan on moving to the west side...probably Peoria.

[midnight]

26. I didn't know there was a Peoria Arizona. I know there is a

Peoria Illinois. What is Peoria near the west side of phoenix? I should probably get a huge map out and start tracking these cities. Good for you. Let me know how things go. I would love to hear from you once you get settled. Good luck.

[Horse with no Name]

27. Thank you!

Peoria is west of Glendale which is west of Phoenix.
It is a nice place, good schools, etc.
We have actually been looking at some homes in the Surprise area, but haven't really made up our mind yet.
If you are interested, for housing http://phoenix.craigslist.org/, they have some great finds.
Good luck to you as well.

[midnight]

30. Really wonderful resource-Craigslist. I will be referring to this

as we work out all the details.

[ChazII]

35. Lot's of folks have been

moving to Surprise in the past 3 years. It is a fast growing area. Several of our school's families have moved there as they could gt more house for their money.

[never cry wolf]

28. What kind of housing are you looking for?

My best friend who wants to move back to Illinois has their Glendale house up for sale now. I'll guarantee it it spotless and in primo condition, she is kind of anal about those things.

http://www.arrowheadanna.com/listingview.php?listingID=175

[Horse with no Name]

29. Actually looking to rent first

The housing market is sinking and I want to watch the bubble deflate just a little longer before I lock in on something.
It IS a beautiful home and very much what I am looking for.:(

[midnight]

31. It has to have a pool. It has to have some architectural interest.

But we are just in the beginning phase of a move. How fast is realistate moving out there. Our neighbors put there house up two months ago. I saw some inspectors going through today. Maybe they sold it?

[AZBlue]

36. Architectural intrerest...that could be an issue.

It's not impossible, but most of Arizona residential buildings are very cookie-cutter, very "southwest." Especially apartments - homes can be found with some variety and interesting aspects, especially in the older parts of the city (or, of course, the more expensive).

I'm from the East Coast originally and have been here since '91. I hated it at first - it was too small for me (I was from New York City and then the D.C. area). And there was a little too much of the "country culture" and too many country bars, lol. But it's now one of the fastest growing regions in the country. And that means we now have a greater variety of things to do as well. And the population is becoming more mixed and a little more sophisticated.

[midnight]

32. Just looked at the house-very nice. Your friend is very tidy.

I suppose this will move quick. Which is good for her.

[never cry wolf]

33. It had been on the market for about three months now

Apparently it's a tough sellers market right now. Yes, she is quite anal about the house, vacuums & dusts daily, scrubs (hands and knees) hard floors at least weekly etc., etc.

[Citizen Kang]

39. Don't move to Phoenix

unless you like breathing poisoned dust-smog and spending half the year in suppressive heat and spending most of your day in traffic.

your quality of life would be much better anywhere else but here. I leave in 18 months and its not soon enough.

[mvccd1000]

40. I've been in Mesa since '97, and I love it.

I worked as a mechanic outside from '97-'04. The winters were no fun, but I wouldn't mind if it stayed summer all year round. There is a lot to do in Arizona, especially if you like outdoors activity; hiking, shooting, camping, skydiving, skiing, water sports, etc.

I came from Michigan, and I could never imagine going back to the midwest. (I also lived in Virginia while I was in the Navy; you won't catch me on the east coast, either.)

[mvccd1000]

41. Pros and Cons (I wrote this on another forum I visit - reposting here.)

Probably too late to help midnight decide, but just in case anyone else considering the move reads this thread, I thought I'd post:

I moved to Mesa in 1997, and I love it. (Haven't been home much in the last three years, but it's still nice when I come to visit.) I'm a warm weather person; I hated the fall and winter in Michigan where I grew up. I wouldn't mind Phoenix if it was June all year 'round, so the weather is no concern for me. If you like winter or cool weather, it might not be the place for you.

Things I like about the Phoenix area:
- plenty to do
- short (<3 hour) drives to mountains, skiing, camping, wild desert, etc.
- medium (~4-6 hour) drives to Vegas, S. California, beaches in Mexico, etc.
- decent gun laws (you won't get a second glance walking around with a pistol on your hip all day).
- obviously, the weather is conducive to the old car hobby and outdoor activities.
- GREAT roads, especially compared to anywhere that sees frost in the winter.
- driver's license does not expire until you are 65; most MVD services are available online.
- never having to mow grass.

Things I don't like:
- snowbirds.
- the rapidly-expanding population.
- emissions testing.
- every friend or family member who comes to visit wants to move out.

That's really about it. For me, the positives SO outweigh the negatives that I would never consider moving back east.

[ChazII]

42. All the reasons I never left AZ.

Well stated.

[onetinsoldier]

43. arizona

ive been going to az for 47 years traveled all over the state
and lived there,hiked extensively,you should have gone there
30 years ago,but if toy want to go now go to tuscon,phoenix is
a rough crude city,check out northern new mexico

[midnight]

47. Thanks for the information...... I will look into Tuson... My plans

are somewhat delayed, but I'm still keeping this a consideration.

[algoreagain]

48. I am considering moving to Zona when I retire

Although I am only 30.

[pwdgroup]

49. Moving to AZ

Think this is a hard decission to make?....

Look what youd have moving to WV... (cut and paste link)

kanawhacountyblog.blogspot.com/

[mileycyrus]

50. Good luck