Reviews & Comments
Phoenix, AZ
The MOST disgusting, gross low class place I ever -
10/1/2014I lived in Phoenix for 8 years. There is NOWHERE that you can live to escape the non-stop crime. I lived as far north as you could get, within 2 miles of the open desert. I put a brand new RV gate on my house and it was stolen in broad daylight, ripped from the hinges, while I was at work. I put out small yard decorations and those were stolen, too. Then, there was a guy hopped up on something who tried to break into my neighbor's house at 11PM one night. The neighbor was an ex-cop and pointed her revolver in the guy's face as he was climbing into their kitchen window. The guy went to the next house, took a shovel and tried to break the stained glass in the front door. That neighbor was an Arizona native - he promptly went and got his gun and tried to shoot the perpetrator thru the front door. He missed. The police came in 8 squad cars and an overhead helicopter and arrested the guy. They told the homeowner that he was lucky that he missed when he shot because they would have to arrest him because you can't shoot someone until they're all the way in your home! The perpetrator would not give his name and the police had no way of knowing who he was since he was not a legal resident of this country, so they let him go!! That was it for me - I sold my home and left.
There are people who approach you in the parking lots of stores begging for money, con games galore, homeless people standing on the street corners with babies in diapers trying to play on your sympathy to get money.
There are stray dogs everywhere and colonies of feral cats running around. I called animal control to ask them to come and get the cats because they were using my yard as a toilet - I had piles everywhere. I was told that "they don't do that". I called one morning to report a baby kitten on a roof, as it was already close to one hundred degrees and was told "it got up there by itself, it should be able to get down by itself."
I had neighbors in the block behind me that constantly invited about a hundred people over for parties. They'd all stand in the street guzzling beer and blasting ethnic music and my neighbor or I would have to call the police. Many times, they wouldn't even show up. I walked over there one time during a party and saw young teenagers standing in the street chugging beer. I called the police about the noise and also told them about the underage drinkers. A policeman came to my house and told me it was an "accepted cultural practice" in the country where these people came from. Really?? So, they don't have to conform to American law???
When the downturn happened in 2009, many of these people packed and left. The houses were TRASHED inside - that's why the housing values went down so fast in Phoenix. I sold my home for a huge loss and moved out of Arizona. I had a great job that I still miss a lot. Phoenix has so much potential; it's a real shame that it's such a mess there.
Eau Claire, WI
Very tough place to find a job... -
10/1/2014Most of the available jobs here are in healthcare, truck driving and factories/warehouses and the salaries are a pittance compared to the same jobs in other parts of the country. I moved here after working in a corporate environment in Milwaukee. My college education, experience and outgoing personality seem to be a disadvantage here. I am overqualified for the vast majority of the positions available and the pay levels are what I made 15 years ago. In other parts of the country my energy and drive were looked upon as attributes when I interviewed for jobs...here, it seems to be threating or overwhelming to the interviewer. It seems a little backwards here to me.
People say the cost of living is so much cheaper here, but I don't find that to be the case. Housing is somewhat cheaper (newer, modern apartments are hard to find), food at the grocery store is more expensive than Southern Wisconsin/Northern Illinois, utilities are expensive and gas is on par with the rest of the country.
That said, many of the people I've chatted with are nice and friendly, a throwback to simpler times in this country. The air is clean, the town is extremely clean and tree-filled, there are a lot of outdoor activities and the downtown area is being revitalized, with many of the century old buildings being torn down and rebuilt.
All in all, I have mixed feelings...