You must like the suburbs to live here
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8/2/2006
First, some background so you know where I'm coming from:
I've lived in Mesa for 1 year now. I am in my early 20s, no kids, and am engaged. I grew up in southern New England and upstate NY and came to Phoenix after college. So, from my point of view, here's what is good and bad about Mesa...
Pros: Very cheap compared to most cities, great winter weather, friendly people, safe and reasonably family-friendly part of the city. Real estate is currently a buyer's market. 115 degrees of dry heat is also a lot better than 90 degrees with 80% humidity. You'll love the sunshine, though it can be a bit much when it hasn't rained in 100 days. The desert is beautiful, if a bit austere. Odds are your allergies will get a lot better when you live out here, though there are some areas that could still effect you. Very little traffic for such a big city, though I've heard that it gets worse every year.
Cons: Unfortunately, Mesa (and much of Phoenix) is designed to be inhabited by cars, not people. There are relatively few trees, blocks are usually 1 mile long in both directions and rarely have street crossings for pedestrians midway through, and my fiancee and I are always extremely bored on the weekends--we've learned that you absolutely need to know interesting people in order to find entertainment here. There's no public space to just hang out other than shopping malls and parks (but parks aren't an option in the summer). We usually end up going into Tempe if we want to find something to do. Lots of stores also close surprisingly early in Mesa and 24hr. supermarkets are pretty much unheard of (but I could be spoiled by my time in the northeast).
Basically, Mesa is a huge suburb and is pretty much culturally dead. The same could be said for the rest of Phoenix, but Mesa is probably the worst offender in this regard. If you're looking to move to the Phoenix area, have a family, cannot afford the outrageous prices of Scottsdale, don't mind the suburban lifestyle, and want to live in a safe place, I would recommend Mesa. Also, if you're looking to retire in Phoenix, Mesa would be a good place to look.
But, if you're young or want to actually have things to do within 20 miles of your home, I would recommend looking elsewhere in the valley.
Bob | Mesa, AZ