Worst City in the U.S. Period.
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10/20/2009
Phoenix is the armpit of the United States, and that's an insult to armpits.
Culturally, it is an absolute vacuum. I've been stranded here for 11 years and I can assure you that if you have anything even remotely approaching a refined palate (regardless of topic matter) you want to steer extremely clear of this DMZ. I've lived in the two most coveted neighborhoods in the valley and can tell you that it's no relief.
Professional activity is weak. Economy sucks. People are borderline retarded. Restaurants are absolute garbage on every scale, irrespective of type of cuisine or level of "elite-ism" (HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA...I don't know if I can continue...).
Scottsdale has carved out a reputation for itself as "The Beverly Hills/Newport Beach of the Desert". What a friggin' joke. The nightlife here is a pathetic attempt at cool & consistently tries to convince itself (and other poor, unfortunate dupes) to be on a level with South Beach, Miami,FL; Newport Beach, CA; even Vegas. Save your money and time.
Scottsdale and the Biltmore area have a strong reputation for solid Resorts and Spas, and in a handful of cases they are legitimate claims. Just make sure you come in the late Fall/Winter. They will lure you with digestible rates in the Summer, but it's too damn hot to enjoy any of the outdoor features. Same holds true for Golf. Enormous number of very nice courses/clubs. Unfortunately, better than half of the year you can't enjoy them for long because you're a charcoal briquette by the time you finish nine holes.
Best thing you can do, is keep this as a rare vacation destination. Unless you're a reptile or Hillbilly (or both) you will grow bored of this burg very quickly.
My only saving grace is the amount of business travel I do that keeps me sane. Once I'm gone from here, however, I won't even fly over the desert, let alone drive through here ever again.
Just a friendly, unbiased (HA) opinion!!
Orracle | Phoenix, AZ