Trapped by the Heat in Phoenix
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8/7/2008
I am a single woman and have lived in the Phoenix area for most of my life, but have traveled around the U.S. To be honest, there isn't much culture and not much to do here, unless you travel to northern Arizona. In general there is a lot of prejudism, close-mindedness and illegal immigration is a real problem. If you are into Southwest or American Indian culture, this is the place for you. If you like anything else, don't look here. There are very few art galleries and the theatre is just so-so. We have mostly chain restaurants, so if you are looking for a culinary experience you will find it challenging. There is desert hill hiking, but you have to be able to handle 100+ temperatures most of the year and the views are obstructed by air pollution. The 100+ temps start in May and last until mid October, so don't kid yourself...it's HOT! Dry heat??? Not during Monsoon season (July-early September)! Don't forget the sunscreen as the UV index is usually very high. Golf is very popular here and ranges from beginner to PGA courses. If you like to go clubbing and enjoy the bar seen, you will love Scottsdale and downtown Tempe (ASU). There is a variety of Indian Casinos if you like to gamble, but don't expect Las Vegas. We have a few lakes about an hours drive outside of Phoenix, but the water is dirty and the boat docks shutdown by mid-morning due to capacity. The LDS religion is prominent in the valley so everything is shut down by 9pm on the weeknights and 10pm on the weekends (except Scottsdale and Tempe). We do have every professional sports team so if you can afford the game tickets, enjoy! We do not have a great downtown area so don't even bother. We have gorgeous cool, dry weather six months of the year, but you will want to buy stock in body lotion. There aren't green trees, the dust is horrible, allergies are bad because everything is transplanted, traffic is insane, there isn't ANY mass transit yet, crime is easy to witness and the people are superficial and not very nice. Trust me, you will NOT know your neighbors in the cookie-cutter homes here. For me, the six months is no longer worth it and I'm moving to Oregon within the next couple of years....that is if I can sell my house in the horrible Phoenix housing market. I caution anyone wanting to move here to make sure your passion can be fulfilled by what Phoenix has to offer. Mine can't.
Jennifer | ,