I grew up in Phoenix...
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3/30/2007
I grew up in Phoenix and have been back dozens of times. My father had severe arthritis and was advised by his doctor to move to the valley (Phoenix).His arthritis improved significantly and is attributed to the dry heat. And, yes, it is extremely hot. I remember picnic trips to the mountains, mountain bike trails and squishing a scorpion as it crawled next to me as i rested on a mountian. I remember the desert in bloom every spring, the Palo Verde trees and the beautiful drive from Flagstqaff to Phoenix. As you near the city you will see the giant saguaros become more and more plentiful. This sight is even more spectacular if accompanied by an Arizona sunset.
The history of this place is fascinating. The nearby Superstition Mountains have a history of their own. As a child I was in awe as we passed this mountain knowing that rumor has it, once you go deep into the mountains you are never seen again.
I left Phoenix when it was just under half a million people and return every few years. It's not as beautiful as it used to be. When I moved away and experienced life in other states, I realized that the fear of crime and the reality of it is higher than in other places I've lived. I grew up in a gang-infested neighborhood. One of the public high schools (now shut down)was considered undesireable to attend because of violence. Police were stationed on campus when a change of classes took place due to shootings at the school. And that was in the 1960s.
Another HS, the one I planned to attend, is where I used to watch Dallas Long practice discus throwing. He later went on to the Olympics. That HS was serious about sports.
Phoenix has a great deal of beauty and is deeply rooted in the past, but I have chosen to not raise my child there. I grew up thinking everybody kept their doors locked day and night. The violence and crime I was exposed to 45 years ago would certainly have escaled by the 21st century. I feel it's not worth the risk to live there again.
Lana | Round Rock, TX