Not Terrible, Not Amazing - Just Simply Livable
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7/26/2019
In 2007, after I finished graduate school, I accepted a job in Phoenix, packed my bags, and drove across country from a small town in Indiana. I hadn’t even visited Phoenix before and coming from a town of 5K people, I considered the experience to be absolutely terrifying. I knew no one, had zero support, and was completely alone. And when I got out of my car in late July after pulling into the apartment complex my boss helped me find, I said to myself:
“What the hell have I just done?”
Being here 12 years and having become well acquainted with all areas of the city, there are a lot of pros and cons.
One of my biggest concerns with moving here was that I would be considered a Midwestern “outsider” that would struggle to fit in. Although I quickly discovered that many people are in the exact same position. Yes, there are native residents, but there’s also a good chunk of individuals that migrated from somewhere else - either due to a dislike of cold winters or simply for economic reasons.
There’s an ongoing joke that Phoenix is the fastest growing suburb of Chicago, which is actually more true than most people want to admit. Because of this, Phoenix sort of lacks a “native flavor” in comparison to other cities. People will proudly proclaim “I’m from New York” or “I’m from Chicago” with a certain sense of pride. Phoenix doesn’t really have that - but there are plenty of people that will constantly remind you of where they came from to the point where it’s almost annoying.
Sports fans tend to support teams from whatever city they came from, to the point where they actually have bars that cater to specific cities. It’s a bit odd. Suns and Cardinals fans do exist, but die-hards fans are far from the norm.
People like to hike, which is mostly a fitness thing, as I often see hikers on cooler mornings marching up mountains like an army of ants. There are gyms all over the place - as well as a very weird obsession with putting a Walgreens on every single street corner.
The cost of living isn’t too bad, which varies depending on the area. I lived in an apartment in East Valley for two years because I was told that it’s “safer.” I went against this advice in 2009 when I bought a house in Northwest Phoenix when the market bottomed out. I have absolutely no regrets in doing so.
With the exception of certain urban areas, the majority of the homes all look identical, with their beige stucco southwestern designs. HOAs, something I had never even heard of before moving to Phoenix, ensure that all homes maintain a generic consistency. They are also building new homes constantly and always trying to create these little artificial communities that pop up almost overnight. Phoenix does have a history, but it seems that there’s more of an obsession with making sure that everything looks modern and new. Our roads are some of the best you'll find in the country, but the downside is that there is constant construction going on.
When I meet people that have lived here for 30-40 years, I always enjoy talking to them about how Phoenix has changed. The biggest change I’ve seen since I moved here is probably Downtown/Central Phoenix, which has increased in popularity - especially with younger individuals. There’s plenty of great restaurants, culture, and arts in this area. Central Phoenix runs more liberal, while the further on the outskirts you go, things become increasingly more conservative.
I’m a big foodie and there are definitely plenty of great restaurants in Phoenix, but most people only know this if they’re willing to drive outside of their bubble suburbs. My girlfriend and I are always exploring new restaurants, but you have to be willing to drive more than 30 minutes to sometimes find them. A lot of people have no interest in doing this.
Residents mostly keep to themselves, as is the case in a lot of big cities. I don’t find people to be friendly or rude. They just kind of do their own thing. There’s a lot more road rage here than I would have assumed - especially guys in their jacked up trucks, which is something I thought I’d be getting away from after leaving Indiana. Despite this, navigating through the city is very easy and something that I was able to quickly adjust to. I often joke that if you could just take the entire city and move it to somewhere like Prescott, it would be perfect.
There’s always been the whole “West Valley vs East Valley” debate. People who live in East Valley are convinced that West Valley is “ghetto” and many refuse to go west of the I-17 for fear of being mugged or shot. Meanwhile, people in West Valley are always trying to staunchly defend it, insisting that it’s improving. It is, but even as a West Valley resident myself, I’ll gladly admit that East Valley has far better entertainment and restaurants. West Valley seems to have more natives, while East Valley has more transplants.
There’s some people here who have money - and a whole lot of people that want to project the “image” that they have money and are living beyond their means as a result. Scottsdale is probably most guilty of this.
Alas, the biggest issue, as most people point out, is the absolutely unforgiving heat. The worst months are July and August. However, I tell people that it’s not so much the heat itself, it’s the monotony of it that drives most people mad. There are no breaks. The sun goes down at night and it’s still 100 plus degrees and disgusting. Some midwestern transplants will attempt to justify it, saying it’s not as bad as the humid summers, but I disagree. 115 degrees is 115 degrees. It’s gross. And you really can’t do anything about it but crank your AC and eat the increased cost of doing so. Once September and October come around and it’s still hot, you’re begging for cooler weather, which finally arrives in November and lasts until about April-May if we’re lucky. During this time, everyone is much, much happier. You almost forget about the heat completely during this time. Despite the cooler temperatures, Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas never really feel quite right.
A lot of people, myself included, often leave Phoenix during the summer for vacations. San Diego is about five hours, while Flagstaff, which is probably the easiest escape, is only two hours. And then you have LA and Vegas also within reasonable distances. This has always been the way people attempt to defend Phoenix. It’s sort of like saying, “Hey, our city can be bad, but we’re really close to a bunch of better places!”
If you’re single, like any big city, it’s really just a matter of being in the right place at the right time. It took me five years of trial and error to meet someone decent. More people means more competition, but that’s pretty common with most bigger cities.
Honestly, I think it really just depends on the individual. We have a very transient population. I’ve met so many people over the years that stay for awhile and either move on after a few years, or ultimately just go back to where they came from. It’s definitely not for everyone.
Me? I’ll probably die here. I’ve built a life for myself, own a home, and have made a successful career that I would not be able to duplicate by moving somewhere else. Despite this, I still find it very hard to recommend the city to everyone.
To me, Phoenix is home - but when I meet people and talk to them about their roots, I sometimes feel like Phoenix is more of an experiment or a stepping stone for many. And once the novelty of living in the desert wears off, they pack their things and move on.
While descriptions like “paradise” kind of make me laugh a little, I think that, as long as you can tolerate the summer months, Phoenix is a livable city. Not magical or magnetic - but simply just livable.
C | Phoenix, AZ