Nicer than Hades from what I've read
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8/10/2018
I lived in Phoenix for nearly 16 years. A lot of people move to Phoenix after retirement especially from some place that has seriously cold winters. If you're thinking of moving to Phoenix, I hope you’ll consider my perspective.
There are at least 6 months (some time in May to some time in Oct) that you won't want to be outside unless you're in your pool and I’m not just talking about the daylight hours. The concentration of buildings, concrete and car keeps the city hot 24x7. If you travel to Phoenix during the pleasant months to get out of the cold somewhere else, you might think you’ve found Paradise. It is a much nicer place to visit than to live. During those pleasant months, the days are shortest and when the sun goes down in the winter in the desert the temperature drops like a rock. If you visit there from Duluth then you’ll think I’m nuts. Reevaluate that after you’ve become acclimated to Phoenix year-round. I've never been to a place with fewer pleasant outdoor hours per year. The city is inundated with Snowbirds for 3-4 of the nice weather months. Snowbirds don't generally pay income tax there but they are a huge load on the road system and even more so on the medical systems. Undocumented people are also a huge load on the medical system and there is no shortage of Non-English-speaking undocumented people. Some of them are wonderful people but the reality is that you will have a very difficult time finding a doctor who will take you as your primary doctor. There are some great medical facilities in the Phoenix area, for example the Mayo Clinic.
Phoenix drivers are some of the most aggressive in the US. If you try to leave a few seconds between your car and the car in front of you on a freeway in Phoenix, you will be moving backwards in traffic and plenty of residents will utilize hand singles and horns to communicate their disapproval. I-17 has no break-down lane for miles. If you have a "minor” accident which means you and the other vehicle are alive and your car is still capable of maneuvering then you are legally supposed to get off the freeway. By the way, a great plenty of those undocumented people don't have any insurance. There are serious penalties for driving without insurance so they don't generally stick around after an accident. It's tough to tell the difference between leaving the scene of an accident and getting off the freeway until it is too late to do much about. I strongly recommend that consult your insurance agent before moving to Phoenix so that you can factor that cost into your budget.
If you do decide to move to Phoenix, be sure to keep oven mitts in your car...so you don't leave melted flesh on your steering wheel.
Douglas | Watertown, SD