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What's it like to live in Arizona?

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posted on Dec, 27 2012 @ 08:22 PM
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Looking for opinions and personal living experiences from those who have been to, or those currently living in Arizona, as it could be a strong possibility that I will be living there sometime in the near future. If and when I do go there I will not be moving to a big city like Phoenix, but some smaller city somewhere in the state. I'm a 22 year old white female right now and some questions I have are as follows:

I live in an upper mid-west state currently where the winters are cold, harsh and long, people are not tolerant of different kinds of people, and if you don't like certain things to fit in with everyone else chances are you will not make many friends here. Also there is not a lot to do here. Most stores close at 9PM except for Walmart, and everyone who lives around me aren't interesting to me anymore, maybe from living here so long or maybe just in general, they all seem like the same people with the same thoughts and lives... IMO


Questions I have about Arizona:

Are people there generally openly and/or strongly "interested" in other people to form friendships?
Is it easy to make friends here?
Are people there generally tolerant of interests that may be different from what they are used to?
Are there a lot of "INTERESTING" things to do there? Are the people there "Interesting" do you think? People get bored in every state, but do people who live there get really bored more often compared to other places? Are people who live here generally intelligent? And what percent do you think compared to other states?
Do people in Arizona like people from any of the upper mid-west states? How do they view them? Is there hostility, a likeness, or mostly neutral?


I would like to know anything else important about living/moving to Arizona also

-83


edit on 27-12-2012 by unb3k44n7 because: (no reason given)

edit on 27-12-2012 by unb3k44n7 because: (no reason given)



posted on Dec, 27 2012 @ 08:27 PM
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you might wanna stay where your at



posted on Dec, 27 2012 @ 08:30 PM
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I think its pointless to categorize millions of people... Every one is different you just need to meet the right people. You cant really say a whole state is intollerant of certain things. Take Texas for example, most would say that they are a bunch of hick gay hating Christians buts its just not true. It depends on where you go and most importantly the person you are talking to. You like small city's/towns. If their is one place every one should go before they die its sedona Arizona. Its a AMAZING mystical place.
Right down atser ally.
edit on 27-12-2012 by Infi8nity because: (no reason given)



posted on Dec, 27 2012 @ 08:36 PM
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reply to post by unb3k44n7
 


Actually, having lived in phoenix for the last two years, and previously bounced around before that, I can give you a good bit of insight on it.

No one (or very few) are from here, for example, one of the bars I go to is Chicago transplant, seriously, they moved an entire family bar down here, all thirty feet of the dang thing....Great little place.

The area is populated, but it doesn't really feel like a city, like atlanta, it feels more like a med-sized city that got squashed and spread out....

Each area has it's own feel and personality, for example, carefree is well, carefree, friendly and fun.....scottsdale is a bit up-itty....but still some really fun places to go.

You have 6 months of pleasant weather, 2-3 of 'chilly, meaning 60s' and a month or two of hot....but the hot is different, i know everyone says that...but when it was 115 this past summer, my car doesn't have AC and i didn't mind until i realized the arm on the window frame while driving was baking, so i pulled it in
The heat isn't so bad....and being that we have stable weather, no earthquakes, no hurricanes, no snow, a midget tornado now and then, a bit of a haboob once or twice a year......the great days so out number the bad.

With regards to the people.....i really have only had one encounter in the last two years with a complete jerk....rest of it, pleasant people, great food, light traffic, clean new buildings, .....great home prices and job opportunities.....

You could do worse....PM me if you have specific questions.

Edit-Oh, and towards the regional thing, no, there really isn't a regional dislike as most are from all over....and Arizona is so used to being the kicking dog of the rest of the country we are a bit self-conscious, Why Will Our Politicians Not Stay Away From the Cameras??? Please?
edit on 27-12-2012 by pointr97 because: (no reason given)



posted on Dec, 27 2012 @ 08:38 PM
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Originally posted by Infi8nity
I think its pointless to categorize millions of people... Every one is different you just need to meet the right people. You cant really say a whole state is intollerant of certain things. Take Texas for example, most would say that they are a bunch of hick gay hating Christians buts its just not true. It depends on where you go and most importantly the person you are talking to. You like small city's/towns. If their is one place every one should go before they die its sedona Arizona. Its a AMAZING mystical place.
Right down atser ally.
edit on 27-12-2012 by Infi8nity because: (no reason given)


I wasn't trying to imply putting everyone in a state in a category, but where I live it seems it's seems it's hard to meet new and interesting people. It's a really small town with limited outlets to meet others who are different and with different thoughts about life. I wanted to know if there are a lot of unique and interesting outlets to attend with interesting people to be a part of more interesting lifestyles.



posted on Dec, 27 2012 @ 08:39 PM
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Originally posted by unb3k44n7

Originally posted by Infi8nity
I think its pointless to categorize millions of people... Every one is different you just need to meet the right people. You cant really say a whole state is intollerant of certain things. Take Texas for example, most would say that they are a bunch of hick gay hating Christians buts its just not true. It depends on where you go and most importantly the person you are talking to. You like small city's/towns. If their is one place every one should go before they die its sedona Arizona. Its a AMAZING mystical place.
Right down atser ally.
edit on 27-12-2012 by Infi8nity because: (no reason given)


I wasn't trying to imply putting everyone in a state in a category, but where I live it seems it's seems it's hard to meet new and interesting people. It's a really small town with limited outlets to meet others who are different and with different thoughts about life. I wanted to know if there are a lot of unique and interesting outlets to attend with interesting people to be a part of more interesting lifestyles.


My sister nagged me for six years to move here.....'It is a desert, why would any sane individual move to a desert, are you freakin nuts?'.....well, i ate my words.



posted on Dec, 27 2012 @ 08:54 PM
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Originally posted by tinhattribunal
you might wanna stay where your at


Why is that? Do elaborate.



posted on Dec, 27 2012 @ 09:14 PM
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Are people there generally openly and/or strongly "interested" in other people to form friendships?
Is it easy to make friends here? A Yes i think so its very easy to meet people that share the same interests as you and are as passionate in the same thing you are

Are people there generally tolerant of interests that may be different from what they are used to? majority yes/ many people are friends with different ecinomcal religious and political veiws

Are there a lot of "INTERESTING" things to do there? Are the people there "Interesting" do you think? depends on what your in to phx and tucson are both major college towns so there are alot of clubs and night life, for me i do alot of out doors activity like atv, hiking camping and shooting

People get bored in every state, but do people who live there get really bored more often compared to other places? im sure their are a few but in my experience i moved from az for work in 08 and mobing back in 2013...alot of my friends from cali and going to be moving to az for the better activities and less uppity people

Are people who live here generally intelligent? And what percent do you think compared to other states? most people over 25 are pretty decent and can articulate their ideas when in a discussion

Do people in Arizona like people from any of the upper mid-west states? How do they view them? Is there hostility, a likeness, or mostly neutral? i havent seen any hostility's towards people from the mid west the only hostility i see is toward anti gun folk that move to az, we are a very pro gun state

I would like to know anything else important about living/moving to Arizona also

has some really good laws that acctualy work pretty well cost of living is cheap and the laws are pretty nonrestrictive yet crime is punished harshly , and yes our politicians some times look out there but thats because they arnt afraid of the main stream we do what out state wants our republicans are more libertarian then most places to me Arizona is one of the last free states left

My experience growing up in az for 23 years moved out for work and now bringing 4-6 of my friends back to az



posted on Dec, 27 2012 @ 09:26 PM
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I used to live in Phoenix, so I'll tell you about the Valley.
Oh, the desert is beautiful, with its cacti, distant mountains and endless shrubs. The sky at sunset often had streaks of multicolored cirrus clouds. The weather is way dry, which means perfect, non-frizzy hair. The temperature is over 100 degrees in the summer; it's like walking out into an oven. But I get a touch of nostalgia on particularly hot days here in SC where I live now.
No grass in our neighborhood, just gravel. Pleasant evening walking weather. There's a wonderful Chinese restaurant in Sun City where a lot of older retirees live. The Arrowhead mall is pretty nice; two stories with plenty of lighting and places to buy food. And so much more.
Taking drives up to Flagstaff was fun. It's a college town, I think, and it's at a higher elevation, so the temperature isn't as hot.
There was a drought when we left seven years ago. I'd keep the waning water supply in mind.

I thought people there were fairly friendly. That includes tolerance to interests. No one I met was boring, or cared about where we were from. There's a very large Hispanic population, mostly working-class if I recall correctly. They had a very attractive collective charm. No one was hostile.
So, I must conclude that the city was a mighty fine place to live.



edit on 27-12-2012 by EllaMarina because: (no reason given)



posted on Dec, 27 2012 @ 09:28 PM
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Originally posted by fatherdeath
Are people there generally openly and/or strongly "interested" in other people to form friendships?
Is it easy to make friends here? A Yes i think so its very easy to meet people that share the same interests as you and are as passionate in the same thing you are

Are people there generally tolerant of interests that may be different from what they are used to? majority yes/ many people are friends with different ecinomcal religious and political veiws

Are there a lot of "INTERESTING" things to do there? Are the people there "Interesting" do you think? depends on what your in to phx and tucson are both major college towns so there are alot of clubs and night life, for me i do alot of out doors activity like atv, hiking camping and shooting

People get bored in every state, but do people who live there get really bored more often compared to other places? im sure their are a few but in my experience i moved from az for work in 08 and mobing back in 2013...alot of my friends from cali and going to be moving to az for the better activities and less uppity people

Are people who live here generally intelligent? And what percent do you think compared to other states? most people over 25 are pretty decent and can articulate their ideas when in a discussion

Do people in Arizona like people from any of the upper mid-west states? How do they view them? Is there hostility, a likeness, or mostly neutral? i havent seen any hostility's towards people from the mid west the only hostility i see is toward anti gun folk that move to az, we are a very pro gun state

I would like to know anything else important about living/moving to Arizona also

has some really good laws that acctualy work pretty well cost of living is cheap and the laws are pretty nonrestrictive yet crime is punished harshly , and yes our politicians some times look out there but thats because they arnt afraid of the main stream we do what out state wants our republicans are more libertarian then most places to me Arizona is one of the last free states left

My experience growing up in az for 23 years moved out for work and now bringing 4-6 of my friends back to az


Yeah, don't drink and drive here......very bad mistake, but light rail and cab service is easy to get....really think the only thing that makes this a red state is gun and immigration law support....everything else seems very middle of the road.



posted on Dec, 27 2012 @ 09:30 PM
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reply to post by EllaMarina
 


too funny, you moved from phoenix to south carolina, i moved from south carolina to phoenix.....two ships passing in the night



posted on Dec, 27 2012 @ 09:39 PM
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reply to post by EllaMarina
 


Non frizzy hair -- pretty happy with that statement
One thing I am afraid of is that I am going to get sick of looking at rocks and sand every day with almost no green forests etc.
But that's similar to getting sick of looking at trees everyday in the upper-midwest so I suppose it's just something that can't be helped

I want to eat cake now because of your avatar, btw



posted on Dec, 27 2012 @ 09:43 PM
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reply to post by unb3k44n7
 


I made a hefty edit, by the way.

The landscaping was pleasant to look at. No one is going to stand for living in a box of rocks, heh. There were decorative minimal-water bushes and cacti arranged in the gravel, and some shadier landscaping in the suburban market/mall/restaurant areas, I think.

Thanks. I get a craving for cake when I look at it too.


edit on 27-12-2012 by EllaMarina because: (no reason given)



posted on Dec, 27 2012 @ 10:06 PM
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Originally posted by unb3k44n7

Questions I have about Arizona:

Are people there generally openly and/or strongly "interested" in other people to form friendships?


Not in the small towns, no.


Is it easy to make friends here?


If you're a friendly person I suppose.


Are people there generally tolerant of interests that may be different from what they are used to?


Not in the small towns, no.


Are there a lot of "INTERESTING" things to do there?


Define interesting. Phoenix has it all. Trust me.


Are the people there "Interesting" do you think?


Again, define interesting.


People get bored in every state, but do people who live there get really bored more often compared to other places?


No. But then again, what do people do when they don't have a lot of options when they're bored? Use your imagination.


Are people who live here generally intelligent?


Not to be snide, but go to the library and ask them.


And what percent do you think compared to other states?


Jesus woman, are you writing a book?


Do people in Arizona like people from any of the upper mid-west states?


They would almost have to. Most of them are from the mid-west.


How do they view them? Is there hostility, a likeness, or mostly neutral?


They view them as the majority of people who have populated this state since the '40's. When the people with severe medical ailments started coming down here populating what is now Sunnyslope in North Phoenix. (You don't want to live there BTW )


I would like to know anything else important about living/moving to Arizona also


Well, judging from your questions I think you'd be better suited living in a small town close to Phoenix. Buckeye and Black Canyon City come to mind. If you've got the money, Anthem. You're not going to find a lot of diversity in the small towns in Arizona, but the valley? The Phoenix metro area? It has it all. 516 square miles of asphalt. And that's just Phoenix. that's not counting the other dozen or so cities that surround Phoenix that make all of it "The Valley Of The Sun".

A few years ago I got bored and superimposed a map of the entire valley, Sun City to Avondale to Gilbert, to Scottsdale.....over a map of Rhode Island. Guess which one's bigger?

www.phoenixasap.com...

en.wikipedia.org...

PM me if you want specifics about individual cities. My work gets me around, but Phoenix has been "home base" since '82.




-83


edit on 27-12-2012 by Taupin Desciple because: (no reason given)

edit on 27-12-2012 by Taupin Desciple because: (no reason given)



posted on Dec, 27 2012 @ 10:14 PM
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Originally posted by unb3k44n7
reply to post by EllaMarina
 


Non frizzy hair -- pretty happy with that statement
One thing I am afraid of is that I am going to get sick of looking at rocks and sand every day with almost no green forests etc.
But that's similar to getting sick of looking at trees everyday in the upper-midwest so I suppose it's just something that can't be helped

I want to eat cake now because of your avatar, btw


Actually, I miss green, a bit, but i will say i never get tired of seeing the mountains.....Today for example, there was an absolutely awesome view of the northern mountains with huge cloud formation that looked like it was dumping rain/snow on them.....Want a change, 30 minutes in any direction and you have something totally different.



posted on Dec, 27 2012 @ 11:38 PM
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reply to post by unb3k44n7
 


One thing I am afraid of is that I am going to get sick of looking at rocks and sand every day with almost no green forests etc.
You should take a look at Flagstaff. I have property in this are and I can tell you it is one of the most beautiful places I have ever lived. The town is surrounded by national forest, it has a college so the average age is low, cool night life. tons of healthy, outdoor activities, artsy downtown area, a ski resort! and only an hour or so from the Grand Canyon and Sedona, and Jerome, also a very low crime rate. And it's not far from this;

and this;

I took this photo out my bedroom window;


edit on 27-12-2012 by tanda7 because: photos



posted on Dec, 28 2012 @ 10:18 AM
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reply to post by tanda7
 


See I like this a lot better than the picture of a vast wasteland of rocks and flat sands... That looks like an amazing forest ( I could totally see myself chillin out there for hours) but yet still not a mid-west type scene. I would love that. The environment looks amazing!
This forest wouldn't even have to be in my backyard, so to speak, as long as it was within a half hour to an hour drive from wherever I would be living would make me feel a lot better, knowing that I have the option to somewhat conveniently see some trees and forest wildlife for a change a scenery apposed from chillin in a jeep on a sand dune every day ;-p
edit on 28-12-2012 by unb3k44n7 because: (no reason given)



posted on Jan, 2 2013 @ 09:26 PM
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reply to post by unb3k44n7
 

I agree, I think you would like the Flagstaff, Prescott, and Sedona areas best. Of those three, Sedona is BY FAR the most expensive but also the prettiest. They all three are partly to very wooded. Flagstaff is at the same elevation as Colorado Springs, so if you go there, expect snow and cold winters. Prescott and Sedona get some snow, in the winter, but are much milder and at a much lower elevation. They "have seasons" unlike the Valley of the sun.

We live in Phoenix and travel up North to these towns over long weekends, frequently. Flagstaff is a college town, all three have hiking, nearby lakes, indian ruins (cliff dwellings and so on) interesting people, art galleries, lots of community events like art fairs and musical events, etc. Someone else mentioned this - we have fantastic food here! And I mean restaurants you don't need a reservation to go to, just really great food. Once you pick a town, let me know and I'll recommend some specific restaurants.



posted on Jan, 2 2013 @ 10:52 PM
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Originally posted by gwynnhwyfar
reply to post by unb3k44n7
 

I agree, I think you would like the Flagstaff, Prescott, and Sedona areas best. Of those three, Sedona is BY FAR the most expensive but also the prettiest. They all three are partly to very wooded. Flagstaff is at the same elevation as Colorado Springs, so if you go there, expect snow and cold winters. Prescott and Sedona get some snow, in the winter, but are much milder and at a much lower elevation. They "have seasons" unlike the Valley of the sun.

We live in Phoenix and travel up North to these towns over long weekends, frequently. Flagstaff is a college town, all three have hiking, nearby lakes, indian ruins (cliff dwellings and so on) interesting people, art galleries, lots of community events like art fairs and musical events, etc. Someone else mentioned this - we have fantastic food here! And I mean restaurants you don't need a reservation to go to, just really great food. Once you pick a town, let me know and I'll recommend some specific restaurants.


Thanks for the good info. I'll keep these things in mind. The date on moving isn't set nor the exact location. Arizona is just one the strong possibilities. My family are actually the ones who mentioned they are going to be moving, and it's for sure but I don't know exactly when...so I decided that when they do decide to I would probably end up tagging along for the move just at first so I can relocate with them, and then split off and go on my own... and I could talk to them about these different places to help them come to a decision when the time comes... I could use a new adventure and scene anyways,.. as there would be no reason for me to stay in the upper midwest by myself with no family around, and plus there's really not anything for me here anymore...I've been here my whole life... Moving would be good for me too. I just want to know about the state and areas so I'm informed before the time comes, so I know what to expect and am not culturally/geographically disappointed or surprised. Lol.

I would be looking forward to much warmer climate, that would be mutual between my family and I, but I want to still be able to live around some "trees" and other temperate-type environments, at least SOMEWHAT.... I've never lived anywhere else my whole life... so I am unsure how I'm going to feel after I move so far away, so I'm slightly concerned. And I want to be somewhere where there aren't a lot of neighbors right on top of us because I would feel better about that too. But Wellll seeee it's all in the works and undecided.
edit on 2-1-2013 by unb3k44n7 because: (no reason given)


Oh, and yes I also love good food, so that's a must have.
thanks again
edit on 2-1-2013 by unb3k44n7 because: (no reason given)

edit on 2-1-2013 by unb3k44n7 because: (no reason given)



posted on Jan, 3 2013 @ 12:25 AM
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I am 24 and have lived in Arizona for the last 15 years, most people my age are very naive and clueless about symbolism and evil corporations and so on,and stuck on partying, getting laid and getting high. Its hard to find people to have deep conversations with about real stuff. I do know a few awesome people tho.

There is lots of farm area and open desert around the valley and its not uncommon to see cowboys and horses riding along the road. Also it's HOT in the summer and the skys are full airplanes spraying who knows what. That's why I have been spending my summers in Alaska these last 3 years.




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