General Info on making a new start in Phoenix, AZ?
Hi everyone! I am a 32 year old who is considering moving to Phoenix after living my whole life in Upstate NY. Just a few things: 1. I never finished college and while I've remained consistently employed, my work background is all over the map. How attainable is work in Phoenix, particularly with my education handicap? I know that the city is growing by leaps and bounds and that unemployment is around 3% (being from NY, that's an incredible statistic!) so I have high hopes! 2. Any tips on what towns offer affordable apartments? From the preliminary research I've done, it looks like $800 is the starting point for basic dwellings. Any comments, insight, toughlove would be appreciated! THanks!
Phoenix - 6 Answers
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1 :
Phoenix is a wonderful place to live. Visit North Phoenix Baptist Church for a friendly welcome and plenty of people to help with various "new resident" questions.
2 :
Phoenix is a great place with lots of opportunities. Lots of space, very boomng economy. Like any place, it's what you make of it, but your odds for success are good there..
3 :
I moved to Tucson from CA almost 2 years ago, but before doing was a regular visitor for several years at a friend of mine's place in Mesa, basically next door to Phoenix. The area has developed to the point where there isn't really any separation between adjacent cities. There are some nice cities in the Phoenix area, being heavily populated, the area offers a whole lot more to do and more jobs than the Tucson area does but it does have some shortcomings that are worth mentioning for someone that hasn't spent much time there. I'm not saying it's bad, I just think one needs to know things to take into consideration. Traffic is bad, commuting any distance is a nightmare, the air pollution has gotten to where there is a red brown haze almost always hanging in the air, reminds me of LA in the 70's. It gets so bad that your eyes and sinuses will burn, if you're asthmatic like me that would be a concern, I'm sure that some areas are worse than others but I can't tell you which they would be, likely further from Phoenix the better. If heat bothers you, well, just keep tabs on the Phoenix weather reports, with all that pavement the heat is soaked up and summers just stay hot at night without a whole lot of relief, at least not until the monsoon comes along and pours water by the bucket full on the area... which also means that flooding can be a concern, again, more or less depending on where you live. That may translate into periodic difficulties in getting around town or getting to work because of flooding. The monsoon season has just started so tune in to local weather reports. typically the same areas/roads will have problems year after year. As far as work is concerned there's likely enough opportunity for you there, but keep in mind AZ is an at will work state which means job security does not really exist. Of course you could continue your education at Arizona State University if you wanted to. At least in the Tucson area it seems the best chances for a decent wage go to professional fields, contractors, business owners and the skilled self employed. It's a lousy place to be working class competing with cheap labor from across the border.
4 :
Great question! My finace and I moved here from Michigan a little over a year ago, and we love it! We are in our twenties, so our major puch to move so far from our families was work, which we had no trouble finding once we got here. We both work for American Express, a really great company. Neither of us have a completed degree, and my finace didn't even have much computer skills. They pay well and offer good benefits. We live in North Phoenix, not too over populated yet, and the traffic is not nearly as bad as down town. We rent a modest sized apartment, about 1000 sq ft for about $830 a month. The biggest shock for me when I got here was how clean the city was. I know there is air polution, but I don't see it as bad as the previous person mentioned. Compared to Michigan, the roads are wonderful, and you can see your tax dollars being put to good use. Jobs are plentiful, you just want to make sure the companies you apply with do not employ illegal workers, that can really drive down your wages. With most companies who employ illegals, they usually won't offer any benefits. I have never been to New York, although I would love to visit someday, but I'm sure you will notice a considerable difference in almost every aspect of life here compared to living in the east. One thing to do your reasearch on is the heat. If you don't handle it well, this may not be the place for you. If you love hiking, sight seeing and camping, Arizona offers it all. Another great thing about living in Phoenix is that the landscape is always changing. You can drive two hours north of Phoenix to Flagstaff to get relief from the summer heat and enjoy the green that you will surely miss from home. We recently took a trip back to Michigan and was shocked by all the green everywhere. You really take it for granted when the city you live in is completly brown! All in all, for the reasons you mentioned above, I think you would love it here. Great opportunities, beautiful landscape, and wonderful people. I hope this helps! Good luck!
5 :
Amanda above pretty much summed it up. I don't think the person above her is accurate at all, this person seems displeased with life in general and will find something to complain about no matter what. I do not see the pollution, in fact it is very clean for being the 5th largest city in the US, also I only notice traffic around rush hour but what city doesn't? I am from NY as well and love all the outdoor opportunites in AZ and with the exception of summer, the weather is perfect. Even in the heat, most people have pools or stay indoors or travel north. I do have a degree, so don't know what your job market might look like, but I have many friends who dont and they have perfectly good jobs. Good luck!
6 :
Do yourself a favor and move here. I am from Michigan too and we moved here for work a couple years ago. Best thing we could have ever done! Jobs aplenty, cheaper to rent than buy a home. Traffic can be bad sometimes, you have to know how to get around it. Not to hard to figure out though. go to phoenixnewtrimes.com and check out the local scene too. Something for everyone here!
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