Life In Phoenix, Arizona
After having this website up for a while, I have encountered many readers who have varying opinions about life in Arizona. It appears most of the readers who come across this website agree with the message of NoArizona, while there are a few who defend Arizona to the end. Through this NoArizona experience, I’ve learned the quality of life in Arizona is very subjective. In this article, I will delve a little deeper into why this website exists and hopefully provide insight into those looking to move to Arizona.
Arizona Is More Than Just Phoenix
I read many comments from people who agree Phoenix is a terrible city, but wish I would not lump all of Arizona into one category just because of Phoenix. On the home page, there is a clear statement that addresses this: “Specifically, this site deals with the issues involved within the deserts of the Phoenix area.”
For those readers, I agree there are other parts of Arizona that are indeed beautiful and green. Although it’s beautiful, it’s just not home for me. Besides, it’s difficult to find employment in the more natural parts of Arizona. For employment, most have to look in Phoenix, Tucson, Yuma or Flagstaff. It can be done, but that simply is not my desire. So, yes, Arizona is beautiful…just not the Arizona I see day-to-day. In a nutshell, the articles on this website are observations primarily in the Phoenix area.
How Do YOU See Phoenix?
Which one of these photos is more indicative of your thoughts about Phoenix? There’s no right or wrong answer, it’s a matter of opinion. This article tells of a Harris Polls survey about Arizona and Phoenix and people’s desire to live there. The survey revealed Arizona and the Phoenix area rank high for places people want to live (coming in second to Hawaii among senior citizens). The same survey also ranks Arizona and Phoenix as the top places in the same poll as a place they do not want to live.
Those are very interesting survey results and it shows it just depends on who you ask. My opinion is the senior citizens like Phoenix so much because they only live there during the winter months and leave during the summer. That’s something many wish they could do!
A New Perspective
I have never wanted to offend or insult anyone with this website. For me, this website has been more of a notebook to document the reasons why I personally do not like living in the Phoenix area. For this, I’ve been called a “hater” and branded as “negative”. That may be true, but it certainly was never my intention.
One day, I realized being angry about living in Arizona was not getting me anywhere. Negativity breeds more negativity, and all that does is attract negativity into your life. It’s a vicious cycle, and staying in that pattern was not getting me any closer to moving away. It was difficult because I thought if I acted happy and positive, there would be no reason to leave Arizona! I’ve come to realize I can live in a place I do not like while being happy by being grateful for the positive aspects of my life and simply realizing Arizona is just not for me!
You know, this new perspective has worked for me. Instead of feeling angry when I see the ubiquitous brown cloud hovering over Phoenix, I tell myself, “This is why Phoenix is not for me.”
When it hasn’t rained in months, I tell myself, “This is why Phoenix is not for me.”
When I see a barren landscape devoid of trees, I tell myself, “This is why Phoenix is not for me.”
When I burn my hand on the steering wheel, I tell myself, “This is why Phoenix is not for me.”
When it’s over 100 degrees at 10 PM, I tell myself, “This is why Phoenix is not for me.”
When I see a huge dust storm, I tell myself, “This is why Phoenix is not for me.”
When I see someone tweaked out on drugs, I tell myself, “This is why Phoenix is not for me.”
I am now able to focus my thoughts on energy on planning the move out of Arizona and I don’t foresee myself being here much longer.
If you love Phoenix, I hear you! Enjoy your time here, and I’m glad it fits your lifestyle. It’s just not for me!
If you love Arizona, I hear you! There are many beautiful places to visit away from the major cities. It’s just not for me!
If you’re struggling with life in Phoenix or anywhere in Arizona, I hear you! Relax your mind, be sure about what you want in life and don’t doubt yourself! Ask (or pray) for what you want and write it down! Show gratitude for the good things in your life and trust that you won’t be here forever!
In closing, here’s a bit of humor for you. You have to laugh because you KNOW it’s true!
No Arizona! 
Excellent editorial! Bravo, and I agree- I’ve tried many approaches to aid me in dealing with being here….the only thing that I found works for me is leaving at least once a month.
I may not have always agreed with you yet I said from the beginning, I MOVED after living there for 11 years and it was never going to get any better for you. You’re either meant for the desert climate and you’re tolerating all the other BS, you like the climate yet feel trapped by all the BS or you completely hate it and should move ASAP. Nobody was obviously going to compromise with you in the Phoenix area. As for me, if I don’t get a job in Shitcago by January I am likely heading back there. Wish me luck.
Good luck! I may not have always agreed with you either, but I appreciate your participation on this site and wish you the best.
Update: So I did try to pursue a move back to AZ. I applied for a job there and then made living arrangements. Before I get into how both of those crashed and burned, this side of the country just got through a “polar vortex” and it was approximately a billion degrees below zero a few days ago. It always hits a billion degrees below zero in Shitcago every winter! Why do they make little stupid excuses for this? Anyway, so the company that I apply for is multinational in scope but the managers are both in AZ. The first round of interviews is a recruiter and I tell him, I’m not in Arizona now but my address on the resume is listed at Mesa, AZ and I WILL be there in early January. The second round is the managers in AZ who would oversee my job. I tell them I current reside in IL and the address in Mesa, AZ WILL BE my address in early January – absolute confusion on their part. A few days later, rejection email. The living arrangements? Long story short, it’s a room in a house where the landlord lives (never a good idea to do this BTW) and right before I leave I have a gut feeling and call him to ask, hey if I can’t make it by this weekend (read above, billion degrees below zero outside) do you have someone else lined up? Sure enough he has 2 other people interested in the room and a whopping $600 car repair so he is “counting on rent from” me and needs the money. What do you think would happen if I came into town a day late perhaps? Well I wouldn’t take the change and I cancelled the move. Same old flaky non-committal shit isn’t it? IT”S THE PEOPLE of AZ that fuck that city up.
Wow, that really sucks. Sorry to hear that. Have you considered other warm climate states? Florida? Texas? New Mexico? Hope it all works for you. Chicago, or anywhere northern is just too cold.
I’m looking into a couple other cities. One of them is not so warm yet has a lot more charm than anything Phoenix can offer. Once a cow town, always a cow town.
Hey man, long time no talk, but I’m glad you’re still alive and kick’n in this hot desert! You know me, I’m not a big fan of Phx either. I left my heart in DC. Maryland, Virginia, DC…yep, a lot more of life going on back there. But, I must say this. I recently met someone who has change my life and actually changed my perspective of living here. He’s introduced me to camping. OMG! Wow.!! If you haven’t, then you MUST! I wish I would have been into camping while raising my children, they would have loved it. So we’ve camped up north, it’s beautiful! Bathing in a fresh, cold creek! UNBELIEVABLE! We’ve also camped in Payson and here in the valley, down by Goldfield. In Goldfield there were tarantula’s all over the place! Normally a miniature spider freaks me out, these did not. I was naturally embracing the beauty of GOD’S desert and actually not afraid. If we leave them alone, they leave us alone. Change is good. Meeting a new man, actually changed my entire life. I don’t know if I would move back to DC if I could now. Well, plus I have a really good job here now too. LOL…I don’t know. I guess what I’m saying is it’s all relative, and everything is about PERSEPCTIVE… people change with a heart beat. Keep writing. You may find that one day YOU LOVE living here; and maybe not. Think of the world as your home, not just here – and travel… visit the places you wish you could be. Some times a ‘visit’ is JUST ENOUGH!
we do have some nice forest to go camping a beautiful camping place i would suggest is oak creek canyon its gorgeous there and did you know that flagstaff is in the largest ponderosa pine forest in the country thats quite a lot of pines for a state thats suppose to be nothing but desert
i don’t see a barren landscape i see beautiful pine forrest i can always tell its fall when the beautiful elm trees up by the courthouse turn that brilliant gold color and people here are not rude at all there quite friendly most of the people here has never den drugs in there life on the worst days in summer we maybe hit 101 even denver has 100 degree days i am sure glad I’m 5,300 feet in elevation up here and not down in that hell hole at a whopping 1,000 feet above sea levels and those mountains behind that so called skyline of phoenix are a brown ugly excuse for mountains
Wow! I agree with most of the comments and find them amusing. I’ve been in Phoenix for six months and the only way to handle it is to leave often. I go to Flagstaff every other weekend. Phoenix is a dirty city with no culture or soul. The bums are almost impossible to deal with. You know how people will complain about mosquitoes in Alaska? It’s the same here in Phoenix when it comes to bums. You have to swat them off at every street corner, convenience store, Walmart, etc.
Overall, not a great place to live. Phoenix is ugly. I’m already planning my escape.
I see the bums around too. How do they retire at 45 or 50? What are they living off of? You don’t get SS until 65. So why aren’t they working? They aren’t rich.
I’ve been trying to move too, but jobs are hard to come by, and it’s hard to find a job worth financially moving for.
I have made up my mind I won’t stay here and rot. I don’t care for the snobs, the bums, the Prescription druggies.
They can keep their “tatts” too. I don’t get the fascination with tattoos. Looks like they’ve been in prison. It’s not a nice look at all.
I’ve had some of the same experiences as you describe.But I’ve met some very nice people here too,and not just in Phoenix.Though I’m a home owner so I don’t plan on moving.My plan is to learn how to make the best of my life here,regardless of what I may happen to encounter here intermittantly.I do live in a nice area,but
i have to work in Phoenix at least for the time being.I’m a tough guy so I can deal.But I understand those who,would prefer a more favorable community to live and work in.I merely have pretty much everything I want in life…so putting up with a few things not so great….isn’t that much of burden for me.That said,
I really hope you find what you’re looking for in life,wherever you go and whatever you do.Peace.
My work is bringing me to the Tucson area. I will be coming from south Florida where summer lasts for about 6 months with 100% humidity and 100 deg heat index typical ( you sweat just walking your dog a couple blocks). I hear about dry heat but it still sounds hot. Although I think I can transition better than someone from say the Midwest. Thoughts?
The people who say to “go to Flagstaff” when it’s hot…I guess these people don’t have to work. I noticed the “life is a party” types when I moved here. You just don’t see people with an abundance of money like that back in the Midwest. People here assume YOU don’t need to work either, when they make their suggestions. They think everyone else is independently wealthy like they are. Normal people would assume someone HAS to work, not the opposite. Yet here, they always assume you can just buy a home, go buy a new car, travel all day, etc. You can see the parade of big motorhomes heading up north all the time. Lots of money and time to spend it. The rest of us have to work for a living.
For me, it’s not the weather. It’s the attitudes. You get people, and surprisingly, it’s the middle to older aged ones, bragging about FIbromyalgia, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, or…how they are pain killers. It’s like some kind of contest here. Any little ache or pain is not tolerated. It’s amazing.
The lack of friendliness….don’t dare talk to someone in a store. They will treat you like you are trying to sell them something or steal from them. Maybe they are justified, because there is a fast attitude in this town.
ive been in phoenix now for close to 20 years. Ive also lived in Charleston sc, and grew up in the milwaukee, wi area. Of all three i like phoenix best. I enjoy the laid back feel. Ive never had a problem here. Ive met many good people. I dont regret my decision to move to phoenix for even a minute.
I move to Phoenix and 11 years ago. I have hated it every moment. I finally am going to explore a few different cities. Headed to Portland Oregon next week. Phoenix has terrible food bad produce no culture terrible public transportation uptight opinionated people.
Agreed!
Just found this website. I do love living in Phoenix, but everybody’s situation is different. I was living in D.C., Virginia and North Carolina and I couldn’t get out of there fast enough. It truly is a matter of perspective, what stage of life you’re in, and if you have enough money to give you some options. I do agree about one thing though. I’ve never seen so many cranky, rude, couldn’t give a shit about anyone people in my life. Please don’t everyone get mad as I am just telling you my observations, but I think it is a Republican couldn’t give a shit about anyone else thing.