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No Arizona!
This blog's purpose is to serve as a place vent our frustrations of living in Arizona and why you should say NO ARIZONA!
No Arizona! 
Arizona, i hate this state wish id never moved here,the drivers are crazy i dont believe half of them have a drivers license. Then when you people sell things u want top dollar out of used stuff, or twice what the stuff is worth. Cars trucks and cb equipment ham radio equipment what ever. i think the sun has baked your brains or the drugs in your citys water supplys have effected you in some way. Good god people the stuff not new the min you buy it,and put your hands on it..you all are the same dumb un educated people think u got gold minds.when all u got is junk ….
You sound uneducated
I agree, I moved here in September 2014 from Chicago to escape the winter for the first time in my life. Well i’ll just this, I would take a winter in Chicago over a nice weather in Phoenix any day. I’m going to take the lessons ive learned since being here but I will never come back again! It really sucks!
Okay, so weather question: I moved here because of family, but also to escape COLD, damp, harsh, snowy New England winters. This is my first winter in the Phoenix area. I’m freezing! The temp hasn’t gotten much above 40 degrees the past week, (once with a daytime “feels-like temp” of 36)! We’ve had freeze warnings for the past week of so, and it’s definitely dipping to the low 30s or lower at night. I check my weather app at night. I compare my old town’s weather in CT with Goodyear, where I am now. Goodyear’s nighttime temps have been maybe 5-10 degrees above CT’s. A few night’s ago, CT’s night temp was actually 5 degrees warmer than ours! Please tell me this is “unseasonably” cold and not normal. I feel like I never moved out of CT. I’m wearing winter coats and gloves again. Last winter, while still in CT, I had the weather app set to Phoenix (knowing we’d be moving here soon). I’d check the app almost daily. I remember only two days when there was a freeze warning in the Phoenix area last year. That was January 2014. If I look at the app now, it says our Goodyear high temp this upcoming Wed. is 72. That is more like it. But I already dealt with crazy high electricity bills throughout the summer/fall because I had to use the a/c, of course. Now, I HAVE to use the heat. My husband’s family claimed that they used the heat all of TWO days last winter. Did they lie?
No, they’re not lying. I didn’t turn on the heat at all last year. My advice is enjoy it, because it will be over 100 before you know it. The 100s will start in April and last until September, sometimes October. This seems to be a much colder winter. As a matter of fact, a friend had to ask how to turn on the heat.
First off, let me be honest, I like the Phoenix area and after 2 years away am looking to move back and found this site while doing some research toward that end.
That said, everything negative that’s been said about the area is true – maybe a little over generalized, but true none the less.
I’m happy that this site exists, as far too many people move there thinking it’s paradise and either don’t do their research or put blinders on to the area’s negative qualities thinking “it can’t be that bad” or “it has to be better than this dump I live in now.”
I hope this post reaches you who are considering the move before it’s too late. Things to consider before committing yourself to the place and potentially wasting a lot of time and money.
If you feel summers are too hot where you live now, Phoenix is not for you.
If you get easily agitated by heavy traffic, Phoenix is not for you.
For those of you with kids, if you see school as free daycare or simply can’t involve yourself in their education (no matter the reason), Phoenix is not for you or your kids. This is not meant to offend, but please be honest with yourself.
If you think the desert will cure your depression, Phoenix is not for you.
If you are afraid of working with or for Mexicans, Phoenix is not for you.
If you are deathly afraid of snakes, lizards, scorpions, bees, or beetles, Phoenix is not for you.
Other things to keep in mind when considering the move:
Phoenix is not your hometown and you cannot make it change to be like your hometown. If you think “people are the same all over” you may be really disappointed.
Yes, there is a very large community of retirees all over the valley, especially in the winter. They typically move at a slower pace and will cause additional congestion on the roadways. See the above “Phoenix is not for you” about traffic and respect your elders.
The state is very republican. So am I and have met many people in Phoenix that I feel are too republican. Keep this in mind if extreme republicans get under your skin.
Lastly, if you’d rather move to LA, but choose Phoenix as the cheaper alternative, keep in mind it’s about a 6 hour drive and almost entirely desert. You’ll likely want to go in the summer to escape the heat. There is very little to see or do until you hit the Palm Springs area and it’s typically hotter than Phoenix the whole way until you get to the mountains west of Palm Springs. After that it can be hot (easily over 100) all the way into LA.
Although I did not post the positives, I can assure you there are plenty and they are why I’m trying to move back, but my reasons are not why anyone else should move there.
I hope this post catches a few people this winter and opens your eyes to the town and makes you reconsider your own reasoning and expectations, before you make a move you regret.
To all my fellow Phoenician’s – hope you’re having another wonderful day in paradise!
That is a very well-written, intelligent comment. This purpose of this site has always been to inform people considering a move to Phoenix. Yours is one of the few comments that are pro-Phoenix and that is not laced with foul language and threats. Thanks for taking the time to share your thoughts!
I Like New York. I am a city person but Arizona is good for a holiday.
I just found this blog after Googling “I hate Arizona.” I was born and raised here but honestly, I think I want to get out of this state. You know what? My air conditioner is broken…again. In Arizona, in the Phoenix area, a central air is vital, it can actually be life threatening. Mine breaks down about twice a year. I just got a brand new one a couple of years ago, and have already had to get a new compressor, thermostat, some other parts…I can never afford it and I’m always miserably hot. I’m so tired of being hot. You can add that to your list. Also, I just read an article saying Arizona ranks as one of the worst for quality of jobs and job satisfaction. So true! Lots of crappy jobs here. No one should move here! That’d be crazy!?%$!! Anyway, thanks for this comment section so I can rant for awhile. lol.
Rebecca, everything you say is 100% on point. My hubby and I moved here a year ago. We had visited a bunch of times and loved it. Boy, were we wrong about this place. My in-laws have lived here about 4 years. All they ever talked about was how “cheap it is to live here”. And they bragged about wearing flip flops in October. The only thing they ever complained about was the drivers. We took their words at face-value and after securing a job, we moved here from New England. I knew after LIVING here for just a week that there is something inherently WRONG with this state. I mentioned my suspicions and my questions on a web site forum. The web site is dedicated to providing data regarding living conditions in different U.S. cities. There are also forums that people can join to post comments or questions about a particular city. People from this area did not like my negative-leaning comments about the Phoenix area. They blasted me on the web site forum, calling me names, saying I was spewing “hogwash” and telling me I couldn’t possibly know anything about Phoenix after living here only a short while. Those people – as are most people in this area – were in denial. My suspicions about this area have been proven true, and I’ve discovered much worse about Phoenix from my own experiences and quite a bit of research. The things that go on here are unethical, illegal, and unconscionable – from the top “elected” officials down to the struggling business owner who tries to pull scam after scam. And the job situation: Jobs pay HORRIBLY here, the “benefits” offered are terrible, there is no cap on the hours a salaried employee can be forced to work without compensation. That’s state law. Since there are almost no unions, there are no workers’ rights, and there’s no recourse for unfair labor practices, which occur constantly. People here are generally uneducated and ignorant, and the government wants it that way. After all, people who are clueless won’t question authority or make waves. As such, the school systems are behind-the-times and underfunded (and funds are getting cut further, thanks to the Gov). The schools use cheesy low-level curricula they get for free and teachers here have little respect, support, or opportunities for professional growth or salary raises. Most teachers make the same salary they did five or ten years ago, not even receiving a COLA, despite the rising cost of living here. The teacher turnover rate is sky-high and the children end up suffering. AZ citizens who are actually AWARE of the backwardness in AZ have continued to feel powerless to fix it. There is no winning against the corruption here – especially with all the power and money being in the hands of a tiny elite few. So, these struggling, downtrodden AZ citizens go into denial, bury their heads in the sand, or drown their hopelessness in drugs and alcohol. You are very astute to have lived here forever and still pick up on the “wrongness” of this area. I would think people who have never known anything different wouldn’t realize how backwards this state is! Please know that there ARE better places to live. It is NOT “so cheap to live here”. Sales taxes, utility costs, etc. range from high to outrageous. The electricity bills in summer – with the house thermostat set at a temp of 78-80 degrees – are sky high (as you know). Businesses are constantly trying to scam people; it wouldn’t surprise me if your a/c company is purposefully breaking the a/c or skimping on repairs just so you need to call them over and over. I have been talked down to by numerous repairmen and I’ve had others try to coerce me into paying for unneeded repairs or services. (They don’t especially like it when a woman knows better and refuses). I hope you can get out of this cesspool. You seem like a nice person who deserves better. We are escaping now, after just a year of living here, and going back home. Our mental and physical health depends on it.
Thanks, Heidi. I think you’re absolutely right on in everything you said about Arizona. Lucky you to be escaping from this place. Well, my AC person was here this morning and just called back. He said he’d have to replace the entire outside unit and it will be at least $2500. He said he called Goodman and the installer put in the wrong indoor unit that doesn’t match with the outside. Normally, a person would want to call the installer as they’re liable, but I don’t even think I will. That guy was nuts. About a year and a half ago a different repairman was here and saw a problem with the installer so I called him. He was screaming profanity in the phone and calling that repairman a liar and saying he’s coming over to tell him to his face and blah, blah, blah. I was concerned about the new repairman’s safety, and warned the installer I will call the police if he steps on my property. The only thing I could do now is take legal action, but again, I probably won’t even bother. I just don’t like all this stress and drama. I’ll just pay my money, get some cold air, and hope it lasts awhile. But yeah, did I mention how much I hate Arizona? 🙂 They’re going to try to put in the new outdoor unit Monday or Tuesday. On the bright side, at least it will only be 103 degrees.
You’re right too about how Arizonans can be in denial and protective of criticism. At work last night I told them I thought it’d be nice to move out of Arizona. They’re just like, “Oh what?” Like I was talking crazy or something. I felt like a traitor, threatening to move out of this “paradise” or maybe a cult member that forgot to drink the kool-aid, then I just said, “I mean, maybe just move to Northern AZ, you know, where there are trees and it’s not so God-awful hot. That seemed to satisfy them – “Oh well, okay then.” It’s a shame your in-laws influenced you to move here – they probably just wanted you around. But it’s true, the poor education, drugs, crime, corruption, poor living standards…I’m happy you’re escaping, good for you for making it happen!!!
Ugh. The scenario you described with the installer and repairman is no surprise. Neither is the description of your coworkers’ reaction to you wanting to move. Lol. Best of luck to you. I hope you are able to find happiness and good fortune elsewhere someday. 🙂
We might be moving to Santa Rosa California and I really hope we do… I have lived in AZ for 30+ years and it was only after visiting Cali that I realize how much I hate this place!! People are such JERKS here, they drive like CRAP, and it’s one of the most judgmental places to live in…. I pray we get to move to Cali and get the heck out of here.