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Originally posted by sauerkraut
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Originally posted by Steve
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Originally posted by sauerkraut
... Phoenix beats them all, in Phoenix they have 170 days a year of temps above 90 and only 10 days with temps below 32.. Climate is not everything but it does play a big part on lifestyle and where to move to. It's no wonder Phoenix is the fastest growing city in the USA! But you also need a job and crime rates play a part too.
In my opinion, Phoenix and Las Vegas have absolutely no logical reason to even exist, except for maybe golf and gambling. 120 degree summer days and 85-90 degree nights is my idea of hell on earth. 4,000,000+ people living in the middle of the desert is just plain crazy. I think both of these cities are on an eventual crash course in the future due to looming water supply problems and rising energy costs. Both of these cities (and California) are sucking the Colorado river dry with their insatiable appetite for water. They can in no way sustain their recent growth for much longer.
Have you ever been in Las Vegas or Phoenix? I have and I love it. They are our fastest growing cities. 4 million people can't be wrong. Nevada and Arizona are two of our fastest growing states. Not too many people are moving to Fargo, N.D. are they? I wonder why, and Some Alaska town near Fairbanks is/was offering free land if you move there, looks like not too many people want to live in the cold otherwise they would not have to make such a offer. It gets to -70 below Zero in Alaska. No Thanks, that's not for me. Give me 120 degrees in the shade in Phoenix, Arizona any day over that cold stuff.[
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I live in Phoenix, and Steve brings up some valid points. There is a big stuggle for the sharing of the Colorado River water, and when they don't get suuficient snow in Utah and Colorado it puts a strain on the system. We took a week vacation with friends last year to Lake Powell for a week on a house boat. Powell was at about 60% capacity. That's why the cities encourage xeriscaping with plants that are native and require less water. Urban sprawl? Here is an example; The Town of Gilbert where I work had a population of about 90,000 in 1998 when I moved to Phoenix from Tulsa. Gilbert now has a population of 200,000 residents. Utility problems? our house is 2200 sqft the electric bill on an equal pay plan is $258.00/month,(no pool) natural gas is $65.00/month. Groceries and such are not that much more than Tulsa. Crime? yes we have crime. What city doesn't? Will have to see if I can get some specifics for the Valley to provide real numbers. Not very many days are 120+ during the summer, but it is not un common for the high to be 118 and then at 10pm it's still 107. That's why we go to Southern California to vacation in the summer, or take a 3 day weekend and go up to northern parts of the state. The big problem now is the smog and dust. Where we live in North Phoenix, about 15 miles from downtown, we are just outside of the metro area and up higher than the valley floor, so when we drive into downtown we can see the brown cloud as we go into town.
Traffic? My commute is 38 miles one way,(MY choice and not complaining about)and it takes an hour each way. But if it rains? add 20 to 40 minutes to that.
Taxes: The property tax on our house for 2006 is about $2100. We bought it for $154k in 1998.
Our state income tax for 2005 was about $1200.00 for a joint income of $98k.
Sales tax in Phoenix is 7.815%, and if you smoke cigarettes are $5.70 per pack.
Current gas prices are $2.70/gal.
I do miss the change of season, altough when spring training ends the snow birds start to head back north that is the sign that summer will soon be here.
Best months October thru March.
