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[Corpekata]

Moving like now would be awful. At least do yourself a favor and hire some movers or something because it is nasty as shit outside, especially in the last week or so. Worked up a sweat just with a quick drive to the grocery store.

Do you know what area of Phoenix you'd be working at yet?

 

[neogaffer1]

I dont know where I'll be exactly. Hopefully not full on city.

I imagine stuff like Scottsdale and Paradise Valley is probably out of your price range, and if you don't want full on city probably the best for you is somewhere on the west side with a bit of a commute (20-40 minutes to downtown, maybe a bit more with traffic). Most of the west side isn't great, TBH, but Goodyear and Litchfield Park (where I live specifically) are exceptions to that rule. Litchfield Park also has one of the best elementary schools in the state, so that's a plus for your daughter. (Middle schools here suck though, unless you go out to Verrado, but that's another 10-20 minutes you'd have to add to your commute). There's also east side stuff like Mesa/Gilbert, which isn't quite as ghetto as much of the west side (think Avondale, Peoria) but consistently comes across as some of the most boring parts of the state.

Of course, there's also Ahwatukee (*cough*All-white-tukee*cough*) but it'd be a long commute to central Phoenix.

Moving like now would be awful. At least do yourself a favor and hire some movers or something because it is nasty as shit outside, especially in the last week or so.

Do you know what area of Phoenix you'd be working at yet?

Moving now weather wise would suck, but at least he'd get in before the housing market starts to inflate again.

 

[Thaedolus]

Moving like now would be awful. At least do yourself a favor and hire some movers or something because it is nasty as shit outside, especially in the last week or so.

Do you know what area of Phoenix you'd be working at yet?

I unloaded a moving truck when it was 107 outside...two days in a row

(My wife's cousin was moving the day after we got here and we had the truck for another day, so he helped me and I helped him)

 

[legacyzero]

Moving like now would be awful. At least do yourself a favor and hire some movers or something because it is nasty as shit outside, especially in the last week or so. Worked up a sweat just with a quick drive to the grocery store.

Do you know what area of Phoenix you'd be working at yet?

Note quite yet, no.

 

[bitesnintendog]

Phoenix is ok. Pretty bland but it gets all of the states big events. I prefer Tucson and Flagstaff but the state is not as bad as most of the internet would have you believe.

 

[neogaffer1]

Phoenix is ok. Pretty bland but it gets all of the states big events. I prefer Tucson and Flagstaff but the state is not as bad as most of the internet would have you believe.

For visiting or living temporarily? Sure. As a permanent resident? lolno our state government is really bad. Our new governor is pulling even more money out of education despite the fact we're like 48th or 49th on money spent per student already. Our state has a federal health exchange and legit passed legislation banning any type of state exchange, so if that SC kills the federal subsidies we won't have a backup plan, and can't make one until we repeal a law saying we can't have a backup plan. Not to mention good ol' Sheriff Joe's insanity with being incredibly racist and actually sending detectives to Hawaii to prove Obama wasn't born in the US.

 

[blackflag]

For visiting or living temporarily? Sure. As a permanent resident? lolno our state government is really bad. Our new governor is pulling even more money out of education despite the fact we're like 48th or 49th on money spent per student already. Our state has a federal health exchange and legit passed legislation banning any type of state exchange, so if that SC kills the federal subsidies we won't have a backup plan, and can't make one until we repeal a law saying we can't have a backup plan. Not to mention good ol' Sheriff Joe's insanity with being incredibly racist and actually sending detectives to Hawaii to prove Obama wasn't born in the US.

true but honestly that shit doesnt really affect me in any real way. i just vote against them whenever i can.

i like phoenix. just bought a house in awatuhkee. cant really complain about much but the heat this fucking week...wtf

 

[HariKari]

Just how hot does it get down there?

Lived in Phoenix a big portion of my life, so let me explain. It's only intolerable a few months, but those days are spent indoors most of the time, so it's not a big deal. You then get some of the best weather in the country for the rest of the year. Plus, there's not really any humidity. This is a huge deal, and it makes it more like having a blow dryer on your face rather than being in a sauna. The temperature may be high, but it's only really annoying in direct sunlight.

It's a big metropolitan area, so it offers a lot of things other cities do. It's not a barren desert in the slightest. Look up some pictures of Scottsdale or Paradise Valley. The east valley is noticeably nicer than the west, so I hope your office would be located on that side of town. Your housing dollars are going to go very far, because on the whole living is cheap, even in nice areas. There's plenty to see and do.

I would pick Phoenix 100x over SLC.

For visiting or living temporarily? Sure. As a permanent resident? lolno our state government is really bad. Our new governor is pulling even more money out of education despite the fact we're like 48th or 49th on money spent per student already. Our state has a federal health exchange and legit passed legislation banning any type of state exchange, so if that SC kills the federal subsidies we won't have a backup plan, and can't make one until we repeal a law saying we can't have a backup plan. Not to mention good ol' Sheriff Joe's insanity with being incredibly racist and actually sending detectives to Hawaii to prove Obama wasn't born in the US.

The Sheriff's only service cities on the outskirts. Even Cave Creek kicked them out in favor of Phoenix PD. The schools are like any other state, the good ones are where you'd expect them to be - affluent areas. OP would have healthcare through his employer.

 

[BlackSalad]

A few points:

-great place from an economic point of view, there are a lot of big companies and the cost of living is very reasonable.

-The educational system is pretty underfunded, which is something to consider since you have a kid.

-There are convenience stores on every corner

 

[Nephtis]

Just how hot does it get down there?

SO HOT.

But, it's also pretty easy to escape it if you really want to. You'd be close to Sedona, which is beauuuuutiful. Plus, if you end up divorcing, you might wanna take up on the job. You're gonna need the money for that child support -- hopefully it doesn't come to a divorce though.

And really, AZ isn't too terrible. I'm in Tucson, and as you've seen there are several GAFers here from Phoenix. It won't be too bad. I'd say do it.

 

[legacyzero]

What's the crime rate like? Google is showing some ugly stuff

 

[Wads]

I bet the stay at home thing has something to do with your wife's attitude unless she was the one to do suggest it. Maybe if she had her own thing she would seem different towards you.

Either way, if you want to salvage it you definitely need to have a chat about going there and your future. If it comes down to it and she won't go then I would stay put for your daughter.

 

[HariKari]

What's the crime rate like? Google is showing some ugly stuff

Not a problem, unless you like in a sketchy area, like every other big city.

 

[Karsticles]

That's a big one. And if we do divorce, people are still telling me I should go.

I can just see the conversation 15 years from now with my daughter, having to explain it all, and hoping she doesn't hate me for it.





I live in Wisconsin. It's basically 5 months of Winter. So leaving that seems to be the biggest awesome thing.

Just how hot does it get down there?

I lived in AZ twenty years ago. It gets to be above 120.

How much of a pay raise is it?

 

[Orbis Tabula]

I like to imagine the opposite scenario when faced with problems like this. If you were already living in Phoenix, and had the job you're going to have there, would you move back to where you are now and take the job and life you currently have ? If the answer is no, that's a sign that you should really consider the move.

 

[Lord Error]

How does one struggle with religion? I have to say I don't get it.

 

[Partition]

Lived in Phoenix all my life. Weather isn't that bad..... it's miserably hot from June - mid October but everywhere you go has very good AC and no one really spends much time outside during the summer, unless it's at a waterpark. Other than that, November - May has some of the best weather in the country during that time, highs in the 60s, 70s, low 80s, no big storms, natural disasters, or anything to worry about.

The city itself it's great, huge sprawling place with tons to do and see.

 

[Gaz_RB]

Damn bro... Phoenix is not great but it sounds like a great opportunity.

How does one struggle with religion? I have to say I don't get it.

What? That can be a huge/obvious thing someone could struggle with.

 

[rekameohs]

Living in Phoenix is great. I'm so glad I moved here out of the Midwest. The weather from November to May is absolute perfection, way better than the miserable winters in Illinois. The city is very large with tons to do. And the drive to summer vacations like Flagstaff or Show Low is extremely short once it gets hot - also the drive to LA / SD is very short.

There's a reason so many people retire here - it's pretty great.

One thing to note is that the education system in AZ is pretty shitty right now. That's what you have to deal with here: great weather, terrible politicians.

 

[Partition]

i like phoenix. just bought a house in awatuhkee.

ayyyy lmao my town

 

[crazy monkey]

try to convince wife. take care of your daughter first. move is good advice but do not let your kid struggle.

 

[legacyzero]

This is great feedback everyone

 

[nomster]

It's hot as shit in the summer but even dumpy houses have pools. You'll have access to almost whatever you want. Culturally things are picking up, but it's not at the level you'd expect for a top 7 or 8 sized metro area. Despite what you've heard, people do not walk around with guns on their hips everywhere.

To the ugly comments - I'm partial to desert and mountain landscapes but to me it's far superior to the flatlands of eisconsin

 

[AbsolutBro]

Yeah, she was quite a bit different. Much more excited about our relationship. A little bit more open. Sex life has gone from 4-5 times a week on average to about once bi-weekly. She's an at-home mom, mostly because we couldn't justify the cost of daycare versus the income. She's been on some strange downward decline, and I've been ever evolving and improving. I'm almost a completely difference person since we got together, all improvements.

Was she a professional before you two got married? If so, I think this may be the source of some of your/her issues...

edit:

Phoenix is ok. Pretty bland but it gets all of the states big events. I prefer Tucson and Flagstaff but the state is not as bad as most of the internet would have you believe.

I want to be clear, since I've shit on Phoenix in this thread, that I love Arizona as a state. I was born there, love it to death. Pinetop, up in the White Mountains, is one of my favorite places (Charlie Clark's has THE best prime rib in the state). Greer is a cute little town. Tucson is nice, Sierra Vista is a nice quiet little place. Flagstaff, the Grand Canyon, etc. etc.

It's pretty much just Phoenix.

 

[HariKari]

To the ugly comments - I'm partial to desert and mountain landscapes but to me it's far superior to the flatlands of eisconsin

Not really ugly. The west valley is kind of a vanilla sprawl of suburbia, but I doubt OP would be located there if he works for someone with regional offices. Most of those are downtown/tempe/scottsdale corridor.

 

[rekameohs]

Ah, yes. As people have been saying, definitely stay in the East Valley if it's in the budget, because it's the nice area of town.

 

[FatalT]

Legacy, if you would like someone to talk to about religion, I would be more than happy to lend an ear. I've grown up in a Pentacostal family and strayed from God in my teenage years but I have a comfortable relationship with Him again now that I've matured. I'm still not a fan of Pentacostals though, they're a bit "out there."

Shoot me a PM if you would like!

 

[DR2K]

You have a kid. Do what you think is best for her. Not YOU.

 

[BlackGoku03]

[*]I've had to start over so much in my life. I'm 33, and I'm FINALLY in a place that I want to be personally (aside from the biggest struggle of my life: Religion, which some tell me is a good struggle to have) and professionally.
[*]If I DO move, I don't have a safety net or a guaranteed way back.

I'd like to hear more about this.

 

[Tagyhag]

I take it you don't have a kid? Seeing my child only 20% of the year would be ... awful.

Just seeing them in the weekend is already only like 28%. I hope OP can make the marriage work but it sure doesn't sound like it.

 

[HariKari]

You have a kid. Do what you think is best for her. Not YOU.

As a child of parents that should have been divorced, but "stayed together for the kids", and then ended up divorcing the moment I turned 18, it's not so black-and-white. I would have preferred they did it earlier, as that was not an environment that was fun to grow up in.

 

[Palpable]

You'll be within driving distance of Las Vegas. Keep that one in mind.

 

[Stinkles]

Well honestly moving to Phoenix and being abandoned by God are really similar. But it sounds too complicated to advise you to do anything but be honest with yourself. If what you have is in salvageable, go for the fresh start.

 

[thefit]

My brother lives there. Its fucking hot so much so that I visit him maybe once a year. Cheap living though. But its soooooo hot!

 

[DR2K]

As a child of parents that should have been divorced, but "stayed together for the kids", and then ended up divorcing the moment I turned 18, it's not so black-and-white. I would have preferred they did it earlier, as that was not an environment that was fun to grow up in.

I didn't say stay in an unhappy marriage. I just said as a parent you do what's in the best interest of the child.

 

[jonezer4]

I live in Phoenix, it is a wonderful state.

Don't trust this guy. The "it's so hot" shit is overblown. The "dry heat" rhetoric is actually true. At least for two of those months (the other two months are monsoon season and it can get humid). But 110 in dry Phoenix feels a lot better than 90 in Orlando, I can say from experience.

It's bad for a total of about 4 months a year, during which, you just eschew going outside, much like winter throughout most of the states. Then you have 8 months of damn near perfection.

 

[Lord Error]

Damn bro... Phoenix is not great but it sounds like a great opportunity.

What? That can be a huge/obvious thing someone could struggle with.

I just don't know, I'm ignorant about that kind of issue. I honestly have never heard someone say they are going through that kind of struggle and just don't know what it means. I'm imagining the bizarre and unlikely scenarios like if the priest in the church you've been going to, all of a sudden doesn't like you and won't talk to you...

 

[legacyzero]

Legacy, if you would like someone to talk to about religion, I would be more than happy to lend an ear. I've grown up in a Pentacostal family and strayed from God in my teenage years but I have a comfortable relationship with Him again now that I've matured. I'm still not a fan of Pentacostals though, they're a bit "out there."

Shoot me a PM if you would like!

I'd that as I hit my 30's, I developed a huge hunger for knowledge, science, etc. In all of that, the idea became more and more ridiculous. As if I couldn't logically make sense of it, and nobody seems to offer any tangibility for it.
But with that said, I can't help but feel something spiritual, too. Can't explain it or put my finger on it. And all these events, all these happens. The marital problems, job opportunities, and a few other odds and ends have just popped up conveniently enough for "Everything happens for a reason" to not sound so stupid.

I'd like to hear more about this.

Which part.

You'll be within driving distance of Las Vegas. Keep that one in mind.

Being closer to LA seems great too. It's my life's dream to attend E3 one year. It's a NEED.

I just don't know, I'm ignorant about that kind of issue. I honestly have never heard someone say they are going through that kind of struggle and just don't know what it means. I'm imagining the bizarre and unlikely scenarios like if the priest in the church you've been going to, all of a sudden doesn't like you and won't talk to you...

I've had somebody tell me all my life that God is real, praying every night, church on sundays, etc etc. When it first started hitting me, it was small. Then you really start to ask questions. You talk to friends who are having or had the same issue. Suddenly the implications, consequences, questions, etc. All of it is in turmoil. People tell me that it's very freeing once it's done though, either way.

 

[Lord Error]

I'd that as I hit my 30's, I developed a huge hunger for knowledge, science, etc. In all of that, the idea became more and more ridiculous. As if I couldn't logically make sense of it, and nobody seems to offer any tangibility for it.
But with that said, I can't help but feel something spiritual, too. Can't explain it or put my finger on it. And all these events, all these happens. The marital problems, job opportunities, and a few other odds and ends have just popped up conveniently enough for "Everything happens for a reason" to not sound so stupid.

OK, sorry if I sounded like an ass. I get it now. You have a spiritual distress, your faith has wavered, and not some kind of struggle against the physical manifestation of the religion Well I guess now I can at least tell you that this shouldn't affect your decision whether to move or not, as you'll be dealing with it no matter where you live. I thought you had an issue with the local church or something like that, which was making it more difficult to move away.

I honestly think that you should base your decision whether to move if your wife wants to move there as well or not. You won't be happy there if you can't see your child, knowing that you did it just for a job.

 

[NYR]

Just my opinion, but you should focus more on fixing your family instead of worrying about work and moving to Arizona especially when there's a kid involved. Don't abandon a child because your marriage is failing or you have an opportunity to move away. Focus on the kid. End of story.

Also, don't convince your wife to move to get a fresh start. Same awful logic people use when their marriage is collapsing and decide to have a kid to fix the problem.

 

[Flying Toaster]

Being closer to LA seems great too. It's my life's dream to attend E3 one year. It's a NEED.

If you come to Phoenix there are plenty of us to take you out and show you not only the city but the state. I still owe Infinity a visit in Vegas if there is ever a Vegas GAF meet up. For E3, tag along a group of us go.

 

[Muskieratboi]

Just go. Everything else will fall into place.

 

[Rest]

Phoenix is okay. It hot, yes, but you will get used to it. I would tell you to take this job.

And learn Spanish.

 

[AntoneM]

Was she a professional before you two got married? If so, I think this may be the source of some of your/her issues...

edit:


I want to be clear, since I've shit on Phoenix in this thread, that I love Arizona as a state. I was born there, love it to death. Pinetop, up in the White Mountains, is one of my favorite places (Charlie Clark's has THE best prime rib in the state). Greer is a cute little town. Tucson is nice, Sierra Vista is a nice quiet little place. Flagstaff, the Grand Canyon, etc. etc.

It's pretty much just Phoenix.

Lol, Tucson is like Phoenix light and sierra vista is a commuter town; unless of course you're comparing Tucson and Sierra Vista to Mesa or something. There are 5 star resorts and several James Beard award wining restaurants in town. Downtown is growing and the art scene is thriving among other things (I live 3 miles from downtown). There are several new music venues that have or are opening up in the last 5 years. New restaurants and new bars spring up all the time.

Look, legacyzero, the city isn't nearly as important as your relationship with your wife and child. Think of that first and then decide if a move is feasible or worth it.

 

[Rival]

Do it! And don't worry, it's a dry heat. Even though the temperature says 115 it will only feel like 110.

 

[blackflag]

ayyyy lmao my town

It's great. I used to live in Far East Mesa. Ellsworth and baseline lol got tired of driving so far to work.

 

[blackflag]

Don't trust this guy. The "it's so hot" shit is overblown. The "dry heat" rhetoric is actually true. At least for two of those months (the other two months are monsoon season and it can get humid). But 110 in dry Phoenix feels a lot better than 90 in Orlando, I can say from experience.

It's bad for a total of about 4 months a year, during which, you just eschew going outside, much like winter throughout most of the states. Then you have 8 months of damn near perfection.

Pretty much. I've lived through a 124 degree (possibly higher) day in AZ and I've also lived in Panama. Prefer the dry heat to that 85-90 degrees and 90% humidity

 

[blackflag]

We should have a PhoenixGAF meet up.

 

[Partition]

It's great. I used to live in Far East Mesa. Ellsworth and baseline lol got tired of driving so far to work.

Will be even better once that new freeway they are building over Pecos is finished in 5 years

 

[RetroMG]

We should have a PhoenixGAF meet up.

I'm down in Tucson, but I would totally come.

OP, I know I'm going to echo what a lot of other people have said, but here it is anyway. I'm not going to tell you what to do, because I don't know. But here's some information about Southern Arizona. I'm in Tucson, (About two hours south of Phoenix,) so YMMV

-Yes, it's hotter than Hell here in the Summer. Here in Tucson it's been around 110 degrees for the high all week, and we're usually a little cooler than Phoenix. It gets hot around Early May, stays hot until around Halloween.

-You learn to adapt. You get the best A/C you can in your home and your car. During the summer, you try not to spend a lot of time outside unless it's early morning or mid/late evening, and you always have plenty of water on hand when you have to spend time outside.

-Either find a place with a swimming pool, or that's near one you can use.

-During the winter, the high temp will be around 70 degrees, and the low will be around 30-40. At least in my part of Arizona, we see snow every couple of years, but we tend to only get a decent snowfall (like enough for a snowball fight,) every 5-7 years.

-Does Phoenix have a decent Monsoon season? Here in Tucson, starting around the beginning of July, expect to see some crazy thunderstorms. We've got pyrotechnics covered. But here's the crazy part - it will rain like crazy for about an hour, and then the sun comes back out and it's back to being hot again. This (officially) lasts through September.

-Snowbirds. These are (usually) elderly folk who live in colder climates most of the year, but spend their winters in Southern Arizona, where winter doesn't really exist. Be prepared for traffic to get worse from November - March.

-That's all I can think of right now.