300 days of sunshine a year makes Phoenix the sunniest major city in the country. While some of those days are obscenely toasty the great majority are just plain nice. Which makes it hard to not enjoy being outside hiking, biking, outdoor yoga, poolside cocktails, or whatever it is people do when it is nice out all the time. If you like a casual lifestyle of shorts and t-shirt this is going to be your nirvana.

On the downside, all the boom Phoenix experienced had to end up somewhere. People come here in part for the same reason people have been coming west for hundreds of years: lots of space. This means that as far as the eye can see the homes and commercial strips stretch out into the desert. Phoenix lacks green, trees, and many tall buildings so this sprawl is visually striking and detracts from the sense of Phoenix having character. 



Making Hay While The Sun Shines

LookyLOO Review of Phoenix

Like most sunbelt cities, Phoenix is a mix of: retirees/snowbirds, families who flocked here for inexpensive housing, young professionals from throughout the southwest looking for a lively city, and finally work-from-home refugees from more expensive cities. 

What all these populations have in common first and foremost is an appreciation for the outdoors. If you live here you’re going to spend most of the year hiking, camping, golfing, biking, running, swimming, kayaking, jet skiing or any other activity that takes advantage of the weather or helps you get cool relief from the weather. 

If you’re looking for something to do after you finish your hike or swim, then expect to enjoy a massive outdoor culture of rooftop bars and beer gardens. That is the Phoenix lifestyle. Play outdoors during the day, and have a cocktail and fine meal outdoors at night. This is how they roll here. 

If you want to see what's happening in Phoenix check out the calendar of events: https://www.phoenixnewtimes.com/phoenix/Event

Lifestyle 

Phoenix has a small number of Fortune 500 companies relative to its size but with WFH on the rise that’s likely increasingly irrelevant. Where Phoenix excels is in the small business community. Consider the costs of starting and running a small business in NYC or San Francisco v. Phoenix and it is easy to understand why Phoenix was the fastest growing city in the U.S. between 2010 and 2020. Neighboring Scottsdale is home to a big percentage of the Arizona tech businesses so if you don’t mind a small commute that could be your huckleberry. 

While there isn’t much venture capital here there is tons of human capital that appreciates the low tax rate and inexpensive real estate. Generally, the population here works in mid-pay to low-pay service jobs and is now increasingly a side-hustle lifestyle. The low cost of living makes all of this possible where you can feel like you’re drowning in other parts of the country. One oddity to the Phoenix job market is the large volume of call-center jobs available here. The lack of natural disasters that would force a closure, the low cost of land/office space for housing lots of cost-center workers, and the neutral accent of most of the locals seem to pull in the business. 


Worklife

Even though Phoenix has boomed it remains an extremely inexpensive option for a big city. Much of the stress that goes with trying to slug it out in one of the other big cities comes down here. The economy is good, the cost of living is low, there are no city taxes, and the lifestyle is healthy. That makes it perfect for youngsters looking for an inexpensive place to get a start or raise a family, and ideal for empty nesters or retirees looking to stretch a relatively fixed buck.


Take Down Your Temp

Why You Should Move Here Now? 

**phxbimmer** 
Living in Phoenix
Updated 8mo ago
✭✭✭✭


I was born and raised in NYC, and in 2014 I moved from there to Phoenix. I didn't have a job lined up, I just wanted somewhere warm and sunny and relatively cheap. Nine years later and I still have not regretted my decision. Things I love:

- The weather. Yes, the summers are hot, but if you work a white-collar job it's more of a nuisance than anything... you'll find that most indoor places in Phoenix are extremely well air-conditioned. Summer is also a great time to go north, which brings me to my next point.

- There's a huge diversity in landscapes. We've got the desert, forests, lakes, rivers, and everything in between. Heck, if you miss the snow you can take a visit to Flagstaff, which is one of the snowiest cities in the US. In the summer when it's hot, it's a great time to go to Flagstaff, Prescott, Payson, where it's a fair bit cooler.

- It's a 5-6 hour drive to Las Vegas, San Diego, Los Angeles, and Albuquerque. So if you're ever bored here, there are a ton of fun weekend trip opportunities.

- The grid-based street system is so easy to navigate, along with some useful highway loops, you'll be a natural at it in less than a month. I don't remember the last time I needed to use GPS to get anywhere.

- The roads are generally quite good compared to a lot of the country.

- There's tons of great food options and at this point most major concerts/events stop in Phoenix so you've got a lot of entertainment options.

The downsides are fairly minor, in my opinion:

- Traffic's gotten worse over the years, but is still a cakewalk compared to NYC and LA

- The public transit is not particularly useful here, so you'll have to drive most places.

- Housing has gotten more expensive over the years, but the market's starting to cool down a bit. Rents are higher than they used to be, but still reasonable compared to NYC or LA.

I may be a little biased towards Phoenix, but I have to say I still love living here. It seems to be a love-it-or-hate-it thing with people, so you'll just have to find out for yourself.

For more reviews from locals check out: [**The Reviews**](https://lookyloomove.com/locations/phoenix/reviews)

Reviews of Phoenix from Locals

**The Good, The Bad, The Ugly**

**The Best Thing About Phoenix?**  Making Hay While The Sun Shines
300 days of sunshine a year make it the sunniest major city in the country. While some of those days are obscenely toasty the great majority are just plain nice. Which makes it hard to not enjoy being outside hiking, or biking, or outdoor yoga, or poolside cocktails, or whatever it is people do when it is nice out all the time. If you like a casual lifestyle of shorts and t-shirt this is going to be your nirvana. 

**The Worst Thing About Phoenix?**   Sprawl

All the boom Phoenix experienced had to end up somewhere. People come here in part for the same reason people have been coming west for hundreds of years: lots of space. Which means that as far as the eye can see the homes and commercial strips stretch out into the dessert. Phoenix lacks green, and trees, and many tall buildings so this sprawl is visually striking and detracts from the sense of Phoenix having character. 

**How You Living?**   In A Pool

Not surprisingly the way most people live in Phoenix is in an air-conditioned condo downtown or one of the home styles most friendly to beating the heat in the rest of the city. The Art District of Roosevelt is filled with historic bungalows, and the Coronado Historic District and Arcadia neighborhood are notable for flat-roofed Pueblo Revival homes. Regardless of the neighborhood or style you can count on your home having a pool. Nearly 50% of homes in Phoenix have them and so nearly everything is designed to accommodate the 300+ days of sunshine. 

**Why You Should Move Here Now?**  Take Down Your Temp

Even though Phoenix has boomed it remains an extremely inexpensive option for a big city. Much of the stress that goes with trying to slug it out in one of the other big cities comes down here. The economy is good, the cost of living is low, there are no city taxes, and the lifestyle is healthy. That makes it perfect for youngsters looking for an inexpensive place to get a start or raise a family, and ideal for empty nesters or retirees looking to stretch a relatively fixed buck. 


As was noted in the workstyle section the Phoenix metropolitan area, known as the Valley by locals, includes Scottsdale, which is just a few miles from downtown. It also includes the city of Mesa, which at over 500k in population, is no slouch itself. The suburban cities of Glendale, Peoria, Tempe, and the aforementioned Scottsdale are all 200k+ populations making “the Valley” a booming metropolis. 

Most of the area gets around by car but there is a light rail system, called the METRO Light Rail, that runs 20 miles from Mesa, through Tempe and into Phoenix. The line connects these three downtowns, the major Phoenix airport and two of the four metro area campuses of Arizona State. It ain’t much by New York standards but there are expansions in the planning and construction stages so expect the public transport scene to improve here. 


The Area

As with most cities, Downtown Phoenix is the starting point for young professionals looking for a place to live. It sits right next to the financial and business districts so you can walk to work but perhaps even more importantly it’s where the greatest concentration of bars, restaurants, entertainment venues and rental properties sit. Neighborhoods that border the downtown area, and so get the walkscore benefits, but without some of the density, include Encanto and Camelback East. Both have their own commercial districts for more casual nights out, but they also have quick access to downtown nightlife but have the benefits of not only reasonably priced apartments but also single-family homes. 
- Downtown Phoenix
- Encanto Village
- Camelback East Village


Young Professionals

Downtown 

One of the most popular neighborhoods for families getting started is Estrella. Just 20 minutes from downtown it has newer subdivisions with great homes at very low purchase or rental prices. It also has a robust commercial district for restaurants and shopping. It also is home to the Tres Rios Wetlands, a 700- acre reclamation project that offers free outdoor exploration for you and the little ones. 
- Estrella
- North Gateway
- South Mountain


Young Families

Estrella

Established Families:
One of the most highly rated neighborhoods for families in Phoenix is Ahwatukee Foothills. Located on the southernmost border of Phoenix in the foothills of South Mountain Park and Preserve it has the highest rated public schools in the area and beautiful shaded homes and blocks for kids to play. The immediate proximity to 16,000 acres of parkland with trails for hiking and horseback riding don’t hurt either. Paradise Valley Village is another great option for those with the $ for a bigger home and more of a country club lifestyle. It sits near Old Town Scottsdale, which has a jumping social scene, but has a small town feel with its own police and fire departments. We should finally note that Encanto, which has great options for young professionals, also has a historic district that has great big beautiful homes for those who crave the manor but want to be in a more dense urban district. 
- Ahwatukee Foothills
- Paradise Valley Village
- Encanto Historic District
- Desert View
- Deer Valley
- Arcadia


Established Families

Ahwatukee Foothills

The Phoenix area, it probably goes without saying, is one of the most popular locations for retirees, empty nesters and snowbirds in the country. This includes quiet neighborhoods in the city that satisfy the peaceful part of the equation. It also includes vast developments like Sun City that are outside the city limits but serve the needs of those looking to live near the city. Sun City is the original 55+ community and while it is not a gated resort like some it has a self-contained neighborhood feel that attracts full-time retirees and snowbirds. Sun City, like many of these resorts has its own pools, rec centers, restaurants, event center, banks, & shopping, all reachable by golf-cart. If you’re looking for this lifestyle then the Phoenix area should be on your list. 
- Sun City
- Sun Lakes
- PebbleCreek
- Trilogy at Verde River
- Victory in Verrado


Retirees/Empty Nesters

Sun City 

Phoenix

**Whats it like living in Phoenix?**
**phxbimmer** 
Living in Phoenix
Updated 8mo ago
✭✭✭✭


I was born and raised in NYC, and in 2014 I moved from there to Phoenix. I didn't have a job lined up, I just wanted somewhere warm and sunny and relatively cheap. Nine years later and I still have not regretted my decision. Things I love:

- The weather. Yes, the summers are hot, but if you work a white-collar job it's more of a nuisance than anything... you'll find that most indoor places in Phoenix are extremely well air-conditioned. Summer is also a great time to go north, which brings me to my next point.

- There's a huge diversity in landscapes. We've got the desert, forests, lakes, rivers, and everything in between. Heck, if you miss the snow you can take a visit to Flagstaff, which is one of the snowiest cities in the US. In the summer when it's hot, it's a great time to go to Flagstaff, Prescott, Payson, where it's a fair bit cooler.

- It's a 5-6 hour drive to Las Vegas, San Diego, Los Angeles, and Albuquerque. So if you're ever bored here, there are a ton of fun weekend trip opportunities.

- The grid-based street system is so easy to navigate, along with some useful highway loops, you'll be a natural at it in less than a month. I don't remember the last time I needed to use GPS to get anywhere.

- The roads are generally quite good compared to a lot of the country.

- There's tons of great food options and at this point most major concerts/events stop in Phoenix so you've got a lot of entertainment options.

The downsides are fairly minor, in my opinion:

- Traffic's gotten worse over the years, but is still a cakewalk compared to NYC and LA

- The public transit is not particularly useful here, so you'll have to drive most places.

- Housing has gotten more expensive over the years, but the market's starting to cool down a bit. Rents are higher than they used to be, but still reasonable compared to NYC or LA.

I may be a little biased towards Phoenix, but I have to say I still love living here. It seems to be a love-it-or-hate-it thing with people, so you'll just have to find out for yourself.



**Do you like living in Phoenix?**
**fingerblast69**
Living in Phoenix / Updated 2y ago
✭

Personally, not really. I’ve been here my whole life though and I’m just kind of burned out.

Real tired of the heat, lack of rain or anything really green in the valley. I wouldn’t even call it affordable either at this point with how much housing and rentals have sky rocketed. Some of the highest inflation in the country.

Depending on where you live in the valley can suck pretty hard too. Like the west side is a bunch of lifted truck driving, angry Republican bro’s.

I get the appeal of Arizona to people who are from cold climates, I really do. I’m just a firm believer in people want the opposite of what they grew up in so I’d love to have some rain and greenery around me, maybe even some snow. Basically just a place with four seasons 🤷🏻‍♂️

**Any_Drive6497** / Living in Phoenix / 1y ago
✭✭✭✭

I left twice and always came back for the same reasons. We all know the heat sucks, but I’d rather have a monsoon season than a tornado or hurricane season. I’ve never had shovel heat or slipped and broken an ankle on sunshine.

Through out the year you can be in almost any climate you can ask for in less than 4 hours. How many other states can you go from sand dunes to snow covered peaks and end up at natural wonder of the world in one day?

People fly from all over the world to see LA and Vegas, we can drive there in half a day. We are one of only a handful of states where you can take a day trip to a completely different country. No big deal to drive and go skiing or surfing.

Our state flag is easy to draw when your in elementary school. The song “I’m dreaming of a white Christmas” was written at the Biltmore. We are one of two states with spring training. Half of Hollywood lives in Scottsdale. Our roads are on a grid system. I’m pretty sure there’s nothing worth nuking here.

And I will fight anyone who says their state has better Mexican food.

**What is it like to live in Phoenix, AZ?**
**David Waedemon**
Lives in Houston, Update 3yr

I moved here in 1994. Phoenix is a place that is like no other I’ve seen. Barring some sort of natural or man made disaster it will remain my city of choice. Phoenix is built out instead of up. Traveling from the different cities that make up the Phoenix area takes well over an hour on the interstate. Yet ever during rush hour you still get where you are going without too much trouble. nothing like New York gridlock. The city is laid out using Thomas Jefferson’s grid pattern. each main road intersects with another every mile. Directions are not given in terms of left or right at a light or sign. Compass terms are used. It’s very easy to find your way around.

There are plenty of cultural things like museums and concerts. We have major sports all year long. There are local publications that give details for whatever type of event you may be looking for. We have just about anything. Cost of living has increased over the years as we have a lot of transplants. I’m one of them.

We have our problems like all major cities. But for the most part we don’t have the issues of L.A. Chicago or N.Y. Just about anyone can be self sufficient here. That may not seem like a big deal but I’m comparing it to cost of living in new York where five grand a month gets you a shoe box.

It is hot in the summer. Like blast furnace, makes the devil sweat, can actually be life threatening, hot. So three months a year folks don’t do much outside. To me that is a small price to pay for skipping Jersey winters.

Phoenix, Arizona

The Spicy Chicken

Looklyloo Score: 87