The Valley of the Sun, I have found, is a great place to live. Yes, it is hot, and yes, it is crowded at times during the winter when the "snow birds" roll into the valley. But it has a great deal to offer and it feels like a many small towns all put together in a design that amazes and astounds me. Is it cheap to live here? Cheap is a relative term.
The time of year that Valleyites call "The High Heat" is during July-September. The temps do get above 100 regularly, but I have found that it is not all that uncomfortable. One does have to make adjustments, like being sure one puts up the sunshade when parked in a lot or driveway so the steering wheel does not achieve branding iron temps. Very little goes on outside during the middle of the day from about noon to five, as folks take to swimming pools and air conditioning. Little outside work goes on during this time, also, as most people start early in the morning around five and end around one. A great deal of construction goes on at night under floodlights. The heat is sometimes oppressive, but if you can drink plenty of water, cover up, and pace yourself, it is fine. Think of the high heat as akin to winter in the Midwest, but sunshine is not hard to shovel!
Snowbirds can be a problem out here. Most are elderly drivers that are not used to driving on our vast expressways and roads. The Valley is a well marked grid that follows a pattern. This pattern is interrupted by mountains, though, making it seem somewhat confusing to the directionally challenged. Snowbirds, however, pay no attention to the grid, trying to get by on the their lowered instincts for direction and low visual acuity. This leads them to often turn at the last moment, or from the center lane. Once the swallows go back to Capistrano,things get back to normal, whatever that is.
I live in "North Phoenix" which is on the very top part of the city when looking on the map. I can, however, get to almost any place in the metro area via the expressways within 45 minutes. Seems like a long time doesn't it? When I lived in Illinois, I had to drive 45 minutes to just about everywhere. If I wanted a hamburger, it was a 15 minute drive to town; pizza? same thing. Groceries were the same for vitals, but a heavy shopping that required a trip to Sam's Club would take 40 minutes one way. Here, I can get groceries that are relatively the same price as "back home" within 5 minutes, Sam's is another 5. Anywhere else I want to go, like to see professional baseball, is 20 minutes. Visitors who fly in are a mere 20 minutes away from my house after I pick them up at Sky Harbor. All our professional sports teams are witin easy drive times of twenty minutes or less. During baseball's Spring Training, I have 14 major league parks within a half hour. Is this heaven, or what?
I have talked about sports, but what about the arts? I looked in the paper yesteday and found no fewer than fifteen theatres with live plays, several art museums, and of course, downtown Scottsdale that has many galleries. There are more movie theatres within fifteen minutes than there was in all of Central Illinois. The advantage there is I can get in for a reduced price. First run movies are only five dollars on weekends before noon, and showings start at 9:00AM! I can get to a movie, maybe two, then get into line at Old Country Buffet before senior citizens prices go up.
I want to move all my friends out here. I am convinced that once they do get out here and spend time, they will be convinced that shoveling snow in winter, breathing water filled air in the summer is not for them. We could get a cul de sac and have our own neighborhood. They will probably rethink the idea of living next to me, though. They know me too well.
Doughnut
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