Bye SoCal! Moving to the free state of Arizona!

[RedVenom48]

Ive been trying to find a way to leave communist state of Kahlifornia for quite some time now. Close to a year if my memory serves me. Just found out last week that i got the job at a Lexus dealer in Phoenix!! In a few weeks ill be in a free state as a resident for the first time in almost a decade.

Its starting to sink in and im excited and slightly terrified. This wont be my first time living in Arizona, but my first time living in Phoenix.

For those that live in Phoenix, where are the areas i need to avoid looking for a place to live? Places to avoid period?

 

[sleek98]

Sweet now its time for that 6R80 swap

 

[ON D BIT]

What dealer?

Phoenix is great but huge. 60 min drive both north south and east west to get through all the cities.

Chandler Gilbert awhatukee are favorites in the south and deer valley cave creek in north.
Paradise valley north Scottsdale and fountain hills are the high rent areas.

 

[Steve@TF]

man, moving from san diego to phoenix. i dont know if i could that. SD is paradise. phoenix is an oven! lol. but congrats on escaping!

 

[nxhappy]

congrats man

 

[Pribilof]

Congrats. I left SD last year after 6 years to return to Denver. I De-Kalifornia-ized my cars and guns on day 1 in Denver.

CA is "paradise" if you enjoy mind numbing traffic, astronomical cost of living, paying an extra 10% in state income tax, and having neutered guns and cars.

 

[Ill_W1N]

Congrats. I left SD last year after 6 years to return to Denver. I De-Kalifornia-ized my cars and guns on day 1 in Denver.

CA is "paradise" if you enjoy mind numbing traffic, astronomical cost of living, paying an extra 10% in state income tax, and having neutered guns and cars.

lol Denver is on it's way to being California. Liberal state as well. Your housing is through the roof right now with everyone moving there and the cost of living is almost the same.

 

[Serpent]

I've lived in socal and my parents live in chandler. No way I'd leave, get ready for the 110f+ summers.

At least you can ride motorcycles without a helmet! Not that I'd recommend doing that.

 

[Pribilof]

lol Denver is on it's way to being California. Liberal state as well. Your housing is through the roof right now with everyone moving there

Housing cost is all relative. I live in a super expensive part of Denver. Paid the same for my house here as I sold my house in California for yet it is three times the size with four times the yard, a two-car garage instead of no garage. Yes, Denver is liberal but it is Texas compared to California. The rest of Colorado is not liberal at all

 

[Blown 89]

TL;DR version:

Long version:
Where you look to live depends on where you work. Phoenix is massive so you want to be near where you'll be every day.

The following areas are desirable:
Arcadia - rich 30 somethings but an amazing area for social spots and restaurants. It's the most desirable area in the valley right now.
North Scottsdale - Big houses, beautiful dessert, not cheep. Nice area but the social scene isn't great.
North Phoenix - Great bang for your buck. Social life and food is very low end and chainey. Some communities have low HOAs but you get amazing community centers and parks out of it. North Phoenix is close to Ben Avery. It's widely regarded as one of the, if not the, best shooting range in the world.
Uptown - this area is turning around fast and there's tons to do down there. The downside is that other areas have't turned around yet. Diverse restaurants and daytime social scene...not so great at night.
Central corridor - Expensive homes, really nice, but not much else on the north end of it. Closer to uptown strikes a better balance. The restaurants are really diverse around here.

Areas of Chandler, Gilbert, and Awatukee can offer good bang for your buck and are relatively nice. Some of the best upper school districts in the state are down in the area apparently. That area is home to bedazzled jeans, lifted trucks, and chain restaurants. The social scene is a little stale too. I know a lot of people that have moved down there so they can live in huge houses. Warning, rush hour traffic blows down there.

The East valley is nice too. You'll get a lot of bang for your buck out there but life in that area is stale and it's God awful far away from everything. Restaurants and social stuff is about as bland as you get. The upside....the Rio Salado Gun Club is down there. The best USPSA shooters in the world go down there Tuesday nights and weekend mornings.

IMO: Stay way from the west valley, South Mountain area, Peoria, Glendale, Tempe, Mesa, and Surprise.

Where you want to live depends on a) where you will be working, b) what you want to do with your free time, and c) what you can afford.

 

[Blown 89]

Oh, and FYI, Arizona is paradise....you just have to go looking for it. It's not like CA where it jumps in front of you and smacks you in the face and that can be a good thing.

 

[DHG1078]

Congrats. I hope to be able to do the same when my wife finishes school.

 

[oldmodman]

Congratulations!
Just wait until you visit the first GUN STORE!
That will really open you eyes to how much we were under STATE Control.
Gas will be over a dollar cheaper. Don't they have E-85 AND 93 octane?
Much cheaper real estate prices. Lower sales tax, and much lower state income tax.

My planned escape route will be toward Nevada. No state income tax. Really cheap real estate. Lots of good engine builders and rod shops.

 

[Blown 89]

Congratulations!
Just wait until you visit the first GUN STORE!
That will really open you eyes to how much we were under STATE Control.
Gas will be over a dollar cheaper. Don't they have E-85 AND 93 octane?
Much cheaper real estate prices. Lower sales tax, and much lower state income tax.

My planned escape route will be toward Nevada. No state income tax. Really cheap real estate. Lots of good engine builders and rod shops.

We have E85 but only 91 octane. Some gas stations sell race fuel though

 

[P49Y-CY]

What are the smog laws like in AZ? I had always thought there were none, but I have since learned that they do smog cars in the two big cities, Phoenix being one of them. But their DMV website is a little confusing on it.

Congrats and best of luck!

 

[Steve@TF]

i think the only city i could move to in AZ would be Flagstaff. cant do 100 degrees at night lol.

 

[MFE]

i think the only city i could move to in AZ would be Flagstaff. cant do 100 degrees at night lol.

That's why half of Phoenix goes to SD in July

 

[MFE]

What are the smog laws like in AZ? I had always thought there were none, but I have since learned that they do smog cars in the two big cities, Phoenix being one of them. But their DMV website is a little confusing on it.

Congrats and best of luck!

It's two counties, covering most of the Phoenix and Tucson areas. OBDII code test (No codes? You pass), dyno roller sniff test and fuel EVAP system integrity test for OBDI and older. Alternative is to register the car as a Historic Vehicle but then you have to show that you have mileage- and usage-limiting Historic Vehicle insurance, and once you designate it that way, you can't ever go back.

 

[Steve@TF]

That's why half of Phoenix goes to SD in July

yeah luckily its not too long of a drive. about two years ago we visited the Grand Canyon. stopped in Phoenix at MIDNIGHT and it was 100!! wtf?!?!

in the same day we were in Flagstaff and it was nice and cool. plus beautiful forests etc..

i like AZ. its definitely more relaxed and peaceful. i have been stuck in phoenix traffic jams though. just like any other big city. where there's lot of people, there's lots of traffic.

 

[DHG1078]

It's two counties, covering most of the Phoenix and Tucson areas. OBDII code test (No codes? You pass), dyno roller sniff test and fuel EVAP system integrity test for OBDI and older. Alternative is to register the car as a Historic Vehicle but then you have to show that you have mileage- and usage-limiting Historic Vehicle insurance, and once you designate it that way, you can't ever go back.

How frequent are the tests? Sounds like CA testing.