Living in Phoenix, AZ--some questions

[AFwife Claire]

My dh is starting to think about retirement, and he has hit upon Phoenix, AZ as paradise, mainly because it is hot and dry. I am not thrilled about this potential location, to say the least. I am more of a cold weather, let's-definitely-have-all-4-seasons kind of girl. Heat is not my thing!

 

So I have some preconceptions about Phoenix, but I want to be open-minded, so I am hoping people can confirm or deny them!

 

First of all, we will soon have 7 kids, and I can't imagine living somewhere where I couldn't send them outdoors to play . . . or at least down to the basement. It seems like Phoenix would not be conducive to outside play a lot of the year, and the houses don't have basements. Is that right?

 

Second, from a quick glance at the internet, the houses all just look really unattractive--close together, with lots of rocks and not much else. Are there nicer areas to live that maybe I didn't see?

 

Third, it bothers me that I've read that places like Phoenix are totally draining the aquifers that supply them, and it's basically unnatural for that many people to be living there. I don't want to live in a place that is going to run out of water! Is this a valid concern?

 

Fourth, we have one son with skin issues--does the dry weather exacerbate things like eczema? Do you just bathe in lotion and moisturizer?

 

And of course, is there good homeschool support there? I looked at HSLDA, and AZ seems like an easy place to homeschool in, but are there lots of opportunities, co-ops, etc., especially for older kids, as our oldest is in 6th grade now?

 

To be honest, my dream retirement location is a few cheap acres with lots of trees and a big garden. That's certainly not AZ, so I'm trying not to hold onto that dream too tightly! But I also would want to be prepared, and right now, I just don't see anything good about living in a desert, especially when most of our family is in Ohio/Pennsylvania! Can you change my mind, or at let me know if you think I'm right? : )

[Guest]

My dh is starting to think about retirement, and he has hit upon Phoenix, AZ as paradise, mainly because it is hot and dry. I am not thrilled about this potential location, to say the least. I am more of a cold weather, let's-definitely-have-all-4-seasons kind of girl. Heat is not my thing!

 

So I have some preconceptions about Phoenix, but I want to be open-minded, so I am hoping people can confirm or deny them!

 

Oh my. Well, when I started reading your post, I was excited to share some glowing reviews. By the time I finished it, however, I am kinda thinking that Phoenix is NOT for you. (Not sure how flexible you are, though.)

 

 

First of all, we will soon have 7 kids, and I can't imagine living somewhere where I couldn't send them outdoors to play . . . or at least down to the basement. It seems like Phoenix would not be conducive to outside play a lot of the year, and the houses don't have basements. Is that right?

 

Correct. I would say June - Sept. you really don't play outside. The rest of the year is beautiful, but temperate, not seasons. No basements that I know of.

 

Second, from a quick glance at the internet, the houses all just look really unattractive--close together, with lots of rocks and not much else. Are there nicer areas to live that maybe I didn't see?

:D It has taken us 2 years to get used to the houses. Now I think we are, but YES, they are ugly. Now, we have found a few neighborhoods that are adorable, but for the most part, it's what you've seen. Now, there are definitely areas around Phoenix that offer acreage and unique houses. So, I wouldn't let this one be the deal breaker for you.

 

 

Third, it bothers me that I've read that places like Phoenix are totally draining the aquifers that supply them, and it's basically unnatural for that many people to be living there. I don't want to live in a place that is going to run out of water! Is this a valid concern?

This I don't know, but I haven't heard any concerns locally.

 

 

Fourth, we have one son with skin issues--does the dry weather exacerbate things like eczema? Do you just bathe in lotion and moisturizer?

 

YES and we don't have skin issues. That was one of the biggest adjustments, how dry our skin got the first year. We still get so dry, but are used to it now.

 

And of course, is there good homeschool support there? I looked at HSLDA, and AZ seems like an easy place to homeschool in, but are there lots of opportunities, co-ops, etc., especially for older kids, as our oldest is in 6th grade now?

 

Yes, AZ is very hs friendly.

 

 

To be honest, my dream retirement location is a few cheap acres with lots of trees and a big garden. That's certainly not AZ, so I'm trying not to hold onto that dream too tightly! But I also would want to be prepared, and right now, I just don't see anything good about living in a desert, especially when most of our family is in Ohio/Pennsylvania! Can you change my mind, or at let me know if you think I'm right? : )

 

We've been here 2 years. We love it. We moved from CA and I thought I would DIE in the heat. I absolutely love the dry heat, though, it is very bearable. We are actually miserable when we go back to visit CA; we complain how humid it is, lol. Also, most places it's a question of whether or not to turn you a/c on - here, come May/June you just DO.

 

Our kids enjoy it here. We just buy a pool each summer, put in the shade and play in the water a lot. Also, a lot of kids will come out and play around 5ish. Just not during the day.

 

I do think it is a great retirement place, but definitely not my first choice. I would much rather Colorado for retirement.

 

Let me know if you have any other questions! HTH!

[Ailaena]

Hi!

 

1. There are definitely basements here. Our neighborhood has houses with honest basements and garden-level things.

 

2. I am coming out in public to say that summers are mid-May through mid-November, and by summer, I mean 95+ degrees for 3+ days. I do not turn on my air until it has been 100+ for 3 days in a row and that is usually by the end of May, but high 90s linger forEVER!

 

3. I PM'd you

Edited January 20, 2009 by Ailaena

[Cricket]

First of all, we will soon have 7 kids, and I can't imagine living somewhere where I couldn't send them outdoors to play . . . or at least down to the basement. It seems like Phoenix would not be conducive to outside play a lot of the year, and the houses don't have basements. Is that right?

 

The heat doesn't seem to bother kids as much as I thought. We've been in the Phoenix for two years now. The kids will go out to play at 105 degrees. We just make sure they drink lots of water and wear lots of sunscreen. Two summers ago when I wasn't working we were at the city pool every single day. Our older three kids swim like fish. Our oldest dd was only 3 at the time and loved to jump off the diving board into 13 ft of water. I hope we get to spend plenty of time there this year so our almost 3 yo learns to swim well too. You can still have fun outdoors when it is hot as long as you stay wet. We even went all last summer driving a car with no A/C. We sprayed ourselves with water bottles. :001_smile: A few houses have basements but I don't think it is the norm.

 

Second, from a quick glance at the internet, the houses all just look really unattractive--close together, with lots of rocks and not much else. Are there nicer areas to live that maybe I didn't see?

 

There are nicer areas but yeah, most of the landscaping is rock. Many of the new neighborhoods in our area have big common areas with grass. Other than that, house have rock around them. There are a few pockets of converted farmland that my dh and I really like. It's been cleared of cactus and other plants. You want to look for "horse property" within the city limits. It's out there. You will have several acres in the middle of town. If you get out of town, there is only cactus and more cactus.

 

Third, it bothers me that I've read that places like Phoenix are totally draining the aquifers that supply them, and it's basically unnatural for that many people to be living there. I don't want to live in a place that is going to run out of water! Is this a valid concern?

 

Like someone else said, this doesn't seem to be a big local concern.

 

Fourth, we have one son with skin issues--does the dry weather exacerbate things like eczema? Do you just bathe in lotion and moisturizer?

 

My dd has had bad flair ups with eczema. The only time it gets bad is when the weather turns cool. The hot dry summers don't seem to exacerbate it. Plan on bathing in lotion whether or not you have eczema.

 

And of course, is there good homeschool support there? I looked at HSLDA, and AZ seems like an easy place to homeschool in, but are there lots of opportunities, co-ops, etc., especially for older kids, as our oldest is in 6th grade now?

 

We are in a homeschool group. We aren't very active in it but there seems to be a lot of support and opportunities around.

 

To be honest, my dream retirement location is a few cheap acres with lots of trees and a big garden. That's certainly not AZ, so I'm trying not to hold onto that dream too tightly! But I also would want to be prepared, and right now, I just don't see anything good about living in a desert, especially when most of our family is in Ohio/Pennsylvania! Can you change my mind, or at let me know if you think I'm right? : )

 

My dream retirement sounds very similar to yours. I really miss my garden and green grass back in Oregon. We are content here for now and don't know where we will end up in the future. It took a while to get used to the different climate here. There are good and bad things no matter where you live. I love that I can call my mom in MN and tell here we are at 80 degrees when their temps are around 0. hee hee But 116 in June isn't all that fun but it's more bearable than you would think. You know what is really weird here? No one has BO. :lol: My dh and I were fascinated by this. Summer days are often above 110 degrees and no one stinks. You never really sweat. It evaporates as quickly as it forms. We are fascinated by strange things!

[AFwife Claire]

Thanks so much for the replies! They ahve been very helpful! The funny thing is, I have always considered myself very flexible when it comes to moving--I'm an Air Force wife, and my dad was also a career Air Force officer, so moving is just what I've done my whole life! But I have been surprised at how strongly I am against moving to AZ. I think a lot of it is just that it is sooo far from family, which is important to me--we're in D.C. right now, and I like it that I can take the kids and drive home for a few weeks by myself. That obviously wouldn't work from Arizona! And just that it doesn't fit the dream I've had for retirement for so long. But maybe my dream is not what God is calling us to, so better to be prepared! I think I do much better when I am not too surprised at what to expect, so that is why I am so appreciative of your replies! We're still in the early phase of trying to figure out where to go, and it's not like dh has even looked for a job or anything yet, so who knows what will happen!

 

Thanks for taking the time to answer, and if I have more questions, I will ask!