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Phoenix/Tempe/Scottsdale, AZ
This is a social group for those who are interested in retiring to Phoenix/Tempe/Scottsdale, AZ
Organizer:
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Phoenix is Under Rated! A Great Place for LGBT Retirees.
Phoenix is Under Rated! A Great Place for LGBT Retirees.
Coming back from vacation I appreciate living in Phoenix even more.
We really have a lot going on here.
We live in a major city, with all of the amenities and conveniences one could ask for.
We have great healthcare, with the Mayo Clinic in Scottsdale, and Barrow’s Neurological Hospital in Midtown. Both are world-renowned medical facilities.
We have many restaurants, with just about every type of cuisine imaginable. A few that are walking distance from our home in Midtown.
We have the Phoenix Theatre, Museums, Opera, and the Talking Stick Arena which we can walk to or take a short drive. (Of course, these are pre-covid – Phoenix Theatre plans to move the stage outdoors soon.)
Although a car is pretty much a necessity, we have the Light Rail which runs through Central Phoenix, Tempe, and Mesa. It’s a 20-minute ride from Midtown to the Airport. Leave your car home, and save money on parking.
Despite increasing home prices, our cost of living is still better than average. Construction continues here in Phoenix despite Covid. Many people from neighboring California and elsewhere continue to move to Phoenix.
We have a large gay community and a number of gay bars in the Melrose district. Melrose is considered the gayborhood with many gay establishments. It’s located on 7th Ave between Indian School Rd and Camelback Rd.
I will admit that the summers get extremely hot, so we mostly stay indoors in the air conditioning. For me, it’s way better than shoveling snow in the winters! The rest of the year in Phoenix is very pleasant. We can get monsoons in the summer, but we haven’t seen much rain in the past two summers. We may see some rain in the winter.
All in all, it’s a great place to live for pre-retirement and people seeking a good retirement life.
- 3 Replies
I agree! We found the perfect condo in mid-town Phoenix. We are able to walk to the Phoenix Theater, museums, a variety of restaurants and coffee shops, and to our local pharmacy. We do put up with hot, dry summers (as opposed to the humidity factory that was our life in Florida), but the rest of the year is glorious. We are currently having breakfast outside on a brisk 63 degree October morning. One thing we learned is that it can be 90 degrees outside and it feels more like 80, due to the extremely low humidity here. I couldn’t be happier.
Like any city, Phoenix has good parts and bad parts. I consider it relatively easy to live here and it’s hard to find a place that has what it offers. It’s far less stressful than the other major cities I’ve lived in.
Pros:
Streets laid out in a big grid. It’s easy to find your destination. 7-8 months of comfortable weather. Every shopping need imaginable. Every sports team and activity imaginable. Nearby park and recreational areas in most neighborhoods. Great airport to get you anywhere. Day drives to many other attractions and escapes. Average cost of living which is surprising for a desirable city. Personally, I love that I can get everything I need in a 5 mile radius and when I get home, it’s like I live in a small town (no noise).
Cons:
Climate change has made it hotter. I’ve noticed it in the last 15 years with 2020 being the worst heat and drought on record. With more people comes more traffic. We need even more freeways to span this 1,500 square mile area (we need an east-west freeway aligned with Northern Avenue). It’s taking far too long, but it is becoming politically progressive. I really hope that the newcomers will be able to upend the entrenched red politics.
Thanks Mark and Peter for the GREAT work here!!
Phoenix has everything you need and more. We have everything from desert to a vibrant urban lifestyle, to beautiful mountains to country ranches, not to mention a wonderful airport to open the a gateway to the world.
