Hi -
Hope you don't mind me stopping in down here. Reason being, I retired recently and would like to move to another part of the country. The south west is high on the list. But I need to narrow down the search a bit. Some questions to get started with:
Areas to live that have not been 'discovered' yet and have a reasonable climate.
Reasonable tax(local, school, state) expense also - but since we're near NYNY, almost anything is reasonable.
How vehicle friendly is AZ? Registration cost? Insurance? State inspections - safety and emissions or ? What is the highest octane gas available - while the X lives on regular, the car needs lots more.
We plan to take a ride out there in the next year or so to see for ourselves, but for now, all we can do is ask. And we'd rather hear from real people than read the glossy PR stuff.

dave and xtoy - just one more winter(55)

Not meaning to diss the 'zonies but you should also look at Southern Nevada...

I grew up in a samll little town - Boulder City - that happens to be right next door to a really big town - Las Vegas.

You get the best of all worlds - a nice small town that is near a big city (large mountan range seperates the two). You are withen 3-5 hours drive from all of SoCal, Az, Utah and even Colorado. 12 hours gets to to Oregon, Denver, Albuquerque. It's quite a central location.

Taxes are cheap (no state income tax) because of the casinos. Car registration is what I would consider normal - there ain't no stinking vehicle tax like there is here in VA

And BC is nice in that it's the only place in Nevada that doesn't allow gambling - so all the casino traffic/noise/crap is kept over the hill in Vegas.

It's a nice area - even with Vegas exploding in size, I'm still thinking of eventually going back someday.

Az. is a great place too live, act retired, and enjoy an incredible outdoor lifestyle. Great year round weather, 4 sports teams(go D-BACKS!), some of this planets greatest scenery too. Your registration and insurance aren't any worse than say Virginia or Nevada. Gas has been hanging on the expensive side lately, $1.55 or so for 87 octane. We get up to 91 oct.($1.75) Also, they mix ethanol in the fuel to cut down emmisions in the winter months. Has NO effect on your trucks ability...One bad thing however is air quality. While the city grows at an incredible rate, so does the "brown cloud" of pollution . It's really bad at times in the summer as the heat and dry air hold all the carbon monoxide down. Consider this if you have repiratory ailments. If not, come on down, put on your sunscreen, and get ready to retire Az. style. ps. The heat's only oppresive when you're not armed properly with a refreshing beverage.

As a native, let me just say.......don't move here. It's dirty nasty hot and bad. New York is so much better. Everything is better and cheaper in NY. The girls are prettier, the food tastes better, the cars are built better, the cops are better, the crime is better, everyone here is an idiot who can't drive, even though they are from somewhere else.

Don't believe the hype and tell your friends, Arizona sucks!

Don't move to phoenix!!!
-CONS-
1.) Way too many illegal aliens that don't know how to drive (No I Am Not A Racist).
2.) The two times that it does rain people freak out and forget how to drive.
3.) No trees.
4.) Little grass.
5.) Way too many illegal aliens that don't know how to drive (No I Am Not A Racist).
6.) Way too many illegal aliens that don't know how to drive (No I Am Not A Racist).
7.) No Beaches.
8.) Hotter than Hell.

-Pros-
1.) Lots of churches (the devil doesn't come to AZ, because its hotter than hell).
2.) Desert off roading is fun!!
3.) Doesn't get Fut Bucking Cold in the... "Winter" (I usually wear shorts).
4.) Lots of stuff to do.
5.) Close to Vegas.
6.) Usually no humididty.
7.) Big city ammenaties.

Hey Blue,

I have news for you, the people of the north freak out when it rains also, and it rains a lot more up there than here. Don't forget about the freaks trying to drive in the snow also. I live there for over 30 years and I've seen it first hand. I'm not saying the people here drive better in bad weather (it seams the heat here effects people as much as bad weather, from what I've seen). I'm just saying that it is close to a push. I won't put it as a con to Phoenix or AZ.

What's always made me laugh about the "people in AZ can't drive" thing is........I'm 40 and a native. People are astounded at that. The reason I say that is almost everyone else I meet here is from someplace else. Usually from somewhere where it does rain and the roads are often less than straight and dry and and may or may not be frozen.

Shake a tree and someone from Chicago falls out.

Now I ask you, who can't drive?

I dunno, must be the excess sun in the southwest - rain does seem to freak everyone out.

Of course back here in DC they just like to rear end each other while talking on their cell phones

At least it doesn't rain that often in the southwest

Of course back here in DC they just like to rear end each other while talking on their cell phones D.C.? I thought thats why hillbilly's do it doggy-style, so they can both watch Jerry Springer at the same time...

You remembered me...

I think that the "nobody knows how to drive" comment is used all over. Every place I've lived I've heard that comment about drivers. I think it comes from the fact that everyone is never happy with everyone else.

Oh well...

Southern Arizona is worse when it comes to bad drivers, something to do with the proximity to Mexico, I think. If you do come out here, look for the bright red-orange Sonora (Mexico) license plates and run like hell.

Ok, as for moving down here...you have three choices:

Phoenix
Tucson
Other

Low down on Phoenix:
Its hot but its a big city, there is a lot to do. Plenty of sports, events, golfing, some water areas and did I mention its hot as hell? Phoenix has a lot of the problems that most big cities have, lots of traffic, fairly high crime rate, pollution, ASU, its hot as hell, etc. If you want to go to AZ and keep up a "big city" life style, PHX is the way to go. There are all kinds of places to live in PHX, from ghetto to posh digs in Snobsdale.

Low down on Tucson:
I am from Tucson so I know the most about living here. Its not as PHX down hot here and there is not as much to do as far as sports and events. We have the University of Arizona (if you like Basketball) and Minor League baseball for sports. There are also other activities like hiking and horseback riding, Indian Casinos, and LOTS of golf. Many, many retired people come down here and settle so the traffic is generally pretty damn slow (except for the aforementioned Mexicans) and most areas of Tucson are pretty safe as far as crime goes. The roads here are pretty bad, the taxes are average. Car insurance and registration is high everywhere in Arizona. Life in Tucson is pretty much slow and relaxing, the summer is brutal but thats what A/C is for. The winters are very, very nice and mild (no snow.)

The lowdown on Other:
Areas outside of PHX and Tucson worth considering are Northern Arizona (Sedona, Flagstaff, Pine Top) and Southern Arizona (Tubac, Senoita, Nogales). I personally hate the rural southern Arizona area because its sooooooooooo boring (moreso than Tucson) and generally ugly in my opinion. There ARE lots of trails and outdoor activities available in the Southern Desert, plus its not that expensive to live there. Do yourself a favor and stay away from Nogales.

Northern Arizona is really nice, when its not on fire, there are trees and trails and water and snow in the winter time. The prices up there are pretty high as far as housing and such but if you like Mountain living, its worth it.

Anyway, I would encourage you to take a visit out here soon so you can see if the summer is bearable and then come back in the fall/winter. If there is anything more you'd like to know, just ask.

More on vehicle stuff:

Highest Octane generally available is 91, same piss-water gas as CA.

I mentioned the fairly high insurance and registration rates but compared to NY/NJ, its probably a little cheaper.

We have state emissions inspections but no safety inspections like a lot of states. If we did have safety inspections there would be a lot fewer cars on the road around here anyway.

Thanks for all the replys. FWIW, I don't care much for the city, any city. We may go to NYNY once a year, if that often. I guess having a major airport within 1-2 hrs is good enuf.
Geez, only 91 octane gas. The X is ok, but the car won't like that.
Emissions tests but no safety inspections! I think they have that backwards. We're only 60 miles from the city and there are safety but no smog/emissions tests. Go figure. Maybe we need both. They do test emissions closer to the city tho.
Understand the heat. But what about a location at higher altitude? Cooler yes? News says Phoenix has been hotter than usual recently. Can do without that.
Bad drivers are universal - and they are everywhere! But in NY we get a fair share of rain and snow and ice for added excitement.

dave and xtoy - what about other SW states?

Speaking of bad drivers...returned from Prescott today and literally sat on 17 South for over an hour waiting for life-flight helicopters to take two people in a trooper to the hospital. Rolled it a number of times. They lost control and the one not wearing a seatbet was thrown out at 60+mph. Aparently CPR was being done for a while and I don't know if the victim lived. Lots of beer cans found at the scene too. Hmmm...

Listened to the CB and many of the truckers were commenting on how the trooper had cut a few of them off...

I've lived in Oregon for 25 years, San Jose, CA for 6 and now Snobsdale for a couple months. I can honestly say Oregon drivers (most) are slow, but can drive "fair" in the rain. Bay Area drivers are f'ing nuts and AZ drivers are either way under the speed limit, or way over and pretty wreckless as they whip through the red lights...

Drivers pretty much suck everywhere.
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Edit: I can say I'm happy I just left this behind: AAACK!!

"Car fee boost collides with Davis' drive to keep his job "
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2003/07/27/MN291768.DTL

"The fees are based on a percentage of the value of the vehicle, so the increase motorists will pay will vary. For example, for a 2003 Ford Explorer XLS sold for $28,050, the vehicle license fee would go from $182 to $561 (for one year!). For a 1999 Honda Civic EX purchased used this year for $7,950, the fee would go from $52 to $159. "

Ok.. I'm, like Stone, and have been here all my life but I have Stone beat by a couple of years. So.. what I can say.. we have maybe 2 months of high heat.. but what do you do.. you go from air-conditioned house to air-conditioned car to air-conditioned work (not in your case if you are retiring here).. The couple of months give you a chance to scare others away, but the rest of the year it's great here. Expect your blood to thin and you will start to think that 60 is cold... but if not you can go to Prescott and 40 will be cold.. but it not you can go to Flagstaff and 30 can be cold.. I don't know (Probably because I haven't lived there) of anywhere else where this is possible. I'm sure there are other places like this but you can have the complete experience here.

I love it. but please don't tell your friends (refer to Stone's comments) as we don't want everyone here.. but you are an XTerra owner.. so.... we'll let you in. Ok..

So.. welcome..