starting a new career at phoenix arizona

cclife06 · Jul 20, 2006

Hi Folks:

I have been reading all the threads and want to thank you for such great info. I hope you don't mind if I join in.

My husband will be going to AZ for a few job interviews weekend of 8/24/06. I will be starting nursing school in the fall here on the cape. He commutes to and from Boston every day and sits in traffic several times a week for 2 hours or more. I commute into Boston to work and work hours from 12:30pm - 10:00pm (research coordinator). I work these hours so not to hit traffic going in and out of the city but also to get cheaper parking at $8. If I work the normal hours I would be hit w/$30 a day.(crazy!!) I have to drive because I have two small children and have to access of getting home right away should something happen. Is there anyone on this thread from Boston who could tell me if the traffic in Pheonix gets as bad as Boston? He most likely will work in Pheonix and was curious about the commute. I have heard about 45 mins each way to and from Gilbert. Does that sound right? We are looking around Gilbert or Fountain Hills area? Are there any other family communities you could recommend? Also - he will be heading out before us as I have to finish at least one year of nursing school before I can transfer out there (God willing). Although I know it is not the best time for me to relocate, but I think if I can tough it out for a year it will be worth it in the long run. Thank God, I have a lot of family support!

Any info you can provide would be greatly appreciated.

Be well!

Laurie

madwife2002, BSN, RN · Jul 20, 2006

Hi,

The traffic is bad around rush hour like every other huge city. There are lots of lovely family communities around the outskirts of Phoenix. ?Which hospital will he work at.

cclife06 · Jul 20, 2006

Thanks - I can only hope not a two hour commute. He is actually a business analyst and is interviewing w/an investment firm. I am just entering my first yr of nursing school and cannot give up my slot to move just yet. Maybe after I have the first year under my belt I can then make the move. I will have to inquire about transferring etc..

Thank you for your input.

Laurie

icare4icu · Jul 22, 2006

welcome to AZ!!!! You guys and gals. Just FYI, if you are a seasoned nurse, you get paid more than $24 somewhere else. Email me if you need info.

How about in the high 30s and 40s?

KScott · Jul 22, 2006

Housing priced in Phoenix, I think, have finally reached the ceiling. Mean average price is around 250,000 and you don't get alot for the money on new homes. However, you will get better re-sales for the same money. Watch the neighborhoods.

I'm a native of Phoenix. There is a lot of good and a lot of bad around here. The good, it doesn't snow. The bad it's hotter than Hades. I don't know, if it's just my age, or what, but it seems it's getting hotter all the time.

The cost of living is fairly low compared to the east and west coasts. It's much higher than the midwest. Fifty thousand is a decent salary. More is always better. :-) The housing market got pretty wild last year and we are suffering a hangover, now. I have to disagree with Lexingtonbred, however, you can get much more bang for your buck with new homes, as opposed to resales. This is usually the case around here and even more so now as the builders are getting a little desperate. Many of them are throwing around a lot of incentives - such as free upgrades and swimming pools. The down side to this - most new builds require a fairly long commute. (Upside to new builds - they are usually more energy efficient. Electric bills can get really high in the summer.)

Traffic is bad from around 6 a.m. to 8:45 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. until 6:00 p.m.. At this time, I could get from my house, in the west valley, (85th Ave. and Olive), to St. Joe's in about 45 minutes to an hour. Off peak times, I could get there in 25 minutes.

I've lived on the east coast and in Germany. What's different about Phoenix is the way it's layed out. Everything is far away. If you want to do something, most likely, you have to drive. With it being so hot in the summer, people don't just walk around and visit much. There is no real "hometown feeling" to the place and it can be a little difficult to make friends. This might not be so bad working in a hospital. You will surely make a lot of friends there.

They are building a lot in the central corridor, (near St. Joe's), to try to implement this hometown feeling. I think this is happening in various places around the country. What they are building here, though, is very pricey. They are going for a more upscale urban environment. Something we've never really had here. I think it's kind of neat. It looks good, anyway.

Just south of St. Joe's you will find the historical "Willo" district. People have done some really nice things with this neighborhood. It's very quaint and pricey. I love it there, but I don't like the homeless that still wander the area. (I'm sure that's not PC, but if I pay 400k - 600k for a house, I don't want to go out to get the paper in the morning and find somebody sleeping in my yard.) Just east of Willo is the historical Encanto district. I used to call these the "doctor's houses." They probably were and probably still are.

I could go on and on... if you care to know more, just ask me.

Kabin · Jul 22, 2006

It was a balmy 118 yesterday. :uhoh3:

Curious1alwys, BSN, RN · Jul 23, 2006

It was a balmy 118 yesterday.

Oh yeah, the heat has been horrible. I am convinced this is Hell on earth.:angryfire :no: :lol2:

madwife2002, BSN, RN · Jul 23, 2006

I just dont go out it is my first summer and it makes us feel unwell quickly unless I am swimming. I love air con lol. The house just cant cool down we cant get it below 80. $400 air con bill per month!!!!!!!

I love it here though so it makes up for the horrid heat

Calzonan RN · Jul 23, 2006

I've lived in Vegas/Phoenix for 17 years now, and I still can't go out in the summer!!! I'm in NS right now and when I got out yesterday it was 124!!!!!!!!!! OMG! When I got home it had dropped down to 119, but COME ON!! My AC bill is so high (I keep it set at 82-84) that it's basically a house payment. Three more months to go, it really doesn't start cooling off here until October (sorry newbies).

The upside to Phx is there's always something to do. We have all of the big bands that have concerts here, there's always some convention or other going on, you can escape to the mountains in the summer, and in the winter you can go there and visit the snow. Most people don't realize but this is one of the only places where you don't hear/see kids playing outside during summer break. They can pretty much only swim or play inside all day :uhoh3: unless you can get them into some kind of summer program.

Keli

KScott · Jul 23, 2006

Most people don't realize but this is one of the only places where you don't hear/see kids playing outside during summer break. They can pretty much only swim or play inside all day unless you can get them into some kind of summer program.
Keli

This is what I'm talking about! When I was a kid we played outside all the day long. Heck, we had a swamp cooler in the house. Now, I always say we get "sunned-in" like other people get "snowed-in." I swear it's getting hotter. I never see kids playing outside anymore.

RainDreamer, BSN, RN · Jul 23, 2006

I was 10 years old in 1990 when we hit the 122 degree record high. That had to have been dang hot, huh? But I was 10 and it's like it didn't even phaze me. Thank God it hasn't gotten that hot again .... close, but not that high. So it's definitely not getting hotter, we're just getting older :)

We actually just got back from up in the white mountains. The hottest it got while I was there ...... high 70s. It got down into the 50s at night, stayed in the 60s-70s through the day. It was beautiful!!

GrnHonu99, RN · Jul 25, 2006

Hi everyone!!!

So I thought id leave an update:) Im in Phoenix now on a visit. I like it out here, it's definetly different than Ohio. I got the job at St. Joes. Im working on one of their brand new neuro ICU towers. I start Sep 5th and my move is scheduled for Aug. 18th! Coming soon! I cant believe it. Its been really really hot here this week...114ish..yikes. We found a house in Chandler and I love it, it has a great pool. Other than that its been great to be pretty much done with nursing school. I have basically 2.5 weeks left of preceptorship then i'm done forever! The only hard thing now will be leaving all my friends and having none here in Phoenix:(