Sor you're moving to Phoenix. Here are a few things which will help you as you acclimate to life in the Valley of the Sun, and maybe some rattlesnakes, cowboys, sunshine, and the Phoenix Open.
Desert
While you’ll see a quite a few cowboy hats and boots, there aren’t too many cowboys left.
While most people think of the desert as barren, or a Wile E. Coyote cartoon setting, the Phoenix Valley Desert is a semi-arid desert, meaning we do get more rain than a barren desert, but not as much as the average locale. But the weather can be a blistering 115 degrees or higher in summer.
The other side of that is you'll see many people wearing shorts and flip flops at the Black Friday sales. Even at midnight. With 299 days of sun a year, they have a point. Also, prime gardening season is in the cooler months.
Storms
A typical desert storm here, called a haboob, is a fiercely blowing wind which is often followed by torrential rains. They even have their own season, called monsoon season, which occurs between June 15 and September. Also, the soil here doesn't absorb water readily, meaning that the water will run off instead of soaking in. The city planners have worked hard to ensure adequate storm drains as well as laws regulating drainage basins to lessen the amount of runoff.
Don’t leave your garage door open, or you may find yourself playing host to a rattlesnake or coyote.
Critters
Because we live in the Sonoran Desert (semi-arid!), desert fauna is abundant. From coyotes, jackrabbits, javelina, and prairie dogs, you don't have to go far out of town to know they are close at hand. Other critters to watch out for, even in town, are scorpions, tarantulas, rattlesnakes, and Gila monsters.
Play
It's hard to beat the golf here since the courses are open and green year-round, thanks to the lack of snow and rain. So, pick up a pair of golf clubs and put on some sunscreen, because there are about 185 golf courses in the Valley, there are a lot of places to play.
Other participatory sports are tennis, pickleball, swimming, and hiking since we have an abundance of desert trails.
Transportation and traffic
Favorite mode of Travel is the Automobile because the Valley is so expansive. The summer accessories of choice for your car are air conditioning, seat covers and oven mitts for the steering wheel. While buses are available, and the light rail runs the length of Phoenix to Mesa, the summer heat can make walking to and waiting for public transportation difficult.
Traffic is easier than you'd think for a major city, however, because the freeways are very well maintained. Just watch out for hotspots such as sports arenas on game day, when things can get a little out of control.
Population
The Hispanic population is sturdy here, about 40%. About 30% of us speak Spanish. We are fortunate in that living close to the border has influenced our cuisine with Sonoran-style Mexican offerings, which can be found in restaurants across the Valley, as well as the ubiquitous food truck. One of the initiations into the food culture you can try is a Sonoran hot dog—or a margarita, or mojito. Or for more information, check out The Arizona Foodie, Diana Red.
Also, there is a substantial migratory population of seniors, either full time residents or 'snowbirds,' who move here in the fall and stay till Spring so that they can enjoy the milder winters. The upside of this is that the Phoenix area has a higher number of plastic surgeons than any other metropolitan area in the country.
Your move
If you're moving in the Valley area, and need a good local mover to help you pack, move, or unpack, why not give us a call? You’re going to love it here, and we can help make that move easier.
A-Aardvark Movers Inc., a Phoenix Arizona moving company, has the most experienced movers for all your residential, office or apartment relocation needs, serving Phoenix, Scottsdale, Chandler, Tempe, Mesa, Gilbert, Glendale, Cave Creek, Carefree, Surprise, Sun City, Paradise Valley, Apache Junction, Maricopa County and all of Arizona. 602-716-5555.
