Pleasant Surprises About Phoenix

It isn't difficult to find fault with a big city. Crime, traffic, taxes--it's easy to be overwhelmed by negativity. I asked some members of the Phoenix Forum and a few friends what it was that surprised them when they moved to the Valley of the Sun. Although there were a few negatives, the responses were mostly positive! Several comments were related to plants, trees, and flowers. I haven't included them all, but here are ten nice things that people had to say about Phoenix.

Ten Pleasant Surprises About Phoenix

1. I would say the one thing that surprised me the most was the landscaping. By that I am including lawns, bushes, flowers, palm trees, leafy trees and also fountains everywhere...and the fact that it looks the same all year long.
2. Drive thru liquor stores! I remember being totally amazed at walking into grocery stores and some convenience stores and being able to buy liquor. Not just beer and wine, but hard liquor as well.
3. I was surprised that it was very clean in most parts of town, and the highway lanes are wide and kept in good condition.
4. I was stunned that people left soft furniture outside.... I thought, "what if it rains?? Doesn't it get mildewed or moldy??" Nope.
5. I thought that when it got up to 118 degrees everything would shrivel up and die.
6. The great shopping! On every corner! The same stores in every neighborhood. Pretty neat.
7. The beautiful flowers and terrific smelling citrus trees! Trees with purple blossoms!
8. How friendly the people are. I find that people are much nicer and that customer service is much better here than in the midwest.
9. That grass and trees can grow in the desert. I expected to only see dirt, rocks and cacti, like you see in the photos. I was pleasantly surprised to learn that you can grow a wide variety of colorful, flowering bushes, as well as citrus trees, in the desert.
10. Phoenix is really easy to get around from. You can drive to Mexico, Las Vegas, and California in a reasonable time. Just a few hours away are the mountains and forests of northern Arizona, if you want to see fall foliage, snow, or mountains. There are lots of short flights from the airport, and the airport is very easy to navigate.

Many of these comments were provided by Phoenix Forum members. Want to add your own? Here's the forum thread where you can do just that. You have to sign up to post in the forum, but it is an easy process!