RateItAll: The Opinion Network

One word... FUN!

My Dad's sister and her two children have lived in Phoenix for over several years, and my Dad's other sister and her husband moved here more recently, making it a second home for my Grandmother who spends a couple months here each year. I have been to Arizona 4 times and was in Phonenix in all my visits for much of the time, three times in the Winter, and once over labor day weekend. It was quite hot over labor day weekend, but it felt better than the hot humid summers of St. Louis. Its pretty much like being in a dry heat room, or in an oven turned up to 100-130 degrees. Be sure you wear sunscreen and drink plenty of water, and it may not be as bad as you think. Phoenix sits in a nice climate but there isnt a whole lot to do for a city this size, but there is still stuff to do. Rawhide is a nice western style theme park open during the Christmas/holiday season with plenty of fun things to do for a day. Arizona Mills in Tempe is a good place to spend the day as well, beautiful mall with plenty of modern decorations and colors, alot of entertainment, and lots of stores. If you can't find what you need or want where you live, Arizona Mills is the place to go. There are good steakhouses and mexican restaurants, but the food here isn't very spectacular and neither is the city itself. Downtown is one of the less exciting downtowns I have seen, and much of the city of Phoenix isn't so exciting either. I liked going to the Diamondbacks game in Bank One Ballpark (now Chase Field), eating at Friday's next to the ballpark, and going to the Coyotes game at which was originally the America West Arena. The food at Bank One Ballpark was excellent and actually had sushi. Compared to Chicago, where my Father grew up and my Grandmother who visits Phoenix is from, Phoenix is a city of natural beauty and has little urban beauty. Chicago and many of its burbs are full of urban beauty and lack natural beauty other than Lake Michigan. While terra-cotta homes and buildings look attractive to new tourists, they do get tiring as they are dominant in the architecture of much of the area. There is a natural assortment of Cacti and other desert vegetation all over the Phoenix area, and in December one may spot lit-up Cacti in the shoulders of the main roads in the dark. There is also beautiful artwork along some of the walls along the highways. There are a couple mountains in the area, and my aunt lives near South Mountain, which is a beautiful place to walk around and climb. Scottsdale, a big suburb of Phoenix, contains Old Town Scottsdale, which is a vibrant western-style neighborhood with plenty of shops and restaurants. On my first trip to Phoenix we took a day trip to Biosphere Two, which is a couple hours from Phoenix and just over an hour from Tucson. Located in the middle of the desert, it is an experiment over three acres in which an ecosystem exists indoors, and which at the time and may still now, provided tours of the ecosystem and the basement. On my last trip me, my parents, my aunt, and her two children took a trip to the Grand Canyon for a few days and nights which is 4-5 hours from Phoenix. We stopped first in Black Canyon City at an Amish restaurant which was simple but tasty. Then the drive up the highway became really beautiful as we went up to high elevations and saw the Red Rocks of Sedona, and we soon stopped there and took a walk on a trail. We went furthur North and saw snow and then drove through and stopped in the magnificent Coconino National Forest which has many scenic natural beauties. We later stopped for gas in Williams where there was a couple inches of snow on the ground. My youngest cousin with us, has never recalled seeing snow in his life. We arrived at the Grand Canyon after sundown, and saw the Canyon breifly the next day as it was fogged up from the snow and saw it better the next morning before we drove out. There was several inches of Snow at the rim of the Grand Canyon and it snowed most of our trip there. The food at the Grand Canyon is expensive but very good. There are many unique places to shop along the rim as well as many informational sites which kept us busy as the snow and fog blocked our view of the Canyon. At the bottom of the Grand Canyon the climate is more like Phoenix and Las Vegas where it hardly snows, where at the top we were in a mountaneous climate with snowy winters and proposedly warm and cool summers. It was around Christmas time when we went to the Grand Canyon, and I'd love to return again, just hopefully in the Summer when I hope i can see the canyon much of the time and witness both a full beautiful sunrise and sunset that I see in pictures of the canyon from its rim. There are many more beautiful sites in Arizona I have not seen, and hope I can see as many of them as I can while I live.

haha I'm moving from this place in 16 days. Arizona is hell. Well at least Mesa(where i live) and the rest of maricopa, la paz, yuma, and pinal counties

Really unfair to judge Arizona based on Phoenix and Tucson or the desert part of the state. Northern Arizona i.e. Sedona north do have some natural beauty and rivers with water.

If I could live anywhere I wanted, I would choose to spend the summer half of the year in Burlington, VT and the winter half of the year in Tucson. Tucson is not a great city, but the region around Tucson is a wonderful combination of deserts and mountains. Too hot in summer.

Wonderful Air Quality, beautiful views & palm trees... but too many dangerous areas with foreigners who don't even speak English & yell filthy crap at you.

Arizona is a state with some outstanding scenery, the Grand Canyon is an awesome sight to behold. Flagstaff and Sedona have its charms. All in all its a great state to visit, but I wouldn't want to live there. Phoenix & Tucson are very vanilla with too much cookie cutter sprawl lacking a community feel and god knows how they will sustain an adequate water supply fopr the kind of growth its experiencing.

Nothing wrong with Arizona except some parts are a little warm for me.

I've been to AZ a couple of times and always dream about going back in March or so when the weather sucks. I love the panorama of the red rocks in Sedona the best and then I love Flagstaff and the gorgeous pine trees, and Scotts dale and Phoenix are fun to shop at; Old Town in Scottsdale has some great art galleries and I love the tour of Taliesen West, the Frank Lloyd Wright house. I almost forgot Jerome, the ghost town, that is filled with history and plenty of reasonable priced craft shops.

One of my favorite states in the US. Beautiful scenery from mountains to cactuses to sand dunes. Phoenix is attractive.

The problem with AZ is that most of the population resides in Phoenix or Tucson. Those areas are overcrowded and outside of them, most of the state is undeveloped. AZ can get really boring, especially in the summer. The people migrating here is making this a less pleasurable place to be as the snowbirds are making this the new place for old people to retire along with Nevada. The crime, like any warm climate state, is horrible. Phoenix has no culture, a horrible downtown, and nothing to do. Mesa is an okay city with bars and a younger crowd. The water problem is getting out of hand, pretty soon it's going to be $6 for a bottle of water here if the media doesnt be quiet. It's also getting way to expensive here and the jobs aren't that great. Traffic is getting worse. The state made it's big run because of the housing boom and now that it looks like it's over the state is headed for some tough days ahead. The thing I don't like is when you drive from one city to another, you go through miles and miles of nothing where if you break down you are screwed. This is the part of AZ that I learned is a turnoff after visiting and living in other areas. The best part of AZ is sitting in the pool during November. The negatives are starting to outweigh the positives here and I don't think they need all these people moving in from California either.

Arizona is awesome! Nice warm winters, nice hot summers. No freezing cold or suffocating humidity. After living in NY for a few years, I fully appreciate how great arizona is and am glad to be back.

I can't write about the northern part since I didn't live in or ever travel to that area of Arizona but Flagstaff and the surrounding mountains seem an ideal place to visit, especially in the summer. Phoenix is an artificial city, add water to sand and try to recreate southern California. There are a lot of midwestern hayseed transplants (I swear every other car had a Nebraska Cornhuskers sticker on it) and they aren't very sophisticated or cultured. The "but it's a dry heat" is the biggest load of bull you've ever heard, it gets hot as hell and you feel as if you're being roasted alive. Why do you think all the cars have tinted windows ? The saguaro cacti are interesting-for a day or two, or maybe three-yet they were regarded with such reverence I expected to see people stopping along the roadside to go have sex with them. No rust belt city has anything on Tucson when it comes to sheer ugliness, yet it seemed to consider itself some kind of hip, happening, leading edge/cutting edge type of place. There were few quality jobs and they paid poorly. Your average office park is more impressive than Tucson's entire downtown. For a place supposedly known for the laid back lifestyle, I thought the people were the most absurdly pretentious of anywhere I've lived. School quality wasn't very high in either area. Maybe nice enough for a mid-winter vacation but not to live.

If Arizona keeps doing what its doing...you will have Los Angeles and all of its fine variables (sarcasm) upon you. Phoenix is a manmade disaster. Tucson used to be cool back in the 1970's, but the hippies saw the writing on the wall...and now the city is filled with Iowa, Chicago, and Minneapolis retirees...as well as a good chunk of the NY set who see this as an alternative to South Florida. Strip malls are now the norm in Tucson...along with a sprawl that is now about 900,000. Weather alone is not the reason to rate a state highly. You wont like the weather with a spiraling economy based on real estate and no water. Keep it up Arizona...your like a freight train headed for a big cement wall. I always thought Connecticut had problems....but this place is paradise compared to Arizona.

Hot,Hot,Hot Phoenix is very dull and the roads are sprawled out and very disorganized. The Grand Canyon North Rim is nice. Tucson is very dull too and is mostly a haven for retirees. Saguaro National Park was rather dull and there were hardly any diverse cactis to look at. Please stay awary from Casa Grande, that place is haunted with ancient tribal burial grounds. Otherwise, this state is rather dull, dead, and makes you want to speed on through.

Hot and will get much hotter in the near coming years- dry? Yes- water supply issues? Yes. Phoenix is as smoggy as L.A now, with out the ocean and moderate weather. Tucson is overpriced and almost as hot.

Once a nice state 20-30 years ago that has been ruined by yuppie a@@holes from Calif moving in. Phoenix is a cesspool full of jerks and phonies and rude people overall. Some parts of northern AZ are ok but a crappy state overall.

Say what you will, but I can sit by the pool for Christmas. UPDATE: Alot a whining and trash talk is being directed at my state. To those who are concerned with all the migration and water concerns, quit showing up! While I'm thinking about it, can we quit importing street gangs from LA?

I have lived in AZ for 28 years and I love it.Phoenix is a craphole, but there are other beautiful places to live like Cave Creek . The Sonoran Desert has a unique and much to be appreciated landscape. It is hot, but we dont have hurricanes or earthquakes. The heat only lasts for about 5 to 6 months and the rest of the time it is perfect. I worked outside for 7 years and one summer pregnant, so quit complaining.

AZ has some nice areas- Prescott and Sedona- and the Grand Canyon is nice when the smog and haze to not block the views. Phoenix is a hot- and growing hotter mess. With smog that would make a former Los Angeleno like myself be proud. Crime is bad as well. And as many phonies (if not more) then in CA.

Been to Sierra Vista in March 2003 and Phoenix/Scottsdale in July of this year. I drove through Sierra Vista looking for something fun to do and drove plum out of town into the desert without finding anything fun to do. I did find a real good steakhouse called Daisy Mae's. Scottsdale was 110F every day. Anyone who tells you that crapola about It's dry heat and ain't that bad, is on crack. I'm in decent shape but felt like I was running an 800 just walking in the afternoon sun. Fortunately, the casino I visited each day had the AC cranked high. Nights and early mornings are rather pleasant, however. I found the people to be very friendly. One old guy at my hold 'em table told me he has lived here for 43+ years and still can't tolerate the heat. AZ definitely falls into the category of nice place to visit, but I don't want to live there.

This state predicates most of its economy on in migration- meaning real estate and all its related economic engines have helped the state boom- when the AZ housing bubble crashes- I would not want to be the one of many holding the stick. Yes Phoenix is way too hot, crowded, expensive, polluted and crime infested- I enjoyed Tucson far better- and loved Sedona. However the state is headed for an economic disaster in the next few years- along with the water problem- its not so great a place to be down and out in.

I love Arizona and visit at least a few times a year. Unfortunately I never have had the balls to move permanently despite many close calls. I usually regret those decisons on January 8th when it's 20 degrees if not lower in PA. Thats when I buy the plane ticket and tell work I wont be around for a week or 2. One of these days I really wont come back. Tucson is indeed culturally more hipper than Phoenix but I also have some weird fascination with the redneck metropolis. I tend to hang out in biker bars on Thomas Rd or Van Buren.

Watch out! Californication setting in!

Too hot in the most heavily populated areas of AZ-with too much traffic,pollution crime and mindless people in Phoenix. Tucson scores higher. The state is rapidly growing in population-most from California and now even from Nevada for cheaper housing costs- yet the infrastructure is currently weak and cannot support the influx of people-and there will simply not be enough water in the future. Another writer here said the entire economy is based on real estate-try 50%- when real estate slows, look out.

Beautiful state and my home for the past few years. Comments about the crime rate and heat are justified in the Phoenix area. Phoenix city is one of the least attractive parts of the state. It is also one of the hotter parts, but it does have lots of great hiking and the largest municipal park in the world (South Mountain). The cities in the valley of the sun are growing at a rapid rate and the water consumption for crap like the umpteen golf courses reminds me of Rome before the fall. If you go, there are other places like Jerome and Bisbee, the Hualapai and Havasupai reservations, the Petrified Forest and Painted Desert areas which are well worth a visit. Sedona - well it is stunning scenery, but don't expect much from the actual town. The only place in the town to walk around in is a cheesy faux-Mexican village. Otherwise, you are crossing back and forth across very busy roads. If you go there, better to camp up by Oak Creek Canyon. Grand Canyon - well that is a whole theme in itself. To say it is worth visiting is an understatement.

My aunt lives right outside of Phoenix and I've been to visit her twice. Both times I went, it was spring, so the weather was pleasant, not scorching hot yet. I love the scenery and the wide selection for places to eat, shopping, and pretty much anything else. I don't think I could ever live there. Too big for me. I also wasn't impressed by the driving there. I would love to go and visit again though.

One of the most intriguing states in the country, from the deserts surrounding Phoenix, to the high mountains of Flagstaff, to the gorgeous red rocks of Sedona, to the depths of the Grand Canyon. Definitely worth visiting, and Phoenix's conveniently central location and excellent airport makes for a great jumping-off point for visitors.

Beautiful state, but since when is it on the west coast? California hasn't broken off from the rest of the U.S. Yet.

Lake Havasu is very nice; so is bullhead city. I didn't really like the humid weather though.

Incompetent drivers. Fake, materialistic people. Rednecks and Jesusfreaks galore. With the exception of Sedona, ugly scenery. Nothing to do except visit overcrowded shopping malls. Extreme weather; climate makes my skin flake like crazy.

asucactus - The way you describe Arizona almost seems you are one of the few unfortunate ones who were born here, and if not, you should of been. I too live in Snotsdale and think it's a neverending nightmare filled with inconsiderate snotsdonians. You belong here.

I would agree with AZexpat. I found Phoenix to be sprawling, smoggy and with traffic becoming as bad as some California cities-without the balmy coastal California climate. Sedona is beautiful- as is the Grand Canyon,minus the growing pollution. Trouble with Phoenix -it has a hot inferno of a climate from late April through late October.Dry heat? Sure, but still damn hot! Crime is bad, schools are mediocre at best, and the influx of people is outstripping the ability of the region to supply decent services. Homebuilding and in migration are what drive this economy. I enjoyed Tucson more- but this cities growth is also predicated on new residents and housing, and there is much crime.

I lived in Phoenix for almost 10 yrs before moving out of state. Phoenix is sprawling, crowded and polluted. The economy is largely based on new home construction, and it is only a matter of time before there are building and water restrictions. There is also a lot of crime. Summers are like a blast furnace and it stays hot even at night. Phoenix is trying real hard to become the next L.A. It does have nice winter weather and lots of sunshine and plenty of service and construction jobs. Arizona has some great tourist attractions like the Grand Canyon, Sedona and Karchner Caverns. It is O.K. for young singles and retiress. I would not recommend it if you are looking for a great place to raise yor family.

A bunch of desert morons live in this sorry state. Red state, that is. John McCain country.

My home state. It is too hot in the summers, but that is why Phoenix has three waterparks. The winter's are nice. Almost swimming weather.

Nothing but desert with some cities placed in random places. Way too hot. People say that's ok because it's a dry heat. Well, so is the inside of an oven, but I don't see many people sticking their head inside.

it is too damn hot some interesting places in the 'up country' but by in large a dry empty state- sitting on a desert of nothingness.

Nice to have swimming pool weather down in Phoenix this time of year, and some class snow only two hours away, on average. Now to close the border better, and this state will move up another star.

AZ is a hot and dry place to live- Prescott is high enough for snow and a less extreme climate. A state growing this fast needs an adequate water supply and decent infrastructure to support this kind of frantic growth- it has neither. A hot climate growing hotter in years to come with no water- a recipe for disaster- good luck.

I spent 18 weeks at Ft Huachuca. Even the army posts in AZ are nice. Never having been to the southwest, everywhere I looked was a virtual postcard. The weather in the high lands is much cooler than in Phoenix. I can't wait to go back.

Perfect weather - hot, but not humid at all. Nice people and nature as well. Would love to go back again.

The Grand Canyon is wonderful- and Sedona is out of this world. Phoenix is too big, hot and polluted- with an increasingly bad traffic situation. Tuscon is more interesting. Prescott is a nice area.

Bring a water bottle, better yet, bring every water bottle you have ever seen with you. And don't go anywhere near Phoenix, its just, BLAH. Grand Canyon ok, the rest, no thanks.

I love AZ. I lived there for 14+ years. I wish I could give her a 5 star rating. However there is no environmental ethic at all. The urban sprawl of the Phoenix metro area is marching across the sonoran desert in all directions at a horrific pace. The locals take the unique natural beauty of the state for granted. They (the locals) think wiping out prime agricultural land and pristine desert for six lane (yes I said six) boulevards, row houses and golf courses is just fine. I don't get it - one of the reasons I finally left.

I currently live in Phoenix and I hope to leave Arizona as soon as possible. I can collectively sum up my experience here as the worst in my life. Its great if you like hot-weather, asphalt, and strip malls filled with homogenous chain stores

best state in the US, its 100 degrees but feel like its 70, bc of no humidity. great economy and state of the art everything. very high quality of living... and im from Chicago

I'll agree it's a gorgeous state. Some of my best vacation memories are of driving through the desert and going to the Grand Canyon, and I wasn't even lucky enough to see the Northern greener part of the state. Still from what I know and from what I've heard Phoenix is probably the most hellish American city I can imagine. Don't deal too well with the thought of scorpions and black widows either; I think I'd rather be somewhere where ticks are about the nastiest arachnids.

Anyone who has something bad to say about a state is kind of retarded. Everyone has different likes and dislikes about a geographical location. Some of you like the heat and cacti, the other half doesn't . What else is there to Arizona ? Tons, like the best entertainment, sports, clubs, the countries best restaurants... the list goes on. And if you're as fortunate as me, you live in North Scottsdale. Yup, Snotsdale to some, but there is something magical about $30-million homes for sale a mile north of my house.

One of the prettiest states in the nation, with more than just the Grand Canyon and desert. There are mountains, forests, Indian ruins, and actual Indians, among other stuff. I don't think I'd want to live there though; just too dang hot.

First off, I love the desert and the big sky you can get out West. I like Arizona, where else can you where shorts on Christmas day? I like Tucson, Phoenix, and Flagstaff (Nah-Noo-Nah-Noo), each has it's own climate. Smog blows into the Grand Canyon from Vegas on occasion. Not a place for weed smokers. An uncle of mine was once the drug czar of this state and arranged for me to go on a ride along with some cops. I mean they busted the hell out of these to Mexican guys for a little skinny (pinhead) joint and charged them with felonies, you'd have thought they shot Reagan. I'm not in favor of drug use, but damn. Phoenix is really spread out. Sedona, Arizona has got to be my favorite spot. Full of friendly new-age types. A great place to just rent a room for a week and chill with the scenery. Never made it to Nogales, Mexico, heard I didn't miss much though.

Arizona is truly the most beautiful state in America! It is so geographically diverse, it's crazy. In the southern portion of the state, the desert scenery is really a sight to see, with varies of plant and animal life here found nowhere else in the world. Sedona speaks for itself. The scenery there is absolutely jawdropping! Flagstaff is one of the nicest places I've ever been to! The people are very friendly and the scenery is top notch! Take a walk around downtown Flagstaff, there's more to do than you think! There are three National Parks. Petrified Forest, Saguaro, and of course, the GRAND CANYON! The greatest natural wonder on earth! And with over 15 National Monuments, more than any other state, there is plenty to do if you're a sightseer or an avid outdoors person. If you think Arizona is nothing more than a flat, lifeless desert, then you're sorely mistaken! Take a trip here, then you'll realize that Arizona has alot to offer and you'll be saying that Arizona is the most beautiful state in America!

Amazing breathtaking!! Just stay away from Phoenix. This is the most beautiful state I've been to hands down. And Iv'e been to all but Hawaii.

Hot and dry, but not at all a bad state.

I wouldn't want to live there, but the geography and land is so interesting. Long stretches of sandy land with all kinds of bushes and cacti. It was a nice change to drive through Arizona; I'm tired of watching maple trees go by in the window.

YEAH!! My home state. People here are a little crazy, Party Hard! We are not all desert, if you go to Sedona it's really nice. The teens are a little screwed up {hint,hint}.

I am not big on deserts, but I have to say that this is one the most beautiful desert states. I hiked the Grand Canyon twice and both times it was a challenge (don't ride the donkeys cause the hikers will call you wusses). If you are able to make it to the Canyon, you won't regret it.

World-class nature! :o)

The perfect state to showcase the outstanding scenery of the desert southwest.