Have you ever been so hot in your life that even swimming in a nice cool pool is still hot? Have you ever seen so many of the same-colored houses or buildings in a row before? Have you ever been to a mall and then need something from somewhere else so you drive five minutes to the next mall? Has traffic ever been a problem at all hours of the day? Do you get annoyed easily by old people? Are sports REALLY your thing? Finally, are you a person that enjoys diversity and uniqueness? If you have answered yes to any of these questions, then you have probably lived in, or have been to, the dreaded state of Arizona. If any of these statements seem appealing to you, then you are crazy, but if not, then good thing you don't live there. Here are (in my strongest opinion) seven reasons why Arizona is a terrible place to live.
1. It's Unbelievably Hot
The fact that Arizona is in the desert is a terrible thing. The hot gravel between your toes, the sun beating on your back, none of those things sound appealing to me personally. When people joke about places being "so hot you can fry an egg on the sidewalk" they aren't kidding when it comes to being in AZ. It can be between 100-120 degrees between the months of May and September. Sometimes it can be that hot all the way into November! Everywhere in Arizona gets hot too. The mountains and Grand Canyon area definitely get to the high 90s during those summer days. It's just a big hot oven that we are all baking in.
2. One word...beige
One thing about Arizona is that everything is beige. The houses are beige, the buildings are beige, the cars a beige, even the rocks are beige. Nothing is vibrant. The desert part is such blob of blahs and nothing interesting to look at. Sometimes you might see a splash of color, but that's because it's probably light orange, sand yellow, or just plain white. It is all based around the Spanish vibe and style that Arizona has. Quite frankly, I think it would make it a more inserting place if everything wasn't such a boring color, but since it gets so hot, all the building and cars need to be a light color so they don't get as hot in the summer and overheat.
3. Mall Central
There is seriously a mall probably every five miles. I can name three that are in phoenix alone; and that's only Phoenix. Malls are what consume our city and what people look forward to most when visiting Arizona. There are about three or four outlet malls within an hour of each other. Which is totally awesome, don't get me wrong, but it makes for the worst traffic during weekends and after hours on week days. Which brings me to number four...
4. Traffic is a b... burden
Whether you're traveling downtown or across the state itself, Arizona is packed on the streets. People are always passing through of stopping to visit. All of us locals can agree that there is nothing we hate more than always having busy main roads and highways. Even at early and late times of the day. Too many people are out on the roads doing god knows what going who knows where. Sometimes I wish I could ride a bike around instead of drive my car because it would be faster. But wait, it's too hot for that, never mind.
5. Old Geezers' Paradise
Sun City and Surprise are two of the most populated places in AZ; for old people that is. The snowbirds from the colder parts of the country come down during the winter time because it's still decently warm in the desert.Those old folks love golfing and country clubs and can't seem to stay away, so they come to Arizona. Where its always summer and perfect for golfing no matter what time of year. Every corner in those cities have different country clubs, gated adult communities and even assisted living facilities. Every single restaurant has a 55+ menu. If they don't trust me, within the next few months or so, they will because of too many complaints. Did I mention they drive slow too?
6. Home to Every Sporting Event
I can't even tell you how many sporting events Arizona has hosted over the past twenty years. All I can tell you is that it's a load we should be able to handle. Within this past year, Phoenix alone has hosted two huge sporting events, Super Bowl and Big 10 Championship. Some roads were closed down for a week or so just for these events. (This is another main reason why traffic sucks) We also have two stadiums for spring training games that are home to the Kansas City Royals, and the Los Angeles Angels. There is also Chase Stadium, which is where the Diamond backs play. Don't even get me started with the Cardinals stadium and their practice stadium. Then there is our Jobing.com Arena where the Phoenix Suns play. Then we have the Ice Den for our Phoenix Coyotes to practice in, along with the Gila River Arena in Glendale, where they play games. Why the heck do we even have a hockey team.
7. Melting Pot
Basically, everyone that lives in Arizona was originally born somewhere else. Whether it's the snowbirds who come from the midwest and further, or new families that come from Cali because the cost of living is cheaper in AZ. Everyone acts like a permanent tourist and doesn't know where anything is or what is going on ever because so many people come in and out of this state. The diversity is great but you never meet that one wholesome family who has always lived in Arizona and thinks it's such fabulous place to live. They aren't trying to bring all their family out there to live or convince people to stay and live there forever because all in all, Arizona sucks.
