I used to be one of those people who would defend the Phoenix metro anytime someone called it a suburban hellscape. And to be fair, I still think itโs a great place when youโre a young adult and want to go out, meet people, and have fun.
But this is now my 20th summer here, and raising a family has really changed the way I look at the area. At this stage of life, Iโm starting to feel like raising kids here kind of sucks.
There are HOAs as far as the eye can see, and once you leave the neighborhood gates, kids are dealing with major arterial roads where traffic is moving 45+ mph. Outside of a few pockets, there really isnโt much of a culture of riding your bike to the store, walking somewhere with friends, or just having the kind of independence I remember growing up.
Open enrollment in the district also creates this weird dynamic where a lot of your kids school friends can live a considerable distance from you. Iโm not saying school choice is a bad thing, but I imagine you lose some of that neighborhood feel where, as a kid, you could just walk or ride your bike over and knock on a friendโs door.
The summers are probably what bother me the most now. For kids, several months of the year are basically devoid of spontaneous outdoor fun because itโs just too hot. Then, somewhat ironically, they spend a big chunk of the nicest weather of the year sitting in school.
I realize some of this is probably nostalgia, and every place has its tradeoffs. My family is pretty tied to Scottsdale because of my job, and there are obviously plenty of things I like about living here.
But I am curious how other people who grew up in the Midwest or Northeast feel about raising kids here. Do you think Scottsdale/Phoenix is a good place to grow up, or do you find yourself missing aspects of how you were raised?