Phoenix vs. Wilmington?

[nmulax]

So I've found myself in a fairly fortunate situation.

A past employer is offering me the chance for not only a job back with them; but I can choose between a couple positions. One is located in Phoenix, Arizona, and two others are in Wilmington, Delaware.
I'm going to read and reread the job descriptions a bit more and see which one is more to my liking (obviously that's most important). But I still don't know much about either location. I've never been to the east coast (except Manhattan), and it's been at least 10 years since I've last been to Phoenix.

I'll probably visit both cities in the next few weeks to see them for myself, but figured it can't hurt to get some input from others.
So those of you from those areas -- what are your likes/dislikes?


The way I look at it.

Phoenix pros:
- no snow
- younger busy city
- Vegas and LA within a day's drive
- lower cost of living

Phoenix cons:
- it's hot
- it's HOT

Wilmington pros:
- middle of the road climate (no extreme heat or cold)
- Manhattan is 2 hours away
- I'd be at the company's HQ, possibly better for developing connections

Wilmington cons:
- more expensive
- some snow (though I'm assuming even less then Detroit)
- not quite the lively city I want at 24 years old

[pseto]

Originally Posted by nmulax

So I've found myself in a fairly fortunate situation.

A past employer is offering me the chance for not only a job back with them; but I can choose between a couple positions. One is located in Phoenix, Arizona, and two others are in Wilmington, Delaware.
I'm going to read and reread the job descriptions a bit more and see which one is more to my liking (obviously that's most important). But I still don't know much about either location. I've never been to the east coast (except Manhattan), and it's been at least 10 years since I've last been to Phoenix.

I'll probably visit both cities in the next few weeks to see them for myself, but figured it can't hurt to get some input from others.
So those of you from those areas -- what are your likes/dislikes?


The way I look at it.

Phoenix pros:
- no snow
- younger busy city
- Vegas and LA within a day's drive
- lower cost of living

Phoenix cons:
- it's hot
- it's HOT

Wilmington pros:
- middle of the road climate (no extreme heat or cold)
- Manhattan is 2 hours away
- I'd be at the company's HQ, possibly better for developing connections

Wilmington cons:
- more expensive
- some snow (though I'm assuming even less then Detroit)
- not quite the lively city I want at 24 years old

I like Phoenix much better for many of the reasons you stated, although I don't think the cost of living there is much cheaper. Its grown a lot over the past years and I think prices have caught up too. There are still some parts of the Phoenix area that isn't as expensive (probably south of Phoenix; Scottsdale is getting outrageous IMO). The weather is fairly hot, but more to my liking. 110 degrees there is the same as 85+ degrees with humidity in Wilmington.

[SebringS2k]

do you mind saying what company you are with? I actually live in Wilmington, haha.

[wahoo]

phoenix,scottsdale is a great place. You better love desert living..not just the heat but the dry, mars-like vegetation.

Delaware -never been there - but.....the only thing I can think of is the taxes, and the proximity to NYC. Outside of that, do you like LA? Phoenix is an easy hop. Are you from the midwest? West coast/desert vs. east coast/cold. I love Phoenix but as a buddy who lived there said, even the illegals avoid the pools in the summer.

[nmulax]

I'm from the midwest (suburbs of Detroit), but have lived in Manhattan, went to school in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, and traveled all over. Love LA, Socal, and Vegas; yet Delaware has NYC nearby.
Honestly the biggest fear with PHX is the heat. I'd be happy if it was between 50-75 degrees all year long.

I'd rather not say who the job is with at the time; I'm sure you can understand.

[nmulax]

Does anyone from Phoenix (or anywhere with a similar climate), have any comments on car color? Is it better with a white/silver car; or is it hot as eff no matter what color your car is?

[gmcwv]

Your missing the most obvious pro...distance to the beach, and if you really miss all the old people at the slots you always have Atlantic City (lol) Plus your close to Philly, NYC, Baltimore, and DC. But yes the trade off is the cold weather in winter and the snow.

[SebringS2k]

no problem, I understand. I've never been to phoenix, but have lived in Wilmington for about 10 years now, it's not a bad city, a lot of financial institutions here, tax-free shopping, and close to a lot of big cities. It's a very suburban area, I'm planning on being here for couple more years, then moving to go to grad school and get my mba. good luck