Rob’s 5 On It: Reasons to LOVE Phoenix

Troy Farah hates Phoenix. He said so in a recent Vice.com blog post titled, fittingly, REASONS WHY PHOENIX IS THE WORST PLACE EVER.

In this blog post, he wrote Phoenix ‘shouldn’t even exist’ as a city. He thinks this way because it’s too beige here, because our shopping malls have become landmarks and because of, among other things, Sheriff Joe Arpaio.

Here are five reasons Farah is wrong.

1) Sunshine

Lots and lots of sunshine.

I’ve seen estimates that the Valley gets 330 days of sunshine. Sure, Farah may be right, there are shades of beige everywhere and the weather is brutally hot here in the summer, but the Valley gets so much sun that it is boring. Valley residents even love the rain because it happens so infrequently. Tell me another place that happens?

Science has also shown that sunlight can improve moods and even improve your health, providing ’90 to 95 percent of our vitamin D.’ So, Phoenicians may have to go outside wearing sunblock SPF 1000 sunblock, but I’d rather live with 330 days of sunshine than 100 days of rain and clouds.

2) Less traffic

It takes over an hour for 30 percent of commuters in New York City to get to work. The average commute there takes 40 minutes. In Washington D.C., it takes 26 percent of workers an hour to drive to work and then another hour to get home at night. Phoenix didn’t even make the top 20 list when it comes to longest commute cities.

Here, the average commute is about 25 minutes. Phoenix is tied with the national average. This is one of the best things about Phoenix, not sitting in traffic as we cruise by our landmark malls.

3) Lower cost of living

Compared to other big cities around the United States, the cost of living here is again, right about the national average. Money goes a little further here than it does in San Francisco.

For example, rent is 221 percent higher in San Francisco than in Phoenix. Groceries are over 40 percent more expensive there. And here’s the real selling point: Someone making $50,000 in Phoenix would have to earn $82,165 in San Francisco to enjoy the same cost of living.

Even Sheriff Joe Arpaio can’t change that.

4) Outdoors

The Phoenix area has plenty of outdoor activities. Now, it’s not advisable to hike Camelback Mountain when it’s 112 degrees outside. However, that’s still better than not being able use the outdoors because it’s too cold and snowy.

The Valley easily has nine months of great weather and great outdoor activities.

Including golf.

There are over 250 golf courses in the Phoenix area. And yes, it’s still possible to golf in July in the heat. Plus, it’s cheaper then. So, Phoenicians can literally golf year round. People in Massachusetts cannot.

5) Craft breweries

Phoenix has been named as one of Draft Magazine’s ‘Beertowns.’ There are award-winning breweries all over the Valley.

So when it’s blazing hot, it’s easy to relax with a nice, refreshing craft brew. Places like Four Peaks, San Tan, Phoenix Ale and the recently-named best new brewery in the world, Arizona Wilderness Brewing Company, are making this a great beer town, competing with the likes of Boulder, Colo.

In short, Farah may not like it here in Phoenix, but there are an abundance of reasons to love living here.