[LeeH]

We moved from Atlanta to Phoenix in 1999. In general, I'd say I'm at a 7 to 8 on the happiness scale with that choice.

Being able to walk out my front door and get to a wonderful trail system to run/bike/hike in the desert without having to touch a car is a big plus. After being here for 12+ years I've seen virtually all of Phoenix. Some how with a couple of days of house shopping we managed to land in the part of town that was just right for us.

Why not a 9 or 10? We had 1/2 an acre in suburban Atlanta. The lots here are microscopic by comparison. If you took out every other house on our street it would be a lot more tolerable, but still tight for my tastes. It's very hard for me to wrap my head around the idea that $300-$400K homes are 10 feet apart (those are REAL numbers folks)!

In my mind, Phoenix loses points for concerns about future water availability, crime, and traffic.