Why Phoenix, AZ is more like Atlanta, Georgia than any city in Florida

[Pink Jazz]

I know many people default to comparisons to Florida due to the snowbird and retiree population, but I can make arguments why Phoenix, AZ is more like Atlanta than any city in Florida

• Both cities are mostly built around the automobile and have a vast network of roads and highways. For comparison, most major Florida cities (especially Miami) tend to be denser than Phoenix or Atlanta.
• Both cities are known for their expansive suburban sprawl.
• Both cities have a similar, laid-back lifestyle.
• Both cities have a similar job market and economy, such as logistics, technology, and healthcare. For comparison, Florida's economy is mostly built around tourism, hospitality, entertainment, and cruises.

I think #1, #2, and especially #4 are far more important than the snowbird/retiree aspect.

[hotdogPi]

Florida doesn't sprawl?

[PColumbus73]

I've never associated Atlanta as having a laid-back lifestyle.

[Pink Jazz]

Florida doesn't sprawl?

Many major Florida cities, especially Miami, have denser urban cores compared to Phoenix or Atlanta. Miami is bounded by the Atlantic Ocean on the east and the Everglades on the west, thus it had to build up.

For me, the most important factor is the job market and economy. Like Phoenix, Atlanta is heavily skewed towards logistics, tech, and healthcare. On the other hand, most Florida cities are more skewed towards hospitality, entertainment, and cruises.

[Rothman]

<.<

>.>

Phoenix is another "Black Mecca"?

[Pink Jazz]

<.<

>.>

Phoenix is another "Black Mecca"?

As I said, the local economy is the most important factor for me, since that is what drives how a city functions. Racial or age demographics do not tell the whole story and generally don't determine the way a city functions.

[Henry]

I kind of see your point about Phoenix and Atlanta being similar to each other, but in my mind, Los Angeles is the better comparison to Atlanta because of the entertainment factor (music, movies, etc.), plus the dozens of suburbs surrounding it, like Anaheim, Pasadena and San Bernardino.

[Pink Jazz]

I kind of see your point about Phoenix and Atlanta being similar to each other, but in my mind, Los Angeles is the better comparison to Atlanta because of the entertainment factor (music, movies, etc.), plus the dozens of suburbs surrounding it, like Anaheim, Pasadena and San Bernardino.

Phoenix has plenty of large suburbs - Mesa, Chandler, Gilbert, Scottsdale, Glendale, Tempe, and Peoria are major examples.

[Max Rockatansky]

Phoenix has very little in common with cities in the southeast.  Most of the snowbirds don't live in Phoenix but rather unincorporated retirement communities in the West Valley like Sun City and Sun City West. 

I'm unclear on what "laid back" is supposed to define?  Phoenix does have some nice hiking trails and city desert parks.  Is that what you are getting at? 

To clarify, I lived in the Phoenix area for thirteen years and in several large cities in Florida.  The southeast region is about as opposite as you are likely to get from the Sonoran Desert.

[JayhawkCO]

Yeah. This to me is like saying "Limp Bizkit is more like Mozart than it is to Beethoven".

[wxfree]

Insane Clown Posse is more similar to Bach than it is to Tchaikovsky.

[Big John]

The symbol of Atlanta is the phoenix.

[kphoger]

This to me is like saying "Limp Bizkit is more like Mozart than it is to Beethoven".

Agreed.  Limp Bizkit has more in common with Beethoven than with Mozart.

Hey, by the way:  https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLAaKW_DfEeHjUtH0aFAa7daO2XqjGr5N0