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Thinking about making Arizona your new home? You’ve come to the right place.
Welcome to the AZ Relocate Podcast Show, where we unpack everything you need to know about relocating to the Grand Canyon State—whether you're moving from out of state or just looking for a new neighborhood in the Valley.
Hosted by Steve Ness, a local Arizona Realtor with deep roots in Scottsdale, Paradise Valley, and Phoenix’s 85028 zip code, this podcast is your go-to relocation guide. Each episode is packed with insider tips, lifestyle insights, and expert interviews that make your move smarter, smoother, and way more exciting.
Discover the best neighborhoods, learn what Arizona living is really like, get real estate advice from the ground, and hear real stories from people who made the move. From hiking trails to housing trends, school zones to sunsets—we cover it all.
New episodes weekly.
Relocation made real. Welcome home.
Have you ever wondered what it's really like to live somewhere known for extremes? You know, like the desert.
Speaker 2:Yeah. People often picture, I don't know, isolation. Maybe a landscape that's just brown and unchanging.
Speaker 1:Right. But what if that picture is, well, completely wrong? Welcome to the deep dive. Today, we're diving into some really interesting insights about why people are picking Arizona, specifically the Scottsdale and Phoenix areas.
Speaker 2:Yeah. Our source today is this pretty fascinating YouTube video. It gives a very personal sort of on the ground look at the pros and cons of actually moving to Scottsdale.
Speaker 1:And our goal here for you listening is to kinda peel back the curtain on what desert living is actually like, uncover some things that might genuinely surprise you.
Speaker 2:Right. Give you a a more nuanced picture than maybe the common ideas out there.
Speaker 1:Exactly. Get ready to find out why so many folks are drawn to that Arizona lifestyle.
Speaker 2:So let's start right at the top maybe. The people. The community.
Speaker 1:Okay.
Speaker 2:Because one of the biggest pros that jumps out from the source material is just how easy it seems to be to meet people. And the friendly vibe.
Speaker 1:That really struck me too. I mean, I moved out here twenty years ago, and I remember wondering, you know, is this place too transient? Will it lack that deep community feel?
Speaker 2:And what did you find?
Speaker 1:Completely the opposite, actually. Pretty quickly, I found what I still call my, diverse adoptive family, friends from literally all over the world, all over The US.
Speaker 2:And what's really interesting is why the sources point to this shared experience, the fact that almost everyone is from somewhere else.
Speaker 1:Right. The outsider thing.
Speaker 2:Exactly. It creates this immediate common ground and openness. Know, I've only been here two years myself and that fear you always have when you move, am I going to make friends? It just wasn't really an issue here. It gets overcome pretty quickly.
Speaker 1:So that diversity isn't just about culture. It's about, like, shared journeys converging. Makes it welcoming.
Speaker 2:Yeah. Absolutely.
Speaker 1:Does that mean connections are shallow, though? Or do people really put down roots?
Speaker 2:The sources definitely suggest the opposite. Yeah. People seem very willing, almost eager to connect. So those bonds form fast, and they seem pretty genuine, pretty strong.
Speaker 1:Okay. That makes sense. And speaking of surprising positives, let's talk food because, wow, the sources called the food scene phenomenal. A major reason to live there.
Speaker 2:Oh, definitely. And it's not just about having good restaurants. It's more like Phoenix and Scottsdale are this living food lab.
Speaker 1:A food lab? How so?
Speaker 2:Well, because the population is so diverse, it's a prime test market for restaurant chains.
Speaker 1:Ah, okay. So you get to try stuff first.
Speaker 2:Pretty much. You get access to new concepts, different global cuisines, sometimes way before they go mainstream.
Speaker 1:That's a serious perk. I mean, the video mentioned fantastic Thai, Indian, Peruvian, Chinese, Greek, places like the Persian room, Afonga de Cham.
Speaker 2:Right. All that. And then there's the whole poke trend they talked about. Yeah. Poke bowls, even poke burritos where you could just load them up.
Speaker 1:Yeah. They mentioned like three proteins, tuna, lobster, squid brown rice, white rose, kale, crunchy stuff, brussels sprout shavings. Sounded huge and delicious. My stomach's rumbling just thinking about it.
Speaker 2:Exactly. Yeah. And it's not just fancy places. You've got these great local fast food joints, cool pizza places, doing unique things, really good Italian like the Sicilian Butcher.
Speaker 1:Okay. Okay. I need to hear about this gas station chicken though.
Speaker 2:Yes. So apparently, there's this gas station off Frank Lloyd Wright on the 101.
Speaker 1:Okay.
Speaker 2:It has this crispy crunchy chicken. And the source literally said, it's the best chicken I've ever had. A hidden secret.
Speaker 1:Wow. From a gas station? That's something. And the grocery store too. Full restaurants inside.
Speaker 2:Yeah. That's a thing here. And huge alcohol selections right in the grocery store. Wine, beer, full liquor aisles. Even gas stations sell beer.
Speaker 2:It's convenient.
Speaker 1:So the takeaway for you, the listener, you won't go hungry. Yeah. Definitely not bored with the food options.
Speaker 2:No. Never. And honestly, with all that incredible food, you kinda need to get outdoors.
Speaker 1:Good point. Which brings us neatly to the next surprise, the nature and outdoor living. Because it really blows up those desert stereotypes, doesn't it?
Speaker 2:It really does. That big one, you know, I'm gonna miss the green. The sources say, nope. Arizona has green. It's just a a different kind of green.
Speaker 2:And it's there all year. Trees always have something, flowers, leaves, fruit. They're never just bare sticks.
Speaker 1:And the trees themselves are unique, right? They describe them as, what was it, Doctor. Seuss like?
Speaker 2:Yeah. Kind of gnarly and twisted. Apparently it's because they hold so much water, the branches get heavy and break easily.
Speaker 1:Oh, interesting. So that shapes them.
Speaker 2:Right. And they actually grow pretty fast despite how they look.
Speaker 1:And the fruit. The sources talked about the citrus, just an explosion of it.
Speaker 2:Oh, yeah. Lemons, oranges, grapefruit, limes. When they're in season, there's so much that neighbors are just giving bags of it away.
Speaker 1:So pro tip, if you move there, get a good juicer for fresh juice and margaritas, obviously.
Speaker 2:Essential Arizona equipment. Then there's the weather stuff, like the monsoon season in the summer.
Speaker 1:Right. That sounds intense. It's like a sequence.
Speaker 2:Yeah. Typically. First, wind kicks up, then you get the haboob, that massive wall of dust. Wow. And then maybe ten minutes of really heavy rain.
Speaker 2:It happens in these, like, three day bursts.
Speaker 1:And after the rain
Speaker 2:The desert just explodes. It blooms, grows super fast. You see all sorts of flowers, pink bushes, reds, yellows. It's amazing.
Speaker 1:And those specific desert plants, like the Ocotillo, looks like dead sticks.
Speaker 2:Yeah. Exactly. Until it rains, then boom, beautiful green shoots, flowers, and prickly pears too.
Speaker 1:Right. With the red bulbs you can eat or make stuff from.
Speaker 2:Juice, syrup, ice cream, candy.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:Yeah. And the cacti themselves are cool. They come in purple, blue, green, almost look like cartoons sometimes.
Speaker 1:Okay. But what about the critters people worry about? Snakes, scorpions?
Speaker 2:The sources were actually really reassuring about that. Snakes are pretty rare to see.
Speaker 1:Really?
Speaker 2:Yeah. One person mentioned seeing, like, two rattlesnakes on golf courses in two years and only three in nature over twenty years. Scorpions also rarely seen inside. Basically, leave them alone. They're not this constant threat people imagine.
Speaker 1:Okay. That's good to hear. What else is out there? The video mentioned some unusual stuff.
Speaker 2:Cavalinas. They're kinda like wild pigs, but unique sort of a pig porcupine mix. They run-in family groups.
Speaker 1:What do you do if you see them?
Speaker 2:Mostly their eyesight's bad but they sense smell and motion well.
Speaker 1:Got it and rabbits.
Speaker 2:Everywhere but they're this smaller gray brown kind. They look like babies but they're full grown And tons of tiny lizards, which are good guys, they eat the bugs.
Speaker 1:Speaking of bugs, is it buggy?
Speaker 2:Surprisingly, no. Way fewer insects, especially mosquitoes compared to a lot of other places, which is great for, you know, actually sitting outside.
Speaker 1:Nice. What about coyotes?
Speaker 2:You see them. Me high, usually just trotting along, maybe hoping you'll scare up a rabbit for them. Yeah. But and this is important. Pick up your small dogs if you see coyotes around.
Speaker 1:Good advice. And roadrunners, the skinny chicken bird.
Speaker 2:Yeah. Super fast eating lizards. Iconic desert site.
Speaker 1:So with all this amazing nature and wildlife, what do people actually do out there? It sounds like there's a ton of activities.
Speaker 2:Oh, absolutely. Huge range. You've got the urban fun side, like Old Town Scottsdale nightlife, tons of shopping, restaurants galore.
Speaker 1:Plus other shopping areas. Right? Fashion Square, Kierland, The Pavilion?
Speaker 2:Yep. Plenty of that. But then you have these really unique local spots, like Cave Creek.
Speaker 1:Ah, yes. The biker bars and cowboy bars.
Speaker 2:And the rodeo.
Speaker 1:Yeah. Right. Where apparently anyone anyone can sign a waiver and try riding a bull.
Speaker 2:That is intense. I don't think I'd try that.
Speaker 1:Me neither. But, hey, it's an option. And for less risky thrills, there's paragliding, skydiving, and hot air ballooning is huge there.
Speaker 2:Oh, right. The video mentioned seeing hundreds at once sometimes.
Speaker 1:Yeah. The clear skies make it perfect. Lots of weekend events, especially around Phoenix.
Speaker 2:What about getting out in the desert, Like off road stuff.
Speaker 1:Tons of that. Renting jeeps, wranglers, older willies, maybe ATVs, side by sides.
Speaker 2:Those are the sort of buggy like things.
Speaker 1:Right. You can zip around fast or do the slow rock crawling thing, explore all over. You can even go gold panning in streams.
Speaker 2:As people actually find gold.
Speaker 1:Apparently so. Makes you think about that whole lost Dutchman mine legend. You know?
Speaker 2:True. What about water? Lakes. Saguaro Lake came up as a big favorite. It's man made, but beautiful clear water in a canyon.
Speaker 2:Great for boating. Fishing. They say the fish are big, and it has shallow spots for kids.
Speaker 1:Sounds idyllic. And lots of camping and hiking too, I assume.
Speaker 2:Absolutely. Great camping near the lakes and rivers. Mhmm. And the hiking is phenomenal. They mentioned Mount Lemmon near Tucson.
Speaker 1:Oh, yeah. That was wild going from cacti to pine trees in, an hour's drive.
Speaker 2:Crazy. Right? Shows the ecological diversity. And then there's Havasupai.
Speaker 1:Inside the Grand Canyon? Yeah. With the waterfalls? That looked incredible.
Speaker 2:Totally. So you gotta plan way ahead. Reservations can take a year or more. It's a serious hike down, like, four point five hours.
Speaker 1:But you can use mules for gear or a helicopter.
Speaker 2:Yeah. Those are options. The paths themselves sound amazing. Two wavy, multicolored sandstone.
Speaker 1:Wow. And Tonto National Park, just fast. Right? Trails for everything.
Speaker 2:Four wheeling, archery, rock hunting, camping. Huge area. Plus, you know, Arizona's location is pretty strategic. You're only a few hours drive from LA, Vegas, Mexico.
Speaker 1:And skiing, I can't quite get my head around that, being able to go skiing within, what, two hours of Phoenix in the winter.
Speaker 2:Yeah. While it's still warm down in the valley, it's that contrast again.
Speaker 1:So, yeah, we've really covered a lot. It seems like Arizona, especially Scottsdale and Phoenix, is this place of just surprising diversity.
Speaker 2:Totally. Vibrant community, amazing food, that incredible accessible outdoor adventure.
Speaker 1:It really feels like a place where the unexpected is just normal. Right. You know? From finding amazing chicken at a gas station to seeing green all year round in the desert.
Speaker 2:Absolutely. It challenges your perceptions.
Speaker 1:So thinking about all this, what stands out most to you? What's the most surprising or appealing thing about this environment? How does a place with all these different pieces, diverse people, fantastic food, really extreme beautiful nature create something so cohesive and engaging to live in?