Police Officer Preparation & Law Enforcement Resource - Archive

Hi! I just joined a few days ago. I currently live in CT, but I have plans on moving to the Phoenix area in July or August (depending on how long it takes to get there). I am disabled and have a mobility service dog I am training, and I'm working on getting a second dog to train also. I also have 2 cats. One of my reasons for moving to AZ is how pet-friendly the apartments are there. Here in CT, finding a pet-friendly apartment is almost a miracle.

Can anyone point me to the safer areas? I do have a vehicle I'm planning on keeping, so being on the outskirts of town would not be a problem. I am checking into apartment location services, but I don't trust them entirely on finding a safe area for me.

I am a little familiar with AZ in that when I was 10 my family stopped at The Grand Canyon and I fell in love! My ex and I took our kids on a vacation "out west" (including Phoenix and the Grand Canyon) in 2002, and I went back again in 2004 to see the Canyon. I don't think I could ever get bored looking at it. The thought of living close enough to visit a couple times a year just thrills me to no end! (yes, I'm easily amused) :biggrinjester:

Thanks for any replies, and thanks for being there for us when we need you. :thumbsup:

humor me & 4paw drive

Apartments are their own creature. I've seen stellar apartment complexes sandwiched in between two dumps of a complex. Find out what area of the valley you want to be in or near and I can help you out.

I should also point out that Arizona is home to the Sarge. Thats scary enough!!! :)

I should also point out that Arizona is home to the Sarge. Thats scary enough!!! :)

I live in the bad part of town. So long as I steer her in the right direction she'll be okay. Sure as hell won't steer her to Texas!!

I live in the bad part of town. So long as I steer her in the right direction she'll be okay. Sure as hell won't steer her to Texas!!

Well, thank you! I actually looked at moving to the Austin area, but it was beyond my budget and not nearly as pet-friendly. Its not the dogs I have to worry about, but the cats. I've grown rather attached to them, and it annoys me to no end to see people give up animals because they don't think they can find an apartment that will accept them. I guess the only good thing I can say about being disabled and divorced is that I'm not attached to any one place and can pretty much go where my heart takes me.

As for you Chevy, don't go dissin' "The Sarge". He's been very nice to me so far. :thumbsup:

humor me & 4paw drive

For the win! humor me can move to Arizona and Sarge can move to TX. That Arizona heat must be getting to him!:yesnod:.

Be Safe.

Phoenix should be a balmy 110, 115 degrees by then, huh? :wow:

Have you given any thought to Flagstaff? It's not nearly as hot and closer to the Grand Canyon.

Tomorrow will be 98 with winds between 10-20 mph. It'll be a wonderful day at the range!

In the mid 80's, I drove down to Tucson to see some old friends over the 4th of July. It was 115 that day going through Phoenix and a big chunk of freeway was closed and I was detoured onto surface streets where it was slow, stop and go. That 1984 T-Bird I was driving apparently wasn't tuned for that kind of weather and immediately started to overheat until I turned the A/C off. I damn neared died, it had been a long time since I'd been in that kind of heat. Finally I was able to get back on the freeway and turn it back on!

I can't believe that I used to drive an old 1956 Ford P/U back there that never had A/C.

Yeah, I'm a wuss......

Phoenix should be a balmy 110, 115 degrees by then, huh? :wow:

Have you given any thought to Flagstaff? It's not nearly as hot and closer to the Grand Canyon.

Actually, I had given a thought to Flagstaff, but their apartments are too expensive for me right now. I'm hoping to get on Section 8 eventually, and then I can be a little more open in what I can afford. The thought of living that close to the Grand Canyon had definitely crossed my mind though!

As for the weather... when I was out there in 2004 and was having engine trouble with my truck, it was 105-110F, and I was in heaven! The old saying "its not the heat, its the humidity" holds true. When I was married and had A/C, I almost never turned it on unless the humidity was high, the wind wasn't blowing, and my allergies were out of control. I've been living without A/C for 5 years now, and its only the humidity that affects me. I think I am going to have to break down and get the A/C fixed in my truck though. Not so much for me, but for the dog(s). I feel so bad when I see them panting so hard even though I carry water in my truck all the time.

humor me & 4paw drive

I can't address Phoenix/Flagstaff, but as a general rule smaller communities have cheaper rent than large cities unless the littler one is a resort of some kind. I live in town of less than 20K about an hour from the Portland metro area which is about a million people all combined. What will get you a fairly nice apartment here will get you a dump in the Portland metro. The demand for housing is just higher where the population is higher.

Flagstaff is the winter resort area. Also NAU is there. Between those two, their cost of living is higher.

Flagstaff is the winter resort area. Also NAU is there. Between those two, their cost of living is higher.

It seems to me that just being that close to the Grand Canyon would be enough to keep the rents high. Maybe I'm off on that? I looked at Prescott, but couldn't find any apartments in my price range either that were pet-friendly. I've been using craigslist as my apartment search as it seems as though a lot of apartments (both community and private owned) seem to list there. Like I said, all of AZ is open, but I just want to be warm! I have spent way too much time in the midwest and east and my body is letting me know it has had enough.

Also, what is NAU?

humor me & 4paw drive

It seems to me that just being that close to the Grand Canyon would be enough to keep the rents high. Maybe I'm off on that? I looked at Prescott, but couldn't find any apartments in my price range either that were pet-friendly. I've been using craigslist as my apartment search as it seems as though a lot of apartments (both community and private owned) seem to list there. Like I said, all of AZ is open, but I just want to be warm! I have spent way too much time in the midwest and east and my body is letting me know it has had enough.

Also, what is NAU?

humor me & 4paw drive
Northern Arizona University.

You can also check the following sites for rental info:

rent.com
apartments.com
zillow.com

Additional Section 8 info for later. FYI - anything Section 8 in Phoenix will probably not be deemed "safe." However, only you know what you can tolerate in apartments as far as crime, gangs, drugs and noise levels. Phoenix also provides crime stats on their website.
HOUSING DEPARTMENT - SECTION 8 HOUSING (http://phoenix.gov/citzasst/sect8hou.html)

I don't think section 8 housing is "safe" much of anywhere. It's certainly not in Portland.

I don't know if living in a big city is important or not for you, but some of the smaller ones not up against Tucson or Phoenix probably have cheaper housing. Benson, Az. east of Tucson isn't a bad little town and the rent is probably cheaper than Phoenix. I'm not necessarily recommending Benson, I haven't been there in years, but there are lots of towns like that where the weather is the same, but the living is cheaper.

Thanks for all the wonderful info Sgt. Slaughter! :smile5: I browsed a couple months ago looking at the Section 8 situation, and I knew that AZ was pretty much closed right now. I have been here almost 4 years and never managed to get on it because it would either require that I move out of my son's school district, or I missed the lottery. Since my son graduates this summer, I'm free to end up where need be.

Looking over the requirements, its pretty much the same way as it is here. I would most likely have to stay in a Section 8 apartment complex for 1 year before being able to move on. I could probably do it in AZ better than here because at least I wouldn't be trapped indoors for the winter. As much as I used to love snow, I like it a lot better in pictures and on tv now.

humor me & 4paw drive

I don't think section 8 housing is "safe" much of anywhere. It's certainly not in Portland.

I think you're right. I know it pretty much is true here too.


I don't know if living in a big city is important or not for you, but some of the smaller ones not up against Tucson or Phoenix probably have cheaper housing. Benson, Az. east of Tucson isn't a bad little town and the rent is probably cheaper than Phoenix. I'm not necessarily recommending Benson, I haven't been there in years, but there are lots of towns like that where the weather is the same, but the living is cheaper.

Actually, if I could find a nice, quiet, out-in-the-middle-of-nowhere place, I'd be thrilled. Because of my disability, I wouldn't be using the pool, the exercise room, the game room, etc. of an apartment complex. I'm pretty happy to be a home-body and just go out when I needed to shop and do those wonderful doctor's appointments that are inevidable. I see movies where someone has a little shack/manufactured home out in the middle of nowhere at the end of a long lane. I want to be there! If I ever get in the position to buy a little piece of desert, I'd buy a couple of shipping containers and have them turned into a house. They are becoming the new, recycled housing, and the design plans they have for them can be pretty nice.

humor me & 4paw drive

Depending on where your doctor will be, there are plenty of places out in the middle of nowhere I could refer you to.

If I can find a place, I can get to a dr. The (dis)advantage of being in debt for another few years paying off my truck, and one of the reasons I have to find really cheap housing. :rolleyes5:

humor me & 4paw drive