Rubber tramping in Phoenix?

[cherryb0mb]

Never been to Arizona. Sick of the cold, Phoenix or Tucson? Anybody with any experience tramping thru these parts?

 

[noothgrush]

I like Tucson a lot. Really beautiful if you like the desert. Good hiking close to the city. A lot of tweekers but that's just about everywhere these days. Don't care for Phoenix but I hate big urban sprawl. They are close to each other so you might as well check them both out.

 

[Crazy Hobo Johnny]

Tucson the best, been there a lot and my friend who lives out there is begging me to move out there. Wish I was there now instead of suffering this Arctic cold weather.

 

[BusGypsy]

ooooh, be careful (and hydrated) in the Summer.

 

[roughdraft]

ooooh, be careful (and hydrated) in the Summer.

future Arizona visitor here - never spent the summer houseless in the desert and i do wonder - How do people manage?

where i am rn my tent is fuckin killin me at a mere 90 degrees farenheit

 

[Windwalker]

The air quality in Phoenix is horrendous at times because of all the autos and the way the city sits in a valley.

The Phoenix Hostel downtown is pretty cool. I worked there 3 months rent free in 2013. Talk to Keith he is the owner, or maybe his daughter owns it now?

Just a small tidbit of info I found helpful is that Phx is divided down the center by Central Avenue. Streets are on the East of it and the Avenues to the West.

I stumbled upon Phx by going to Flaggstaff to see the Grand Canyon in 2013 but it was shutdown by the government during that time. I developed altitude sickness as soon as I hit Flagg and headed for Phx the next day. There is a good shuttle from flagg to Phx for like $40?

I got let off at the Metro Center with a bunch of camping gear looking like a hobo and fit right in!.

There is a good homeless shelter there with about 12,000 other people in it literally.

I dont know anything about Tuscon except that everyone in Phx I met said I would like it better there. What I ended up doing was looking for a plasma center ( I used a small apt I rented for a week on 7th street for $189/ no deposit as an address to get an ID an receive mail after I left the hostel) and in the way to the plasma center I found I cool studio no deposit no lease all utilities fully furnished for $500 per month in the north side.

I'm sure it's more today but the north side is prob the safest and there is a good bus along Northern Ave the rt 60 I think that runs the whole width of the north valley practically from Glendale to Scottsdale. It's a good long ride to scope out places to stay.

Also there is a place called Arcosanti out there that is a beautiful artist community that takes in people with an application, as a work study I think. They make some beautiful products there.

As far as the heat goes? I bought a wide brimmed straw hat for $6 and looked like a farmer but SO WHAT? light colored ling sleeve shirts too. And water. Set it out on the counter. Cold water is good but, I'm drinking si much water everyday, in small gulps that it just sucks going on and out of the fridge or whatever. Keep a gallon right there by you.

One last thing about Phoenix for now, people are very aggressive there on the street driving or otherwise. Hit and runs happen alot and a lot of people have fraudulent drivers license but have never driven a car until now, in Phoenix. That doesn't mean you can drive it understand traffic laws. A car without a huge dent or sideswipe at least once is rare there. Think then of how many walkers get hit. But just being alone you can be ab easy target. Because Phx is a walled city you arent able to run through someone's back yard. People don't have a lot of fences, they have walls in Phoenix.

Back east you might step out on your porch and wave to your neighbor or at least see them but not out there. It's a walled city. Sure there are a lot murals near downtown but that idea hadnt spread when I lived there.

Just grey cinder block walls, but the desert flowers everywgwre sure are pretty, and there is a type of grapefruit everywhere.

And wear sunscreen.

One really last thing. Phoenix is an early morning town like by 7am peopke are up and out and bustling and there is a thick hospitality in the air like you find down south. But it burns off quickly as the day grows hot.

 

[obey no one]

i'm from phx originally and am here now. and am van living. arizona in general is pretty negative towards homeless people, or travelers, i have never experienced any other place like this. people are right that tucson has always seemed better, i used to go down there alot to see punk shows. if you were gonna come here you are about to miss the good window,

there is no way in hell you wanna be rubber tramping in phx, or tucson once winter is over. prescott area, or northern az is good for summer. just to give you an idea, there are plenty of days it never drops below 100 degrees even late at night. all the concrete soaks up the heat during the day and releases it at night. its called a heat island. out in the desert it may cool down a bit at night, especially near a body of water, but still i would avoid this area. but you could drop in and decide it sucks and head north.

alot of homeless people seem to sleep at night in a wilderness area called the rio salado park just south of downtown, probably the best area to sleep any time it is hot. also small tent city near homeless services around 10ave & jefferson just west of downtown (not far from my old neighborhood). i've walked through this area plenty of times, but i don't think i would sleep there. it is generally a pretty rough (potentially dangerous) area.

if you make it out before i bail i could show you around a bit.

 

[Deleted member 24782]

Never been to Arizona. Sick of the cold, Phoenix or Tucson? Anybody with any experience tramping thru these parts?

Both cities have good options for riding trains east and west.