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I lived in Phoenix (Scottsdale) for a year and absolutely loved it! My wife hated the heat...and she was born and raised in FL... It is a dry heat, but when it goes over 115F...does not really matter dry or wet. In the summer (May through early October) there are no outside activities -- it is easily 107F at 11 PM!
The city is great. Very easy to get around as most of the streets are perpendicular to each other (named streets go E-W; numbered Streets and Avenues N-S).
Now, there is a pretty clear distinction between the East and West part of the city -- I'd suggest to stay away from the west side. East side has the cities as Scottsdale, Paradise Valley, Phoenix, Mesa, Chandler, Gilbert, and a few more. Depending to your work location, I'd suggest you stay in the closest town. The traffic can be bad on the interstates, however, I lived very close to work and never experienced it. The roads are probably ones of the best in the country!
Yes, you can rent for <1k per month, but probably not in P. Valley or N Scottsdale, or around Camelback Mtn.
There are tons of bars and restaurants for bartending jobs.
The greatest thing about PHX is the location -- in the winter the ski slopes are as close as 2 hours drive (Snowbowl). Grand canyon is about 4 hrs, Vegas 4 hrs, LA is about 5.5 hrs, Mexico coast (Rocky Point) is about 4 hours. Sedona is <3 hours away. Lakes are about 1.5 hours drive.
Another great thing is the property taxes that are probably the lowest in the country. Yes, there is a state income tax, but it is pretty low, too.
I definitely miss Phoenix and would go back any time.
Good luck!
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