Posted: 12/3/2013 8:46:27 AM EDT
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I'm considering taking a transfer to Phoenix. Currently I live near Salt Lake City, -spent most of the last 13 years.
I'd be working out of the airport, and would need to drive in 2 to 4 times a week. I'm willing to drive up to 30-40 miles each way. Where would be the nice areas to live. 4 bedroom house, under $400k with a good school district, low crime, etc. What areas should I avoid? |
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You should be able to find that fairly easily, check out Scottsdale, Tempe, or Chandler. The Arcadia area of Phoenix is very nice, close to the airport, but you will be on the edge of a 400k budget.
Spielberg went to Arcadia and David Spade went to Saguaro high schools so these areas have produced some talent. I would avoid south Phoenix, Maryvale, the I 17 corridor. |
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I live in the SE Chandler area and it is pretty good. It is a little bland for my taste, but I will take the advantages that come with that. For the most part, crime is low, housing is reasonable and schools are pretty good. You can find a very nice 4 bedroom house for $400K. You can find a nice one for $300K. You can find a decent one for $200K. If you find a house in the NW part of Chandler, the airport is pretty close and easy to get to. I live in the far SE end of Chandler and it takes me 25-30 minutes to get to the airport, maybe 40minutes in rush hour traffic.
As far as my statement about bland, Chandler is primarily suburbs. So is mainly housing and chain restaurants/shopping. There are few independent places that are really great. If you go to music, art, entertainment venues, you have to drive into Phoenix, Tempe, Scottsdale, etc. Not a bad drive, but something to consider if you like concerts. I have considered moving as I hit up a concert every couple of weeks. Except I like the advantages that come with the suburbs. The huge advantages to the suburbs, like Chandler, is living is easy. My neighbors keep to themselves, even at the expense of not knowing them. I grew up in a small town when I knew everybody, so it is a change. There is very low crime rates for the most part. The biggest crime threat is property crimes (car theft, kids breaking into cars, etc.). Yes, I know other things can happen, but is it much less risk than living in downtown Phoenix. You don't get hassled by people walking the streets like you do in downtown. There is very low numbers of homeless in Chandler, mainly in the downtown area. Law enforcement is much more relaxed in the suburbs, so you don't get looked at like you are doing something wrong everything you see LE. Shopping is good as long as you like chain stores. Restaurants are decent, unless you like independent shops, then you have to search. So for the most part, living in the suburbs is easy living. |
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Can't beat W Chandler, 5 min to the Chandler Mall, 10 min to Sky Harbor and 20 minutes to downtown.
Did I mention that it is well clear of the normal airport approach paths so rarely do we get any jets overhead, just some smaller stuff from Chandler and Stellar Airpark. You should be able to find a nice place for under 400K |
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I'm still partial to the Red Mountain area in Mesa. I believe it's the nicest area for the money and the nicest area near Rio Salado shooting range. Plus the freeway is new and goes right to it.
Gilbert is OK, North Scottsdale is OK, Paradise Valley is great but no close freeway. Everything else sucks, especially the West Valley. Mesa sucks (parts of Alta Mesa are OK), too, but Red Mountain/Las Sendas is bueno. Chandler is OK, south of the 202 Freeway. Everything north sucks. Ahwatukee and the Foothills are OK, but they are part of Phoenix and Phoenix politics absolutely blow. So they suck, too. I'm a Gilbertweenian. Gilbert was better before public transportation was introduced to the community. It's still OK but just barely. |
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I'm still partial to the Red Mountain area in Mesa. I believe it's the nicest area for the money and the nicest area near Rio Salado shooting range. Plus the freeway is new and goes right to it. Gilbert is OK, North Scottsdale is OK, Paradise Valley is great but no close freeway. Everything else sucks, especially the West Valley. Mesa sucks (parts of Alta Mesa are OK), too, but Red Mountain/Las Sendas is bueno. Chandler is OK, south of the 202 Freeway. Everything north sucks. Ahwatukee and the Foothills are OK, but they are part of Phoenix and Phoenix politics absolutely blow. So they suck, too. I'm a Gilbertweenian. Gilbert was better before public transportation was introduced to the community. It's still OK but just barely. I don't live in any of the cities that you say suck. And I still am 
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Quoted: I also suggest Gilbert or Chandler. +1. Gilbert just took #2 in some statistical survey of lowest crime. Personally I'm in Chandler, along with all the other best arfcommers  |
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I don't live in any of the cities that you say suck. And I still am Quoted:
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I'm still partial to the Red Mountain area in Mesa. I believe it's the nicest area for the money and the nicest area near Rio Salado shooting range. Plus the freeway is new and goes right to it. Gilbert is OK, North Scottsdale is OK, Paradise Valley is great but no close freeway. Everything else sucks, especially the West Valley. Mesa sucks (parts of Alta Mesa are OK), too, but Red Mountain/Las Sendas is bueno. Chandler is OK, south of the 202 Freeway. Everything north sucks. Ahwatukee and the Foothills are OK, but they are part of Phoenix and Phoenix politics absolutely blow. So they suck, too. I'm a Gilbertweenian. Gilbert was better before public transportation was introduced to the community. It's still OK but just barely. I don't live in any of the cities that you say suck. And I still am I'm just expressing an overall opinion. No place in the Valley is Detroit (everything is relative). I've lived in Gilbert for over 20 years and it's been great. If I truly could live anywhere (in the Valley), it'd probably be Desert Mountain although it's really inconvenient for location. Red Mountain has everything, close freeway, close gun range, low crime, decent schools, things are relatively newly built out there. That's the place to be in my opinion based on my needs, the gun range being a biggie. |
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chandler or gilbert is the place to be. low crime, good environment,very few liberals, chandler has the lowest taxes and utilities in the valley as well. i believe we also have the highest density of arfcom here. Pinal county is lower 
But there's only two roads in and outta this place. Wish they'd finish the damned extension from the 202. Meh, I still make the airport in 50-70 minutes. |
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I don't live in any of the cities that you say suck. And I still am Quoted:
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I'm still partial to the Red Mountain area in Mesa. I believe it's the nicest area for the money and the nicest area near Rio Salado shooting range. Plus the freeway is new and goes right to it. Gilbert is OK, North Scottsdale is OK, Paradise Valley is great but no close freeway. Everything else sucks, especially the West Valley. Mesa sucks (parts of Alta Mesa are OK), too, but Red Mountain/Las Sendas is bueno. Chandler is OK, south of the 202 Freeway. Everything north sucks. Ahwatukee and the Foothills are OK, but they are part of Phoenix and Phoenix politics absolutely blow. So they suck, too. I'm a Gilbertweenian. Gilbert was better before public transportation was introduced to the community. It's still OK but just barely. I don't live in any of the cities that you say suck. And I still am That sums up my opinion after being all over. For the prices and newness, RM and QC are the best but will have lesser stuff. RM has advantage of better access and a bit more stuff. I didn't even look in Tempe, most of Mesa, or Chandler above the 202 due to location or how crowded it is. Also prices per square foot and taxes helped to determine that as well. I don't think he and I are dogging any area. Just a general "here's the newer areas and probably cheaper areas." |
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Quoted: Check out Gold Canyon. It's East on 60, past Apache Junction, right after 60 makes a 45 degree dogleg to the SE. Lots of 4 bedroom houses, great school district, and it's only 40-50 minutes to Sky Harbor. Quite neighborhoods. Lots of plus's. |
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OP has $400k. Quoted:
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Gilbert around Germann and Val Vista has new house construction going on, but that might be closer to the high end of your preferred daily driving limit. better have money for that  OP has $400k. Under that... but I missed that 
That'll eat right through that so I guess he's g2g. |
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+1 for far North East Mesa , areas around Las Sendas, Red Mountains Ranch, Boulder Mountain Highlands areas, not limited to those developments. This is close to 202, 87, TNF and state/country parks. Id sooner live in parts of Apache Junction or Gold Canyon before Chandler or Gilbert. (not taking into considerations schools, because I dont have kids and dont know that info) I want to be as near as possible to the national park or state park, federal or state land and not in the middle of the sprawl surrounded by sprawl. I don't know about Fountain Hills, all I have seen is that it appears pricey (IMO) and full of condos and townhomes |
Fountain Hills is very nice. However, it's pretty damned far removed from everything. Even takes a minute to get to N. Scottsdale. Will be pricier in general. McCulloch designed that city after he got done with Havasu so they have a similar layout and feel - that is to say it's like a fucking spaghetti bowl for streets. Pretty dead up there if you like that sort of thing. 
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Apparently Info on Gilbert and Chandler is not available with that service... when I go to that map it even appears the rest of the state has not crime... |
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Quoted: Apparently Info on Gilbert and Chandler is not available with that service... when I go to that map it even appears the rest of the state has not crime... Yeah hopefully Trulia keeps adding more data sources into that map. It's a pretty good tool to see areas to avoid in cities that are covered by the current stats. |
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You should be able to find that fairly easily, check out Scottsdale, Tempe, or Chandler. The Arcadia area of Phoenix is very nice, close to the airport, but you will be on the edge of a 400k budget. Spielberg went to Arcadia and David Spade went to Saguaro high schools so these areas have produced some talent. I would avoid south Phoenix, Maryvale, the I 17 corridor. Don't judge so hastily . There are several gated communities along Baseline and Southern built before the bottom fell out of the market. I'm in one of them for 8 years now.. The riff raff is pretty much now confined west of 24th St. and it gets spotty nearer to Arizona Mills too. He can get a 4-br house for 200k or less in one of these communities. If he wants more, there are several communities build at the base of South Mountain where he can spend EVERY dollar of his 400K budget, and more. The biggest benefit to him is the 5 or 10 minute drive to the airport. The only unknown to me is the quality of schools in this area. I have no school age kids to help render judgement of that. |