Florence AZ?? (Tucson, Chandler, Gilbert: trip , income, work)

[LVGAZ]

Believe it or not I went through Florence last week for the first time? Outside of the prisons why would people live there? What is with the mansions on the side of the highway? Is there something going on there that we don't in Az know about.
Looked like a ghost town? Not even fit for horses?

[aj661]

Originally Posted by LVGAZ

Believe it or not I went through Florence last week for the first time? Outside of the prisons why would people live there? What is with the mansions on the side of the highway? Is there something going on there that we don't in Az know about.
Looked like a ghost town? Not even fit for horses?

Is there something you want to know about Florence or are you just saying you didn't like it? A lot of people are moving there now for cheaper housing. The prisons (state and private) and the INS detention center are the biggest employers. Florence is the Pinal County seat. Did you drive through Anthem at Merrill Ranch? I can't think of anything else there that could be mistaken for a 'mansion'. The community center is finished, and the Safeway is almost done. I'm certain some of the old time residents and long time snowbirds wish people thought it was a ghost town and would go away. I know a few horse owners in the area who would disagree with your last comment.

[LVGAZ]

YEs, I wanted to know is it a desirable future area to live - I drove through the town past the prisons with some small restaurants and gas stations across from the prisons and then onto the highway to Tucson - just after I made a right to the highway to Tucson there were a few very LARGE Mansion Homes - on their own - and one had a sale sign on it - out in the road -
I did not see any area being built called Anthem at Merrill Ranch - nor did I see a safeway - I saw a Burger King sign if I went right...
Was this not Florence?

[Nice Nice Baby!]

It was Florence, and please look elsewhere if your first impression is really what you made it be. You and every one involved will be better off. It is great for people who are looking for affordable housing and do not mind driving.

[Boatdrinks]

That was the "downtown" part of Florence and I agree with you - it's pretty desolate and haggard looking. If you had gone west on Hunt Hwy (not sure if that's what it's called that far east, but whatever Hunt Hwy turns into in Florence proper), you'd have seen Anthem at Merril Ranch, which is a planned community by Del Web. It's very nice and will be huge when it's finished. They're building shopping centers and supposedly are going to build a mall nearby in the next 10 yrs, at least according to the Anthem sales people. Continuing east on Hunt Hwy, you'd pass Johnson Ranch, San Tan Heights, and head into Gilbert. However, heading east on Hunt Hwy past Anthem, there's not much and once you hit the city of Florence, it's pretty sketchy IMO.

Anthem itself is great, but it's in the middle of nowhere, IMO, and it'll be many years before commercial infrastructure catches up to all those houses.

[aj661]

Originally Posted by LVGAZ

YEs, I wanted to know is it a desirable future area to live - I drove through the town past the prisons with some small restaurants and gas stations across from the prisons and then onto the highway to Tucson - just after I made a right to the highway to Tucson there were a few very LARGE Mansion Homes - on their own - and one had a sale sign on it - out in the road -
I did not see any area being built called Anthem at Merrill Ranch - nor did I see a safeway - I saw a Burger King sign if I went right...
Was this not Florence?

The A&M 1/2 mile down the street from Burger King has pretty good pizza...

Old town Florence and Anthem at Merrill Ranch have nothing in common except the name. The Town of Florence did have the foresight to annex a lot of land, some of which is now occupied by Anthem. This is (will be) a huge community. The Safeway is going up at Hunt Hwy and Merrill Ranch Parkway-four miles north of SR287. I talked to a baby faced realtor for Del Webb's Sun City at Anthem to find out what they were going to do for services-police and fire, since downtown Florence is miles away and I doubt the PD can put more than two cars on the street per shift. He said they would be providing one officer for Anthem 24/7. (They still have less than 20 sworn officers.) The fire department should be adding a station within the community in about 18 months.

Is it a desirable area for the future? Anthem, probably, if you work in the area, but old town? Never; unless you've lived in a small, lower income rural town before or can adapt to that lifestyle. There are some families that have been there for generations. It's the only life they've ever known and the only life they want.

There are two big events in and around Florence every year: The "goat-roper" music festival, a.k.a. Country Thunder and the Hell's Angels Prison Run in late March/early April. They and hundreds of wannabes ride their H-Ds down around ASP to show solidarity with their 'brothers in bondage' . Then they drive down SR79 to Cactus Forrest Rd and get drunk at Yolanda's.

Originally Posted by Boatdrinks

That was the "downtown" part of Florence and I agree with you - it's pretty desolate and haggard looking. If you had gone west on Hunt Hwy (not sure if that's what it's called that far east,

Yes, Hunt Hwy is called Hunt Hwy from Wild Horse at the west end until it "T's" at SR79. I think calling downtown "desolate and haggard looking" is rather harsh. I think butt-ugly is more accurate.

[Livewire]

We do work there occaisionally and you are right, there isnt a lot going on out there. Not someplace I personally would want to live but so far, it hasnt grown as fast as many other towns, which in such a short time, have been turned into another city.

[Nice Nice Baby!]

Hunt Highway actually starts around Arizona Avenue in south Chandler and runs east and southeast through south Gilbert, Queen Creek, San Tan Heights, Johnson Ranch, and Anthem before ending at highway 79 outside of Florence, by the prison. It's faster to go route 87(Arizona Avenue) south to downtown Florence past Coolidge. About a 40 minute drive through Gila River reservation, but well over an hour if you take Hunt Highway during heavy traffic. It's all about your DRIVE!

[aj661]

Originally Posted by Nice Nice Baby!

Hunt Highway actually starts around Arizona Avenue in south Chandler and runs east and southeast through south Gilbert, Queen Creek, San Tan Heights, Johnson Ranch, and Anthem before ending at highway 79 outside of Florence, by the prison. It's faster to go route 87(Arizona Avenue) south to downtown Florence past Coolidge. About a 40 minute drive through Gila River reservation, but well over an hour if you take Hunt Highway during heavy traffic. It's all about your DRIVE!

You are absolutely right. I just made a trip down to Desert Cry Wildlife rehab & refuse facility on Lazy Loop today. From the southeast, Hunt stops at Wild Horse, picks up again just about 500' north although it's Empire Blvd here for a short distance before changing names back to Hunt.

Since this thread is probably about dead, I'm going to shamelessly hijack it. Regina Whitman does a wonderful thing for wild animals way down there south of the Town of Queen Creek. I delivered a two to four day old orphaned cottontail rabbit to her today. If anyone in this part of AZ can give it a chance at life, it's her. If you care about the wildlife that's being injured and driven out of it's natural habitat by all of us, at the very least check out the website and see the work she does:
Desert Cry
She very much needs and depends on your donations. Thanks...

[Nice Nice Baby!]

Thanks for the heads up!