Young Professional moving to Scottsdale and in need of details! (Phoenix: apartments, condo)

[ms165202]

Hello!

I'm a young 20 something, a recent college graduate of a nursing school. I'm wondering what are the best areas to live in, keeping in mind that: I would like to be in walking distance to a lively area (bars, movies, coffee shops, etc...) with people around the same age. However, priority over that is living near a hospital and safety. Any advice would be helpful! thanks

[irwin]

Originally Posted by ms165202

Hello!

I'm a young 20 something, a recent college graduate of a nursing school. I'm wondering what are the best areas to live in, keeping in mind that: I would like to be in walking distance to a lively area (bars, movies, coffee shops, etc...) with people around the same age. However, priority over that is living near a hospital and safety. Any advice would be helpful! thanks

If you want walkable in Scottsdale, the only place to live is right by Old Town. Keep in mind that Phoenix in general is VERY sprawling and not walkable. There are like two apartment complexes on Indian School Road (San Marin? Can't remember the name of the other one). Rent is approximately $1000/month.

Good luck.

[silverbear]

I agree that Old Town Scottsdale and adjacent areas -- roughly from Osborn up to Chaparral -- are more walkable than most parts of the metro area. Another possibility is the Kierland area, which has a Scottsdale mailing address although it is actually within Phoenix city limits. Kierland is a suburban office and retail area with a sort of faux downtown feel in its core area. There are apartment complexes on the edge of it.

Beyond Scottsdale, you might consider downtown Tempe, which also has a pedestrian feel, as well as the Biltmore and downtown areas of Phoenix, which have a few small areas in which apartments are close enough to theaters, bars, and coffee shops to make walking feasible. For the most part, however, Phoenix and its suburbs, including Scottsdale, are designed for the car.

In some of the locations named above, walkability to various attractions depends on whether you intend to rent or buy. The Biltmore area, for example, has a lot of new, upscale condominiums within walking distance of its major retail areas, but the apartment complexes are farther away.