I am looking for a move in the future (Phoenix: find a job, neighborhood)

[Ilovefall]

I am looking for a change. My family and I want to live in an area that will fit our needs as well as desires as much as possible.

We are tossing around the idea of Mesa or its surroundings..such as Apache Junction as well as others. I cant think of the other names right off the top right now though.
We do like the photos we have found on the areas. However we would love to see more.
If you could paste some photos of the town of Mesa as well as its surrounding villages that would be great.

Thanks

[sablebaby]

We don't have villages here in the Phx metro area. Everything is a city, and all the cities look almost alike, just one big suburb. There are no small towns here, you will have to look up north for that. Why are you looking at Mesa and AJ? Do you have work lined up out there?

[exit2lef]

Originally Posted by Ilovefall

I am looking for a change. My family and I want to live in an area that will fit our needs as well as desires as much as possible.

We are tossing around the idea of Mesa or its surroundings..such as Apache Junction as well as others. I cant think of the other names right off the top right now though.
We do like the photos we have found on the areas. However we would love to see more.
If you could paste some photos of the town of Mesa as well as its surrounding villages that would be great.

Thanks

If you want to see more, it's essential that you come visit before seriously entertaining the concept of relocating. No decision so important should be made based on photos. If possible, come during the summer to make sure you can handle the heat and drive from where you intend to live to where you will be working during rush hour just to make sure you can handle the commute. As sablebaby suggests, Mesa might make sense if your work will be located there, but otherwise Mesa is just one suburb in the much larger Phoenix Metropolitan Area. It's not a village by any means and the former small towns near it have been absorbed into the outer ring of Phoenix suburbs. Consider carefully where you will be working and find a good neighborhood with a reasonable commute -- whether in Mesa or another part of the metro area.

[brittZ]

The wors thing you could do is make the decision based on photos. You will find that in any city in the Valley you can and most often will go from one end of the spectrum to the other (very rich to very poor, brand new to ancient, etc. . . ). The other problem which has been said all over this board is that the Phoenix Valley is one huge giant suburb sprawling all over the place with very little distinctions between the cities.

If you pick an area based on looks, you could easily end up on the other side of the world from where you find a job or have to go to school. You will find good communities in all of the cities, so I recomend finding a place close to your work. getting anywhere in the valley is not a big deal when you do it after rush hour but to get across the valley in rush hour will not be fun.

[MotleyCrew]

I so agree with the advice of NOT buying something based on a photo. Many years ago we did that very thing. We purchased a place up in the N. CA pines and what a mistake that was. Looked charming as heck in the photo, but when we made the 15 hour drive to move in we finally got to meet the neighbors. My husband, when he made trips up to sign papers, always wondered why it was so quiet during the day. Because they only come out at night. Don't make that mistake, come and drive around for a week or two.