Can anyone tell me about Casa Grande? (Phoenix, Scottsdale: homes, school district)

[mlh1981]

I am 25 and a recent college grad of Ohio University. I was offered a job teaching elementary school by the district there. Is it a good place to live for a single man in his mid-twenties? Is there plenty to do? Good places in which to meet people? Thanks for your help!

[AksarbeN]

I would think that as a young college grad living in any small city would be less then perfect. Casa Grande is one of those cities that you will not find much of a social life. You’ll have an opportunity to meet someone at the church social but I don’t know if that happens there much. The city is lacking in many entertainment type of businesses like nightclubs or dances etc. You’ll find a bar or two but nothing special. The city is located about a little more than an hour from Phoenix, Tempe, and Scottsdale.

[uconn99]

Dude, if you are in your 20's and single don't move to Casa Grande. Do yourself a favor and look into somewhere closer to Phoenix.

[hughesgirl]

I tend to disagree. Casa Grande has grown over the past few years. You can find anything there that you can find up here in the Phoenix area. Chandler is only 45 minutes away and there is plenty to do there also. Things are better in CG.

[AksarbeN]

Originally Posted by mlh1981

I am 25 and a recent college grad of Ohio University. I was offered a job teaching elementary school by the district there. Is it a good place to live for a single man in his mid-twenties? Is there plenty to do? Good places in which to meet people? Thanks for your help!

Sorry,,,,,,,I tend to disagree with your disagreement! Casa Grande lacks quality restaurants, nightclubs, entertainment locations, shopping centers (not factory outlet stores) resort type quality settings, and the city is just getting started with some new housing additions located on the north outer edge of the city. There is too much to be desired if someone is looking for more then just a sleepy little town with several so-so restaurants, and bars. And yes it’s an hour plus away from Phoenix metro area. Live entertainment is watching people drive up and down the one main street in town. And one can always take to the Casa Grande Maricopa Hwy. road for 20-30 minutes to Maricopa and visit the Ak-Chin Casino. Now that’s the biggest highlight of the weekend for some!

[vegaspilgrim]

I went down there a while back out of curiosity. As they say, a picture is worth a 1000 words:

Downtown Casa Grande:


The Florence Blvd street scene:


Palm Center. Wow, I can't wait to go in.


Get ready to sample the local cuisine:


I would say though, you're better off in Casa Grande than Maricopa. At least they have a hospital there.

[he's so hott]

Originally Posted by mlh1981

I am 25 and a recent college grad of Ohio University. I was offered a job teaching elementary school by the district there. Is it a good place to live for a single man in his mid-twenties? Is there plenty to do? Good places in which to meet people? Thanks for your help!

Bro, I wouldn't live down there if I was single, no matter what your age is. As folks have said, there isn't much to do down there and that leaves very little places to meet singles and other people who may be into the things you're into. I worked down there for a year and commuted from where I lived in south Chandler. You probably should consider doing that. It's about a 35 to 40 minute drive, but by living in Chandler it's easier to get to places like Scottsdale and there are malls and decent restaurants. Find out if the school district will let you live outside of the district.

[AksarbeN]

Now those are some good pictures,,,, thanks for the post. Casa Grande is a notch or two above living in Maricopa City. There is nothing wrong with small towns growing larger and both cities are in that period of time. However I like to shop at more then a Food City store or eat at McDonalds on a Friday date night for things to do and enjoy. I love going to Factory Outlet Stores but you didn’t get a photo of them?

[jenateare]

I think some of you are exaggerating a bit and being some what unfair. I was in Casa Grande this weekend (relocating to AZ from Cincinnati in 3 weeks) and there's much more than Food City for grocery shopping. In fact, they have an Albertson's, a Safeway, and a Fry's as well. There's also much more for dining than BK or other fast food joints. There's also a Super Wal-Mart and two very large commercial centers going in that will, no doubt, bring in even better retail and dining choices. Hey, they even have a Starbucks!

That being said, I don't know that it's the right place for a single person either. But that depends on the lifestyle you're looking for. If you're looking to live in a smaller, quieter town and meet a nice girl to settle down with, maybe CG is the place for you. If you're looking for the swinging single life style, then you should probably take the advice of others and look into something on the southern side of Phoenix, like Chandler.

[silverojo]

Just one little warning about Casa Grande: All the nicer, newer homes are very close together, and very close to agricultural areas. Translated, you'll be smelling the scent of farmyard animals...a LOT.

If this doesn't bother you, it's a nice enough place. Me, I've got allergies, and couldn't even bear one day's worth of househunting.