Laveen vs. Surprise (Phoenix, Glendale, Scottsdale: crime rates, neighborhood, public school)

[sheena]

Originally Posted by smood86

i would choose surprise over laveen. having lived in south phoenix for a good portion of my life (which is what laveen is) i would never go back. yes it is close to downtown and to everything really, it is just not a good place to be. if you have any kids or are planning to have kids, the schools there are horrible. i feel i did not learn all i should by going to school there. i now live in the west valley and love it.

She did say when she has kids she will move. Gosh I hope so

[jco]

Originally Posted by ibarrio

I live in Surprise and work in Phoenix (Near Metro Center) and it takes me 25-35 mins to get to work.

I think the people complaining about the commute so much are moving to way west Surprise where all the really cheap housing is. My commute was under an hour to the heart of Phoenix in traffic. My husband works all over the valley and rarely has over an hour commute (and when it is, it's coming from way east valley). I think a lot of people move here from out of state and take mapquest directions to get to work. I've found that surface streets are fastest.

[Captain Bill]

Originally Posted by jco

I think the people complaining about the commute so much are moving to way west Surprise where all the really cheap housing is. My commute was under an hour to the heart of Phoenix in traffic. My husband works all over the valley and rarely has over an hour commute (and when it is, it's coming from way east valley). I think a lot of people move here from out of state and take mapquest directions to get to work. I've found that surface streets are fastest.

A client of mine lives in Surprise and works in east Gilbert. He takes the 303 down to I-10 and finds that pretty fast. He leaves a little before commute hour so he avoids most of the commute traffic.

Bill

[sheena]

Originally Posted by Captain Bill

A client of mine lives in Surprise and works in east Gilbert. He takes the 303 down to I-10 and finds that pretty fast. He leaves a little before commute hour so he avoids most of the commute traffic.

Bill

And then? What happens when he gets to the 10 and trys to get to E Gilbert? That's a whole seperate communte.

[Captain Bill]

Originally Posted by sheena

And then? What happens when he gets to the 10 and trys to get to E Gilbert? That's a whole seperate communte.

I'm sorry, I forgot to add the hwy 60. He leaves early so he's on the I-10 before the traffic gets heavy. When he gets to 60 he's going opposite from the commute traffic.

Bill

[sheena]

Originally Posted by Captain Bill

I'm sorry, I forgot to add the hwy 60. He leaves early so he's on the I-10 before the traffic gets heavy. When he gets to 60 he's going opposite from the commute traffic.

Bill

Yes that helps a lot going in the opposite direction. I avoided the 60 like the plague in rush hour going to Ahwatukee. The side streets were much better.

[laveenlady]

There are beautiful communities in Laveen. When you are looking find out what the HOA includes, some have security patrol, and some are gated. Like all areas there are something to consider, vandalism and graffiti being a large portion of the problem. However, I know many people who are not bothered and live in beautiful homes in nice communities. Do the research in your community, find out about the block watch, and what goes on around you. Laveen is a beautiful area, if you look ( and if you look for negative, you can find that anywhere too.)

[SOON2BNSURPRISE]

I have only been to Surprise. My parents moved there in 2003 and My wife and I just put a deal together to have a home built in Surprise Farms. I am from Southern California and live near the beach in Oxnard, California. (something we will miss.) So I always say go for the west side. That is closer to the ocean. LOL All I can say is that it isa a great place to raise a family and build a life together. Having to commute isn't scary for me. With my MBA I may need to drive to the down town area for now. I am OK with that.

[OctoberMoon]

Wow, this post is still alive! lol

Yeah, we don't have kids and aren't planning on having them for at least 5 years. So schools aren't an issue. I should probably also add, my husband is joining the Phoenix PD, so I have a personal cop at my disposal! lol

And an hour commute is too much for us. Even "under an hour". We're leaving L.A. to get away from those commute times, which is a huge factor in why we chose Laveen over surprise.

I have spend a lot of time in Laveen since I made this original post. I hung out at the Starbucks and people watched, went in the grocery store, ate at a resturaunt, and just drove around different communities. I even *gasp* stopped at a gas station at night and people were very friendly! I am glad I chose Laveen!

[pynkpanther]

Originally Posted by OctoberMoon

Wow, this post is still alive! lol

Yeah, we don't have kids and aren't planning on having them for at least 5 years. So schools aren't an issue. I should probably also add, my husband is joining the Phoenix PD, so I have a personal cop at my disposal! lol

And an hour commute is too much for us. Even "under an hour". We're leaving L.A. to get away from those commute times, which is a huge factor in why we chose Laveen over surprise.

I have spend a lot of time in Laveen since I made this original post. I hung out at the Starbucks and people watched, went in the grocery store, ate at a resturaunt, and just drove around different communities. I even *gasp* stopped at a gas station at night and people were very friendly! I am glad I chose Laveen!

it looks good initially, but wait until you have to deal with the schools (i don't think a city is good if you have to send your kids out of the public school district for a proper education and school bus safety)...mind you, your husband will be overworked if he is in the phx pd because laveen shares them and they've had at least a dozen break-ins a day lately. there aren't enough resources for two cities to share. someone spoke of gated communities in laveen - i can count them on one hand with fingers to spare...and why would i feel the need for gates when i should feel safe walking to a hiking trail or having my daughter ride her bike to school? oh...that's because you can't do those things in laveen.