Laveen - What are your thoughts? (Phoenix, Glendale: crime, home builders, employment)

[ptbrennan]

I've seen a lot of negative comments on this board about Laveen, and they don't seem to be backed by much factual evidence. Part of it, I would imagine, is that most people don't truly understand what area we're describing.

Laveen is a village in the city of Phoenix, although its history goes back much further as an agricultural settlement. Laveen's boundaries are the Salt River on the north, 27th Avenue on the east, and the city's borders to the south and west (See Laveen - Home). If you look at the Phoenix Planning Department's website, you will see how Laveen is growing as a hot new-home development area, and utilizing the urban village philosophy for future development: phoenix.gov/PLANNING/vplaveen.html

If you look at the crime statistics, they don't appear to show any more than a very low to low level of crime in Laveen (phoenix.gov/POLICE/cristat_maps.html). But people on this board seem to think that crime is a problem here. Where are you getting your information?

Why would the developer of Laveen Spectrum be fighting so hard for a Kierland-like development in Laveen if they anticipated a ghetto? Likewise, why would Harkins and Target want to move here? Or why in the world is Fresh N' Easy building a location on Baseline as one of its first in the US?

I would appreciate some clarification about others' perceptions of Laveen. And by the way, the eastern end of the Baseline corridor (east of 16th Street) is also developing into a high-end area, and it's about time. We already have three high-end resorts and several nice golf courses, which have always been a good indicator of property values in the Phoenix market.

[sablebaby]

For the longest time I really didn't know (or thought I knew but was wrong) of whereabouts Laveen was. I never really knew how the crime was down there, only heard the negatives on this forum.

I have driven a lot throughout the southern areas of Phx, but mostly further in the avenues from 51st ave to 115th ave (PIR) for homes in the past (which I think is more Tolleson and Avondale). My overall perception of the area that I have driven through isn't that great. I don't like the area just south of the I-10 (that you have to drive through to get more south to the developments). I don't like the manure smell that was way too overwhelming for me to even continue driving (we turned around and went home once). We had a coworker/friend who moved down that way and he didn't realize the smell when "the time" came that it smells. He wasn't very happy there.

I have lived my whole life in the NE Phx, Scottsdale area, and now N. Glendale, that it was hard to imagine living down there (especially when it was all brand new) as I was used to the established areas that I knew and loved. I've always been the type of person who doesn't mind paying more for something a bit nicer.

I guess it's good for you to be here and defending an area that is getting a bad rap. I defend the "west valley" as much as I can, even though I will admit that some of it isn't that great (but the same can be said in just about every city). But, I HATE the general attitude some people have about the "west valley" or "glendale".

[ptbrennan]

True, my wife moved from the Arrowhead area, where her family still lives. After moving there from PV, they were dismayed at people's misplaced perceptions of Arrowhead Ranch.

I'm a Tempe kid, so I always appreciated living centrally in a mature neighborhood..... until now. We didn't want the hassles of a true fixer-upper, so we went shopping for new homes.

Based on our needs, Laveen was by far the most centrally located. Plus, it has an interconnected system of urban trails (great for jogging) and a solid base for retail development in the near future. Unfortunately for those who are nostalgic for the agricultural component, the "Dairy Air" has been declining in presence. While no one seems to be begging to get rid of the farms here, the farmers themselves are often selling to home builders and taking out their equity in the land.

[sablebaby]

I just checked out laveen.org and looked at the map. I'm glad I actually know where it is now! Thanks for posting this. I love learning where things are and to explore. I remember going to the casino down there once a few years ago. What I remember most was the beautiful mountain.

[ibarrio]

A have two friends that live in the area...they do not care for it. I have been at their house and we heard gun fire on three separate occasions on a Saturday night.

They live near 31st and Baseline.

[Boatdrinks]

I've never researched the crime stats. I've based all my comments on my exploration of the area over the past few months as we looked at houses throughout the valley. I completely agree with you - it's a fabulous location and the mountains are beautiful. I would have LOVED to like it there - the commute downtown would have been so much easier then what we have now.

However, I couldn't get past the fact that it was surrounded by what appeard to me to be really bad neighborhoods and the large industrial presence. I would hate to have to drive by those huge refineries or whatever they are every time I wanted to get anywhere outside Laveen. Also, they had limited shopping and dining options. We'd have had to drive outside Laveen for variety, and also there aren't any nearby malls. We also didn't like the proximity to the proposed highway extension. And the neighborhoods/developments didn't really appeal to us.

And finally, I couldn't find anything good about the schools there. Based on my research, the public schools are terrible and I didn't see that changing anytime soon. It's possible I missed one or two good ones, but the ones I checked got bad ratings.

To me, Laveen just seemed like a bad area and not somewhere that I'd want to raise kids and send them to school. That's just my perception though, and many people disagree with me as evidenced by your post and the fact that builders are selling houses there.

I think the area has some potential if they could get rid of the industrial stuff and those bad neighborhoods. The location is fabulous and you're right about the current golf communities. But my opinion is that the positive changes, if they do even happen, wouldn't happen quickly enough to benefit us as we'll probably need to move within the next 10 yrs or so anyway.

Of course, I could be completely wrong and Laveen could turn into the next Scottsdale in 5 yrs and I'd have missed out on a great investment - story of my life

[ptbrennan]

Boatdrinks, I think you make a very valid point with your concerns about Laveen, and I wouldn't necessarily expect it to turn into the next Scottsdale in five years. Gilbert is the only city that I know is trying to steal that title at present, and they've been at it for almost twenty years.

That said, it is rapidly improving in regard to most of the issues you mentioned. I don't see the industrial to the north "going away," but there are several redevelopments that are bringing in office/warehousing buildings instead of new refineries, etc.

One of the greatest challenges to the schools was a problem of capacity - as with any growing area. This year, Laveen will see new ones being constructed and opening, which will hopefully alleviate most of these concerns.

The freeway, by huge contrast to the other issues you mentioned, is a huge improvement IMO. If you look at other comparably priced areas, there are terrible traffic problems due to old two-lane streets with stop signs at nearly every intersection. Or, long commutes - which many would consider a detriment to the quality of life we're all seeking in the suburbs. And by the way, I don't think that the 51 has hurt the Biltmore area (although I recall when some property owners complained early on), or the 101 in North Scottsdale, or the 202 in Chandler/Gilbert.

Now if you look at the industrial and freeway together, you would find that many cities are desperately seeking these things. Offices and industrial create a higher level of an employment base, which helps stabilize local economies, while freeways ease traffic on surface streets.

I suppose we will have to wait and see what happens, but I'm counting on the 3-4 major retail developments planned for the future 202 corridor, already in final plan approval stages and still moving along. Hopefully, all of this positive development activity in Laveen and on the eastern side of South Mountain Village will continue to create infill opportunities for the areas of South Central Phoenix that we all know for their terrible reputations. In the mean time, however, I don't let them affect me any more than my friends in central Phoenix worry about the Van Buren corridor.

[OctoberMoon]

I am moving there early next year. I also have a friend who is moving there with her husband this November. I don't think Laveen in nearly as bad as some people make it out to be.

I came on here a little over a month ago asking people whether I should buy a new home in Laveen or Surprise and most people suggested surprise. There are a couple people on this board who come into every Laveen post and post negative things about it, never trying to see anything positive. When I went to Arizona a little after I made my post and checked out both areas for myself...I fell in love with Laveen. Sure, it's no Scottsdale and it has it's negative points. But overall it seems to have a lot of potental. I love the mixture of ethnicities. I am white, but I grew up in Los Angeles and having a mixture of people is comforting to me. It's also far enough out to have peace, but close enough to Downtown and Tempe that it isn't much of a "commute". They are also building so many new retail stores there. Sure, they are mixed in with some older communites and you have your shack houses now and then, but that gives it character

I think you have to be a certain type of person to enjoy Laveen. It's not for everyone, but that's ok because I lived by some "Laveen hater" type of people when I lived in North Scottsdale and didn't get along with a lot of them! lol

[topjimmy]

Originally Posted by ptbrennan

[...]

If you look at the crime statistics, they don't appear to show any more than a very low to low level of crime in Laveen (phoenix.gov/POLICE/cristat_maps.html). But people on this board seem to think that crime is a problem here. Where are you getting your information?

Proximity to really lousy parts of town. It is bordered on all sides by them.

[sablebaby]

Originally Posted by OctoberMoon

I am moving there early next year. I also have a friend who is moving there with her husband this November. I don't think Laveen in nearly as bad as some people make it out to be.

I came on here a little over a month ago asking people whether I should buy a new home in Laveen or Surprise and most people suggested surprise. There are a couple people on this board who come into every Laveen post and post negative things about it, never trying to see anything positive. When I went to Arizona a little after I made my post and checked out both areas for myself...I fell in love with Laveen. Sure, it's no Scottsdale and it has it's negative points. But overall it seems to have a lot of potental. I love the mixture of ethnicities. I am white, but I grew up in Los Angeles and having a mixture of people is comforting to me. It's also far enough out to have peace, but close enough to Downtown and Tempe that it isn't much of a "commute". They are also building so many new retail stores there. Sure, they are mixed in with some older communites and you have your shack houses now and then, but that gives it character

I think you have to be a certain type of person to enjoy Laveen. It's not for everyone, but that's ok because I lived by some "Laveen hater" type of people when I lived in North Scottsdale and didn't get along with a lot of them! lol

You don't even live here yet, how do you know that it's going to be enjoyable??