west Mesa, fiesta district (Phoenix, Tucson: apartments, crime, hotels)

[timt.105]

i am planning on going to Mcc next semester and need to find a decent apartment close by. i dont drive, i walk or take the bus and wondering how the west Mesa area is. south of the 60 looks real nice but might be too much out of my price range. north of the 60 near Mcc or what's known as the fiesta district is cheaper but how decent is this area? i heard mesa is mostly white older people but this area looks like it has lots of mixed ages and people of color and this is what i am looking for but is this a bad neighborhood? trying to get some ideas for a place to live before next session. thx.

[AZ Tracy]

The zip code for that area is 85202. There are several different crime maps you could look at; here is one: Arizona Crime Search - Crime In Arizona - Phoenix Crime Search - azcentral.com=

[rgscpat]

The light rail gets pretty close to there (a little north, Apache/Dobson), which might be worth considering for mobility into Tempe and Phoenix.

[dura]

To be within decent walking distance of Mesa Community College, check of the following area:

• North of Southern Avenue
• South of Emerald Avenue
• East of the Tempe Canal
• West of South Longmore

The following list is not all inclusive, but map the addresses and check out the area. If you like it, then focus there, but of course due your own due diligence and all that.

• San Jose Manor
  1112 South San Jose Manor, Mesa, AZ 85202
  480-964-6097
  
• Emerald Apartments
  1030 South Dobson Road, Mesa, AZ 85202
  602-833-4960
  
• Sycamore Shadows
  1120 South Sycamore Drive, Mesa, AZ 85202
  480-969-1088
  
• Monteil Apartments
  1101 South Sycamore, Mesa, AZ 85202
  480-844-0598
  
• Newport Mesa Apartment Homes
  1620 West Southern, Mesa, AZ 85202
  480-833-0881

Any of the above will get you within walking distance of Mesa Community College and various food joints and stores. You could take the bus from Dobson and Southern and go north to Main and Sycamore (which is near Dobson and Main) to get on the light rail to go to Tempe or Phoenix. At the NEC of Dobson and Main is a Safeway for groceries, or take the bus from Dobson and Southern and go south to Dobson and Baseline, and at the SEC is an Albertson's for groceries. There is a Target within walking distance of MCC, and there is a Walmart at Mesa Riverview. The Fiesta District has what a person would need to live, but it also has run-down areas too.

• NEC = north east corner
• SEC = south east corner
• NWC = north west corner
• SWC = south west corner

The aforementioned apartments are IMO not in a bad area, as in b.a.d., but keep your street smarts. There are a number of apartments buildings in that area, lower rent, and more noise and crime than south of Highway 60, but if you want more a more urban than suburban environment, the ability to walk to MCC, cheaper rent, and can handle some noise, then north of 60 is where to look and see if you can find something for you. You'll read comments about staying south of 60, but take them (along with this post) with grains of salt. Different people have different tolerances. You'll need to check out the area and see if it's for you.

[Valley Native]

I haven't been around that area in many years. There used to be some good Fourth of July firework shows at Mesa Community College many years ago, and I would sometimes go there & sit out in the park area. I don't recall that area ever being bad, but certainly nothing upscale. It might have changed over the years.

That leads to a curiosity question: is Fiesta Mall still in existence? I heard a while ago that they were going to tear down the mall, so I'm not sure if that's still standing, or if they put something else there ... or if it's yet another huge vacant lot.

[Marv101]

I usually stay in Mesa everytime I go down to Tucson to visit a friend of mine, and the Fiesta Mall is still there, and uit's surrounded by seveeral restaurants and nice hotels.

[Java Jolt]

The western side of Mesa is a far cry from east Mesa.

West Mesa is not a bad area, it's a lot like Tempe in many ways, compared to the east side which is highly conservative and suited more for the traditional family unit or retirement.

[AZ Tracy]

Originally Posted by Marv101

I usually stay in Mesa everytime I go down to Tucson to visit a friend of mine, and the Fiesta Mall is still there, and uit's surrounded by seveeral restaurants and nice hotels.

There are also several shopping centers that have closed and have chain link fences around them. "They" are doing their best to revive the area, but it has a ways to go.

[rgscpat]

Correct me if I heard wrong, but I think the old Fiesta Mall (Village?) was closed and fenced and replaced with the current Fiesta Mall just to its south between Southern and 60/Superstion Fwy, W of Alma School. Sears, Best Buy, Dick's Sporting Goods, Dillard's Clearance, Macy's, and a large supporting cast are there.

[AZ Tracy]

Originally Posted by rgscpat

Correct me if I heard wrong, but I think the old Fiesta Mall (Village?) was closed and fenced and replaced with the current Fiesta Mall just to its south between Southern and 60/Superstion Fwy, W of Alma School. Sears, Best Buy, Dick's Sporting Goods, Dillard's Clearance, Macy's, and a large supporting cast are there.

Fiesta Mall has always been between Southern and 60/Superstition, W of Alma School and E of Longmore. Fiesta Village is the area just north of the mall that has the fence around it. Just E of that is Poco Fiesta, which is mostly closed, to the W was a shopping area with Bed Bath & Beyond, now closed, and directly E and W of the mall were shopping areas that have a lot of vacancies. With that being said, there are still some nice stores and restaurants in that general area.