What is Downtown Phoenix living like for a single upper 30 year old guy. (Scottsdale: apartments, rent)

[ashtraveler]

I'm a 37 year old single, Indian guy. I'm diverse, open-minded, etc. I like hiking, biking, water. And I'm vegetarian. I'm definitely looking to meet like-minded people. Make some good friends and hope a great gal.

Anyone have thoughts on what it will be like to live in downtown PHX or would it be better in Scottsdale or elsewhere.

I didn't see much on downtown living. Are there are grocery stores and shops that are walking distance?

Is there much of a nightlife there?

I would be working at JCL hospital North Mtn campus. What would the distance to travel be?

Thanks a lot. Much appreciated.

A

[ji603]

five years ago I would have said without a doubt, Scottsdale. But now, I think you might be looking in the right area. Were I in your shoes, I'd check out some of the newer apartments on Portland st.(one street north of Roosevelt, from Central Ave west to 3rd Ave. Not sure what price range they're in, but the ones on the south side of that greenbelt across from the Japanese garden and the Irish cultural center look nice. The ones on the north side look like they cost some serious money.

Also have a look at all of the renovated and converted single family homes which 5 years ago were vacant, which have popped up from Roosevelt to Pierce St between central and 7th st.

The entire area has changed. What used to be an area of town filled with drunks, vagrants, and the dregs of PHX which migrated up from the homeless shelter area at 12A/Madison has become a really neat area.

There's an art walk on the first friday of every month which is cool, and a bunch of boutique shops along the north edge of Roosevelt. The light rail and ASU downtown have been huge...

You still get more than the odd bum, burglary, or drunk passed out in an alley, but it's part of the hipster charm perhaps? I dunno. If you're married with kids, it's not the area. For a single professional, or DINKys, I'd look hard.


Travel time to JCL on surface streets could be a bear, depending on what time of day. Must be 20 intersections between Roosevelt and Dunlap. I'd go E/W and take one of the freeways (51/I17) instead. Perhaps 20 minutes?

[cab591]

Downtown Phoenix as a pretty cool vibe to it (though I've heard it's come a long way to get there). Lightrail gives you convenient access to Tempe / Mill Ave district, should you want to party elsewhere, as well as the Skyharbor Airport. There's bars and clubs downtown, but the nightlife doesn't stay as active or as late as some larger cities (New York, for example, where you can easily find clubs that are open until sunrise).

ji603 put it right: there's kind of a hipster / art scene in the area, especially around the historic district. Most of the places you'll find are condos that the owners rent out, and a lot of the high-rise ones were built recently, so they're fairly new on the inside. Crime has definitely gone down (at least in the core area -- don't wander off into the surrounding areas). As far as groceries, there's a Bashas close by (on McDowell, if I remember correctly).

Commuting is another story. You're a couple miles away from the highway corridors (51 or 17), and your place of work is almost due north of downtown. This means you could use 7th Street or Central to commute. Both of these streets move fairly quickly, and during the off periods it's about a 20 minute drive. During rush hour, I believe you might be facing a reverse commute. 7th Street has a "floating" middle lane, that changes direction based on commuters -- in the mornings it's southbound, and in the evenings it's northbound. During off-hours, it's a middle turn lane. This leads me to believe the majority of commuter traffic heads south in the morning, and north in the evening, opposite of your commute -- meaning traffic shouldn't be much of a problem for you. The traffic lights can get annoying if you hit them wrong though. My suggestion: don't speed. The lights there are timed pretty well, such that if you hold the speed limit (or within about 5 mph over), you'll hit about 95% of green lights.

EDIT: Here's a picture of what I'm talking about. That photo is taken looking north, and you can see the sign (on the left side) over the middle lane -- Don't use it 6-9 AM, northbound lane from 4-6 PM, and a suicide turn lane all other times.

[observer53]

I think you'd like downtown. Grocery stores within walking distance, no, but there's a few within a quick drive.

The commute from downtown to JCL will be a reverse one, so once you clear the downtown area, you should be fine. While it's a bit out of the way, you might find it faster to take I-17 north to Dunlap and then go east to the hospital. Even northbound on 7th is doable, but there are a lot of intersections/lights between downtown and the hospital.

[Jukesgrrl]

I'm a middle-aged unattached person and I'd move there in a heartbeat. As ji603 noted, it's not pristine and completely without issues, but what urban area is? You trade a bit of hassle for the liveliness and diversity.

And if you doubt that people are willing to invest in downtown Phoenix life, check out this renovation of a unit in the Regency House high-rise (circa 1964).
: MidCentury Modern Phoenix Highrise : Apartment Therapy

[ashtraveler]

Very nice guys. Thanks.

I would rather live in an "urban" area rather than suburban area. Culture, liveliness and diversity is exactly what I'm looking for. I've lived in Detroit so no much scares me now.

[HX_Guy]

I love seeing more and more people interested in downtown living, that is exactly what we need!

[cab591]

I'm actually considering buying a house in the Roosevelt district this time next year. Housing prices are a bit inflated over anywhere else in the Valley, but the historic houses have much more character, and it's becoming a wonderful location.

[Bondurant]

Downtown Phoenix is well worth your exploration for a place to live. I love it down there. Finances keep me shacked up north but I'd move down in a flash if I could. Please let us know your thoughts after you check it out or find a place.

Welcome!

[ashtraveler]

Thanks guys. Good to hear there are like-minded people out there. I'll be visiting in a couple of weeks and I'll definitely check it out. I talked to a realtor and told my wants/needs. But I think he knows downtown. He recommends Biltmore, Scottsdale etc, like the rest of the other forums. I know PHX is not NYC, SF, or Chicago, but I want some of the similarities. Progressive urban/city living.

Perhaps some may be interested in grabbing a drink in downtown??