Differences between Scottsdale and Chandler (Phoenix, Mesa: apartment complexes, rentals, condos)

[Elizabeth1313]

Back with another question...

Looking to move from Philly. My boyfriend and I are in mid thirties and have two small dogs and no kids. I have stayed in Scottsdale and know a friend who lives there now and likes it. They relocated from Philly as well. However after reading different threads for research from months ago I see a lot of people enjoy Chandler and parts of Tempe.

Can you give me some differences to reference. We like to go out to eat at different restaurants, and an occasional night at a bar, I am a General Manager for the Gap so I would like to be close to a mall, places we can walk to are important as we live in the city now and can walk to dinner, get a haircut, dry cleaning, and the dogs groomed. So any of those by foot would be awesome!

I also have a question.. maybe for anyone familiar with the Philly area. It seems in every thread there is a lot of talk about good and bad parts of neighborhoods. How factual is this? Coming from Philly where crime is actually very high I am surprised to see so many references such as "ghetto". I want to live in a safe place as well but I guess I am used to a diverse neighborhood. If I was from another town I may be scared off to the Phoenix area based on all the chatter about how unsafe a lot of area's are. That is a shame because I think Arizona is beautiful and has a lot more to offer then PA.

As always thank you for your information. I appreciate it greatly.

[DetroitN8V]

We are also in our mid-thirties, have two small dogs and no kids. We recently relocated to Scottsdale from Detroit and couldn't be happier here. There really is no worry about spotty areas, at least near where we live (mid to north Scottsdale). I think you'll be surprised how nice the valley is coming from Philly. Coming from Detroit, even the areas people describe as "ghetto" seem decent in comparison. I used to drive through Maryvale going to my office and it certainly wasn't scary nor did I feel like I was in danger driving through there.

We like living in Scottsdale because of the close proximity to the McDowell Mountains; for hiking, biking and the views, and the short drive to Old Town for dining and drinking options. I have little experience with Chandler but IMO it seems more generic and more family-oriented.

[Elizabeth1313]

Thank you DetroitN8V. I really appreciate your feedback especially since we have the same situation. How long have you guys been in Scottsdale? Anything that really sticks out to you that you would like to share about the area or your move. We are looking to rent first so do you know of any complexes in the area that look nice?

And I figured some people on here too the whole unsafe thing a little too far. I guess life is all about experience and prospective. There are some very crazy area's near where I am but yet my condo building is extremely safe and is not disrupted.

[DetroitN8V]

We moved at the end of August and are renting a house. We'll buy in Scottsdale once the lease is up. I'm not too familiar with apartment complexes since we wanted a yard for the dogs and I had to have a pool. You really can't go wrong anywhere in Scottsdale IMO but it is pricier than other areas. The further south you go, you'll find older, smaller homes but are very close to Old Town. There are some very nice, newer condos down there too. Head north and you'll find newer, larger homes and will be closer to the mountains but further out from nightlife. You'll find apartment complexes all over. Crime is virtually a non-issue.

As far as the move goes, it was a corporate move so pretty much everything was taken care of for us. We really lucked out. The dogs were too big to fly in the cabin of a plane (they had a 25 lb max and ours are around 30 lbs) and it was too hot for them to go in the cargo hull (although I probably wouldn't have done that anyway). We rented an RV so we wouldn't have to deal with finding pet-friendly hotels along the way and did the drive in 3 days. It was actually a really fun adventure. Once we arrived, our cars and belongings showed up. It couldn't have gone better and I know how lucky we got.

[cacto]

Scottsdale is better in every way. It's even closer to the Rim where it's cooler in the Summer.

Scottsdale has been considered the "nicest" suburb of Phoenix almost since the beginning. It's food and nightlife scenes are well established, Chandler just got big about 15 years ago. Most of it's entertainment, housing, etc. was just built and haven't had time to acquire character. It's nice, clean, everything is new, just cookie cutter, everything is tan, beige, or white, most of the trees and landscaping isn't even mature yet. I like Central Phoenix best, but I'd choose Scottsdale over Chandler.

[Valley Native]

Tempe, Scottsdale, and Chandler are all huge suburbs that are really their own cities based on how large & diverse they are. All three of these cities have a certain amount of strip mall centers and quiet middle class neighborhoods, which would define suburban perfectly ... however, I see Chandler as being a little more generic suburban than Scottsdale or Tempe. All three cities are different from each other, and for different reasons.

Scottsdale is well known for being a more upscale part of the Phoenix area, but many people incorrectly believe it's a place for snobs or plastic surgery addicts. Even though it tends to be high end, it's not what I would call a Beverly Hills clone. Some parts of it are very upscale, but other parts (like the south side) tend to be working class. Downtown & Old Town are famous for their shops, and a pretty active bar & club scene. It also tends to be more expensive to live in Scottsdale, largely because of its reputation.

Tempe also has an active nightlife, but it tends to attract more of a younger college age crowd, largely because of ASU. North Tempe has a pretty dense urban environment, especially around the Mill Avenue district. South Tempe is very suburban. Chandler is just south of Tempe, which I believe looks & feels a lot like south Tempe in many ways.

[observer53]

People here use the word "ghetto" excessively, IMO. There is nothing resembling what one would call a ghetto in either Scottsdale or Chandler.

I've lived in Scottsdale, and live just over the border between Tempe and Chandler (South Tempe). Both Scottsdale and Chandler have their good points. Neither is walkable as you describe it or like cities in the east, so you will likely not be walking for necessities.

There's one large indoor mall in each city. Scottsdale has two large upscale "outdoor malls" in the northern part of the city. Both have their share of power centers and strip malls.

Tempe is not a "huge" suburb in terms of land area compared to the other two. Both Scottsdale and Chandler are nice, but you will get more for your money in terms of not just housing, but things like gasoline, in Chandler. I'd take South Tempe, where I've lived for most of the last 40 years, over either one.

[Valley Native]

Originally Posted by observer53

Tempe is not a "huge" suburb in terms of land area compared to the other two.

Area wise, no ... in fact, Tempe has a rather limited amount of square miles compared to Scottsdale, Mesa, and other suburbs. What I meant by large sized in Tempe's case was how it really feels quite urban, condensed, and more like a city environment compared to other Valley suburbs. It is still considered quite large in population as well, even though other Valley suburbs might be more populous.

Overall, I think quite a few Phoenix suburbs are huge in both population and area, but there are many which are very generic & really don't look or feel like their own city (Gilbert and Surprise are two examples). Tempe feels "huge" in a different way ... less sprawl, more density, and more character.

[Elizabeth1313]

Great feedback as usual! I really like the idea of renting an RV for the trip down... especially with dogs.

I am still having a little trouble figuring out where in Scottsdale I would like to reside. The last time we came for a visit we stayed at the Hotel Valley Ho (which was quirky fun in its own way) and walked everywhere. we walked to old town for dinner at Mission Grill, we walked to Fashion Square for the mall and ate at Olive and Ivy. We walked all around and it was awesome.

The only place we drove was to the game in Glendale and to get breakfast one morning at Orange something??? Le Orange market? I can't recall the name now. Is there any places anyone knows of near there to rent?

[DetroitN8V]

Originally Posted by Elizabeth1313

Great feedback as usual! I really like the idea of renting an RV for the trip down... especially with dogs.

I am still having a little trouble figuring out where in Scottsdale I would like to reside. The last time we came for a visit we stayed at the Hotel Valley Ho (which was quirky fun in its own way) and walked everywhere. we walked to old town for dinner at Mission Grill, we walked to Fashion Square for the mall and ate at Olive and Ivy. We walked all around and it was awesome.

The only place we drove was to the game in Glendale and to get breakfast one morning at Orange something??? Le Orange market? I can't recall the name now. Is there any places anyone knows of near there to rent?

Le Grande Orange is in Phoenix in the Arcadia neighborhood. Really great location. Not sure about rentals but houses are very expensive.

If I didn't care about a yard and having my own pool, I would for sure find a condo or apartment to rent in Old Town. You can't beat having walking/biking access to all that Old Town offers. I would LOVE to be able to walk to the farmers market on Saturdays!