Gilbert (Higley/Elliot area) - What is it like? (Phoenix: renters, HOA)

[tkmaz]

I'm a native Arizonan. Grew up in Phoenix & Glendale, moved to Scottsdale 11 years ago with my husband...he's been in Scottsdale almost 30 years.

What I love in my area: Sprouts, Whole Foods, Trader Joes....close to the Naturopath, hospital, schools & a 10 minute drive to Fashion Square. Our pool. I guess what I love is convenience. I'd like to have more room...garden...a bigger home but it is what it is.

Then we accidentally saw Gilbert. My husband had to visit a job site & I was with him...Higley Estates. Children were outside playing! Having a lemonade stand! Riding in DROVES to school in the morning! I've never seen ANYTHING like it. Except in movies.
In Scottsdale....we go through the drop off, the kids go to all different schools due to open enrollment so rarely have friends in their neighborhood.
I just fell in LOVE. It was.....idyllic.

Concerns: We are not religious. Will my kids have a rough time making friends. They are 9 & 15 & we MIGHT wait until our eldest graduates.
The commute to Scottsdale - my husband has a lot of business there.
HOA. I've been spoiled as I haven't had one, we can do whatever we like & it's nice.

Can anyone give me an inside view on what it's really like in this neighborhood?

[BuckeyeBoyDJ]

Gilbert looks and feels a lot more suburban than Scottsdale. Gilbert is pretty much the perfect example of American suburbia (kids playing outside as you witnessed, soccer moms galore, family oriented, etc). Your kids wouldn't have a hard time at all making friends. The whole "east valley being super religious" phenomenon is severely overhyped. There's people from all walks of life in Gilbert it's just like living anywhere else. The only thing that will probably be a deal breaker for you is your husband's job. The area of Gilbert you're looking in is pretty far from most of Scottsdale. If your husband does business there frequently the drive back&forth will wear on his nerves fast. Also you have great amenities close to you living in Scottsdale and you may or may not be willing to give that up. The vast majority of homes in Gilbert are in subdivisions which are run by hoas so you may not be very fond of that after not having to deal with an hoa for so long in your current living situation.

[sandy6879]

That is one of my favorite neighborhoods in Gilbert. It's wonderful over there. That area of Gilbert especially has white picket fences, actual mailboxes to get your mail, yards with grass. My accountant lives over there and loves it, as do all my clients who live there. You stumbled on a good area

[M.Unit]

We live there - not specifically Higley Estates but in Morrison Ranch down Elliott Rd.

It's a great place to live if you're looking for that family oriented feel. For us, coming from the east coast, it was nice to have grass everywhere (had to come here for my husband's job otherwise we would have stayed east, close to family). I find the desert look to be whimsical but I get tired of it quickly. I have small kids and they love playing in the front yard - tough to do when you have rock everywhere.
While there are many "religious" people here, there are many that aren't. Everyone though is VERY friendly and the schools here are all pretty much A+ schools.
For your husband, depending on what time he needs to be at work, he's looking at a 40-60 minute commute (one way). If he has a short drive now, that may be a deal breaker. When you're not used to it, it stinks!!! Even when you are used to it, it still stinks.

[vagabundo94]

We lived in Higley Estates for several years, and still own a home there, which we have no trouble renting out. We left when we moved to Georgia, a few years ago.

It is a nice community. Nice parks, lots of grass. Great area for families. We are religious, but not Mormon, and we did connect with a few families...but not many. There are many, many Mormons in the community, and while they are all very nice, unless you attend church with them on Sundays, and the various additional church meetings during the week (boy scouts, "Firesides"...whatever those things are, kids dances on the weekend, etc., all hosted at or by the church), you simply will not connect with them beyond being neighborhood aquantances.

If you are lucky, your kids can be a little bit more connected than that.

Overall, it didn't work for us. We were happy to leave. But I believe our renters love it there and plan on staying a long time.