Commute from Estrella to..... (Phoenix, Scottsdale: lawyer, houses, buyer)
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Considering move to Phoenix area, thinking about Estrella, seeking information about commute time from Godaddy offices to Estrella, referrals for other IT jobs
We are considering moving to Phoenix, we are looking at Estrella because that is where my brother-in-law lives. My husband is a software/web developer. One of the places he is considering putting his resume' in at is godaddy. What would the commute be like from Estrella? Is there any other sofware development firms there that he should apply to? He has been in this field for 10+ years and has his degree. Any suggestions would be great. Thank you!
We are considering moving to Phoenix, we are looking at Estrella because that is where my brother-in-law lives. My husband is a software/web developer. One of the places he is considering putting his resume' in at is godaddy. What would the commute be like from Estrella? Is there any other sofware development firms there that he should apply to? He has been in this field for 10+ years and has his degree. Any suggestions would be great. Thank you!
bashep, from Estrella to godaddy on Buckey Rd in Phoenix is 31 miles and will take approximately 45 minutes and up to 1 hour and 10 minutes in commute traffic; with the sun in your eyes driving each direction.
You could cut that commute way down by looking at Ahwatukee, South Tempe, or South Chandler.
If living within a few minutes of a family member is very important the the extra commute time may be worth it.
We are considering moving to Phoenix, we are looking at Estrella because that is where my brother-in-law lives. My husband is a software/web developer. One of the places he is considering putting his resume' in at is godaddy. What would the commute be like from Estrella? Is there any other sofware development firms there that he should apply to? He has been in this field for 10+ years and has his degree. Any suggestions would be great. Thank you!
My wife works near 16th Street and Roosevelt (couple miles north of Buckeye) and rush hour is 45-55 minutes from Estrella to there. But you don't move to Estrella for the convenience . Godaddy has an office in Scottsdale, I thought, and I would just forget about Estrella if that is where he would work. You would spend half your life in the car.
As for the sun, that is east-sider hogwash. There's a couple of weeks each year where it is really noticeable and this is right around the equinoxes. The rest of the time the sun is too high or too low (dark) or too far north or south to be more than a minimal annoyance. It's just another bump on the freeway of life - definitely not something I would make a home choice decision over. Also, depending on your travel times you get to see beautiful sunrises and sunsets many days of the year that east-siders can only glimpse in the rearview over the hood of that tailgater.
Last edited by Ponderosa; 01-20-2008 at 06:35 AM..
Let me add that the commute to Buckeye Road is not at all an unusual distance for people here. My neighbors are airline pilots, so go to the airport. Another one works at the Scottsdale airpark. People live out here to have the illusion of small town life, for the many community activities and the sense of belonging, to get away from Phoenix, to have the lakes and mountains and all the hiking opportunities. If you get into it and take advantage of all the stuff out here and all the parties, dances, farmers markets, movies in the park, symphony and jazz nights, classes and all the things they do, then living in Estrella is not just about the house and the yard like so much of Phoenix life is. If you are not the type that likes that kind of stuff, then live somewhere where you drive home, pop open the garage door and hide out until it is time to go back to work again. There would be no point in putting up with the inconvenience of Estrella.
Last edited by Ponderosa; 01-20-2008 at 07:02 AM..
Thank you so much for your input. Let me tell you what we are looking for. We would be moving from Colorado Springs, CO. If you are familiar with it, we wake up every morning to the beautiful sight of Pikes Peak out our window. We are a family that loves the convenience of hiking, mountain biking, fishing, camping,etc. SO, we want to move somewhere that has all of that still at our fingertips. Schools are critical to our move. I have been researching schools and Estrella seems very comparible to what we have now. My kids are in a top charter school here that has uniforms with a character building influence. Our academic program is considered one of the top in the state. So we are nervous walking away from that. Which is the only thing that is really making this move difficult for us. Our kids are all on board to move... But we are worried about their education. We do want a community atmosphere. We are not into the parties, etc. But we would love to be in an area where my kids can play basketball year and other sports. If there are any other areas that you can throw at me, please do! My husband will be out there the 3rd week in February visiting his brother and I want him to see other areas if he needs to. Thanks!
Also, depending on your travel times you get to see beautiful sunrises and sunsets many days of the year that east-siders can only glimpse in the rearview over the hood of that tailgater.
Ponderosa, you know this is not east side hogwash. This is a fact of life and the people who are moving into the Phoenix area should be given the facts and let them make their decision on where to commute from based on their personal preferences, but with full knowledge of all the circumstances.
If I were to show homes in Goodyear to a buyer who is commuting to Phoenix and didn't tell her about the sun in relation to commuting, and didn't explain that there were closer areas with better commute distances, then I would be remis in my duties to my client. When she started driving and learned that she couldn't take the sun, do you know who she would blame for not disclosing the commute/driving conditions?
For half a year (from around March 20 to around September 22) the northern hemisphere tips toward the Sun, with the maximum tilt being around June 20.
So during the summer months the sun is going to be very close to being right in ones eyes driving west in the afternoon. Turn just a few degrees toward the southwest and it hits you square in the eyes. During the other 6 months it's a little further south but still in front of you in both directions.
While I do live on the east side, I have to drive to the west many times in the late afternoon, and the east in the morning, depending on where my appointments are.
My personal preference is to glimpse at the sunrise or the sunset in the rearview mirror rather than have it in my eyes while I'm driving. The tailgater is going to be there anyway, and I'm not worried about him. I'm worried about seeing the car in front of me, and with the sun in myes that makes it difficult.
Well you should check out Estrella. We have two elementary schools and a high school. Of the elementary, the older one, Estrella is the better in terms of the state ratings - it has the top rank they give. The other one, Westar is ranked two notches lower - nothing to be proud of. They have had problems with a bad administration that is now gone. The demographic of the two schools is exactly the same - affluent to very affluent, mostly white but a fair amount of other ethnicities as well. Everyone who goes to the elementary schools lives in this community. There are no uniforms at either school, but they have a dress code. The kids are nice, if somewhat spoiled. There is less churn at Estrella Elem and many of the kids have been together since kindergarten. Estrella has a lot more of a "family" feel to it. Westar area sees more growth. Maybe some of that contributes to the higher ranking of Estrella. Either place is welcoming of new kids.
The high school is ranked at the second level in the state. They only opened for full four years recently, so have a few growing pains. Life is tougher for teens here because there is very little for them to do. Everything is down the hill in town. So you drive them or let them go with friends. They do have a youth center with some games and the kids hang out at the parks and the lakes. In summer, they have the waterpark, though, and that keeps them occupied. We don't have a lot of teen issues, but occasionally there is a burst of vandalism - egging houses, busting mailboxes etc. Like everywhere, there are drugs and other temptations.
Estrella has its own youth sports group, Estrella Youth Sports (on the web) as well as the city teams and YMCA. They are building an aquatic center at the high school with competitive type lanes and diving platforms and supposedly another water park with a lazy river . Unlike the existing park, this one is city and would be open to the public, though.
Other places in Phoenix with good schools include all of Gilbert, much of Chandler, Ahwatukee (Phoenix) and other areas I don't know as well. There are a lot of good schools here in spite of the garbage you see posted that says otherwise. There are a lot of bad ones too, but not in areas that you will probably be planning to live. Here, like everywhere, education quality is a function of family income.
Ponderosa, you know this is not east side hogwash. This is a fact of life and the people who are moving into the Phoenix area should be given the facts and let them make their decision on where to commute from based on their personal preferences, but with full knowledge of all the circumstances.
If I were to show homes in Goodyear to a buyer who is commuting to Phoenix and didn't tell her about the sun in relation to commuting, and didn't explain that there were closer areas with better commute distances, then I would be remis in my duties to my client. When she started driving and learned that she couldn't take the sun, do you know who she would blame for not disclosing the commute/driving conditions?
For half a year (from around March 20 to around September 22) the northern hemisphere tips toward the Sun, with the maximum tilt being around June 20.
So during the summer months the sun is going to be very close to being right in ones eyes driving west in the afternoon. Turn just a few degrees toward the southwest and it hits you square in the eyes. During the other 6 months it's a little further south but still in front of you in both directions.
While I do live on the east side, I have to drive to the west many times in the late afternoon, and the east in the morning, depending on where my appointments are.
My personal preference is to glimpse at the sunrise or the sunset in the rearview mirror rather than have it in my eyes while I'm driving. The tailgater is going to be there anyway, and I'm not worried about him. I'm worried about seeing the car in front of me, and with the sun in myes that makes it difficult.
Utter nonsense! You are making a mountain out of a mole hill. I lived on the east side for 20 years and on the west side for about 15 commuting every bit of it. I always said the same thing about the west side when I lived on the east. In summer the sun is so high in the sky that it is above the windshield line at commute times. It can be right in your eyes in late March and in September when sunrise and set times coincide with rush hour. This concern is silly and trivial. Your east side biases are not going to override my years of experience and convince me otherwise.
Last edited by Ponderosa; 01-20-2008 at 08:09 AM..
I'm not taking sides as I respect both of you as regular posters, but... right now, for the past two weeks I've had sun in my eyes commuting east. Luckily, I only head east for about five miles and I also leave later than most I think (8:40a). If I left earlier I'd have it much worse. It's only certain times of the year and I couldn't even tell you when (other than now). The sun always hits me right above my rear view mirror. In the past I would put a couple of post-its up and that blocks it out fine. It's NOTHING I would consider to not move on the west side and commute east though.
On the other hand, I don't mean any offense and I don't want this is continue back and forth forever, but... I think the idea of blaming your RE agent for not disclosing that sun would be hitting you in your eyes on your way to work is one of the most ridiculous ideas I've ever heard in RE. With all the numerous things an agent has to worry about in a transaction this would be the most trivial thing to even consider important. Is there a case about this that you would even think about it? I did RE for a few years and this seems so crazy. It sounds more like a lawyer twist to win a case than an actual concern a normal person would have.
Anyway, to the OP. I would visit again and explore all areas and see what YOU like the best. See what feels right and what seems like a decent commute to work. Do the actual commute in the morning, don't just take what others say. I know people will post their times and not disclose the fact that they take an unusual way (like certain surface streets that they know is faster) than the normal way a lot of people would take (freeways- especially new people). The great thing about the valley is that there is always more than one way to get somewhere usually - there are a few exceptions though. But, lots of times there could be 10 different ways to get to work and some will take 30 mins longer than another.
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. Godaddy has an office in Scottsdale, I thought, and I would just forget about Estrella if that is where he would work. You would spend half your life in the car. 
