Tempe neighborhood advice

[TempeAZnative]

Originally Posted by azriverfan.

Your city council member will probably disagree: “I think this is going to be fantastic. I’m really excited about it,'' said Councilman Randy Keating, who lives nearby. "That area on Lakeshore and Baseline there has been underwhelming for as long as I’ve lived in Tempe.’’ The area has declined ever since the early 2000's when Chandler developed. I remember the Ford dealership on Baseline and McClintock leaving that area for Chandler. Most of the strip malls in that area have been abandoned and the area has become an area of blight. They are building the Alamo Drafthouse with the intent of revitalizing the area, not because it's considered a nice area at the present. Yes, there is the Whole Foods, but that's pretty much the only nice thing there now. There are homeless people sleeping in these areas. What is amusing is there is an article discussing the Alamo Drafthouse. It included photos of the strip mall it is going in and they happened to catch a homeless person staying there, which illustrates my point.




Tempe lands Arizona's 2nd Alamo Drafthouse Cinema

I think the area will become nice because there has been a renewed interest in Tempe and I think the Alamo Drafthouse will attract more businesses to the area. But let's not stretch the truth and call it a nice area at present. It hasn't been nice for at least 10 years. Most people would not venture to that area on any given Friday or Saturday night due to the crime that exists there now. People talk about Arizona Mills feeling unsafe at night and that area is practically adjacent to that mall.

You don't know anything about the area I actually live in the area and shop in the area. The only issue was the abandoned strip mall which was tore down a couple weeks ago and is being redeveloped into apartments and the Alamo Drafthouse. There is a whole foods on one corner Lowe's on the next corner. Mark Taylor apartments and a bunch of new restaurants. Yes seem to be some elitist snob afraid of everything that you don't persevere of money.

[TempeAZnative]

Originally Posted by Flavia84

well that's unfortunate to hear that areas around Baseline aren't nice. I'm single and trying to stay as close to Tempe and Scottsdale as possible but within South Tempe. So the area around the Lakes is perfect but not if it's deteriorating. 85284 is a bit too far for me...

Your loss it's are nice area with redevelopment taking place. How many bad areas have and can sustain a whole foods. Take what azriverfan says with a grain of salt. They seem to have some type of agenda.

[Leaving Arizona]

I'm going to pick at some of the talk floating around on this page of the thread. Some of my points may seem somewhat in random order; you're forewarned.

Originally Posted by TempeAZnative

Your loss it's are nice area with redevelopment taking place. How many bad areas have and can sustain a whole foods. Take what azriverfan says with a grain of salt. They seem to have some type of agenda.

Agenda? Nah. Azriverfan is pretty much on target. Speaking as a recently relocated native Tempean who has spent 35 of my 44 years within the city limits, there's no agenda here. It's the truth. Now, is it a hellhole such as south Phoenix? No. OP would just need to be a little judicious.

The Lakes area (and surrounds) was the hottest thing in town when I was a little kid in the mid/late seventies, and peaked in the mid-80s when I was in junior high, just before Gilbert and Chandler started getting built up. This area is showing its age, and the outward sprawl to the east and southeast starting around 1988 killed it as a hotspot to live in, though it never seriously declined to the point of scaring people off. There are many lovely homes and 'hoods and the schools are still decent even now.

Baseline from Kyrene to the 101 has been sliding here and there for awhile now, but the area from I-10 to Mill has especially gotten ugly (Guadalupe/So Phx influence? Az Mills? Why? - it really slid hard the last five years we were there). It's better the further east you go from I-10, but one is wise to do some diligent research as one would for any other area.

The square of Elliot to the north, Rural (or even Kyrene) to the west, Ray to the south, and McClintock/101 to the east is pretty solid, unless something has happened in the last 18 months I'm not aware of. Problem is, you will pay for it. This area is not cheap. However, if you're patient and keep looking, you will find something reasonable and in good shape.

The Whole Foods on Rural is in a building that's nearing (or possibly surpassing) 50 years old - when I was a kid, it was an Alpha Beta! I didn't see that it's badly maintained or anything like that the last time I was down there, but I say this to give you an idea of how old some of this area is.

Rural/Baseline is not a bad area at all, just older, and the demographics have been shifting for awhile. North of Baseline you might have to pick and choose, depending on what you're looking for, but again, if you're prudent and look around, you'll be perfectly fine.

Mark Taylor apartments are not the be-all and end-all - I'm not a huge fan of monster high density apartment complexes as these are. However, these tend to be decently maintained and can be a plus for the area if they keep it up.

Here's an overall impression of mine after living in Sierra Tempe for more than 10 years: you have to realize that part of the problem is that the city council doesn't care about anything other than ASU, Mill Avenue, and developing the river banks. The last few years we were in Tempe, we noticed that the city cared less and less about 85283 and started even blowing off 85284, which has some pretty pricey real estate. It's part of what started our serious conversations about relocating, but that was a personal choice.

I have no problem advising people to live in south Tempe, not at all. I just think one has to be prudent and do their research.

[TempeAZnative]

Originally Posted by Leaving Arizona

I'm going to pick at some of the talk floating around on this page of the thread. Some of my points may seem somewhat in random order; you're forewarned.



Agenda? Nah. Azriverfan is pretty much on target. Speaking as a recently relocated native Tempean who has spent 35 of my 44 years within the city limits, there's no agenda here. It's the truth. Now, is it a hellhole such as south Phoenix? No. OP would just need to be a little judicious.

The Lakes area (and surrounds) was the hottest thing in town when I was a little kid in the mid/late seventies, and peaked in the mid-80s when I was in junior high, just before Gilbert and Chandler started getting built up. This area is showing its age, and the outward sprawl to the east and southeast starting around 1988 killed it as a hotspot to live in, though it never seriously declined to the point of scaring people off. There are many lovely homes and 'hoods and the schools are still decent even now.

Baseline from Kyrene to the 101 has been sliding here and there for awhile now, but the area from I-10 to Mill has especially gotten ugly (Guadalupe/So Phx influence? Az Mills? Why? - it really slid hard the last five years we were there). It's better the further east you go from I-10, but one is wise to do some diligent research as one would for any other area.

The square of Elliot to the north, Rural (or even Kyrene) to the west, Ray to the south, and McClintock/101 to the east is pretty solid, unless something has happened in the last 18 months I'm not aware of. Problem is, you will pay for it. This area is not cheap. However, if you're patient and keep looking, you will find something reasonable and in good shape.

The Whole Foods on Rural is in a building that's nearing (or possibly surpassing) 50 years old - when I was a kid, it was an Alpha Beta! I didn't see that it's badly maintained or anything like that the last time I was down there, but I say this to give you an idea of how old some of this area is.

Rural/Baseline is not a bad area at all, just older, and the demographics have been shifting for awhile. North of Baseline you might have to pick and choose, depending on what you're looking for, but again, if you're prudent and look around, you'll be perfectly fine.

Mark Taylor apartments are not the be-all and end-all - I'm not a huge fan of monster high density apartment complexes as these are. However, these tend to be decently maintained and can be a plus for the area if they keep it up.

Here's an overall impression of mine after living in Sierra Tempe for more than 10 years: you have to realize that part of the problem is that the city council doesn't care about anything other than ASU, Mill Avenue, and developing the river banks. The last few years we were in Tempe, we noticed that the city cared less and less about 85283 and started even blowing off 85284, which has some pretty pricey real estate. It's part of what started our serious conversations about relocating, but that was a personal choice.

I have no problem advising people to live in south Tempe, not at all. I just think one has to be prudent and do their research.

I love when people who don't even live in the area comment how it's on a slide. AZ Mills lets see Harkins, Imax, Aquarium, Legoland, Tilt Studios you should see how packed it is and it's actually a lot better then it was 10 years ago. Baseline is not on the slide it isn't some gangland like South Phoenix and while the Guad is lower income it isn't some crime infested gangland spilling over. Actually live in the area like and maybe you would actually know how it is instead of spitting a bunch of bull****.

[Leaving Arizona]

Originally Posted by TempeAZnative

I love when people who don't even live in the area comment how it's on a slide. AZ Mills lets see Harkins, Imax, Aquarium, Legoland, Tilt Studios you should see how packed it is and it's actually a lot better then it was 10 years ago. Baseline is not on the slide it isn't some gangland like South Phoenix and while the Guad is lower income it isn't some crime infested gangland spilling over. Actually live in the area like and maybe you would actually know how it is instead of spitting a bunch of bull****.

Trying to bash me and others over the head with your version how things are is not cool. It's not, as you say, "bull****" (charming). I did qualify my statements, but you didn't seem to read that part. Did you even read my last line?

I am well aware that things are not all sunshine and rainbows and unicorns as you paint them out to be. Chill out.

[asufan]

Originally Posted by Leaving Arizona

Baseline from Kyrene to the 101 has been sliding here and there for awhile now, but the area from I-10 to Mill has especially gotten ugly (Guadalupe/So Phx influence? Az Mills? Why? - it really slid hard the last five years we were there). It's better the further east you go from I-10, but one is wise to do some diligent research as one would for any other area.

It's definitely a seedy area and I think the proximity to the Interstate with cheap motels/strip club also plays a part in the feel, as well as the dirt cheap older apartments lining Baseline from AZ Mills to Hardy. To me, that area from Hardy over to the Phoenix border on the West side of I-10 is the worst part of Tempe, but not necessarily crime riddled. There's probably more crime closer to ASU but that area has the University and other downtown Tempe amenities as well as much more dense housing. The revival of Arizona Mills certainly helps the area, hopefully some of the newer amenities aren't attractive to the South Phoenix gangbangers that used to love hanging out there.