Relocating to Phoenix - West Valley vs. East Valley - Pros and Cons (Glendale: real estate, lawyers)

[smoochaz]

Originally Posted by Dewey59

Why do some people always have to have a conflict with someone else? West siders vs. east siders? Really?

You can find the items on your list on either side of the valley. The wants / needs you identified are pretty generic. I think you will need to find those esoteric items that are of particular interest to you. Hobbies, entertainment, etc. As someone else mentioned, you generally get more bang for your buck on the west side.

The big box stores are ubiquitous no matter where you are. As are chain restaurants. If you like the nightlife, I would recommend the east side. If you are more into bedroom communities, then maybe the west side provides better value.

I think a lot of the west vs. east debates on this forum center more around age related activities. If I were in my 20s, I don't think I would want to live on the west side. But since I am in my 50s, I like it over here!

Agreed! I'm becoming more and more a fan of the West Side - but you say 1 hour commute - I imagine you'll have to make lots of trips to downtown Phx - so I would suggest you look in Chandler, Ahwatukee area, Gilbert - those would be the areas I would concentrate on - west side is too far IMO from downtown phx

[Ponderosa]

Originally Posted by smoochaz

Agreed! I'm becoming more and more a fan of the West Side - but you say 1 hour commute - I imagine you'll have to make lots of trips to downtown Phx - so I would suggest you look in Chandler, Ahwatukee area, Gilbert - those would be the areas I would concentrate on - west side is too far IMO from downtown phx

Where I live I have to get to the freeway first, but much of Goodyear is only about 20 minutes from downtown. That's outside of rush hour and I10 is a bear past the 101 in the morning and 67th or so in the afternoon in rush hours. But in any case, downtown is little or no further from Goodyear than it is from Gilbert. West Chandler/Ahwatukee/Tempe are best for downtown trips, but you will have heavy traffic and delays at peak travel times. Surprise, yes. Surprise has a very bad location with respect to many places. You end up having to go to Goodyear first, so why not just live there?

One can go to az511.com during rush hours and see live traffic maps. Do this for a few days to get an idea of where the bottlenecks and travel times are. Be advised that in summer, it's much better than winter for whatever reason. Also, there is construction for the new freeway interchange on I10 at 59th ave so that is a constant backup.

[LBTRS]

I live on the far west edge of Goodyear (at the 303 loop) and can make it downtown (with no traffic) in about 25 minutes. Airport is about 35 minutes.

Google maps shows Goodyear as being closer to downtown than Gilbert is. I don't know how Goodyear and the 303 loop are classified as "far west valley boonies" and Gilbert is not? Seems it is just more unfounded "worstside" bias.

[MGS4EVER]

Originally Posted by LBTRS

I live on the far west edge of Goodyear (at the 303 loop) and can make it downtown (with no traffic) in about 25 minutes. Airport is about 35 minutes.

Google maps shows Goodyear as being closer to downtown than Gilbert is. I don't know how Goodyear and the 303 loop are classified as "far west valley boonies" and Gilbert is not? Seems it is just more unfounded "worstside" bias.

Yeah, I'm farther out than you, but I agree with you regarding the airport trip time. And it only took me 40 mins to get to Bell & the 51 and I live west of loop 303. That's taking Northern to the 101 up and around to the 51 & bell. No big deal. I think the complainers just don't like to drive. I've heard the same complaints for 17 years. I lived in CA and went to SF to see the niners play. It was a 4 hour round trip drive. People here are complaining about having to drive to Westgate to see the Cards play. Really? Spoiled whiny babies from the eastside.

[asufan]

Originally Posted by LBTRS

I live on the far west edge of Goodyear (at the 303 loop) and can make it downtown (with no traffic) in about 25 minutes. Airport is about 35 minutes.

Google maps shows Goodyear as being closer to downtown than Gilbert is. I don't know how Goodyear and the 303 loop are classified as "far west valley boonies" and Gilbert is not? Seems it is just more unfounded "worstside" bias.

It matters not how fast you can get somewhere "with no traffic" (I made it to the D-Backs game 21 minutes garage to chase field garage on a Saturday, but that's not with traffic). What matters is that it is on the edge of town. About 95%++ of the land between the 303 West to the Sun Valley Pkwy is vacant land, much of the land East of the 303 between it and the 101 is vacant land (I would venture a guess of 40% at least). It is way out there on the edge of town. There is nothing West of the 303 of significance (yet), no movie theaters or entertainment options, no employment other than a few prisons and retail. Most of the valley has grown East, so the center of employment and entertainment in the valley is really East of downtown. In every sense of the word, the 303 is in the "boonies" as it definitely is on the outer edge of civilization. Sure there are things slightly to the East, but nothing really on the other side

[MGS4EVER]

Originally Posted by asufan

It matters not how fast you can get somewhere "with no traffic" (I made it to the D-Backs game 21 minutes garage to chase field garage on a Saturday, but that's not with traffic). What matters is that it is on the edge of town. About 95%++ of the land between the 303 West to the white tanks is vacant land, much of the land East of the 303 between it and the 101 is vacant land (I would venture a guess of 40% at least). It is way out there on the edge of town. There is nothing West of the 303 of significance (yet), no movie theaters or entertainment options, no employment other than a few prisons and retail. Most of the valley has grown East, so the center of employment and entertainment in the valley is really East of downtown. In every sense of the word, the 303 is in the "boonies" as it definitely is on the outer edge of civilization. Sure there are things slightly to the East, but nothing really on the other side

You really don't know what you're talking about.

[asufan]

Originally Posted by MGS4EVER

You really don't know what you're talking about.

OK, I guess the 303 isn't on the edge of town because you live next to I-10 and can be downtown in 30 minutes

[MGS4EVER]

Originally Posted by asufan

OK, I guess the 303 isn't on the edge of town because you live next to I-10 and can be downtown in 30 minutes

That's not what I highlighted in your post. I highlighted this:

About 95%++ of the land between the 303 West to the white tanks is vacant land, much of the land East of the 303 between it and the 101 is vacant land (I would venture a guess of 40% at least). It is way out there on the edge of town. There is nothing West of the 303 of significance (yet), no movie theaters or entertainment options, no employment other than a few prisons and retail.

Again, you really don't know what you're talking about.

[asufan]

Originally Posted by MGS4EVER

That's not what I highlighted in your post. I highlighted this:

About 95%++ of the land between the 303 West to the white tanks is vacant land, much of the land East of the 303 between it and the 101 is vacant land (I would venture a guess of 40% at least). It is way out there on the edge of town. There is nothing West of the 303 of significance (yet), no movie theaters or entertainment options, no employment other than a few prisons and retail.

Again, you really don't know what you're talking about.

Sorry I guess we have different definitions. I look at it the way I look at Eastmark in Mesa. Sure there's some development beyond it but not anything of any significance. Just sporadic residential and some support retail, it's the edge of town. Whether it's a positive or negative is up to you, as others in Goodyear stated, they like the lack of congestion.

[LBTRS]

Originally Posted by asufan

It matters not how fast you can get somewhere "with no traffic" (I made it to the D-Backs game 21 minutes garage to chase field garage on a Saturday, but that's not with traffic). What matters is that it is on the edge of town. About 95%++ of the land between the 303 West to the Sun Valley Pkwy is vacant land, much of the land East of the 303 between it and the 101 is vacant land (I would venture a guess of 40% at least). It is way out there on the edge of town. There is nothing West of the 303 of significance (yet), no movie theaters or entertainment options, no employment other than a few prisons and retail. Most of the valley has grown East, so the center of employment and entertainment in the valley is really East of downtown. In every sense of the word, the 303 is in the "boonies" as it definitely is on the outer edge of civilization. Sure there are things slightly to the East, but nothing really on the other side

Maybe you were not aware that there is an entire city between the 303 and Sun Valley Pkwy? There are two cities between the 303 and the 101.

You really have no idea what you're talking about and your trip down the I10 when you're going to California, Mexico or Las Vegas doesn't make you a west valley expert. There is much you can't see from the I10, just as there is when you travel freeways in the east valley.

If how long it takes isn't how you want to measure then quit ignoring the rest of my post where I stated that Google Maps shows that Goodyear is closer than Gilbert to the core of the city. I don't know how something can be "way out there" when it is closer than another place that you don't consider "way out there".