Surprise the ghetto? Peoria trailer city (Mesa, Scottsdale: crime, new home, buy)

[justlivin]

We just moved from Peoria to Surprise. We had mentioned this to a couple of times to people in the east valley and they referred to us living in the ghetto? I know that people would call Peoria trailer city because of all the trailer parks, everywhere but why would you call Surprise a ghetto? We find Surprise a really nice place to live or so it seems. It is very clean, diversified, just a really neat place. It is lacking shopping facilities, no mall, theaters, but very clean. Has anyone else heard anyone refer to Surprise as the ghetto? It would be sad to move from trailer city to the ghetto. lol i think it is a really bad call. Is the crime bad in Surprise?

[military spouse]

I think people have some interesting pre-conceived ideas about the West Valley. We moved here 4 or 5 months ago (Goodyear) and I absolutely love it. People from other parts of the valley think we have no shopping, but there is everything we need. I do go to Scottsdale for a few things such as the Great Indoors, Home Depot Expo, and a great silk plant place. We drove through Surprise the other day and I was suprised to see how clean, tidy and nice it appears. We have some friends that think we're slumming it out here, but we're quite happy. We have every restaurant that I could want and when they build the Razmataz here, I will be set.

[ibarrio]

LOL...don't let the secret out. Surprise is far from the Ghetto. Safer then any East Valley City..

[Great Joy]

Trailer parks in Peoria?? Where?? If people say that, they are getting the city boundaries confused with Sun City and Surprise. And, the actual names do not include the words "trailer park", they are called RV resorts. I think the retired folks with the $500,000+ RVs much prefer the actual resort names. And, if you've been to any of them, they are actually very nice and upscale....especially Happy Trails RV Resort in Surprise. You should see it; it's amazing! And, Surprise being a ghetto! Definitely not! Those "east valley" comments make me laugh!

[markas214]

Ignorance? Stupidity? A sense of superiorty or maybe actually insecurity? Those areas are basically brand new and very middle and upper middle class. Funny that people who live in the "desirable" older areas feel the need to look down on the West Valley. Looking at what your money can buy in Scottsadale, a 35 year old overpriced 1500 sq foot, outdated house, I can't see the source of the arrogance. The one thing I do like about the older developments are the big lots. Other than that...hmmm... I'm thinking...

[Captain Bill]

Originally Posted by Great Joy

Trailer parks in Peoria?? Where?? If people say that, they are getting the city boundaries confused with Sun City and Surprise. And, the actual names do not include the words "trailer park", they are called RV resorts. I think the retired folks with the $500,000+ RVs much prefer the actual resort names. And, if you've been to any of them, they are actually very nice and upscale....especially Happy Trails RV Resort in Surprise. You should see it; it's amazing! And, Surprise being a ghetto! Definitely not! Those "east valley" comments make me laugh!

I have a wealthy snowbird client who owns a home in an RV Resort in Mesa. He still owns it but bought another home on the lake in Gilbert. He uses the trailer home for overflow guests.

When I first met him he called the trailer park a "High End Mobile Park". Now that he bought the big winter home on the lake he said that he is no longer "trailer trash".

[londonbarcelona]

Originally Posted by justlivin

We just moved from Peoria to Surprise. We had mentioned this to a couple of times to people in the east valley and they referred to us living in the ghetto? I know that people would call Peoria trailer city because of all the trailer parks, everywhere but why would you call Surprise a ghetto? We find Surprise a really nice place to live or so it seems. It is very clean, diversified, just a really neat place. It is lacking shopping facilities, no mall, theaters, but very clean. Has anyone else heard anyone refer to Surprise as the ghetto? It would be sad to move from trailer city to the ghetto. lol i think it is a really bad call. Is the crime bad in Surprise?

I don't think it's the ghetto. I would say those people who say that are referring to the area around the air force base and that those same people have not been out that way since all the new development. Ignore them, enjoy your new home!

[londonbarcelona]

Originally Posted by ibarrio

LOL...don't let the secret out. Surprise is far from the Ghetto. Safer then any East Valley City..

Ghetto, no. Safer than the east valley? I think not. But whatever...

[MotleyCrew]

I can't recall even driving past a trailer park here in Peoria.

[SOON2BNSURPRISE]

I fell in love with Surprise in 2003 when I helped my parents move there. Kind of wondered why they would want to leave the coast for some unknown place in the wild west of Arizona. Turns out that my idea of what Arizona living and the real deal are two different things. Also the idea that Surprise is some kind of ghetto is so far off the mark that it is funny. Maybe some people think that living in a new home in a beautiful community is what ghetto life is all about. Not sure. In Surprise most of the homes that I have seen are fairly new. Most of the shopping is fairly new. The schools are new. The roads are new. I have seldom seen a community that is so new in my entire life. The fact is that historrical homes in Surprise are those that seem to have been built in 1990. I am sure that their are homes older than that, I just haven't seen any of them yet. For me the community reminds me of parts of Ventura County California. The Mission Oaks area of Cammarillo, or parts of Moorpark come to mind. Also parts of Thousand Oaks and Simi Valley come to mind. For me I can't wait to be living in Surprise later this year. I say that because our builder just started building our home yesterday. When the community says to Live, Work, and Play in Surprise Arizona, I believe it. I look for the day when I can do all those things without leaving the city. Chances are that will be a few years, but it is in the future of this vibrant and growing world class community