Commuting To/From Scottsdale (Phoenix, Mesa: appointed, new home, transfer)

[ExCMHer]

My company may be transferring me to our offices out in Scottsdale. What are the most realistic options in terms of commute times to/from Scottsdale each day?

I really wouldn't want to drive more than 30 minutes in each direction, since I'd really like to avoid driving more than an hour total each day. So, how far away in each direction could I possibly live and still maintain my sanity?

I'm making the assumption that it will be too expensive to live in Scottsdale itself, which seemed ot be true when my wife & I visited the area for my internal interview. Thanks in advance!

[exit2lef]

Scottsdale is so large (30 miles from top to bottom) that it is possible to have a 30-minute commute just from one point in Scottsdale to another. In order to receive meaningful replies to your question, please specify what part of Scottsdale (major cross streets) your office will be located at.

[ExCMHer]

Originally Posted by silverbear

Scottsdale is so large (30 miles from top to bottom) that it is possible to have a 30-minute commute just from one point in Scottsdale to another. In order to receive meaningful replies to your question, please specify what part of Scottsdale (major cross streets) your office will be located at.

Thanks! My office would be in the Scottsdale Galleria, which is essentially across the street from the Scottsdale Fashion Square.

[exit2lef]

Okay. From there, I'd say a guaranteed 30-minute commuting radius includes the following areas:

Tempe
east side of Phoenix (Arcadia & North Central areas)
west Mesa
Town of Paradise Valley (much more expensive than Scottsdale itself)

iffy about Chandler -- it might be possible

I'd focus on the first two, but also don't count out the southern end of Scottsdale, which is more modestly priced than the portions north of your office.

[ExCMHer]

Originally Posted by silverbear

iffy about Chandler -- it might be possible

Rats. I was afraid you were going to say that. So, Gilbert is essentially out of the question, right?

My wife is going to be disappointed. She really liked some of the homes we saw out there.

You could never buy a nice, new home for anything near those prices anywhere close to DC. She almost died when we heard the incentive packages builders are offering now in that area.

Thanks for sharing your knowledge, though! We commute an hour each way to/from work today, so trust me, the tradeoff is an easy one.

[exit2lef]

Originally Posted by ExCMHer

Rats. I was afraid you were going to say that. So, Gilbert is essentially out of the question, right?

Not really sure. There are others on this board who know Gilbert much better than I. Let's see what they have to say.

[vegaspilgrim]

In theory you should be able to get from most of north Mesa to downtown Scottsdale in less than a half hour. If you take a look at a map, you'll see that roads like Indian School, Thomas, McDowell, and McKellips all cut across the Indian reservation to Alma School and Country Club Rd. A lot of people do in fact drive across the Indian reservation to get to Scottsdale, but I can tell you the people who live on the reservation are NOT happy about it. Right now I know McKellips is blocked off at Alma School, and some of the other ones might be too. I can tell you the 101 heading north towards Scottsdale is extremely backed up up during the morning rush hour, and 101 south is backed up in the evening. Rural Rd/ Scottsdale Rd also frequently suffers from grid lock-- even during the non-rush hour times. McClintock/ Hayden gets a lot of traffic too, occasional gridlock, but it is usually better than the 101 or Scottsdale Rd (shhh... don't tell anybody about that! ).

What is it in particular that you are looking for-- newer housing? Everything west of downtown Scottsdale and pretty much everything south of it within a 30 minute radius is going to be older, 1950s-60s housing. Some of those neighborhoods are extremely nice, some of them not so hot. I've seen some 1950s era neighborhoods just a mile or two from downtown Scottsdale tucked away between Miller and Pima/101 that look dynamite. Of course, most people seem to want something more modern. Keep in mind, commute times are all relative. Commuting from Chandler or Gilbert to Scottsdale during rush hour will probably be more than 30 min one way, and it won't be fun; but it's exactly what thousands of people do every single day-- so if you wanted to you could join them.