Gilbert vs Chandler vs Tempe? (Phoenix, Mesa: real estate, rentals, new home)

[Colt AZ]

Originally Posted by Valley Native

I highly doubt Gilbert will become anything close to a slum, and there is still enough land to keep developing. Gilbert's population might be 300,000 in the next 10 years if it keeps growing like it has. That's approaching the population level of some "major" U.S. cities such as Pittsburgh and Cleveland. It baffles me how Gilbert still wants to remain a TOWN. It's as if they welcome the growth, the development, and the population increases, but still want to retain a Mayberry image. Makes no sense at all.

And there are many places around the USA just like that. They want the best of both worlds.

You're right, VN, it's not realistic.

What actually is happening, is that our once cutesy, little Arizona is slowly morphing into just one more over-populated monster, complete with denizens that have little or no idea what they're creating in this, their new habitat. Too much, too quickly. Growing pains, to be more precise.

Sure, they come. They go. They come. However, in general the overall effect is an explosion which seems continually destined for implosion. There needs to be a way to have growth without creating unwanted OVERGROWTH.

[Ponderosa]

Originally Posted by Valley Native

I highly doubt Gilbert will become anything close to a slum, and there is still enough land to keep developing. Gilbert's population might be 300,000 in the next 10 years if it keeps growing like it has. That's approaching the population level of some "major" U.S. cities such as Pittsburgh and Cleveland. It baffles me how Gilbert still wants to remain a TOWN. It's as if they welcome the growth, the development, and the population increases, but still want to retain a Mayberry image. Makes no sense at all.

There is little difference in the powers and duties of a city and town under AZ law. The main one, and the reason I suspect they want to be a town, is that the town council must be elected town-wide and not by districts. This lets the Mormon minority influence all the council seats instead of just those in the predominantly Mormon areas.

[Valley Native]

Originally Posted by Colt AZ

What actually is happening, is that our once cutesy, little Arizona is slowly morphing into just one more over-populated monster, complete with denizens that have little or no idea what they're creating in this, their new habitat. Too much, too quickly. Growing pains, to be more precise.

Sure, they come. They go. They come. However, in general the overall effect is an explosion which seems continually destined for implosion. There needs to be a way to have growth without creating unwanted OVERGROWTH.

You definitely have a point. For the most part, I actually welcome growth & development. What I don't welcome is haphazard sprawl type of growth, and people moving here just because it's warm, sunny, and supposedly cheap. It has reached the point where Arizona is no longer a small or mid sized populated state ... it's in the top 15 now thanks largely to all the growth in Maricopa County. Phoenix is the 5th largest city in the nation, and the metro area is 12th largest in the nation. We can no longer have growth just to become bigger & bigger. We need to focus more on quality vs. quantity.

[Flavia84]

It deprnds on your budget. If you can make it work, South Tempe has some really nice old established neighborhoods which are in close proximity to just about everywhere in the Valley.
Gilbert is a really nice town, one of the safest in the country, more affordable than Tempe but a bit remote. I would not personally consider Chandler as it lacks character, and landscaping is underwhelming.

[Thomasaz]

Originally Posted by Valley Native

I highly doubt Gilbert will become anything close to a slum, and there is still enough land to keep developing. Gilbert's population might be 300,000 in the next 10 years if it keeps growing like it has. That's approaching the population level of some "major" U.S. cities such as Pittsburgh and Cleveland. It baffles me how Gilbert still wants to remain a TOWN. It's as if they welcome the growth, the development, and the population increases, but still want to retain a Mayberry image. Makes no sense at all.

In thirty to forty years, I won’t be surprised if the older neighborhoods in Gilbert near Mesa and downtown Gilbert become slums. Sprawl growth throughout Phoenix creates slums precisely because of what you mentioned: enough land to keep developing. As an area gets older and rough looking people tend to move out or the population becomes older.

Parts of Gilbert won’t become slums? Ok, let’s tell that to the people who used to live in West and Central Mesa, or near Metrocenter, or...should I really keep going? One future slum is often replaced by another one.

[asufan]

Originally Posted by Flavia84

I would not personally consider Chandler as it lacks character, and landscaping is underwhelming.

Yeah, the landscaping is really underwhelming

Here's some underwhelming examples from THREE different large master planned communities in South Chandler (Fulton Ranch, Ocotillo, Valencia), there's plenty of others as well. Not sure what it is you're looking for that Gilbert has more of.

[asufan]

I moved to South Chandler from South Tempe, and I really like both areas. South Tempe of course has a better location, but South Chandler has the better houses and communities with still plenty of nice shopping and dining (and proximal to a substantial amount of high end employment). Gilbert on the other hand, has nothing as nice as South Chandler, although the more affordable parts of Gibert are nicer than the more affordable part of Chandler. Apples to apples, a new home in Gilbert will cost less than the same home in Chandler. You can easily comp it out by looking at the Circle G custom homes in Chandler vs Circle G in Gilbert. Compare Ocotillo to Val Vista Lakes, Fulton Ranch to Seville, etc, Chandler is much pricier in those comparison. But Chandler does have much more of a "ghetto" (or working class) area in the area a couple miles North of the 202 between Alma School and McQueen (maybe not even that far West). West Chandler is more like an extension of South Tempe, great location, houses by and large aren't anything to write home about, still very desirable. South Chandler is the area where the newer, nicer communities are.

[Thomasaz]

Originally Posted by asufan

Yeah, the landscaping is really underwhelming

Here's some underwhelming examples from THREE different large master planned communities in South Chandler (Fulton Ranch, Ocotillo, Valencia), there's plenty of others as well. Not sure what it is you're looking for that Gilbert has more of.

Look, those are great and all, but everything except parts of South Chandler look like the complete oppposite. White or beige homes with xeriscape landscaping. Chandler has too many generic 90s era communities that look terrible. I could say the same for Gilbert, but it’s slightly newer and doesn’t have as many. Gilbert is somewhere in between the extremes of Chandler. I hope that makes sense.

[asufan]

Originally Posted by Thomasaz

Look, those are great and all, but everything except parts of South Chandler look like the complete oppposite. White or beige homes with xeriscape landscaping. Chandler has too many generic 90s era communities that look terrible. I could say the same for Gilbert, but it’s slightly newer and doesn’t have as many. Gilbert is somewhere in between the extremes of Chandler. I hope that makes sense.

South Chandler is a huge area where a majority of the newer (2000+) developments have occurred. You don't dismiss it as if it's a small insignificant part of the city, it's a major part of the city and where a lot of the money lives.

[Pink Jazz]

Originally Posted by asufan

South Chandler is a huge area where a majority of the newer (2000+) developments have occurred. You don't dismiss it as if it's a small insignificant part of the city, it's a major part of the city and where a lot of the money lives.

There are some nice areas in West Chandler; the more sketchy part of Chandler is mainly north of Downtown and east of the 101.