Best Suburb for Young Couple (Phoenix, Scottsdale: apartment, insurance, new home)

[DetroitN8V]

Originally Posted by asufan

Haha, I would actually put them on the same level but central Phoenix has a much bigger homeless problem. I know my wife wouldn't go jogging around Thomas and 7th Ave in yoga pants by herself at night

Really? That’s Encanto and Encanto-adjacent. I have a friend that lives on a beautiful street just south of Thomas. You’ll always see solo women jogging and walking their dogs through the neighborhood in the evenings. It happens to be very nice, and quite pricey.

[asufan]

Originally Posted by DetroitN8V

Really? That’s Encanto and Encanto-adjacent. I have a friend that lives on a beautiful street just south of Thomas. You’ll always see solo women jogging and walking their dogs through the neighborhood in the evenings. It happens to be very nice, and quite pricey.

Yeah I've been to the area hundreds of times. Just throwing out a random central Phoenix intersection. The point is, the OP has to worry about a woman's perspective and desires and maybe she desires safety and tranquility over everything else.

[DetroitN8V]

Originally Posted by asufan

Yeah I've been to the area hundreds of times. Just throwing out a random central Phoenix intersection. The point is, the OP has to worry about a woman's perspective and desires and maybe she desires safety and tranquility over everything else.

Maybe but if she’s concerned that living in urban Phoenix is like a traditional big city, she’d be mistaken. There are countless young couples and single women that live in the city, so there’s no reason to be fearful. For someone young and seeking walkability, it would be foolish not to consider it.

[KeltronZero]

It's more the overwhelming nature of cities and congested population that she wants to avoid. We're used to cities like NYC, Philly, and Baltimore. Not sure if Phoenix is comparable or not.

We don't mind driving to get places for something to do. I suppose I overstated the desire for walkability; it's just a good bonus.

[Lilbell88]

Chandler or Gilbert is safe really nice compared to phoenix. Chandler is less expensive than Gilbert but also a great place. North Scottsdale has lots of jobs too.

[DetroitN8V]

Originally Posted by Lilbell88

Chandler or Gilbert is safe really nice compared to phoenix. Chandler is less expensive than Gilbert but also a great place. North Scottsdale has lots of jobs too.

LOL, that’s a terribly erroneous generalization. Arcadia, Biltmore, Uptown and the historic districts are all MUCH nicer, more interesting, in a far better central location for job hunting, with more to do than boring, vanilla Gilbert.

[JGMotorsport64]

Originally Posted by KeltronZero

It's more the overwhelming nature of cities and congested population that she wants to avoid. We're used to cities like NYC, Philly, and Baltimore. Not sure if Phoenix is comparable or not.

We don't mind driving to get places for something to do. I suppose I overstated the desire for walkability; it's just a good bonus.

It’s not comparable at all. Phoenix proper is basically a strip of urban area and then dense inner ring suburb.

The points on here should be well taken. The area north of Downtown Phoenix and into midtown and uptown are quite nice and suburban by east coast standards. They should not be ruled out.

If suburb is what she wants, and I get it my wife used to be like that, Tempe is a great suburb for young professionals, especially south of Apache. South Scottsdale is also great.

Chandler can be good, but Chandler is somewhere IMO you move to when it’s time to start having kids. It has a nice strip but the rest is pretty standard and not walkable. But you, like me, seem like the dink non-kid types, and if so I’d avoid a place like Chandler because, frankly, it’s gonna be you and a bunch of families. Gilbert will be worse due to LDS influence.

Traditional suburban build patterns here are 1x1 mi blocks with the corners and edges either lined with apartments or retail or both. If you aim correctly anywhere is walkable here.

[asufan]

Originally Posted by JGMotorsport64

It’s not comparable at all. Phoenix proper is basically a strip of urban area and then dense inner ring suburb.

The points on here should be well taken. The area north of Downtown Phoenix and into midtown and uptown are quite nice and suburban by east coast standards. They should not be ruled out.

If suburb is what she wants, and I get it my wife used to be like that, Tempe is a great suburb for young professionals, especially south of Apache. South Scottsdale is also great.

Chandler can be good, but Chandler is somewhere IMO you move to when it’s time to start having kids. It has a nice strip but the rest is pretty standard and not walkable. But you, like me, seem like the dink non-kid types, and if so I’d avoid a place like Chandler because, frankly, it’s gonna be you and a bunch of families. Gilbert will be worse due to LDS influence.

Traditional suburban build patterns here are 1x1 mi blocks with the corners and edges either lined with apartments or retail or both. If you aim correctly anywhere is walkable here.

It's really only South of the 202 where it's predominantly families. Around fashion center and downtown there's a shtload of singles and young couples. After all they're looking at apartments and there's been an explosion of new apartments all over Chandler and those are not predominantly families occupying them. There's plenty to do in Chandler for young couples, even theater shows, farmers markets, lots of wine bars and microbreweries, dive bars, sports bars, 2 casinos and great dining.

[KeltronZero]

Thanks everyone for responses! You’ve been super helpful. What are commute times like? Should we aim to work and live in the same city?

We’re coming from a city of 35k, so I’m sure there’s more to do than we have here haha.

[JGMotorsport64]

Originally Posted by asufan

It's really only South of the 202 where it's predominantly families. Around fashion center and downtown there's a shtload of singles and young couples. After all they're looking at apartments and there's been an explosion of new apartments all over Chandler and those are not predominantly families occupying them. There's plenty to do in Chandler for young couples, even theater shows, farmers markets, lots of wine bars and microbreweries, dive bars, sports bars, 2 casinos and great dining.

No doubt asufan. Chandler is a great suburb. But if it were me, and in op’s situation, it wouldn’t be my first choice. It’d be on the list though. There’s an Avila complex at Pecos and Alma School that is really a nice blend of apartment and suburban life that’s worth a look. I lived in a part of that chain once in Tucson and quite liked the mini casita style of apartment.

Originally Posted by KeltronZero

Thanks everyone for responses! You’ve been super helpful. What are commute times like? Should we aim to work and live in the same city?

We’re coming from a city of 35k, so I’m sure there’s more to do than we have here haha.

Well that would be ideal. One thing that separates this area from others is all of the suburbs blend into each other so really anywhere nearby is fine even if not necessarily in the same city. You’ll notice it driving where it will be constant development but the street signs will change.

What do you do? That would help to know