Initial Thoughts on North Phoenix (Glendale, Peoria: middle-class, appointed, HOA)

[Jnvlv247]

So I decided to take a drive from central Phoenix to North Phoenix the other day. I have been looking at condos/townhouses and saw there were quite a lot of up that seemed nice and not crazy expensive. I have been living in the valley for a long time but never really explored the city north of Northern Ave.

I went up 7th street from indian school rd-which becomes a very nice area after Camelback. I stopped at a few places off Northern/7th st. They were nice and the are was pretty cool. As I went up further north I got more of small town feel. I guess this is considered Sunnyslope area. The feel of this area is nice where the mountains are all around and less crowded. Now Cave Creek had a good amount of traffic and I would not want to live right off that road. The only issue is that the area while having nice natural scenery, it felt run down and old. I know it's been talked about here before and I have seen pics and using google maps but all that cannot capture the feeling of actually going there and driving around. I went on Peoria ave toward North Mtn park and the Tapatio CLiff condos are very nice. There was another place that was right against the hill off Mountain view road. I like that but the area is just so so.

I went up Cave Creek to Greenway Pkwy and it was just Definitely not somewhere I'd wanna live. It did get better up toward bell road but there was just seemingly not much there in the way of buildings and life lol. I went west on Greenway Pwky toward 7th st and went south on 7th st. I guess this is moon valley area which is quite nice. As I went west on Thunderbird toward 19th ave and south on 19th ave, it got kind of sketchy again. It just amazes me how quickly you can turn from bad to good and good to bad here in Phoenix just driving on one road.

I have seen places up in Deer Valley and the area up there but I didn't want to go that far this time. I have heard good things about it so maybe I will check it out sometime. It seems to me that the areas closer to 51 and 17 seems to not be so great. Then as you go above bell it's more residential and less meth lab-y lol

If anyone is in the areas it'd be nice to hear your thoughts. I have lived here for almost 10 years and I guess I really have explored a lot of the Phoenix area. I know my experience was based just on a quick drive throught but it could be totally different living there. I don't know how much I trust living in a nice neighborhood surrounded by not so nice areas. Hopefully I can get out there again and see more.

[ringler24]

We live in Moon Valley and absolutely love it. I don't mind the the scenery changes very nearby. Definitely an accurate perception though.

[grmi66]

If I were to move back to Phoenix, the North Phoenix area would be at the top of my list again to live in. Especially the Moon Valley area or those condos off of 7th Street & Peoria. A fairly easy commute to downtown and easy access to I-17 for getting north to Flagstaff in the summer. Add in all the hiking and running trails in the mountain preserves and it's pretty much the perfect set up for me.

[Jnvlv247]

Pointe Tapatio condos 360/month HOA!! It does include water, sewer, trash, roof repair/maintenance and the standard insurance

Curse my good eye lol

I guess if you get a place for a decent price then maybe it would even out? I only hear bad things about HOAs and their increasing tyranny and price hiking.

Look up D R Horton. This builder seems to have several properties around the valley-and country, specifically in the N Phx and Deer Valley areas. They have a signature Tuscan look so you can't miss them. The multicolored buildings with gates and garages. Very pretty and nice interiors and lower HOA. There is a place called Tre Bellavia on Bell/Cave Creek that looks OK. Not sure about what it's like though and have not heard bad things nor good things.

[AZJoeD]

Your observations about Phoenix are correct. More than any other place I have lived neighborhoods change quickly. You can be in an area of high priced luxury homes on one block, and run down mobile homes on the next.

With regard to where are the good places? It really depends on a variety of factors. Budget of course is paramount. But other factors like transportation, shopping and dining, recreation all play into your choice.

Because Phoenix has so many islands you need to get out and do more research. For condos & townhouses, I have always liked the area from Central east to about the Rte51 and from Missouri up to about Maryland. There are a lot of older but well maintained complexes.

[ELOrocks17]

Originally Posted by AZJoeD

Your observations about Phoenix are correct. More than any other place I have lived neighborhoods change quickly. You can be in an area of high priced luxury homes on one block, and run down mobile homes on the next.

With regard to where are the good places? It really depends on a variety of factors. Budget of course is paramount. But other factors like transportation, shopping and dining, recreation all play into your choice.

Because Phoenix has so many islands you need to get out and do more research. For condos & townhouses, I have always liked the area from Central east to about the Rte51 and from Missouri up to about Maryland. There are a lot of older but well maintained complexes.

Check out Bel Aire at 43rd ave & Bell

[Jnvlv247]

Is my mother right to be concerned about living in proximity to lower income/run down areas? She is worried about burglary and property crime. I know it happens everywhere and there are maps to show this. I didn't see Moon valley and the north mountain area in red zones. The area around Hatcher and Cave Creek rd is mod personal and property crime. It goes to red when you approach the 17.

[GBPACKERS1200]

Originally Posted by ELOrocks17

Check out Bel Aire at 43rd ave & Bell

Can you provide more info on the Bel Aire community? I believe this is technically Glendale (85308 zip) so it’s kind of borderline North Phoenix.

Bel Aire seems like a decent location but a bit of a step down from the Arrowhead communities in N. Glendale in terms of schools and amenities

[grad_student200]

Originally Posted by Jnvlv247

So I decided to take a drive from central Phoenix to North Phoenix the other day. I have been looking at condos/townhouses and saw there were quite a lot of up that seemed nice and not crazy expensive. I have been living in the valley for a long time but never really explored the city north of Northern Ave.

I went up 7th street from indian school rd-which becomes a very nice area after Camelback. I stopped at a few places off Northern/7th st. They were nice and the are was pretty cool. As I went up further north I got more of small town feel. I guess this is considered Sunnyslope area. The feel of this area is nice where the mountains are all around and less crowded. Now Cave Creek had a good amount of traffic and I would not want to live right off that road. The only issue is that the area while having nice natural scenery, it felt run down and old. I know it's been talked about here before and I have seen pics and using google maps but all that cannot capture the feeling of actually going there and driving around. I went on Peoria ave toward North Mtn park and the Tapatio CLiff condos are very nice. There was another place that was right against the hill off Mountain view road. I like that but the area is just so so.

I went up Cave Creek to Greenway Pkwy and it was just Definitely not somewhere I'd wanna live. It did get better up toward bell road but there was just seemingly not much there in the way of buildings and life lol. I went west on Greenway Pwky toward 7th st and went south on 7th st. I guess this is moon valley area which is quite nice. As I went west on Thunderbird toward 19th ave and south on 19th ave, it got kind of sketchy again. It just amazes me how quickly you can turn from bad to good and good to bad here in Phoenix just driving on one road.

I have seen places up in Deer Valley and the area up there but I didn't want to go that far this time. I have heard good things about it so maybe I will check it out sometime. It seems to me that the areas closer to 51 and 17 seems to not be so great. Then as you go above bell it's more residential and less meth lab-y lol

If anyone is in the areas it'd be nice to hear your thoughts. I have lived here for almost 10 years and I guess I really have explored a lot of the Phoenix area. I know my experience was based just on a quick drive throught but it could be totally different living there. I don't know how much I trust living in a nice neighborhood surrounded by not so nice areas. Hopefully I can get out there again and see more.

North Phoenix has some nice neighborhoods and schools. But they tend to be expensive. I often thought a great home would be one on those "foothills" that sit majestically with a panorama over the neighborhood below. But one night I went jogging and couldn't help but hear a couple with an epic shouting match on one of those high-end "hillside" homes. I remember thinking that they live in a very nice home overlooking Phoenix but are apparently on the verge of divorce. Go figure. I guess that great homes in North Phoenix situated on the hillsides don't necessarily make couples happy. The level of shouting was horrific. They were yelling outside in the dark and thought no one was around. But I was jogging at night because it was summer and hot during the day and gyms were closed. I heard enough.

Before you get a nice home in North Phoenix, make sure your marriage is stable if you are indeed married.

[FlurryCat]

I'm over by Lookout Mountain. Although a flatlander in a less expensive (but still not cheap) home, there are several of those hillside houses within hailing distance. Indeed, at one of the places there are frequent shouting matches when the ex comes to pick up the kids for the weekend.

There is also:
Another separated couple that is quite civil to one another.
A family with loud teenagers with loud cars and loud parties.
A born-again couple who are always trying to get me to drag my heathen butt to church with them.
A bored retired guy that wanders the block all day gossiping and sticking his nose in everyone's business (who told me what all the shouting up the hill was about even though I didn't ask).
A family with super-loud little yappy dogs that puts them out in the yard every night between 2 and 3 AM.
A guy who has appointed himself the neighborhood HOA in the absence of an actual one.
5 houses where I've never seen anyone at all.
25 houses with great neighbors that smile and wave.

It's a neighborhood. Other than the houses, it's no different than the middle-class neighborhood I lived in outside of Boston. Or the one I lived in before that. And before that. Or my old blue-collar neighborhood in Philly. And I'm very happy to live here.