Old Litchfield Park vs New LP/Unicorporated Maricopa County (Phoenix: cul-de-sac, rent)

[SunLuver]

I've read a few of the LP threads and they've been helpful - just read that the true LP area is rather small compared the large geographical area that is labeled LP/zip code 85340....
With that in mind, are the immediate surrounding areas around Old LP considered nice/safe compared to Old LP?....or do you cross a block or two and find yourself in a rough neighborhood?
Also, would you say that the area between the 101 and the 303 loops, north of the 10 but south of Camelback is the "true" LP area?...Even if it has unicorporated parts in there, would you still say it's nice and safe?

My husband just relocated out to Phoenix a week ago and I'm joining him next week....I spent just a couple of days in Phoenix as we temporarily moved in to a family member's empty home in Gilbert for a few months till we figure out where we want to buy.

My husband works just south of the 10/west of the 17 off 51st exit and the commute to and from Gilbert is pretty brutal - about an hour usually (45 minutes best case). Gilbert is nice but not necessarily what we're looking for. I dont mind the newer communities as long as they're not practically zero lots....but I'd prefer a real old school neighborhood feel; and also looking to find something that's not such a rough commute (if we could keep it between 30-40 minutes max that would be much more acceptable).
We dont mind buying a fixer upper although also open to newer construction....looking at the $200k-$250k range.
Would like a home with some character to it....

With all the above babble I just wrote, would you say it's feasible to find a good place in LP (old LP and the immediate surrounding areas)?
Also, are there any other areas you would recommend with the above criteria in mind?

Thank you so much!

[Ponderosa]

I live in Estrella in Goodyear and often work pretty near 51st Ave and the freeway. It takes me 25 minutes to get there - there is no real rush hour issue getting there from Estrella as you can go on back roads all the way downtown. It could be even less from the northern Goodyear area as long as it is not rush hour. I10 is a parking lot during RH.

As for LP. The area around LP to the west is all Goodyear and is all nice. As you go east, is not quite so nice after roughly Dysart, but it is hard to say. The biggest typical lot you are going to find here is 8000 sf and those are not very common in homes newer than about 15 years or so. Cul-de-sac can be quite a bit bigger. More typical of late is 6000 sf with a house that is too big for the lot and a "row house" street scape. LP (inside the walls) has big lots with grassed yards and mature trees. Pretty unArizona, but you are not likely to find anything in there at your price point. You should be able to find a cul-de-sac house for your price outside the walls of LP or in Goodyear with ease.

[Finger Laker]

ponderosa is right on - LP is a really small city regardless if it is the older portion or the newer portion of it ..... Old LP has the style of homes representative of the time they were built and are pretty nice, the way the neighborhood is put together it provides a pretty good vibe

there are newer areas of LP that are built like most of the newer suburbs and they are perfectly safe and fine as well - about the only way you know you are in LP and not goodyear for those is the city of LP logo on the street signs

starting from the 101 in the area you described you'd go through avondale (most of this part of avondale is nice, but it can be hit or miss) - then you'd brush LP - the rest is goodyear - a lot of it would be in the palm valley neighborhood which many view as favorable

i live in goodyear south of the I-10 and love it as well

the commute will be worlds better - even if he wants to take the I-10 the widening should be done this fall - which means that it would be smooth sailing all the way from the Estrella exit to about 83rd ave, at which point it would be most likely stop and go until 51st ave

[rambrush]

You might and its a might be able to find a place inside the walls in LP you will have to take a look. The old growth trees and greenery makes it a very pleasant area.
head up North on Dysart towards Glendale ave and that area used to be not so good. Lots of Military in the area and that somewhat raises the rent and prices a bit.
I prefer Goodyear and would suggest the older section south of Van Buren. Some will say oh no that's a terrible area. But its really not that bad. I liked living in that area and it gave me multi options to go into Phoenx. I 10 clogged you can use Buckeye road on through Cashion and in. Buckeye clogged drop south and take another. used to be we could go north and in but thats nuts now.