Relocating: New Commute / W Buckeye Rd and S 51st Ave to North Glendale / North Peoria / Goodyear / Laveen????

[sablebaby]

A suburb of about 100,000? How about a Metro with over 4 million, that's what we have. Our suburbs are not separated by any boundaries at all, so it all runs into one another and a lot of the time you won't know what city you're in unless there's a sign telling you. We have TONS of people here.

[Ponderosa]

Originally Posted by mtc81usa

Thanks for all the great info!
My wife has been a receptionist/bookkeeper/salon manager for the last 12 years. I'm guessing that she will do the retail thing or receptionist/manager thing again. She's pretty adaptable. We'd really like to keep her commute to the surface streets, that's for sure.
We're looking for a nice, big, safe suburb of say 100,000 people, that would offer some job opportunities within a 5 mile drive.
Is that Goodyear, Litchfield Park, North Peoria(W Greenway and 101) or
North Glendale(Arrowhead Ranch Sub, W Union Hills and N 75th Ave)?

What are the major crime and quality of life issues when considering the above areas?
Goodyear - Is it far enough away from the W Van Buren/W Buckeye Rd corridor?

Litchfield Park - Is it far enough away from Maryvale and Luke Air Force Base?

North Peoria - Is it too much trouble to negotiate 101 past both the I-10 corridor and the 101 Loop past the Univ of Phoenix Stadium area as well?

North Glendale - Too close to Midtown Glendale and the I-17/101 interchange?

Looking for a nice condo in the $900. - 1,000./mo. range.
We've got one of those "foo-foo" dogs. I thinks it's called a Pomeranian or something like that. LOL!

Thanks!

I'll tackle Goodyear/Litchfield Pk. Both are very new (well Litchfield is in a class by itself as it has an old area and a new area), safe, fast growing and desirable communities. Both places have among the highest median income and highest education levels in the metro area. Litchfield and northern parts of Goodyear are close enough that you will hear jets at Luke. They fly during the day for the most part. I live in Estrella which is the south part of Goodyear and we hear them but they are much higher up in the air and are moving pretty fast so the noise doesn't last as long. Never heard anyone complain. Actually most enjoy watching them. I don't think there is any multi-unit housing in Estrella, but there are plenty of condos and apts in the "other" Goodyear. There is a huge group of them just South of I10 on Estrella Parkway that are nearing completion. The price is 800-1600 per month. Goodyear is undergoing an explosive growth in retail and services - dentists, doctors, restaurants, dog groomers, you name it - to meet the new population growth. Seems something opens every week. So there has to be a lot of job creation in those areas. Other growth includes Cancer Treatment Centers hospital under construction and Amazon.com distribution facility, also under construction, that will employ a lot of people too. There are a couple private colleges from back east that are building on an "education campus" too. Goodyear is at the start of its ascent right now.

BTW: There is rarely any serious traffic on the south 101 near the stadium. It is bad on I-10 during rush hours.

[Finger Laker]

i agree with the above - i also wouldn't say it's 30 minutes in the best of traffic to 51st & buckeye from goodyear - if you are in south goodyear you can run MC 85 right into it or if you are in northern goodyear and the 10 is moving you can get to the airport in 30 minutes, let alone 51st ave

it's really all a matter of taste - don't know if it's possible for you to make it out here, but it would be best to drive around both areas at different times of the day and drive to places of interest from there

coming down the 101 is never usually that bad - although it can occasionally back up getting onto the 10 and there is a lot of stuff going around the western 101 corridor

goodyear is having an expolosion as well - i also wouldn't worry about luke - i live south of the 10 in goodyear and never hear jets - we had friends who lived in dreaming summitt for a while which is near luke and they definitely had jets - however, we never really noticed it, although people who were visiting from out of town did - i guess you get accustomed to it

[EDnurse]

I think you'll be better off in Litchfield Pk/Goodyear area. The drive from there to 51st ave is a breeze during non-rush hours.

That whole area has just about everything you'd need: proximity to 2 hospitals, plethora of restaurants, supermarkets, shops, Home Depot, Lowe's, salons, gyms, lots of offices for doctors, dentists, investment firms. You'll be really close to everything yet it definitely has a suburb feel and a new one at that.

Luke AFB is a few miles north on Litchfield Pk road. The jets there are F-16's. They only have one engine--they're not that loud. They usually don't fly past 10:30 or 11:00 pm.

BTW, if you are renting a condo, make sure it has north/south exposure because it'll be easier on your utility bill. If all your windows face west, your condo will be a heck of a lot hotter and you will get an electric bill to match.

[mtc81usa]

Originally Posted by Ponderosa

I'll tackle Goodyear/Litchfield Pk. Both are very new (well Litchfield is in a class by itself as it has an old area and a new area), safe, fast growing and desirable communities. Both places have among the highest median income and highest education levels in the metro area. Litchfield and northern parts of Goodyear are close enough that you will hear jets at Luke. They fly during the day for the most part. I live in Estrella which is the south part of Goodyear and we hear them but they are much higher up in the air and are moving pretty fast so the noise doesn't last as long. Never heard anyone complain. Actually most enjoy watching them. I don't think there is any multi-unit housing in Estrella, but there are plenty of condos and apts in the "other" Goodyear. There is a huge group of them just South of I10 on Estrella Parkway that are nearing completion. The price is 800-1600 per month. Goodyear is undergoing an explosive growth in retail and services - dentists, doctors, restaurants, dog groomers, you name it - to meet the new population growth. Seems something opens every week. So there has to be a lot of job creation in those areas. Other growth includes Cancer Treatment Centers hospital under construction and Amazon.com distribution facility, also under construction, that will employ a lot of people too. There are a couple private colleges from back east that are building on an "education campus" too. Goodyear is at the start of its ascent right now.

BTW: There is rarely any serious traffic on the south 101 near the stadium. It is bad on I-10 during rush hours.

Thanks Ponderosa! This is great stuff! I feel like I'm really starting to get to know the area, and I haven't even been there yet.

[mtc81usa]

Originally Posted by Finger Laker

i agree with the above - i also wouldn't say it's 30 minutes in the best of traffic to 51st & buckeye from goodyear - if you are in south goodyear you can run MC 85 right into it or if you are in northern goodyear and the 10 is moving you can get to the airport in 30 minutes, let alone 51st ave

it's really all a matter of taste - don't know if it's possible for you to make it out here, but it would be best to drive around both areas at different times of the day and drive to places of interest from there

coming down the 101 is never usually that bad - although it can occasionally back up getting onto the 10 and there is a lot of stuff going around the western 101 corridor

goodyear is having an expolosion as well - i also wouldn't worry about luke - i live south of the 10 in goodyear and never hear jets - we had friends who lived in dreaming summitt for a while which is near luke and they definitely had jets - however, we never really noticed it, although people who were visiting from out of town did - i guess you get accustomed to it

Thanks Finger Laker! It really helps to get a second and third opinion. No place is perfect. We'll have to scope it out, that's for sure. I really appreciate the commute info!
Thanks again!!

[mtc81usa]

Originally Posted by EDnurse

I think you'll be better off in Litchfield Pk/Goodyear area. The drive from there to 51st ave is a breeze during non-rush hours.

That whole area has just about everything you'd need: proximity to 2 hospitals, plethora of restaurants, supermarkets, shops, Home Depot, Lowe's, salons, gyms, lots of offices for doctors, dentists, investment firms. You'll be really close to everything yet it definitely has a suburb feel and a new one at that.

Luke AFB is a few miles north on Litchfield Pk road. The jets there are F-16's. They only have one engine--they're not that loud. They usually don't fly past 10:30 or 11:00 pm.

BTW, if you are renting a condo, make sure it has north/south exposure because it'll be easier on your utility bill. If all your windows face west, your condo will be a heck of a lot hotter and you will get an electric bill to match.

Wow! This is chock full of great info!
The commute, the AFB, the neighborhood feel... And I was wondering about that North/South exposure thing. THANKS! I guess that sun is hard to take all afternoon and evening coming through the West windows, eh?
Thanks EDnurse!