Tempe Question (Phoenix, Glendale, Scottsdale: relocation, apartment, vacation)

[Fra Diavolo]

My wife and I will be visiting the Phoenix area next month, partly for vacation, but also to look at relocation possibilities. I may be able to transfer to my employer's Tempe location near Priest and W Alemeda Dr.

We plan to spend one of our days driving around Tempe to see what the city is like. (We've never been to this area before.)

My college-age brother may be coming with us, and if he does, he will most likely want to attend ASU. We will be wanting to rent a nice apartment rather than buying a house. (Would be around $1000-$1200/month for 2/3 br???)

We are in our Mid-thirties, no kids of our own. We are not particularly interested in clubbing/nightlife, but we do enjoy going out shopping/eating in unique, non-chain stores/restaurants.

My top choice at this point would be Central Phoenix (Thanks to HX_Guy), near the light rail, but we are keeping options open until we see the place for ourselves, so we are also looking at Tempe.

My question is, are there any areas of Tempe that I should definitely avoid? Also, how would a commute be from, say Central Ave in Phoenix to Tempe be?

[silverbear]

The same light rail that will run through Central Phoenix will continue through Tempe, traversing the city from west to east, mostly along Apache Boulevard with a huge park-and-ride garage at McClintock and Apache. Tempe also has some of the best bus service in the metro area, particularly north of Baseline. Combine all those options, and commuting to Central Phoenix should be fairly easy from the central part of Tempe (north of the 60 Freeway and south of Tempe Town Lake). It will be a little harder from southern Tempe, but certainly not impossible.

As for areas to avoid, I'd be careful with the neighborhoods immediately east and west of the ASU campus simply to avoid landing in a student slum. There's no need to avoid them entirely, but assess the area carefully to make sure your neighbors aren't too rowdy. I'd also be careful about the seedy areas along Apache, although that part of Tempe is beginning to see early signs of gentrification and transit-oriented development.

[Fra Diavolo]

Thanks for the response!

[stylEmon]

man, central phoenix?!!!? There is NOTHING in central phoenix if the Suns arent playing. It's the most dead downtown I've ever seen, worse than Albequerque. Westgate is better than central on ANY night, sports event or not.

If you are really into unique dining, Scottsdale and N PHX will be the best place for that.

[Fra Diavolo]

Well, it may not be NYC, but from what I've read, there seems to be an active revitalization happening in Downtown Phoenix. I mean, why would the light rail run through downtown if there was nothing there?

Here's an interesting tidbit I found. Through a mapping program I use, I discovered that within a five-mile radius of Central and Roosevelt, there are at least 799 restaurants!

Where I live now, I'd have to travel about a fourty-five mile radius to come close to that number.

I would love to be in the center of things when they really start happening. From my perspective, all I see is potential for Downtown. As people begin to move back into downtown areas from the far-flung suburbs, you'll start to see what I mean. I believe it is already happening.

Personally, I am willing to give it a chance. I'll know for sure when I see it.

[sablebaby]

Originally Posted by Fra Diavolo

I would love to be in the center of things when they really start happening. From my perspective, all I see is potential for Downtown. As people begin to move back into downtown areas from the far-flung suburbs, you'll start to see what I mean. I believe it is already happening.

Personally, I am willing to give it a chance. I'll know for sure when I see it.

I agree. Whenever I drive down central I am surprised of what's being built. I don't think it would be a bad place to live.

[oscottscotto]

I would live in Tempe and take the rail downtown. But then again, I love Tempe.

[stylEmon]

from what I've read, there seems to be an active revitalization happening in Downtown Phoenix

I dont read about it, I drive through it. There are very small areas where "something" is happening.

And for all the resturaunts your reading about, I'd be willing to bet that most are lunch spots for the 9-5-ers. I mean, there are 800 places to eat within 5 miles of anyone out here. I live near Bell and the 101 in Glendale... Bell is crazy compared to downtown on a Friday night(on ANY night), and there is rarely an event on Bell.

I've worked dowtown on several occations and beleive me, Friday at 7pm, it's dead. There is First Friday, but you can only do that once or twice, especially if you've been to the East Village in NYC or 6th st in Austin. FF is pretty dull in comparison.

24th and Camelback is a much better area for eating, shopping, whatever. I'll bet that Westgate will surpass downtown Phx in 20 years. There will be more to do, more foot traffic, and probobly taller buildings. Trust me, dowtown PHX will never surpass Old Town Scottsdale for nightlife.

Also, downtown is not very nice. Just one block South of the ballpark and watch out. From what I hear, downtown phoenix has been "talking" about this whole "buzz" for 20 years, and still there is nothing down there. There is no reason to go there besides the PHX Suns.

[oscottscotto]

Originally Posted by stylEmon

Also, downtown is not very nice. Just one block South of the ballpark and watch out. From what I hear, downtown phoenix has been "talking" about this whole "buzz" for 20 years, and still there is nothing down there. There is no reason to go there besides the PHX Suns.

But who really goes south of the ballpark?

You guys actually have a very nice, clean downtown. From what I have seen not many people take advantage of it and there is not a whole lot going on there (at least at this point). But the Phoenix downtown is very nice looking in comparison to some others around the country. Sure, it's not going to hold a boat action-wise to a select few major, more-developed, older downtowns ... but then again IMO alot of people move to the Phoenix metro in order to get away from that.

[stylEmon]

I dont know. why would anyone move to a downtown to get away from the action. the #1 complaint about PHX is the downtown. All the SuperBowel-ers that were here complained about it. They also didnt like having to go from Glendale to Scottsdale for all the action. Nothing was centralized.

It's clean becuase noone uses it.