how is Goodyear? (Phoenix, Mesa, Scottsdale: homeowners association, crime, home)

[mamom1]

I am considering a move from massachusetts to Goodyear AZ. I have been doing some research but I would like to hear from actual people who live there not just statistics.

How are the schools? Are the neighborhoods safe? Can someone explain the homeowners association thing to me? Is it mandatory? What are the pros and cons?

How is it that the police dept. can hire new officers on an annual basis? (my husband will be applying for a police officer position in mesa) Is there that much crime or do the police get laid off quickly or is it because the city is growing that fast?

Sorry the questions are kind of random, but I would like an "insiders" point of view.
Thanks

[Ponderosa]

Originally Posted by mamom1

I am considering a move from massachusetts to Goodyear AZ. I have been doing some research but I would like to hear from actual people who live there not just statistics.

How are the schools? Are the neighborhoods safe? Can someone explain the homeowners association thing to me? Is it mandatory? What are the pros and cons?

How is it that the police dept. can hire new officers on an annual basis? (my husband will be applying for a police officer position in mesa) Is there that much crime or do the police get laid off quickly or is it because the city is growing that fast?

Sorry the questions are kind of random, but I would like an "insiders" point of view.
Thanks

Well, I can give you info about Goodyear as I have lived there for about 10 years now, but I'd recommend you start with their website. It's pretty factual. Goodyear is one of the best places you can pick to live in the Phoenix metro area. But my question to you is: Why would you want to live in Goodyear if your husband is going to work in Mesa? Do you have any idea how far (timewise) Mesa is from Goodyear? He could spend three hours a day just commuting. There are many nice areas to live in Mesa. Why not move there?

[MotleyCrew]

I agree with Ponderosa regarding the long drive. Don't officers have to be within so many miles/minutes of the station? I know in CA that was the case years back.
Goodyear is turning out to be a jewel of a city with many fantastic things planned in the near future.

[LBTRS]

We live in Goodyear and it's a great place to live so far (just moved here a month ago). Kids just started school and they seem to be happy.

If I were working in Mesa I would not be looking at Goodyear as it's a long way and in traffic it would take forever.

[Finger Laker]

i agree with the above - i love living in goodyear, but if mesa is where the job is then goodyear is probably not where the home should be

although the departments on the west side seem to be hiring as well

[military spouse]

I absolutely love Goodyear, but would NEVER live here if the job was in Mesa. There are many great places to live on that side of the metro.

[mamom1]

then what is a city comparable to goodyear that is closer to mesa? I can take out a map and search around but I'd like to know real feelings about cities, not just statistics. I don't want to live i Mesa as I don't want a large city. But I want something affordable like Goodyear.
Thanks

[Ponderosa]

Originally Posted by mamom1

then what is a city comparable to goodyear that is closer to mesa? I can take out a map and search around but I'd like to know real feelings about cities, not just statistics. I don't want to live i Mesa as I don't want a large city. But I want something affordable like Goodyear.
Thanks

The short answer is Mesa! Goodyear has fewer people than Mesa but is every bit as much "big city". It is directly attached to the Phoenix metro area and there is no way you would know you are leaving Phoenix/Mesa/Avondale and entering Goodyear. There are a couple of cotton fields left in Goodyear, but they'll be gone in a few years. You are not going to get any more of a small town feel in Goodyear - except maybe in Estrella which is upscale and not "affordable" -than you are in Mesa. You make the same mistake that many do. You see these dot towns on the map and think they are outlying smaller towns. They are not. They are simply part of the big metro area with a different name.

[foma]

Yeah, that commute is going to suck. Goodyear though is a pretty decent area. I prefer staying on the north side of I-10 though but that's just preference. There's less stuff to do on the west side of Phx versus the East side (IMO) but things are gettin' built out here. Man, I loved Massachusetts though when we visited Boston a few years back. I'd totally move there if I could! Good luck on your move!

[aj661]

Originally Posted by mamom1

I am considering a move from massachusetts to Goodyear AZ. I have been doing some research but I would like to hear from actual people who live there not just statistics.

How are the schools? Are the neighborhoods safe? Can someone explain the homeowners association thing to me? Is it mandatory? What are the pros and cons?

How is it that the police dept. can hire new officers on an annual basis? (my husband will be applying for a police officer position in mesa) Is there that much crime or do the police get laid off quickly or is it because the city is growing that fast?

Sorry the questions are kind of random, but I would like an "insiders" point of view.
Thanks

You might also want to at least look into Apache Jct or Gold Canyon, an unincorporated community that borders AJ to the east. Keep in mind though that they're both in Pinal County and the taxes-both property and sales, are higher. For many it's worth it. I prefer being just inside Maricopa County. Far east Mesa is not like living in a large city. We have everything we need as far as shopping and entertainment within a few miles of our home.

I really can't comment on the schools outside of Mesa, except don't get stuck on the anti-AZ crowd that loves to point out how low our per-pupil spending is. If you look at the latest DOE Annual Report, AZ measures up pretty well compared to the rest of the country on results. Check with the Arizona Department of Education for details on school performance. They have a lot of information on their website and you can even do side by side comparisons of schools and school districts.

I don't remember there ever being a lay off of police officers in the valley, other than when Guadalupe dissolved their PD years ago. Most agencies deal with under-staffing due in large part to the lack of qualified applicants and the competition between agencies for them. Again, I'm not that familiar with the west side, but there are several good police departments in the east valley. Unless your husband simply has his heart set on Mesa PD for some reason, he might also want to check with Gilbert PD and possibly Scottsdale as well as the Arizona Department of Public Safety (Highway Patrol). The pay and benefits are all pretty much comparable now.