Los Angeles CA, OR Paradise Valley AZ? Help my decide!!!!! (Phoenix: condo, crime)

[shabbygrl]

I currently live in Sherman Oaks, CA part of Los Angeles County-the valley. I am origianlly from San francisco bay area. I have never lived in any other statte other than CA. My husband went to school in Tempe, AZ and has a lot of friends there and he really loves it there and wants to move there-specifically the city of Paradise Valley. I know no one there, but I am sick of LA traffic, horrible LA public school system since we have a child-young one though. I really love the area in Calabassas and my husband loves Paradise Valley. WE know we have to move by the beginning of next year, but we are torn as to where to live and raise our family.
I know what to expect in LA, but have no clue as to lifestyle in Paradise Valley. It just seems so desolate and dead there especially at night!What do people do there? Is it a great place for kids? Would I even like it, or just regret moving out of my security zone of CA? We are looking for homes up to $2.3 mil and know that we would get a lot more for our money in PV, but is it worth the lifestyle? is it very different from LA? Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated cause i am confused!

[garisonthebull]

Paradise Valley School district is one of the very best in the nation. I grew up in the greater Paradise Valley area. It is nice. However you must be clear on where you are going.

The town of Paradise Valley is one of the wealthiest towns in the country like Beverly Hills in California. Then the greater Paradise Valley is comprised of mostly upper middle class. You also have some John F. Long ranch homes that are lower middle class and though they are still nice neighborhoods they are quickly declining in standard. Finally there is what they call the square an area between 32nd St. and Cave Creek Rd. and Greenway and Bell. This area is quite bad. There is a lot of Meth in the area and the drug has taken over that portion of PV. It has turned into a crime zone. So, PV has every type of financial district you can imagine.

There are however lots of dinning and entertainment venues, as well as lots of parks high end and middle class golf courses. There is a nice mall and several great shopping centers. You will never be far from something to do.

[silverbear]

Paradise Valley is a suburb of Phoenix, so a direct comparison between PV and LA is not really valid. A better comparison would be between the LA Metro Area and the Phoenix Metro Area. If you can afford to live within the Town of Paradise Valley, that's great, but don't think that you'll be in a remote desert area. Your immediate neighborhood will have a desert look, large lots, and mountain preserves nearby, but you'll also be just a few miles from Phoenix and Scottsdale. You'll be part of the larger metro area for better or worse.

[shabbygrl]

Ive been going thru the boards and it seems like pople are saying htat there arent many children living in PV. My child is almost 2 and defintely needs to be around kids. Now that I think back I dont recall seeing any kids outside riding their bikes, or anything. What is fact and what is fiction?

[silverbear]

Originally Posted by shabbygrl

Ive been going thru the boards and it seems like pople are saying htat there arent many children living in PV. My child is almost 2 and defintely needs to be around kids. Now that I think back I dont recall seeing any kids outside riding their bikes, or anything. What is fact and what is fiction?

No, they're aren't many kids in the actual Town of Paradise Valley. The median age is 46 -- much higher than in the most of the Phoenix Metro Area. Even in those areas with kids, you won't see many out playing because the large lot sizes and busy roads would make it difficult for kids to get together spontaneously. Nearby areas of northeast Phoenix and Scottsdale are more oriented toward families with young children.

[vegaspilgrim]

I used to lived in Los Angeles briefly for about 8 months a few years back and now I live in Phoenix so I've seen both Sherman Oaks and Paradise Valley. Both are nice in their own way, but totally different from one another. Sherman Oaks actually reminds me a lot of Scottsdale by Shea Blvd. Paradise Valley is more like all those homes on the hills in the hollywood hills, except much more "open" and less vegetation. Personally, I wouldn't get too hung up on the exact location yet; I agree with silverbear and I'd focus on whether or not you want to live in LA or Phoenix, then worry about the specific location. I'm assuming you must be very rich if you're considering Paradise valley! To me, LA is only worth it if you can afford to live right by the beach, otherwise you might as well live in Phoenix. Or Houston, if you're willing to entertain that possibility.

[sablebaby]

Originally Posted by garisonthebull

Paradise Valley School district is one of the very best in the nation. I grew up in the greater Paradise Valley area. It is nice. However you must be clear on where you are going.

The town of Paradise Valley is one of the wealthiest towns in the country like Beverly Hills in California. Then the greater Paradise Valley is comprised of mostly upper middle class. You also have some John F. Long ranch homes that are lower middle class and though they are still nice neighborhoods they are quickly declining in standard. Finally there is what they call the square an area between 32nd St. and Cave Creek Rd. and Greenway and Bell. This area is quite bad. There is a lot of Meth in the area and the drug has taken over that portion of PV. It has turned into a crime zone. So, PV has every type of financial district you can imagine.

There are however lots of dinning and entertainment venues, as well as lots of parks high end and middle class golf courses. There is a nice mall and several great shopping centers. You will never be far from something to do.

The OP is apparently talking about the Town of PV.

The PV school district is NOT in the Town of PV. PV has the Scottsdale School district.

Please don't get the "greater PV area" confused with the Town of PV. I know you grew up in the area, but so did I. The area you are talking about is more the PV Mall area, which is nothing like PV. I wish people would stop calling them the same. I ran across an ad on CL today for a $65k condo in "Paradise Valley" only to find out it's in THE SQUARE!! IF the OP is talking about buying a home for $2.3 mil, I don't think she will be looking near the square.

[cap1717]

Right, the TOWN of Paradise Valley is very different from the P.V. School district. But, having lived there, I can suggest that 2.5 mil or so will not buy one of the nicer homes in that area! I think for that amount, you are likely to find an older home (built in the 50's or 60's, on, probably at least a acre of land, and needing either major renovation work or complete teardown and re-build. Maybe the prices have moderated somewhat, lately, with the slowing economy, but that is a PRICEY area!

[sablebaby]

Originally Posted by cap1717

Right, the TOWN of Paradise Valley is very different from the P.V. School district. But, having lived there, I can suggest that 2.5 mil or so will not buy one of the nicer homes in that area! I think for that amount, you are likely to find an older home (built in the 50's or 60's, on, probably at least a acre of land, and needing either major renovation work or complete teardown and re-build. Maybe the prices have moderated somewhat, lately, with the slowing economy, but that is a PRICEY area!

Well, realtor.com shows 55 homes in the 2-2.5 mil range and they look pretty nice. Of course they are not the ones on the side of the mountain, but are still nice and not teardowns. My step grandfather lives in the heart of PV and he claims to have a teardown. It's a nice home when you go in, but the outside just doesn't cut it. I priced the land and it was around $1mil or so. I think that's the price for a typical teardown in that area ($1-1.5mil). Though you can find a really nice home for $1mil, but they are more of a tract home just inside the border of PV.

[dc1225]

Originally Posted by shabbygrl

I currently live in Sherman Oaks, CA part of Los Angeles County-the valley. I am origianlly from San francisco bay area. I have never lived in any other statte other than CA. My husband went to school in Tempe, AZ and has a lot of friends there and he really loves it there and wants to move there-specifically the city of Paradise Valley. I know no one there, but I am sick of LA traffic, horrible LA public school system since we have a child-young one though. I really love the area in Calabassas and my husband loves Paradise Valley. WE know we have to move by the beginning of next year, but we are torn as to where to live and raise our family.
I know what to expect in LA, but have no clue as to lifestyle in Paradise Valley. It just seems so desolate and dead there especially at night!What do people do there? Is it a great place for kids? Would I even like it, or just regret moving out of my security zone of CA? We are looking for homes up to $2.3 mil and know that we would get a lot more for our money in PV, but is it worth the lifestyle? is it very different from LA? Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated cause i am confused!

Shabby, If you like the city life, then you should stay in LA. If you enjoy the suburb life, then you should go to PV. But you hit the nail on the head when you say "dead and desolate" because it is compared to LA or any other big city, no doubt about it.

But to me, it sounds like you can afford to live in LA so why not stay in LA? Unless you're ready for a dramatic life change.