central phoenix area (Glendale, Peoria, Flagstaff: relocate, income, rent)

[virgoox]

Hi. I have an interview on Tuesday at 3877 N. 7th st. and I am pretty sure I will get the job. So......where can my family of DH and 3 small children live that is safe, has good schools and is not that far of a commute. (Far to me is more than 30 minutes).

My DH cousin is willing to rent us a house in central
Phoenix because he is actually moving back her (Milwaukee). He says it is in a nice area but that poor/bad areas are definitely close by. He is single so he knows nothing about the schools. Anyway we may try it for a temp. situation without having to deal with landlords and deposits etc. as he is very accomodating with the fact that we are moving or entire family across country. Does anyone know about the schools in central area ? I wish I had a zip or address but will get it when I see the house on Tuesday.

Also, if the area is bad we will look into Peoria and Glendale, what kind of commute will I be looking at from North Glendale.

Lastly, are the schools really that bad in Arizona ? I guess I was wondering if some midwesterners could share their views. I am hearing terrible things but I hear terrible stuff about the schools here and the rest of the country thinks our schools are great.


Also, I was wondering how the racism issues get played out there ? We are Latinos but we are educated and have never lived in "ghetto areas" and I do not want to live in an area where people will assume I am uneducated, illegal and monlingual just because if how I look. For that reason I cannot stand Texas but is Az. the same way ?

I know I asked a lot but research can only draw a big picture- I need stories from real people.

Thank You

[AksarbeN]

First welcome to Phoenix!

The work location is near Osborn and 7th Streets. This is not the worst area of town, but it’s also an area that could be better. There are many areas of central Phoenix to the north and east of that work location where you can find a good safe place to live and be within 30 minutes from work. I can’t tell you about the schools around there other then most of the kids do well in public school if their parents monitor them and help to keep the kids focused on learning. There are several parochial schools also located near the work area that have very good standards and high ratings.

I’d say that you are lucky to have a temporary situation to rent right away and while you are staying there you can look for something more permanent and would meet your needs.

A north Glendale location can be a 30 minute commute to work. The hardest part is always having to drive across the I-17 (Black Canyon Frwy) during rush hours. If you can find a place to live east of the freeway you will save a lot of time each day.

There are alot of preowned homes in the area to the east of the work location that are located in good neighborhoods. Also to the north you can find many good neighborhoods as well. A commute driving to work on the route SR-51 isn’t all that bad and there are many homes north in the Paradise Valley Mall area.

As for racism issues in Phoenix metro, I don’t think that it is as bad as many other areas of the country. Phoenix has a high number of Latinos and I believe that most everyone is accepted without any problem. We have a high crime rate and a high number of gangs in the valley. Valley means all of the metro Phoenix area including every smaller city around Phoenix. Gangs and crime are problems in every major city area of the country.

I’ve worked side by side with many different nationalities and have always found that we can get along without problems and have respect for one another. I respect anyone who has high standards of work, education, and willingness to work together. I don’t think Arizona is as bad as Texas!

Again welcome to Phoenix!

[sablebaby]

I live in north Glendale and my work is about a mile and a half from yours. It takes me 35-40 minutes. However, I don't get to work until 915am. Whenever I leave earlier it's at least 45 minutes. I don't take any freeways and the commute is actually a breeze.

I lived down just a few blocks from your work as well. It was ok. Lots of traffic, construction, lots of streets that you can't turn left down, homeless, low income. My biggest complaint living down there was the traffic.

What is your price range for a house? With some housing prices coming down (many areas they are holding steady and actually going back up), you can get into a nice home for $225 and up. Closer to $300k and over in most areas.

[micrguy]

I just relocated out of state from the Metro Center area and my house is over by 43rd Ave and Peoria. I'm still trying to sell it, so if you want any info send me a PM. One of the best elementary schools in Phoenix is located at 39th Ave and Peoria, it is a traditional school so they focus on the basics and on good citizenship. If your kid can't do the work or keep up they just send your kid back to their neighborhood school. To get to your job would take around 20-25 minutes.

I like the area because you can get to central Phoenix in 20 minutes and you can get to Flagstaff and Prescott easily. Most decent houses in this area of town are between $225,000 and $275,000.