What's the deal with Palomino or Greenway Square? (Phoenix, Cave Creek: middle-class, apartments)

[homlish560]

This section that looks like it's long-forgotten about in the northern suburban Phoenix area--------------
Reminds me of a ghetto island smack-dab in middle-class Suburbia!!!!!!

Bounded by Greenway, Bell, 32nd St., Cave Creek. It seems like it has a high concentration of scruffy-looking people, they might even be associated with gangs. Quite a few junky properties too.

What's the history of this section anyway? How did it allow itself to get so run-down???????

[ivanabacowboy]

If you want to see a real "ghetto", go to Cleveland. 32nd & Greenway doesn't even compare remotely on the "ghetto-ness" scale. True it isnt anywhere as nice as parts east of say Tatum or so, and some of the bars on the shop windows are a give-away that it may not be oh a golf course community, but still.

Actually the ultimate "ghetto" I have seen other than Cleveland was parts of St. Augustine, Florida weirdly enough. Homes with porches falling off, no windows, holes in the roof, 3 foot high grass-and people living there.

[cap1717]

I hope you get an answer as to the "history" of this area. My guess is that it was a county "island" that finally got incorporated, but still has all of the "flavor" of a no-regulation area. Some nice homes and condo's / apartments are being built in that area, but it is heavily populated with very poor people, many of whom appear to be illegal immigrants.

[sablebaby]

I just think it was and still is a place where hispanics congregate. A lot of the way they live is from their culture and it's a bit different than what most of us live. It's been like this for years and years.

[drb85650]

That area is called the "square", since it's roughly a square mile area. Very rough, usde to be alot of illegals in the area and Phoenix sponsored a day labor "rest area" there, which only attracted more illegals. The intersection of Cave Creek and Bell was covered with them, business around there suffered greatly. I worked and lived in the area, not a nice place.

[KarmaPhx]

The "square" is not as bad as most neighborhoods in central phoenix, just a high concentration of illegals.

[homlish560]

The Square was pretty scary when I drove through. Saw lots of scummy-looking people just hangin' around by the street - they looked like they might belong to gangs.

Hate to say it but they were all minorities too - not a pale face to be seen. Not trying to start a race riot or anything, but everybody I saw looked Mexican. That probably explains why there might be the problem there with illegals.

[cap1717]

I agree with NAU_josh. . . the square looks pretty bad, lots of old trailers, lots of illegal immigrants, but old and illegal immigrant do not translate to crime. I am not aware of any gang activity in that area, I drive through the area regularly, and have had no problems, I knew two people who lived there, and they had no problem with crime, etc., at all. So. . . I think the square is heavily populated with illegal immigrants, and even more heavily with poor people, but is perhaps not as bad as some folks make it out to be.

[homlish560]

Originally Posted by cap1717

I agree with NAU_josh. . . the square looks pretty bad, lots of old trailers, lots of illegal immigrants, but old and illegal immigrant do not translate to crime. I am not aware of any gang activity in that area, I drive through the area regularly, and have had no problems, I knew two people who lived there, and they had no problem with crime, etc., at all. So. . . I think the square is heavily populated with illegal immigrants, and even more heavily with poor people, but is perhaps not as bad as some folks make it out to be.

Kinda sad they let this section get like it is with or without crime. Everything surrounding this area looks pretty middle-class - typical Suburban, strip-mall atmosphere.

Just seems like a section that progress forgot about.

[sablebaby]

Yeah, I knew someone who bought a new condo in the square and had no problems that I know of. They said they liked living there. They are good people. They happen to be white. But, I believe they sold their condo or lost it a couple of years ago.