Questions about Phoenix area (Mesa, Scottsdale: rent, crime, mortgage)

[razzy]

I have been reading and exploring this forum and had a few questions about the Phoenix area...

1. What are the worst areas of the Phoenix area as far as crime and decay, quality of schools, etc? Try to use major streets as boundaries, as I recognize that not all of any city in the area will be bad, but may have pockets of bad areas. I know that south Phoenix isnt too great, for example, but approximately what part of south Phoenix, using major streets as a barometer.

2. Housing prices... what areas can a young family afford to live in and pay about $1000 a month rent or mortgage (or about $150k for a house purchase price) and get good public schools. If 150k isnt viable, how about 200k? I know that housing prices have fallen quite a bit in a lot of areas in the last couple of years.

3. Climate... Are there any areas that are noticably cooler in the summer than the norm? And how far away would one have to drive (and to where?) in order to escape the summer heat and be in a location where our family could get out and do things?

4. Transportation... How much has been completed on the new light rail system and where will it eventually run? Are there any plans to build a "loop" interstate highway all the way around the area? I notice that Phoenix doesnt have a complete loop (too many geographic boundaries?) unlike most metro areas.

Thanks in advance for any responses!

[sh9730]

You ask good and common questions, but this is a HUGE area and there are many areas in your price point. It always helps to know (if you know yourself?!) where you might be working as commute is usually a large factor in these things. Basically the further out you are willing to go from downtown, the less expensive. If you are willing to do a 30+ min commute then that will help alot in offering suggestions etc...if not, your choices will be more limited in decent areas.

[razzy]

Yeah, as far as work goes, havent looked into it yet. Just trying to get a feel of the area in general.

I guess another way to narrow down my overall question... what are the areas that provide the most character (relatively speaking: I know that Phoenix lacks the older charming housing compared to older cities in the east and midwest) and are the "hippest" areas. Are Tempe and Scottsdale such places? Any parts of Phoenix itself?

Any general comparison between the western and eastern suburbs of Phoenix?

[CodyW]

As for your transportation questions;

Phoenix IS indeed lacking a complete beltway around the city.
We have three designated "Loops" ..But, probably due to lack of foresight, they're not what you'd think them to be.

(If ADOT had pulled their heads out of their asses years ago and realized that the 101 and 202 SHOULD be connected in the west valley, we wouldn't have this problem.)

Currently, 20 miles of the light rail system have been completed. It runs from the Christown area (19th Ave/Bethany Home), through midtown/downtown, and turns east, where it runs PAST the airport (again, lack of foresight) and into Tempe, and eventually Mesa, Where it ends at just about Main(Apache) and Dobson.

There are MANY planned extensions. You could look into those on ValleyMetro's website.

[Todd TCE]

You may want to dig a bit deeper into that work thing first.

The last couple of Sunday papers have had so few job listings that you couple print them all on two pages- and I do mean everything.

The Phoenix metro area is not the job market it was five years back when there was an intire "help wanted" section with some areas nearly as large as the entire posts today. If you have a line on things you best use it and be certain it has legs before you give up what you have now. I currently would not recommend to anyone that moving here for work is a good idea right now.