South Phoenix - How far south? (crime, new house, safe area)

[thedreamteam]

I have heard that South Phoenix has some rough patches mainly between Broadway and Baseline, but how far south do you have to go for it to be considered safe? we are moving from canada and are considering a property around dobbins and 19th ave. Is this far enough south to be cosnidered a safe area? we love the proximity tot he airport and downtown, but don't want to get accosted just bwalking to the corner store. thanks in advance.

[zenkonami]

Well, there's not a whole lot south of Baseline aside from South Mountain Park (and mighty it is) if that tells you anything. I never lived down there, but my brother worked down there for a while and we'd hang out in the area sometimes...never was accosted. I think the worse areas are closer to downtown but south of the "river"...which is fairly adjacent to the warehouse district anyway.

[ArizonaBear]

Geographically speaking: Ahwatukee is the true South Phoenix

[Ponderosa]

Originally Posted by thedreamteam

I have heard that South Phoenix has some rough patches mainly between Broadway and Baseline, but how far south do you have to go for it to be considered safe? we are moving from canada and are considering a property around dobbins and 19th ave. Is this far enough south to be cosnidered a safe area? we love the proximity tot he airport and downtown, but don't want to get accosted just bwalking to the corner store. thanks in advance.

You would not be unsafe in any part really except at night around 24th and Broadway maybe where a couple of Canucks would stand out from the crowd. (You would be OK if you carried a paper bag with a bottle). On the other hand, there is no part that is truly nice or upscale in that area. There's scatterings of very nice homes mixed in with not so nice. When I lived in South Phoenix area, I always wanted to live where you are looking, but was bothered by the fact that the schools are awful and the stores and shopping around there are all rundown and there is a lot of graffiti, not in the immediate neighborhood but in general. The schools haven't changed, but there has been a lot of new commercial development and growth since I lived there. Frankly if I didn't have kids and liked the area, I would move there. The safety concern issue is grossly overdone in Phoenix.

[LocoAZnative]

I worked @ Central and Southern in the late 90's and there were 2 murders and a quadruple shooting in the parking lot. the boundaries for South Phoenix is baseline and even Dobbins to the river bottom and 48th St to 19th ave. It's not as bad now they built all the new house and development. During the 90's the Mexican gangs pushed out the black gangs, but its still pretty bad.

[AzDreamer]

It's usually a good idea to personally check out an area to see if you are comfortable there before committing to a move. Visit places like parks , schools and grocery stores to see if the area vibe is the right frequency.

[Howard Roark]

Ahwatukee is nice, clean, and upscale, and south Phoenix is intermixed in the area. It's all nice but you still have to be vigilant. There have been murders over the last few years and burglaries. Most of the crime is by either young thugs who finished high school or illegal aliens. The problem is the quick access to I-10 and 202. It means quick escape by thugs. There is starting to be too much multiculturalism that locals prefer not to know their next door neighbors due to having odd lifestyles and customs. I would not blame people for the distrust. But it's a double edged sword and lack of communication can mean your neighbor won't look out for your place when you are gone.

When I was a kid in the 60s our family knew all the other families in the neighborhood. We would usually get together in the evenings. But note we had the same background and culture. It's far different today when there is widespread acceptance rap "music" and its culture of violence and you cannot stand it!

[ArizonaBear]

Originally Posted by Ponderosa

You would not be unsafe in any part really except at night around 24th and Broadway maybe where a couple of Canucks would stand out from the crowd. (You would be OK if you carried a paper bag with a bottle). On the other hand, there is no part that is truly nice or upscale in that area. There's scatterings of very nice homes mixed in with not so nice. When I lived in South Phoenix area, I always wanted to live where you are looking, but was bothered by the fact that the schools are awful and the stores and shopping around there are all rundown and there is a lot of graffiti, not in the immediate neighborhood but in general. The schools haven't changed, but there has been a lot of new commercial development and growth since I lived there. Frankly if I didn't have kids and liked the area, I would move there. The safety concern issue is grossly overdone in Phoenix.

I have to agree with you there: if anything; Maryvale which is still part of the City of Phoenix makes me more nervous-------at least during the day.

[Valley Native]

Originally Posted by ArizonaBear

Geographically speaking: Ahwatukee is the true South Phoenix

That's very true geographically ... but culturally, Ahwatukee is a far cry from the actual south Phoenix. It's almost like the difference between the southern U.S. and Florida. The state of Florida is further south geographically, yet a whole different world compared to Alabama or Mississippi.

[homlish560]

South Phoenix isn't too impressive, but found this pic of the City looking north from South Moutain.