Best Phoenix Neighborhoods for NY transplants (Scottsdale, Chandler: real estate, apartment, new house)

[Design7]

If you have enough time and want a real mini-vacation, spend a day in Sedona. Its about a 2 hour drive from Tempe and is one of the most beautiful areas in the country. If you have never seen it before it will be a real treat!

If you like ghost towns and art galleries you may enjoy visiting either Prescott or Jerome which are between Phoenix and Sedona.



Photo: Sedona Arizona
Photos & Images - ABQStyle.com « Arizona Photos | New Mexico Photos | Albuquerque Photos - ABQStyle.com

[Howard Roark]

One thing I would look into is the Arcadia area near 44th and Camelback. Homes with large lawns. I'm not sure about quality of schools. I'd stay east of 44th and north of Thomas, or preferably north of Indian School. If you want to be closer to Desert Ridge, you keep going north on 44th and follow the curve around Camelback. You are in the Paradise Valley area at that point. Should be able to get up to Desert Ridge from there.

IMO, every drive is congested at rush hour in Phoenix, whether the height of summer or not. You have to expect it for the 5th largest city in the U.S.

I mentioned Arcadia because it has a lot of "tall" trees and lawns - it is an older area where the average income is high. You will be happy to have the large green lawns just like home in NY.

[observer53]

I can't speak against the Arcadia area, I grew up there! Still love it. It would be Scottsdale School District, which is a good district. For the true Arcadia area, it's east of 44th, north of Lafayette (which is north of Indian School, then all the way west to 68th St. Mostly older homes, but huge lawns as Howard said, some teardowns/rebuilds. When you are in the middle of that neigborhood, you really have no idea you are also in the middle of the fifth largest city in the country.

[Howard Roark]

Originally Posted by observer53

When you are in the middle of that neigborhood, you really have no idea you are also in the middle of the fifth largest city in the country.

I'd like to add that I worked on the third floor of a professional building. Some cubicles next to the windows were shaded all the time by the leaves of trees. Yes, third floor! You would not think you were in the middle of the desert until you looked out the north window at Camelback Mtn. So green.

[gsheridan]

Arcadia sounds beautiful - we'll definitely check it out when we get out there. Thanks for the info Howard and observer53.

I asked this question on a school thread, but I'll repeat it here. I think I heard that the high school in the Arcadia area is not so good? Is that true? Is Arcadia the Madison school district? That's my only reservation about the area. My wife is also worried that it might be too close to some of the not so desirable areas downtown. Is this something to worry about or is it far enough removed that it's safe?

Beautiful picture of Sedona, abqstyle. That's defintely on my list of places to see once we get out there. That and Flagstaff, to escape the heat when it gets just slightly uncomfortable in July.
Speaking of that, how many millions of people will I be competing with for space on the highway, heading north toward Flagstaff on Friday nights in July and August? According to wikipedia, it's around 25 degrees cooler than Phoenix - sounds downright balmy at 82 degress:-)

[NJ2AZSusan]

Originally Posted by gsheridan

Beautiful picture of Sedona, abqstyle. That's defintely on my list of places to see once we get out there. That and Flagstaff, to escape the heat when it gets just slightly uncomfortable in July.
Speaking of that, how many millions of people will I be competing with for space on the highway, heading north toward Flagstaff on Friday nights in July and August? According to wikipedia, it's around 25 degrees cooler than Phoenix - sounds downright balmy at 82 degress:-)

I can't say exactly how many people will be keeping you company on the freeway to Flagstaff during summer weekends, but I know it's a LOT.

Arcadia is lovely. But does anyone know how bad or widespread the mosquito problem is there? Wasn't it built over a swamp or something so the bugs are rampant? I just know my daighter played a volleyball game at Arcadia HS once and came home COVERED in insect bites.

[observer53]

Originally Posted by NJ2AZSusan

I can't say exactly how many people will be keeping you company on the freeway to Flagstaff during summer weekends, but I know it's a LOT.

Arcadia is lovely. But does anyone know how bad or widespread the mosquito problem is there? Wasn't it built over a swamp or something so the bugs are rampant? I just know my daighter played a volleyball game at Arcadia HS once and came home COVERED in insect bites.

Built over a SWAMP??? Good heavens, where did you hear that? Uh. no.

Let's assume they were mosquitoes. Because it is so grassy there, and the lawns in the area (not just the HS) are watered by flood irrigation, it is an area that mosquitos CAN intermittently be found in. However, it is NOTHING like Florida, and nothing that would prevent me from living there if it were otherwise what I wanted.

Gsheridan--

I'm not sure what your wife means by the "less desirable areas downtown", but assuming she means Phoenix, Arcadia HS is nowhere near any "undesirable area downtown".

Arcadia HS is not Madison District (Madison District is more central Phoenix, and is actually a good district in many respects-- it is elementary only, and feeds Phoenix Union HSD). Arcadia is in Scottsdale School Dist. I have no recent feedback on Arcadia (my sis and brother both graduated from there). It's an older school in terms of many of the buildings, but I suspect the quality of teaching at Arcadia is still very good--- Scottsdale is generally a good district.

[gsheridan]

Originally Posted by NJ2AZSusan

I can't say exactly how many people will be keeping you company on the freeway to Flagstaff during summer weekends, but I know it's a LOT.

As long as the AC in the car works, I'll guess I can deal with the traffic:-) I drove cross country with some college friends many years ago, and we camped at a KOA camp ground in Flagstaff - maybe we got a particularly beautiful night, but I couldn't get over how incredible the weather was.

hmmm... I guess I'm a little confused on the areas closer to donwtown. I think the problem is I'm working off a map that doesn't give much detail as far as neighborhood names, as you get closer to downtown - I guess it's just more densely packed down there.

I'm in search of a better map. For example, someone in an old thread mentioned a neighborhood called Beverly Park, which sounds like it's close to Arcadia, but I can't find it, even on a map which seems to have all the neighborhoods marked. Now I can't find that thread and searches of this forum aren't coming up with hits on Beverly Park - maybe I have the name wrong.

Thanks for clearing me up on the Madison school district. When I saw only elementary schools listed on the list of Excelling schools for that district, I assumed that the high school was not as good - didn't realize it was in a different district.

[observer53]

I found Beverly Park on a site that basically maps it between 16th and 20th Sts and between Missouri and Montebello. Quite a bit west of what we are describing to you as Arcadia. That would be Madison Elem Dist, and Camelback High School, I think.

The number of school districts here can be very confusing. Unification/consolidation has always made some practical sense to me, but it got shot down recently. I think it may be back, but for right now, there are LOTS of elem dists in the Valley.

[azdr0710]

gsheridan...

let me put another pitch in for the area along Tatum around Shea and Cactus in NE Phx.....see my older post about it....houses range from old apts to $2M++...if you buy EAST of Tatum in this area (zip 85254), you'll have a Scottsdale mailing address (though in Phx city limits), if that's important to you, and you'll be in a very convenient location less than 30 minutes to both Desert Ridge and Sky Harbor....every store you could need is in the immediate area....a few fake boobs, but it is a desirable area....a golf course runs thru the area with houses fronting it if that appeals to you....

I'm biased....I grew up in the PV/Scottsdale area and have seen the areas change over the last 34 years....that area mentioned earlier in N Scotts E of Pima along the 101 (McDowell Mt Ranch, Grayhawk, Troon, Princess, all of that) is not convenient to much except the onramps of 101...you'll probably have to drive everywhere for anything and there is a little bit of a snob appeal there....certainly very pretty and neat, but maybe some phony pretension going on...some people drive fast and some are self-important.....the Tatum area (stay south of Cactus and east of Tatum!!) is more established and stable....and just so darn convenient to everything.....definitely an upscale area if important to your wife, though it doesn't have all of that Scottsdale "cachet".....full disclosure: I just don't like to see people these days mostly concerned with appearances, address, car driven, size of house, etc........

Arcadia is very convenient to all and the Madison school area (Camelback and 24th St-ish) is ultra-convenient....both of these areas are very established, stable, and a bit old-money (not a bad thing)...

and what's wrong with the Desert Ridge area itself??....but it's more than 30 minutes to the airport, so I don't know....it is a new area full of good housing deals, has shopping (must drive to it), and is nice and neat....a ways out, though, and sorta tract-home feeling....