Tips on Urban Living in or close to Tempe? (Phoenix: real estate, showing)

[travelinzoo]

I just joined the faculty at ASU and am very excited to be moving to Tempe the beginning of July. I want to find a condo to rent in an urban area (lots to walk to). I understand that Mill Street is the center of things, but is The Vale on University close to many things also? The things that are the most important to me are

Coffee Shops (especially those with open mic nights)
Independent/International/Art Films
Smaller, less expensive live theatres
Ethnic food (sushi, indian, thai, etc.)
Vegetarian food
Wine bar or other quiet place for a drink
A bookstore would be a plus -- especially an independently owned one

Are there any other condos/neighborhoods I should be considering??? I only come with a significant cat, so I only need a studio or one bedroom and can afford around 1000/mo. Thanks for any tips you can give me!

[sheena]

Originally Posted by travelinzoo

I just joined the faculty at ASU and am very excited to be moving to Tempe the beginning of July. I want to find a condo to rent in an urban area (lots to walk to). I understand that Mill Street is the center of things, but is The Vale on University close to many things also? The things that are the most important to me are

Coffee Shops (especially those with open mic nights)
Independent/International/Art Films
Smaller, less expensive live theatres
Ethnic food (sushi, indian, thai, etc.)
Vegetarian food
Wine bar or other quiet place for a drink
A bookstore would be a plus -- especially an independently owned one

Are there any other condos/neighborhoods I should be considering??? I only come with a significant cat, so I only need a studio or one bedroom and can afford around 1000/mo. Thanks for any tips you can give me!

Look for an apt on University drive between Between Mill and Rural, some private condo rentals too.

[silverbear]

Originally Posted by travelinzoo

I just joined the faculty at ASU and am very excited to be moving to Tempe the beginning of July. I want to find a condo to rent in an urban area (lots to walk to). I understand that Mill Street is the center of things, but is The Vale on University close to many things also? The things that are the most important to me are

Coffee Shops (especially those with open mic nights)
Independent/International/Art Films
Smaller, less expensive live theatres
Ethnic food (sushi, indian, thai, etc.)
Vegetarian food
Wine bar or other quiet place for a drink
A bookstore would be a plus -- especially an independently owned one

Are there any other condos/neighborhoods I should be considering??? I only come with a significant cat, so I only need a studio or one bedroom and can afford around 1000/mo. Thanks for any tips you can give me!

Mill Avenue, along with neary sections of University Drive, is certainly among the most pedestrian-oriented portions of the Phoenix Metro Area. Still, not everything you seek in the list above will be within walking distance. Mill Avenue has become very hot real estate lately, with a number of high-rise condominium towers under development. The downside is that Mill has lost some of its college town feel. Some of the independent businesses previously located on Mill have fled to more suburban neighborhoods in south Tempe.

Specifically:

Coffee Shops (especially those with open mic nights) -- Some, but the best are elsewhere in the Phoenix Metro Area

Independent/International/Art Films -- Some at the Varsity, but more at Camelview in Scottsdale

Smaller, less expensive live theatres -- Some at the Tempe Arts Center and at ASU; more in Central Phoenix

Ethnic food (sushi, indian, thai, etc.) -- Yes, but the best ethnic eating is in strip malls in suburban Tempe and nearby parts of Mesa and Chandler

Vegetarian food -- likewise

Wine bar or other quiet place for a drink -- No winebar on Mill yet, but I'm sure one will arrive soon. The best wine bars right now are in the Phoenix neighborhood of Arcadia, along with the suburbs Scottsdale and Chandler.

A bookstore would be a plus -- especially an independently owned one -- Changing Hands, the Phoenix area's best -known indy bookstore, fled Mill a few years ago for a suburban location in south Tempe. It did not want to compete with the Borders store that went in on Mill.


The bottom line: Mill Ave would be a good place for you to live since it would allow you to walk to work. Nevertheless, the Phoenix Metro Area is highly decentralized and no one neighborhood offers everything you seek within a walkable nucleus. You can find everything you're looking for and more, but you need to have a car and be willing to do some exploring of the larger Phoenix Metro Area in order to find and enjoy those things. Trying to find everything in one neighborhood will only lead to frustration.

[Cj81]

I love Mill Ave, and I think everything you are looking for will be there in a few years. Unfortunatly its not yet. There are coffee shops, bookstores, restaurants and a wine bar is under construction. As posted above, you can find all of the things you want in Phoenix but you will have to drive for them. Don't worry, light rail will be running in about a year and a half and you will have easy access to all of those things. The Vale is within walking distance to ASU, however I don't think you will want to do it in July Its close but not that close. All of the school year is all good walking weather though. I live in downtown Phoenix so I am not sure of the rental market in Tempe. I'm sure you can find something nice for $1000 a month. Good luck!

[travelinzoo]

Thanks for all of your replies! This is so helpful and I'm so glad I found this site.

[travelinzoo]

Does Varsity Theatre have a webpage? Where is it? I can't find it on the web.

[silverbear]

Originally Posted by travelinzoo

Does Varsity Theatre have a webpage? Where is it? I can't find it on the web.

Sorry. I got the name wrong. It's called Valley Art:

http://harkinstheatres.moviefone.com...theaterid=9027

It's a small theater that shows only one movie at a time. For that reason, at any given time there are more foreign and indy films showing at the Camelview Theater, which is owned by the same company and is located not too far from Tempe in Scottsdale:

http://harkinstheatres.moviefone.com...theaterid=9016

[travelinzoo]

Thanks so much all of you for helping me in doing my research for a neighborhood and a home. I just bought a condo at Hayden Square and can't wait to move to Tempe!!! Thanks again for all of your help -- especially silverbear! --Lynda

[silverbear]

Originally Posted by travelinzoo

Thanks so much all of you for helping me in doing my research for a neighborhood and a home. I just bought a condo at Hayden Square and can't wait to move to Tempe!!! Thanks again for all of your help -- especially silverbear! --Lynda

Glad to be of help. Hayden Square is a good choice. You'll be within walking distance of some good restaurants, ASU, and the new light rail line that will connect Phoenix and Tempe.