to Phoenix from Minneapolis (Tempe: relocating, apartments, condo)

[pidgit]

Hello! I have been reading posts from people who had questions about relocating to Phoenix and haven't quite found what I've been looking for.

I am a young teacher (24) and will be moving to Phoenix in mid-July. My fiance and I currently live in Minneapolis. We are able to get by with one car. I bike or bus to work, and he drives to the suburbs.

From what I have read, I know Phoenix isn't the best for walking but we are excited about the move and fairly flexible.

I have a few questions. First, what is the neighborhood like around W. Van Buren Street and S. 35th Ave? Ideally, I would like to continue busing/biking to work (when the weather allows). I am not interested in commuting an hour via car to get to work, if possible.

Some things that we appreciate where we live now are:
-access to numerous bus lines
-able to walk to restaurants, stores and parks
-laid-back neighborhood (mainly recent college grads but people of all ages)
-local businesses

Any suggestions? I have heard Tempe is nice but it may be too far from my job. Also, I have heard about the Phoenix open air market near downtown (?) which sounds great but I am wondering what else is in the area.

Thanks in advance for your help!

[Ponderosa]

Oh my gosh, you do not want to live near 35th and Van Buren unless you are an illegal alien. That neighborhood looks like it is straight out of Tijuana. There are not more than a handful of storefronts with English signs. The area is blighted to be charitable.

On the plus side, you could probably get around with public transportation there - they have frequent bus service - and since the neighborhood is almost entirely illegals without cars the commercial is pretty available by foot. You can even have your own shopping cart as there are plenty of then standing around for the taking. Seriously, this is one crummy neighborhood. I worked near there for 20 years and still drive through a couple times a week. Our workplace "adopted" a school in that area and we would raise money and buy the kids schools supplies and such. Seeing moms cry and kids get excited over having a box of crayons is pretty moving. The poverty in that neighborhood is sobering.

My advice - bite the bullet, find another place to live (there are nicer starter neighborhoods within 15-20 minutes) , buy a car and commute. That is what life is like here and it is easier when you just go with the flow instead of trying to make it like "home".

[SElaine]

Pidgit,

To be honest, this is not the best part of town. OK, in all seriousness, this is probably one of the worst parts of town. My opinion (just my opinion): buy a second car and live somewhere else. Personally, I wouldn't be walking around that part of town.

[sablebaby]

I definitely would never walk around that area! Find somewhere else to live, seriously! A young woman walking around is ASKING for trouble!!! Like Ponderosa said, buy a second car and commute like the rest of us, it's safer that way.

[silverbear]

Originally Posted by pidgit

Hello! I have been reading posts from people who had questions about relocating to Phoenix and haven't quite found what I've been looking for.

I am a young teacher (24) and will be moving to Phoenix in mid-July. My fiance and I currently live in Minneapolis. We are able to get by with one car. I bike or bus to work, and he drives to the suburbs.

From what I have read, I know Phoenix isn't the best for walking but we are excited about the move and fairly flexible.

I have a few questions. First, what is the neighborhood like around W. Van Buren Street and S. 35th Ave? Ideally, I would like to continue busing/biking to work (when the weather allows). I am not interested in commuting an hour via car to get to work, if possible.

Some things that we appreciate where we live now are:
-access to numerous bus lines
-able to walk to restaurants, stores and parks
-laid-back neighborhood (mainly recent college grads but people of all ages)
-local businesses

Any suggestions? I have heard Tempe is nice but it may be too far from my job. Also, I have heard about the Phoenix open air market near downtown (?) which sounds great but I am wondering what else is in the area.

Thanks in advance for your help!

As several others have suggested, the intersection you have named would be a bad choice -- not for reasons of ethnicity or language, but simply because of blight and crime. I don't think you necessarily have to resign yourself to a second car, however. Transit is getting better here all the time. It's just a question of where you live and where you work.

For what you have described, choose either Central Phoenix or Tempe. For best results, stick close to the light rail line under construction. That will ensure you the greatest access to bus service right now and access to rail service once the line starts operating. It will also keep you near more urban neighborhoods with independent businesses and the farmer's market that you have mentioned above.

Areas to focus on:

Downtown Phoenix -- especially around the Roosevelt Row area and the historic districts along Central Avenue. Try to stay between 7th Ave and 7th Street. This is the area where the farmer's market is located.

Midtown Phoenix -- farther north on Central Ave around Thomas, Indian School, and Camelback. Again, try to stay between the "sevens" for good transit access.

Downtown Tempe -- area near Mill and University

Is your work at 35th Ave and Van Buren? If so, you could live in a better area of Central Phoenix and commute via bus route 3:

http://www.valleymetro.org/bus/Bus_Routes/Route_3.htm

[GayleAZ]

Originally Posted by pidgit

Hello! I have been reading posts from people who had questions about relocating to Phoenix and haven't quite found what I've been looking for.

I am a young teacher (24) and will be moving to Phoenix in mid-July. My fiance and I currently live in Minneapolis. We are able to get by with one car. I bike or bus to work, and he drives to the suburbs.

From what I have read, I know Phoenix isn't the best for walking but we are excited about the move and fairly flexible.

I have a few questions. First, what is the neighborhood like around W. Van Buren Street and S. 35th Ave? Ideally, I would like to continue busing/biking to work (when the weather allows). I am not interested in commuting an hour via car to get to work, if possible.

Some things that we appreciate where we live now are:
-access to numerous bus lines
-able to walk to restaurants, stores and parks
-laid-back neighborhood (mainly recent college grads but people of all ages)
-local businesses

Any suggestions? I have heard Tempe is nice but it may be too far from my job. Also, I have heard about the Phoenix open air market near downtown (?) which sounds great but I am wondering what else is in the area.

Thanks in advance for your help!

You couldn't have picked a worse neighborhood if you drawn one out of a hat. WALK? You'd be nutz. You'll be shot off the sidewalk if your out past dusk. There are no walk to work jobs. If you live in a decent area of town you COMMUTE.. even if you DON'T live in a decent area you commute. You better start looking at a few more places in Phx to move to other that MEXICO which is exactly what 35th & Van Buren is. Only move there if you have a death wish or no ties to being a US citizen... RUN and FAST!

[pidgit]

Thank you to everyone for your help. I had a feeling it wasn't in the best of neighborhoods (that address is my school) but I thought I'd make sure.

I was planning to look for a place along the 3 line in Central Phoenix, as one of you suggested. I'm not sure how to go about it; if anyone takes the #3 bus frequently or has an apartment along there, I'd sure appreciate some help narrowing down my search!

Thanks for the feedback, and not to worry, I won't be walking to work.

Nicole

[silverbear]

Originally Posted by pidgit

Thank you to everyone for your help. I had a feeling it wasn't in the best of neighborhoods (that address is my school) but I thought I'd make sure.

I was planning to look for a place along the 3 line in Central Phoenix, as one of you suggested. I'm not sure how to go about it; if anyone takes the #3 bus frequently or has an apartment along there, I'd sure appreciate some help narrowing down my search!

Thanks for the feedback, and not to worry, I won't be walking to work.

Nicole

One other idea: If you look at a map of bus route 3, selected trips head north along 32nd St. into an attractive neighborhood known as Arcadia. That would be another part of town to consider.

[sablebaby]

You would have to take the 0 - central bus then transfer to the 3 to get to work with what was suggested above. How much of an apt can you afford? A lot of apartments turned condo a while back, so some of them are no longer available.

I looked at the 35 bus that goes down 35th ave and can't really recommend any areas really unless you went way up north. Maybe near peoria, thunderbird, dunlap- near metrocenter mall (not the greatest area, but sure beats the area where you work). Then it would be a straight shot down to work.

[pidgit]

Silverbear,

Thank you so much for your help. This is the kind of stuff you would never learn from looking at a map! Are there any other streets or landmarks in Arcadia I could look for among apartment listings?

Thanks again!
Nicole