Tell me a bit about Avondale, please. (Phoenix, Chandler: houses, condos)

[JustinH]

Hey Folks.

My girlfriend and I are planning a trip from Buffalo, NY to Phoenix to look at townhouses/condos to rent in the suburbs surrounding phoenix.

We will rent for about a year, then buy once we figure out the area that suits us best.

She is attending Argosy University on W Dunlap avenue this September, and we are moving to the area probably a month before that.

I will be working at Citi Smith Barney on E Camelback RD in Phoenix.

I am familiar with the tempe area, but that is about it.

We are looking at several townhouses in Avondale, AZ.

I have never been to Avondale, and had a few questions.

Is the city mostly suburban?

Is it a low crime area for Arizona?

Is it a general good place to live?

Google maps puts it at around 30 minutes each way into the city of Phoenix.

Is this realistic with traffic?

We are focusing on townhouses or condo rentals in the sub 1000/month range. We would like 2BR, 1 garage, and 1 additional off street parking space.

One of the condos I am looking at is on E Lawrence Blvd. What can you folks tell me about this location?

Any help would be great.

Is there other cities that I should be looking at besides Avondale?

I was looking at Gilbert and Chandler as well.

Thanks,
Justin

[sablebaby]

I would HIGHLY suggest an area that is closer to your work or her school. There are plenty condo rentals all throughout the valley. I would not suggest Avondale to commute from. It's all suburb, has crime, and there's just other better areas. NO to chandler or glibert. Why not be closer to where you need to be?

[brittZ]

My wife and I will be moving from CA back to Avondale over the summer. We have spent a lot of time out there and really like the area. as for the comments that its all suburb and has crime - that is true of any suburban area in the country. I would say that Avondale is a city under major redevelopment and growth as are all the West Valley cities. Your two locations on W. Dunlap and E. Camelback make it difficult as you would be commuting North for your wife and North East through the city for you across I-10. If you are cool with the commute, you would do fine. My one recomendation would be to find something newer. In many areas you should be able to rent a single family detached home for that price range. I did a quick search on through azcentral.com and found 17 properties in the Goodyear, Avondale, Tolleson which were single family detached homes with 3-4 bedrooms ranging in rates from $995-$1200 several of which were lease to own options.

As for quality of life, most what is there is brand new, under construction, or in process of redevelopment. The city of Avondale is taking a lot of effort to become a leading city in the Valley and is making progress. The new stadiums and westgate are just a couple miles up the road, the Estrella Mountains are just to the South, there are new museums and cultural attractions being built, etc. . .

If the commute is to much take a look a little further North and East. Split the difference and look somplace a couple miles either direction from the 17 between Thunderbird and Camelback.

[Ponderosa]

Lot of nice areas in Avondale. Best parts are north of I-10 in the Dysart Road corridor and east, generally the "Rancho Santa Fe" development. Anything north of I-10 is new and nice.

[brittZ]

The area we are looking at is south of I-10 between Buckeye and Lower Buckeye and Avondale Blvd and El Mirage. Just South of that development which is called Dos Rios (if I remember) they have sold a huge horse ranch and dairy farm which is being developed into a shopping center focused around either AJ's or Basha's and will be all high end commercial. As that building progresses the old remnants of what used to be Avondale will be gone. Their City Hall is absolutely beautiful as are the rest of the new government buildings that have been built along Avondale Blvd.

[Ponderosa]

Originally Posted by brittZ

The area we are looking at is south of I-10 between Buckeye and Lower Buckeye and Avondale Blvd and El Mirage. Just South of that development which is called Dos Rios (if I remember) they have sold a huge horse ranch and dairy farm which is being developed into a shopping center focused around either AJ's or Basha's and will be all high end commercial. As that building progresses the old remnants of what used to be Avondale will be gone. Their City Hall is absolutely beautiful as are the rest of the new government buildings that have been built along Avondale Blvd.

They've got a lot of tax money coming as there is a ton of retail in Avondale. They've got Costco, Sams, the AutoMall, Sports Authority, many, many chain restaurants -even an In-and-Out Burger for the Cali crowd, medical etc.

[brittZ]

For sure. It is just going bananas out there. I love the opportunity and newness.

[foma]

Hiya - I just moved here to Phoenix back in January from Albany, NY!

I live out in Buckeye b'c of my husband's job and what I recommend is you should live close to where you work/go to school. Traffic is pretty bad in the morning from what I have experienced. We're doing the same thing, renting for a year to see what areas we like and then settle so I know what you are going through.

Avondale isn't bad but it is mainly suburban. If you are set on Avondale though, you'll have no problem adjusting - it has everything you need around that area. There's shopping, food, places to live etc. The crime isn't that bad ... at least not where I've been around the highway.

Good luck!

[Lorann]

I would definately check out something closer to work/school, the commute from the west valley isn't pretty. There are lots of nice apts. and condos for rent in Phoenix that have garages. A lot off of Camelback and 16th-22nd street. I agree the only decent part of Avondale is Rancho Santa Fe. Good luck to you.

[Jethro]

I live in Litchfield Park and commute to downtown Phoenix every morning.

This time if year the freeways flow pretty smoothly, I assume because the construction trades are on their way to work at 4:30 am or so.

I get to work in the summer in 15 minutes on the freeway.

In the winter, when the freeways are more congested, I take Van Buren or Thomas into dowtown, and that takes about 25 minutes.