Coolidge, Florence, San Tan Valley or Gold Canyon (Phoenix, Tucson: to rent, crime)

[J.kgn]

Would love to know which of these towns would be a better fit for our family. To give you an idea of what we are looking for:
We currently live in Kingman and before that we lived in Tucson for 4 years. My husband has recently been offered a job south of Superior. My father lives in Superior and I have visited a couple times but didn't get a good vibe while we were there. I also have family in Globe but don't care much for it either. We would like to be a little closer to the city but not in the city. My husbands current commute to work is just over an hour 1 way so the drive doesn't bother him.
I grew up in a small town (biggest store was walmart and it was a two hour drive to the closest home depot) and currently we live 30 miles away from a small town. however, we really miss the convenience of being in town. Would like a place that has stores (or max of 15 minute drive from) such as home depot, target, hobby lobby, good will, and farmers markets are a MUST!!
We have three young kids. I homeschool so finding good schools is not a big issue but the kids are involved in sports and so I would like a community that has a lot of options for them. Their current involvements are soccer, 4-h, karate, and dance.
Would love to know about;
Family friendly community events and places such as parades, museums, parks, Holiday events
etc...
Crimes in the area (compared to the rest of phoenix)
Restaurants
Housing costs (not looking right away but when we do it will be in the under-$100,000 range)
Homeschooling groups and events (I should also mention that we are not religious. I have
nothing against religious homeschool groups but the ones in our current area look down
on us because of this.)
Weather - I know its hot but I would prefer not to deal with the wind and dust storms. Also I
love thunderstorms and monsoon season.

We plan on visiting the area here in a couple weeks but would like some opinions from people who live in these places. It seems like most of the reviews are from outsiders and they make it sounds like their are gangsters roaming the streets. I've also read similar reviews about my current town however, I don't get that feeling here at all.

[maverick974]

I haven't lived here in Arizona all that long. I've been here since June of 2011 so take my advice lightly but with that said, it sounds to me that you might like east Mesa or even Apache Junction.
We are right on the 60 freeway so access is excellent going either way. Downtown Phoenix is about 20 minutes and going east, I can make Superior in less than 30 minutes. I live a few blocks from the Mesa/Apache Junction border. All the big stores are nearby. HD, Lowes, Goodwill, Salvation Army, Walmart, Superstition Springs mall, Costco and many others are just minutes away yet I'm within just a few blocks of being out in the open desert. Saguaro and Canyon Lakes are less than 30 minutes away and the Salt River is just down the street if you kids like to float the river during the summers.
Housing costs here are cheaper here compared to most other metro areas. Typically, the closer you go to downtown, the more expensive the housing. 100K might be tough but it's not out of the question.

[J.kgn]

Maverick974, thanks for the reply.
We looked into Apache Junction but when I did a search for housing ( places to rent and/or buy) in our price range, the only thing I could find was manufactured homes and trailers. We really want to live in an actual stick build home. (nothing wrong with manufactured homes, I grew up in a manufactured home and also currently live in one. Just a personal choice). I did notice that the closer to mesa I got, the more expensive the housing.
I'll have to do some more looking though because it does seem like it would be a lot closer to shops and I think it would also be closer to my husbands work.
Is there good fishing in Saguaro or Canyon lake? Do they have areas to take the kids to play in the water? I didn't know there was anything closer than Roosevelt Lake.
Also, how is the crime down there? I'm sure, like most towns, there are shady parts of town that you want to stay away from but I read a few comments in other posts that made it sound like the entire town is bad.

[Steve Pickering]

Look again. There are plenty and AJ is a good choice.

[maverick974]

Originally Posted by J.kgn

Maverick974, thanks for the reply.
We looked into Apache Junction but when I did a search for housing ( places to rent and/or buy) in our price range, the only thing I could find was manufactured homes and trailers. We really want to live in an actual stick build home. (nothing wrong with manufactured homes, I grew up in a manufactured home and also currently live in one. Just a personal choice). I did notice that the closer to mesa I got, the more expensive the housing.
I'll have to do some more looking though because it does seem like it would be a lot closer to shops and I think it would also be closer to my husbands work.
Is there good fishing in Saguaro or Canyon lake? Do they have areas to take the kids to play in the water? I didn't know there was anything closer than Roosevelt Lake.
Also, how is the crime down there? I'm sure, like most towns, there are shady parts of town that you want to stay away from but I read a few comments in other posts that made it sound like the entire town is bad.

The closer you get to the core of Phoenix, the more housing is going to cost. That's one of the many reasons homes are cheaper out in Superior.
For 100K, you might look at a fixer if you can't find something you like. I personally enjoy fixing up things the way I want them. It takes a while but the payoff is well worth it in both peace of mind and resale.
Contrary to many here on this forum, I like Apache Junction. It's no Scottsdale but to me, that just adds a little charm to the place. HA! As I said, I am actually in Mesa but not by much. Far east Mesa is different that AJ. There are distinct differences. AJ is more rural, more of a "western" vibe to the place. East Mesa is a bit more upscale, a bit more of a "big city" feel to it but since they are so close and this is the outskirts of the metro area, there are some great outdoor opportunities such as the lakes, the Salt River, the numerous hiking trails, the Superstitions, and many other things. There is even a shooting range just up the street.
Anyway, check out the area. Given what information you gave, this area sounds like it might be a good fit for you.
I'm an avid bass fisherman and the fishing at Saguaro and Canyon is good. Saguaro is known for large amounts of fish while Canyon is known for the large size of the fish you catch. They are expecting a state record bass out of Canyon. While I have yet to catch one that big, it's not uncommon to see 10 pounders come out of Canyon. There are also some good cat fish, winter stocker trout, summer crappie as well as many other species in both lakes. Canyon Lake is also a stunningly beautiful lake. Even if you don't catch much, you'll still enjoy the scenery. There are a few areas to swim and picnic as well.
Also, there is another lake that is close by as the crow flies but the road out to the lake sometimes is in bad shape. Apache Lake is terrific if you can handle the road out there. Just something to think about.
Some might say different but from my perspective, I think Apache Junction is plenty safe. While there are a few small areas that could use some improvement, I haven't been in any single area of Apache Junction that I wouldn't feel safe walking around at night. AJ also has some very, VERY high end neighborhoods. They are almost hidden but go to the end of Broadway and you'll see what I mean. Multi million dollar homes nestled up against the Superstition Mountains. Apache Junction isn't the dump that many have depicted. As a matter of fact, it is a huge snowbird destination. If the snowbirds flock there in droves, the place can't be very bad. These folks have plenty of money so they could go where ever they wanted and they want AJ. That should tell you something.
Anyway, it's a cool little town with plenty to offer and it's close to anything you'll need.
If you have any questions, don't hesitate to ask and you can even PM me if you like.

Take care,