Glendale or Gilbert? Where to live (Phoenix, Mesa: rental, waterpark, low crime) - Arizona (AZ) - City-Data Forum

cassiern73 · 11-12-2006, 10:26 AM

Hello everyone!!My family and I are relocating to Phoenix area after the first of the year. We have 4 kids, my husband is a police officer and I am a nurse. We are looking for a family friendly area with low crime and good schools. We will be renting so price of housing doesnt matter. We want to be sure first we like the area before we buy, so a 1-2 year lease for us is the way to go.

We have looked at many areas and have narrowed our search down to Glendale, Gilbert,Chandler and possibly Litchfield area. We would like some opinions of these areas. I believe correct me if I am wrong Glendale is shorter distance into Phoenix than lets say Gilbert or Chandler;However I have heard Gilbert is a great town. We also would like to move to an area where maybe there are waterparks ect. for the kids.

Now I have heard many people say that there isnt anything to do and Az is boring but I believe that you can make anyplace a good place and hey as long as there are restraunts, malls, and movie theaters we as a family are set.

We are running out of time because we are moving right after the 1st of the year and will be flying out to put money down on a rental house in December.

Thank you in advance for all your input and your time!!!!

from way to cold in Wisconsin!!!

aj661 · 11-12-2006, 10:52 AM

I grew up and still live on the east side so I am biased. I never liked Glendale. Chandler was okay (lived there 7 years), but Gilbert is a great town. I wish we had kept our place there instead of moving to east Mesa 6 years ago. Is your husband going to work for Phoenix PD? If so, he could be assigned to any precinct so he still might have a long drive from the west side. My brother did 32 years with them, commuting from south central Mesa for 20 of it.

If you check the Gilbert area, take a look at Freestone park. My kids (and us) loved that place. We were within walking distance and spent a lot of time there.

Ponderosa · 11-12-2006, 11:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cassiern73

Hello everyone!!My family and I are relocating to Phoenix area after the first of the year. We have 4 kids, my husband is a police officer and I am a nurse. We are looking for a family friendly area with low crime and good schools. We will be renting so price of housing doesnt matter. We want to be sure first we like the area before we buy, so a 1-2 year lease for us is the way to go.

We have looked at many areas and have narrowed our search down to Glendale, Gilbert,Chandler and possibly Litchfield area. We would like some opinions of these areas. I believe correct me if I am wrong Glendale is shorter distance into Phoenix than lets say Gilbert or Chandler;However I have heard Gilbert is a great town. We also would like to move to an area where maybe there are waterparks ect. for the kids.

Now I have heard many people say that there isnt anything to do and Az is boring but I believe that you can make anyplace a good place and hey as long as there are restraunts, malls, and movie theaters we as a family are set.

We are running out of time because we are moving right after the 1st of the year and will be flying out to put money down on a rental house in December.

Thank you in advance for all your input and your time!!!!

from way to cold in Wisconsin!!!

All of the areas you mention and many others you don't offer the same life style and amenities. Gilbert is rather new (development recent) so it is very homogeneous - affluent, suburban, new, clean, safe, etc,. Glendale is older - parts of it are the old metro Phoenix and those parts are not so nice. But Glendale/Peoria also has areas that are every bit as nice as Gilbert and maybe more so. If you look at statistics, it might suggest Gilbert is better. But if you looked at Arrowhead or Garden Lakes or Vistancia etc then Glendale/Peoria would be just as nice. As you suggest, it is easier to get around in Glendale area because of several nearby freeways. The one thing to avoid is living on the opposite end of the city from where you work. Traffic jams in 115 degree temps have a way of dragging on the quality of life. You can find the kind of areas you describe in any direction at the edges of the city, so pick an area near where you work and then zero in on that.

BTW, some developments like the one I live in (Estrella Mountain Ranch)have their own small private waterparks/pools. I think there is also one in Anthem (far North), and Vistancia on the NW side is loaded with community amenties. Also, there is a big commercial waterpark on W. Pinnacle Peak Rd. which is in the Glendale area. Most people in the burbs have their own pools, though, to cool off in.

sablebaby · 11-12-2006, 11:41 AM

I agree with Ponderosa. I have never been to Gilbert and by the look of this forum, I should take a trip down there sometime. I live in North Glendale near Arrowhead Ranch area. IT's very nice up here and I haven't really regreted moving up here. I was living over in Peoria for a year near 83rd ave and union hills which seems so far from where I work. So I'm happy to only live in the 30 avenues! It's very easy to get around where I live. Yes the 17 is bad most of the time but there are always alternates ways to get around that. We have a major waterpark within a mile of us, called Waterworld. I lived the majority of my life in the northeast Phx/ Scottsdale area. That's a nice area to check out as well. The border is Tatum blvd for Scottsdale. Anything around there and to the east of there is nice.

Most importantly, figure out a general area of where the two of you will work, and move near there. That WILL increase the quality of your life here!!!!!! Both of us live 20 miles away from our work and it's a major pain to drive in traffic! I am starting a private practice in a few months and am looking at office space within 10 miles of my house, no exceptions! I figured that I am spending at least 7 hours a week commuting back and forth to my work. I want to cut that down to an hour or two.

cassiern73 · 11-12-2006, 02:20 PM

My husband is in the end stages of being hired in Mesa. He has just completing the background and hopefully moving on to the pych and physical. I have many job offers though and what I take will depend on where we live. Why didnt you like Glendale. Is it not safe or family oriented. How long is the drive into downtown Phoenix........

cassiern73 · 11-12-2006, 02:28 PM

I have several job offers and the hospital I am most interested in is John c lincoln hospital which correct me if I am wrong isnt far from Glendale. The waterpark sounds great!!!! But I havent heard anyone say what there is to do in Gilbert. My husband will commute to Mesa. I also dont exactly understand all these street numbers and names like arrowhead but I was told that the south end of glendale isnt desirable. We plan to rent a new/newer house with a pool........

Boatdrinks · 11-12-2006, 02:48 PM

If your husband's going to work in Mesa, I would NOT buy in the west valley. His commute will be really bad - the I10 is a parking lot during rush hour, and many other times of the day too, b/c it's only 2 lanes out in the west valley. I'd stick to the east valley.

I posted some info about Gilbert in the Phoenix forum last week, under AZherewecome's thread (I think that was the poster's name). It's a very family friendly town and the commute to Mesa would be much easier for your husband. We have a new hospital (just opened a few months ago), on Val Vista and the 202, and I've heard from a few nurses that it's a nice place to work. There's also a hospital on Power and Ray (can't remember the name) but it's just an ER hospital so if you're not an ER nurse, you may not be interested. It's a great hospital though. They advertise that they'll get all their patients back within 30 minutes and they do. I would imagine you'll be able to find a job at pretty much any hospital you want to, due to the nursing shortage.

As for family entertainment, all the 'burbs will be about the same. Pretty much all of them have parks, splash pads and pools, which is all you'll be doing outside for 6 months out of the year. The zoo is in Tempe, off the 202 and much closer to the east valley then the west valley. The museums, baseball field, and all that stuff is in downtown Phoenix, but the football field is in Glendale.

Now that they've opened the new section of the 202, getting around the east valley isn't as bad as it used to be.

I've really enjoyed living in Gilbert. Before this, we lived in Chandler which was also very nice. I much prefer the east valley to the west valley, though people in the west valley say the opposite

Good luck with your move!

sablebaby · 11-12-2006, 03:32 PM

Yes, I agree, if your husband works in Mesa, do not live in the west valley. I think we try to urge newcomers to live closer to their work so that the commute doesn't get worse for the rest of us. It looks like Gilbert and Chandler are best bets for you.

MotleyCrew · 11-12-2006, 04:20 PM

We live in N. Peoria in Vistancia and love it. My husband drives every morning to Tempe and it really is taking a toll on him. Choose wisely and try to stay closer to work.

CodyW · 11-12-2006, 08:18 PM

I'd have to agree with the opinions here. If your husband is working in Mesa, STAY IN THE EAST VALLEY. The commute would be hell.

And its the same with you looking to work at John C Lincoln, but I beleive there are several different JCL branches; It'd still be pretty bad though.

South Glendale ISN'T the most desirable area, though, I live there, and I'm fine. Its a rather old area, most of the houses were built in (I believe) 1959. There is quite a bit of crime here, and the area has a large percentage of minorities. One of the benefits though, is that the area is EXTREMELY established, close to everything, and well, the homes are alot larger than what you would find in new most neighborhoods.

Even though you should probably live in the east valley, I have to address the east vs west thing! =D

Both areas pretty much sustain themselves.. If you live in the west valley, you probably wouldn't NEED to travel to the east valley.. unless you worked there.. Or wanted to go to Ikea. =P Both areas have their good and bad aspects, but you'd have to experience it for yourself.

Oh, and as for the road system, it helps to know how things are laid out. Most if not all north-south roads in the Phoenix Metro are numbered routes. Every north-south route west of Central Avenue (which is the dividing line of the city) is an Avenue (example: 59th Avenue). Every north-south route EAST of Central is a street. (example: 7th Street) The entire road system is based on the 'super grid' system, so its fairly easy to navigate. There are a few cities in the metro area that break this system, I believe Surprise and.. Tempe do?