What place is better Litchfield Park or Ahwatukee? (Chandler, Gilbert: crime, houses) - Phoenix area - Arizona (AZ) - City-Data Forum

lucygirl1 · 08-04-2010, 11:08 AM

Moving to AZ soon and trying to decide if Litchfield Park or Ahwatukee is a better place to raise a family. Ahwatukee has great schools and is known as a great area, but the homes in Litchfield Park are so much better at the same price. It looks like the LP schools are pretty good, but I'm not totally sure. I've also heard that some of the surrounding areas of LP are "ghetto". Please share your insight.

sheena · 08-04-2010, 11:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lucygirl1

Moving to AZ soon and trying to decide if Litchfield Park or Ahwatukee is a better place to raise a family. Ahwatukee has great schools and is known as a great area, but the homes in Litchfield Park are so much better at the same price. It looks like the LP schools are pretty good, but I'm not totally sure. I've also heard that some of the surrounding areas of LP are "ghetto". Please share your insight.

Come out here and look around.

observer53 · 08-04-2010, 11:41 AM

What work location are you dealing with, or is that not an issue?

If it's not an issue, I'd pick Ahwatukee, just due to proximity to so many other things, and the quality of the Kyrene School District. I don't know what areas immediately surrounding LP would be "ghetto" but that is one of the most, if not the most, overused word on this board, and I really don't like it (JMO, of course). I think A is a bit more family oriented in terms of activities, etc., but I'm more familiar with it than LP.

Finger Laker · 08-04-2010, 11:54 AM

LP has one of the best elementary districts in the state and generally zones to millenium HS which is also a top performing school

there are a lot of good family activities in LP and surrounding areas like Goodyear

Not sure where the ghetto areas would be - i could see someone saying parts of avondale or near Luke AFB ..... but even then it's not really close to ghetto

you are generally on a linear plane from palm valley to LP to northern avondale ..... all pretty nice

the area "within the walls" of LP is a pretty unique enclave as well

Ahwatukee is also a fine community ....... they are different and have different access to different points ... for example if you are working in chandler than ahwatukee is a better commute than hauling in from LP

I'd visit both and see what feels best to you

I wouldn't worry about LP being "ghetto" though or having to deal with more crime than a place like Ahwatukee

Ritchie_az · 08-04-2010, 09:43 PM

Depends on where you will work.
If work is not a factor, I'd pick Litchfield Park, but you're not going to be wrong with either place.

bigbee13 · 08-05-2010, 05:29 AM

We moved here in Nov of 08 and moved to Ahwatukee. Since that time we have had 2 landlords forclose without telling us and our house broken into and quite a few things stolen. As for the schools, I would not say they are super as some people say about them. I am not going to say they are bad, they just are not as top notch as they are made out to be. Having said that, it still is up to the parents to be involved with all aspects and they can keep good tabs on what their kids are doing, both with classes and who they are hanging out with. there are alot of bad seeds in the district also, which that can be anywhere, you just need to stay on top of things.

We are actually moving this week to surprise, the royal ranch community, not far from litchfield park, and from the stuff that I have been checking out seems like it will (hopefully) be better for us. We know things can still go wrong, just saying from people that we have talked with, neighbors, co-workers who live in the area, there seems to be a lot do for both us and our family. I am thinking we are going to like it better up there.

Just wanted to let you know some things that we have endured living in Ahwatukee.

asufan · 08-05-2010, 09:12 AM

Schools are better in Ahwatukee, also closer to shopping, dining, the airport, employment centers, etc. Ahwatukee also has better mountain views if you are into that sort of thing. Litchfield is better if you need a newer/larger home for the money, and maybe for a slightly slower pace of life. Ahwatukee has somewhat declined in the last 10 years, as people in the area have moved into newer, nicer neighborhoods in Chandler and Gilbert, but the property values are still much higher than the Litchfield area, in general. I would have no problem living in Palm Valley if that was much closer to work for my wife and I.

lucygirl1 · 08-05-2010, 11:00 AM

Thanks for your insights. I feel like I'm leaning more towards Ahwatukee due to all the amenitites nearby. There are a few houses that I am interested in that are located in Litchfield Park, but apparently they aren't "in the walls". What's that all about anyway? What is bad about being outside of the "walls"?

Finger Laker · 08-05-2010, 11:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by asufan

Schools are better in Ahwatukee, also closer to shopping, dining, the airport, employment centers, etc. Ahwatukee also has better mountain views if you are into that sort of thing. Litchfield is better if you need a newer/larger home for the money, and maybe for a slightly slower pace of life. Ahwatukee has somewhat declined in the last 10 years, as people in the area have moved into newer, nicer neighborhoods in Chandler and Gilbert, but the property values are still much higher than the Litchfield area, in general. I would have no problem living in Palm Valley if that was much closer to work for my wife and I.

Most of this post is false or greatly exaggerated

One word of caution if you are buying in Ahwatukee - look into the proposed route of the 202 extension .... you may have some people trying to dump because of this and I'd hate to have someone from outside the area get roped into that situation

Also keep in mind that Palm Valley is Goodyear and not LP

LP is really small - but there are IMO 3 pretty distinct areas .... you have the old bones of city "within the walls", you have the newer areas just outside the walls and then you have the newer (and some older properties as well) areas that are closer to the 303 which tend to be larger lot homes, horse properties, etc

the average household income in LP stacks up with pretty much anywhere in the state

Finger Laker · 08-05-2010, 11:22 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lucygirl1

Thanks for your insights. I feel like I'm leaning more towards Ahwatukee due to all the amenitites nearby. There are a few houses that I am interested in that are located in Litchfield Park, but apparently they aren't "in the walls". What's that all about anyway? What is bad about being outside of the "walls"?

Nothing is wrong with it - comes down merely to preference

Inside the walls are the older homes, with that older style .... many of build of block .... there are many little parks within the walls, the little downtown area (where they have festivals, the wigwam resort is located, little restaurants, the library, the community center, etc) .... it's kind of like an enclave and fairly unique

Outside the walls you get your more modern, typical subdivisions that are common in all parts of the metro