What wrong with Mesa? (Phoenix, Scottsdale: apartments, rentals, houses)

[jrae]

My husband and I are moving to the Phoenix area very soon. We were focusing on the Gilbert/ Mesa/ Chandler area but then we started to notice no one had anything good to say about Mesa. However, the posts aren't very specific on why it's not that great. Housing in Mesa is more in our price range right now. We hope to find a 2+ bd house or apartment for less than $800/ month. Can someone please help me out and give me some information on why some posts are so negative or what parts of the town we should stay away from. We are newly married couple in our 20' s just starting off and moving in from out of state. Thanks.

[Leana76]

Nothing totally wrong with Mesa. It's just certain people that live there you have to be careful. There's a Mexican gang (I just heard of them and heard about this) that lives there and hangs out there. Just be careful of your surroundings and certain people too.

[Steve-o]

Originally Posted by Leana76

Nothing totally wrong with Mesa. It's just certain people that live there you have to be careful. There's a Mexican gang (I just heard of them and heard about this) that lives there and hangs out there. Just be careful of your surroundings and certain people too.

In Mesa, Im sure theres just more than one gang that hangs out there. In all honesty, Mesa and Phoenix are the two areas I avoid when Im in AZ. There is a large Mormon community in Mesa, if youre a Mormon and want to live amongst them.

[twiggy]

There are parts of Mesa that are very nice, but Steve-o's right, the large Mormon Temple sits in the middle of old town Mesa. The nice houses are occupied mostly by Mormons and when theirs nothing wrong with being Mormon, they help their own and not really others in the community who are poor, etc. so the bad run down areas of Mesa are really yucky.
The newer developments in East Mesa are not to bad, like Gilbert. There really isn't much to do in Mesa either, that I'm aware of. Just a large see of homes. Some good shopping though, and the Mormons have the best thrift stores! (Desert Industries)D.I. I'll run out there for some nice collectables sometimes. They do have quite a famous barrio in old Mesa, but their is a barrio in every city in the Phoenix Metro area (Tempe, Chandler, even Scottsdale). Great food down in Guadelupe, that's the barrio in Tempe. Great tamales!!!!
If your going to move there via internet than stick to East Mesa, East of Stapley Rd. and South of Southern Ave. You should be fine. And unless you like trailer living stay away from Apache Junction, if you can't pay for a mountain side home you'll be renting a trailer. Hope you find what your looking for. lol

[MotleyCrew]

There are some fantastic little houses in Guadalupe we saw. I hope they keep them well, they will be historic gems one day. Just have to polish them up a little.

[vegaspilgrim]

Originally Posted by jrae

My husband and I are moving to the Phoenix area very soon. We were focusing on the Gilbert/ Mesa/ Chandler area but then we started to notice no one had anything good to say about Mesa. However, the posts aren't very specific on why it's not that great. Housing in Mesa is more in our price range right now. We hope to find a 2+ bd house or apartment for less than $800/ month. Can someone please help me out and give me some information on why some posts are so negative or what parts of the town we should stay away from. We are newly married couple in our 20' s just starting off and moving in from out of state. Thanks.

Central Mesa and western Mesa are a dump. It has nothing to do with the historic Mormon community. The Mormon temple and the park nearby are actually pretty neat. Downtown Mesa on Main St is boring, but there's nothing wrong with it. It's because of all the illegal immigrants who have moved in over the last decade or two, trashing up once decent neighborhoods, driving around junker cars uninsured, a bunch of run-down trailer parks with your stereotypical trailer trash, declining businesses, and a general junky look to the buildings. The city of Mesa has severe budget issues and is cutting back on services. Now, Mesa is not 100% ghetto. Even in central and western Mesa, there are still pockets of interesting things going on. A new strip mall that's pretty cool (Grove Towne Center, across from the old Fiesta Mall), a lot of Asian restaurants and grocery stores along Dobson Rd (Mesa might very well be one of the most culturally diverse cities in AZ), a top notch hospital on Southern & Dobson, and MCC, even though it is run-down, attracts a lot of students. East Mesa, the Superstition Springs Area, and far northeast Mesa is pretty nice. It's just that Mesa as a whole doesn't add up to a very nice place.

[aj661]

Originally Posted by Steve-o

In Mesa, Im sure theres just more than one gang that hangs out there. In all honesty, Mesa and Phoenix are the two areas I avoid when Im in AZ. There is a large Mormon community in Mesa, if youre a Mormon and want to live amongst them.

Originally Posted by twiggy

There are parts of Mesa that are very nice, but Steve-o's right, the large Mormon Temple sits in the middle of old town Mesa. The nice houses are occupied mostly by Mormons and when theirs nothing wrong with being Mormon, they help their own and not really others in the community who are poor, etc. so the bad run down areas of Mesa are really yucky.
The newer developments in East Mesa are not to bad, like Gilbert. There really isn't much to do in Mesa either, that I'm aware of. Just a large see of homes. Some good shopping though, and the Mormons have the best thrift stores! (Desert Industries)D.I. I'll run out there for some nice collectables sometimes. They do have quite a famous barrio in old Mesa, but their is a barrio in every city in the Phoenix Metro area (Tempe, Chandler, even Scottsdale). Great food down in Guadelupe, that's the barrio in Tempe. Great tamales!!!!
If your going to move there via internet than stick to East Mesa, East of Stapley Rd. and South of Southern Ave. You should be fine. And unless you like trailer living stay away from Apache Junction, if you can't pay for a mountain side home you'll be renting a trailer. Hope you find what your looking for. lol

Stop picking on the Mormons. I'm not a fan of their religion but they generally make great neighbors. Their core values are family and community oriented, and strong supporters of law and order. The ones I know are more than willing to help their neighbors. The average Mormon is no less willing to help the poor than the rest of the citizenry. The "bad, run down areas of Mesa" are that way because of the people who live there, not because of self-centered Mormons.

You're stereotyping Apache Junction. There are some decent homes (the kind built on concrete foundations, not wheels) in Apache Junction that are not in the foothills. The same goes for Mesa. I agree east Mesa -within the city limits- is the best. I live near the AJ border and north of Southern, in a nice house, in a nice neighborhood. The Red Mountain area is way north and generally nicer than where I live. As for things to do, it depends on your lifestyle. It would not have appealed to me when I was in my twenties. It is a sea of homes, with many islands of shopping. 90% of what I need is within 3 miles and literally everything else from furniture to automobiles is within 6 miles.

Of the three cities listed by the OP, my favorite is Gilbert, hands down. I loved it there. But if your main focus is a decent home, raising a family and going to work, Mesa offers the best value of the three.

[jrae]

Thanks everyone. Your posts have been very helpful. We still haven't ruled out Mesa, but will be more careful when looking in that area. My favorite so far is still Gilbert, although more rentals seem to be available in Chandler.

[LVGAZ]

Originally Posted by twiggy

If your going to move there via internet than stick to East Mesa, East of Stapley Rd. and South of Southern Ave. You should be fine. And unless you like trailer living stay away from Apache Junction, if you can't pay for a mountain side home you'll be renting a trailer. Hope you find what your looking for. lol

I live in Gilbert - and this is correct - stay in the East side of Mesa - even the superstition area -
you can get a great 2 or 3 bdrm apt in a wonderful apt complex on Baseline and Val Vist Lakes for that price - even less - at the Vista Montana Apts. friends live there....
Also living on the east side you are in close proximity to malls, some good schools, Gilbert, Chandler - its not a bad place to live - just don't go into the heart of Mesa - stay on the southeast area.
If you need help let me know I can direct you - send me a private email

[Boatdrinks]

I have to agree with everyone else - of the 3, I'd chose Gilbert. Second would be Chandler. I would not live in Mesa, for reasons listed in this post as well as a few others.

I've lived in both Chandler and Gilbert and have been very happy with both locations. I prefer Gilbert primarily b/c you tend to get more house for your money and I think Gilbert is doing a better job with commercial infrastructure then Chandler.

Most areas in Gilbert are great. With Chandler, I'd stick to south Chandler and definitely avoid the downtown area, around Arizona Ave between maybe Pecos and Ray.

There's quite a commuting difference between the 3 areas you're considering, so I'd base much of your decision on where you'll be commuting to.

Check into house rentals too, not just apartments. There are many, many houses available for rent in Chandler and Gilbert. Also, Gilbert has recently built more apartment buildings. You should have some decent options in both cities.