In your opinion, what is best Phoenix suburb? (Mesa, Glendale: extended stay, rent)

[tonyman]

young couple looking to mov to PHX area. We will both be living in PHX but would want to live in the surrounding area, away from the hustle and bustle. Away from the big city, but close enough for nightlife and entertainment. We are looking for a tract home, near grocery store, food, and shopping. Are glendale, scottsdale, mesa nice? HELP! We will be moving a yr from now

[observer53]

There are nice areas in ALL the Phoenix suburbs, including the three you mentioned. You are going to get votes for all of them. You need to come out and take a look for yourself and spend as much time as you can getting a feel for the area. I'm a Tempe fan, but I like areas on the west side, too. Keep in mind that even the suburbs in Phoenix have traffic jams, etc. Many of them are good sized cities in their own right. I don't know where you're from, but the relationship between Phoenix and its suburbs is different than you would see in cities to the east.

[greendesert]

I live in Peoria and I like it. If you're in the NW side, you're close to Lake Pleasant, very nice neighborhoods (anything north or Cactus is pretty good in my opinion) School district is good compared to others around PHX. Rio Vista park is 5 minutes from our house at 101 and T-bird, beautiful park, great fishing for kids and grownups, it's right on a trail that goes to the Arizona canal trail, Awesome place to bike, jog for miles (I bike to the trail and then take the trail all the way to work once a week. That's 16 miles most of it along a waterway, without hardly ever crossing a road - there are tunels under the streets) Arrowhead mall area is pretty decent, nothing like the insane crap that goes down at Metrocenter. I think Peoria is more of a family bedroom community though. A good place to raise a family, but not too bad for young people either. The north side of Glendale is pretty good too, but not the south side... You mentioned nightlife, and that's one area I don't care for very much, so maybe somewhere close to Tempe would be better.

[Finger Laker]

You can find nice spots in all of them - especially for what you are looking for in that post (many offer residential tracts near service clusters - providing access to everyday shopping options, medical plazas, etc)

A lot will depend on what you like for nightlife & entertainment, where you will be working, what you like to do in the area, where you travel to (and the frequency of that travel), etc

The metro area is massive in size - you really need to visit to get the feel

[Nanny Goat]

Originally Posted by tonyman

young couple looking to mov to PHX area. We will both be living in PHX but would want to live in the surrounding area, away from the hustle and bustle. Away from the big city, but close enough for nightlife and entertainment Are glendale, scottsdale, mesa nice? HELP! We will be moving a yr from now

Whole area is "hustle and bustle/big city" unless you're far from metro Phoenix. Look at Prescott maybe--that area is much less congested and smaller.

[PlainWhite]

Originally Posted by Phoenix lady

Whole area is "hustle and bustle/big city" unless you're far from metro Phoenix. Look at Prescott maybe--that area is much less congested and smaller.

The OP said they wanted to live in the Phoenix area -- telling them to look at Prescott is not a relevant response.

I would suggest North Scottsdale; it's quiet enough to not be so frenetic, but it's still close enough to downtown Scottsdale that you can go out on the town with very little travel time.

[azriverfan.]

The best Phoenix suburb is Mesa.

[azdr0710]

please plan to come out here at some point before your move, rent a place for a month or three, and look around at the many, many options that fit your requests.....

or you could stay at one of these long-term style motels/hotels (Studio 6, MainStay, Marriott Residence Inn, Extended Stay America, and many other brands) and look around for several days.....

summer is cheaper if you rent for a while before committing to a place.....

if being away from the hustle and still being in the Phx area, is, as you say, important, then the fringe areas of the built-up urban area will be your only option, I guess.....far N Scottsdale, as suggested (if your budget allows), Cave Creek, New River, Litchfield, Avondale, Gilbert, Gold Canyon, Apache Junction, Fountain Hills all meet that requirement.....each varies greatly in price, consumer choices, prestige, attitude

[Jkgourmet]

Originally Posted by azriverfan.

The best Phoenix suburb is Mesa.

Even though I live i'n far east Mesa, I just gotta ask you, azRiverFan: why do you think that?

[Jkgourmet]

Originally Posted by azdr0710

if being away from the hustle and still being in the Phx area, is, as you say, important, then the fringe areas of the built-up urban area will be your only option, I guess.....far N Scottsdale, as suggested (if your budget allows), Cave Creek, New River, Litchfield, Avondale, Gilbert, Gold Canyon, Apache Junction, Fountain Hills all meet that requirement.....each varies greatly in price, consumer choices, prestige, attitude

the OP is a self-described young couple who are also looking for some nightlife. They will find very little nightlife beyond the moviePlex i'n Avondale, apache junction, and litchfield. Even less i'n new river, gold canyon and fountain hills.

Prescott is too far away from Phoenix to have even been mentioned i'n this thread. So is new river and gold canyon, for that matter.

I'd ask that the OP give us a better idea of what he means by hustle and bustle. I lived i'n downtown Philly before moving to Phoenix i'n 1989. The only hustle and bustle I've seen i'n the state since then was at the airport and at a movie theater the first day Avatar opened. Each individual has a perspective.

Tonyman, give us YOUR perspective on what you define as hustle and bustle. But remember - rent first - at least 6 months, preferably more.