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So I've been in Gilbert for 2 weeks. Haven't been able to get out too much yet, but so far, this is my impression..
It seems like a nice town so far. Very clean, and kept up well.
Some people seem very friendly, and others seem kind of distant.
What's with all the lifted trucks though? Jeez, it seems like they're EVERYWHERE.
Lots of luxury cars as well.
Not much to do other than shopping, and restaurants
A lot of people either drive way too fast or way too slow. Lol.
And I've always read that there was a high LDS population, but to be honest, I haven't really noticed one way or the other. It's not as bad as people make it out to be.
Anyone have anything to add? Again, like I said, I've only been here a couple weeks. Still getting settled in
So I've been in Gilbert for 2 weeks. Haven't been able to get out too much yet, but so far, this is my impression..
It seems like a nice town so far. Very clean, and kept up well.
Some people seem very friendly, and others seem kind of distant.
What's with all the lifted trucks though? Jeez, it seems like they're EVERYWHERE.
Lots of luxury cars as well.
Not much to do other than shopping, and restaurants
A lot of people either drive way too fast or way too slow. Lol.
And I've always read that there was a high LDS population, but to be honest, I haven't really noticed one way or the other. It's not as bad as people make it out to be.
Anyone have anything to add? Again, like I said, I've only been here a couple weeks. Still getting settled in
Gilbert like most the east valley has grown like crazy over the last 15 years. Lots of new homes and HOA's to keep things tiddy.
The influx of refugees from California has added much to the diverse driving skills and "distant" attitude of people.
Zoom49, many thanks for your first impressions on Gilbert. We are thinking of moving there next month and will probably start with a short term rental to see if we like it. We enjoy walking and having lived close to the Green Belt in Scottsdale I suppose we have been spoiled. Looking at Google Earth there doesn't seem to be any trails or places away from the concrete. Have you seen any?
Our reason for choosing Gilbert is that we will get a lot more 'house' for our money than Scottsdale and it will certainly be newer. We also want to avoid living in a condo again. No more walking to Trader Joe and possibly Starbucks though. Thanks for any advice and comments.
So I've been in Gilbert for 2 weeks. Haven't been able to get out too much yet, but so far, this is my impression..
It seems like a nice town so far. Very clean, and kept up well.
Some people seem very friendly, and others seem kind of distant.
What's with all the lifted trucks though? Jeez, it seems like they're EVERYWHERE.
Lots of luxury cars as well.
Not much to do other than shopping, and restaurants
A lot of people either drive way too fast or way too slow. Lol.
And I've always read that there was a high LDS population, but to be honest, I haven't really noticed one way or the other. It's not as bad as people make it out to be.
Anyone have anything to add? Again, like I said, I've only been here a couple weeks. Still getting settled in
It sounds like you are enjoying your new home in Gilbert. Here are a few more things that I would add.
You'll normally only recognize people as Mormons on Sunday as they go to and from church. The ladies will be dressed in conservative dresses and all the men and boys will have a shirt and tie.
On occasion you'll see two young men traveling on bicycles. They usually have black trousers, white shirt and ties, with a riding helmet. They are serving their volunteer 2-year missionary service. They are the only ones who will knock on your door and discuss their religion with you.
In the past 7 years we have had them knock on our door twice. They are very polite, and nice young men. Their home may be in New York, or Washington, but they have to serve wherever they are assigned. They are not pushy, but their goal is to introduce you to the LDS.
My suggestion is to treat them with a lot of respect, because I'm sure they get a lot of doors slammed in their face, and a friendly response will be very welcome.
Ask them questions about their home town, and about their missionary assignment. You'll find them eager to talk about that. If you have a few minutes, the conversation can be interesting as you learn more about these two individuals who are giving up 2 years of their life for their church.
You can also let them know that while you respect their religion, you are firm on remaining with yours.
We are not Mormon, but we have a lot of Mormon friends. They never discuss or attempt to push their religion on us. (That's the job of the missionaries)
I work on our HOA board of directors with 2 Mormon members, and while they are extremely busy in their work and church activities, they also work very hard for our community. They seem to have a very high work ethic and sense of community that I respect.
Gilbert is known as a laid back conservative bedroom community. However, it has more commercial and light industrial industry than most people realize, plus 3 new hospitals, including the new M.D, Anderson Cancer Treatment Center located alongside Banner Gateway Hospital, and only a few miles from Mercy Gilbert Hospital. Plus we have several hotels now to accommodate visitors to the Town of Gilbert.
Right next door to Banner Gateway, but in Mesa, is the AT Stills University that provides graduate level health care studies, and the Arizona School of Dentistry.
Gilbert is central to almost everything, so no matter what you want to do, it isn't far. Hiking in the Usery Mountains, San Tan Mountains, or the Superstition Mountains is nearby.
Saguaro Lake and Canyon Lake are not far.
Ten minutes from my Val Vista Lakes Home is the Mesa Center for the Performing Arts.
Twenty five minutes away is the Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts and Old Town Scottsdale, as well as other cultural event locations in Phoenix.
Hohokam Stadium, in Mesa, where the Chicago Cubs do spring training is about 20 minutes from my house in Gilbert.
Freestone Park, large outdoor park and indoor fitness center
Fitness centers
Riperian Preserve
Higley Center for the Performing Arts
Indoor firing range (actually in Mesa, just north of Baseline, the Mesa/Gilbert border)
Salon and Spas
Sports Bars
Horse back riding and lessons
In a few years, the General Motors Proving Grounds, next door to the Phoenix Mesa Gateway Airport will be transformed into a large "Opryland like" hotel, convention center, and championship golf course, plus homes and businesses in a live, work, play type area. The hotels will be a destination type. Some work is going on there now, but the hotel construction is scheduled to begin by the end of 2012. While this is in Mesa it will have a profound effect on Gilbert and the valley because it will create a large number of jobs.
A new Mormon Temple is under construction in Gilbert. While the temple is not a destination for non-Mormons, they will most likely have a huge Christmas light display after it's completed, similar to the one they have at the Mesa temple. The Christmas light display at Mesa is outstanding, open to the public, and well worth attending. (The Gilbert temple construction has also added jobs for Gilbert)
Val Vista Lakes has a Christmas light display on their man-made Holiday Mountain and they open it to the public on weekends during the holiday season.
Once you're settled in, you'll see that there is quite a lot to do in Gilbert; and that it's central and close to almost everything around.
Mormon families are the pillars of their communities, usually. They're the ones who coach soccer, support various fundraising activities, join the police and firefighting departments, mow their lawns and keep their families tight, etc. And there's nothing to keep one out of a Mormon-dominated community--it seems like an American Ideal.
The only trouble is that every relationship I've had with a Mormon (non-backsliding variety) has ultimately been revealed as an attempt to get me to convert. They can be very subtle about it (unlike the earlier-mentioned Southern Baptist Evangelicals who will slam their faith in your face in public), but once they lay it out that they have a great plan for you to join their community and you say "no, but hey, let's be friends anyway!", the return calls respectfully stop coming. You'll still get smiles at the grocery store and such, but . . . some sort of odd distance as well.
So I don't begrudge them this. Their church is really important to them and a central tenet of their belief is to evangelize and convert. But I just assume when I hear that an acquaintance is a Mormon that they will bring up conversion at some time and put me on the spot and make conversion a condition of friendship. So I don't invest much in those friendships as a result.
Anyway in response to another point of your post, AZ has always been home to a great many lifted trucks with a lot of chrome, and the luxury cars you noticed as well. That's because the Phoenix area gets its culture from Texas and California, thus making this area an interesting combination of slackjawed, cornpone hick and self-serving, yoga-pants wearing chic.
Living in the East Valley, if there are NO Mormon families in the area, it might not be a good family area ! we moved here 1 1/2 years ago and the myth of an overwhelmingly Mormon population is a myth. But again, seeing Mormon families in an area is a positive influence to me as a Mom.
I laugh with a friend about the young bald guys in jacked up flashy trucks w/ Club Tattoo decals on their cars in Gilbert. I thinks its because Gilbert is young and trendy and middle class. It's the John Gosselin in Ed Hardy types. Gilbert is conservative but its not dull-there is alot of energy and growth in Gilbert.
slackjawed, cornpone hick and self-serving, yoga-pants wearing chic.
Welcome!
Your post was great.
Although I was born in TN and lived there, and returned there, for many years; and lived in the San Francisco area for 34 years, I haven't heard the terms above before. For my benefit will you explain them.
Living in the East Valley, if there are NO Mormon families in the area, it might not be a good family area ! we moved here 1 1/2 years ago and the myth of an overwhelmingly Mormon population is a myth. But again, seeing Mormon families in an area is a positive influence to me as a Mom.
I laugh with a friend about the young bald guys in jacked up flashy trucks w/ Club Tattoo decals on their cars in Gilbert. I thinks its because Gilbert is young and trendy and middle class. It's the John Gosselin in Ed Hardy types. Gilbert is conservative but its not dull-there is alot of energy and growth in Gilbert.
I agree that an "overwhelming Mormon population" is a myth, or a gross exaggeration by some.
Here are some stats I found today: I don't know how accurate they are, but they are fairly consistent in the LDS percentage throughout Mesa, Chandler and Gilbert.
Gilbert:
Mormon 12.6%
Catholic 17.3%
Protestant 11.1%
Other ?
Chandler:
Mormon 13%
Catholic 43%
Southern Baptist 6%
Other 38%
Mesa:
Mormon 12.6%
Catholic 43.4%
Southern Baptist 6.3%
Other ?
Regarding the Mormon Temple that is under construction at Pecos and Greenfield in Gilbert and scheduled for completion in 2013, below are some of the potential economic impacts for Gilbert:
Property Value Increases – Many people want to live near the temples, and that causes an increase in home values in the vicinity. That will probably become evident when new build developments start up in the vicinity.
Revenuefrom Tourists – People will travel great distances to visit the temples and they will spend money. There is a hotel built near the Gilbert temple, and there are two more over on Val Vista Drive near the Mercy Gilbert hospital that are available.
PopulationGrowth– People want to live near the temple regardless of their religion because they are known to be quiet and desirable areas.
Helps Long Term Growth - The temple is being built on the periphery of the Gilbert regional mall growth area, a little to the south of the San Tan Village shopping area. This will be a huge incentive for business, commercial, and residential building within that growth area.
Appeal – The temples and their grounds are beautiful and well kept. That helps to make the areas around the temple more desirable. Unfortunately, the area around the Mesa temple is old and deteriorating, and the church and city are trying to revitalize the area. The area around the Gilbert temple is all relatively new and many new homes will be built in the vicinity during the next few years.
Special Events – The events these temples put on have a huge draw and will make Gilbert even wider known and popular.
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