Where to live in Central or North Phoenix? (Scottsdale, Chandler: section 8, apartment complex)

[nina2119]

We've been living in Arizona since February 2011, and are finally starting to look at purchasing a home. I have a hard time with keeping track of all the neighborhoods.

Here's where we are looking:

North of Thomas and south of 101L between I-17 and the 101. Biltmore/Arcadia etc., get mentioned lots, but are there other areas that are well-liked and conversely ones that we want to think about staying away from.

We are mid-30s professionals with a toddler, and are looking to keep the purchase price at $200K or below. We would prefer a SF home, but might be open to the right townhome. I see lots of places in my price range, but I don't know if they are good places to live.

[observer53]

If you give us an idea of the locations of houses you've seen online, we can comment on those neighborhoods. The boundaries you've given encompass a huge area of many square miles in two different cities, with plenty of nice neighborhoods. I don't recommend buying right off the bat anyway, you need to be renting until you get a better feel for the area... you don't want to buy something that turns out to be a mistake and is hard to resell. And, whereever you live, renting or buying, you need to think about your commute from whereever you will be working.

[NotQuiteNative]

That's a big area.

Some questions to help narrow it down:

Where will the breadwinner (or both of you) be working? Would the commute be with or against traffic.

Do you seriously intend to get away from using a car at least during certain times of the year? You'll probably want something near a shopping area if that's the case.

What do you like to do in your off hours? Parks, gyms, movies, hike mountain trails or jog/ride along the canal? What do weekends look like to you?

What school do you intend to send your child to? Do some schools appeal to you more than others?

Are you willing and able to do some rehab work on a house that might be dated and need rejuvenation?

Does having something like a section 8 apartment complex or a highschool nearby diminish your respect for a neighborhood?

Answers to these questions might help narrow it down. $200K goes a long way in CentPho these days.

[nina2119]

Where will the breadwinner (or both of you) be working? Would the commute be with or against traffic. Currently, I am the primary breadwinner. We live in Chandler and I work in Tempe near Papago Park. Husband works at SR51 and Camelback.

Do you seriously intend to get away from using a car at least during certain times of the year? You'll probably want something near a shopping area if that's the case. I don't think we have any intention of getting away from using a car. However, my office building is right on the LRT line so if there are any good neighborhoods within walking distance to a LRT stop, that might be an option.

What do you like to do in your off hours? Parks, gyms, movies, hike mountain trails or jog/ride along the canal? What do weekends look like to you? I have a gym in my office building, so that isn't a huge issue. I do run and bike, so being close to trails would be great. Husband works weekends so it is really just myself and my daughter. We typically do storytime at the library, maybe do some shopping, go to her gym class, etc. Oh and we have a large dog, who would like to run around a bit.

What school do you intend to send your child to? Do some schools appeal to you more than others? We are pretty picky about education. With the limited research we've done, Husband would like to send J to private school. At the moment he likes St. Francis/Xavier.

Are you willing and able to do some rehab work on a house that might be dated and need rejuvenation? We're willing to do limited renovation. The last home we owned needed was on a 10 year renovation plan, but my job situation changed so it never came to fruition. I would like to not be on a 10 year plan again.

Does having something like a section 8 apartment complex or a highschool nearby diminish your respect for a neighborhood? Living next to a Section 8 apartment is probably not ideal for us.

So far there is one home that I have seen the listing for that really interests me - it is located at roughly Indian School Road and 28th St. Thoughts on that area?

[AZJ0SH]

Are you considering any areas in North Phoenix as well, or just the Central Phoenix area you listed in the OP?

[nina2119]

Originally Posted by AZJ0SH

Are you considering any areas in North Phoenix as well, or just the Central Phoenix area you listed in the OP?

What is considered North Phoenix? I was thinking we would like to stay south of Cactus - but didn't want to limit myself too much.

[AZJ0SH]

Originally Posted by nina2119

What is considered North Phoenix? I was thinking we would like to stay south of Cactus - but didn't want to limit myself too much.

North Phoenix is north of Cactus, anything to the south is usually considered Central Phoenix. Some even say Greenway could be considered the boundry, since Phoenix extends so far north now.

[NotQuiteNative]

Originally Posted by nina2119

So far there is one home that I have seen the listing for that really interests me - it is located at roughly Indian School Road and 28th St. Thoughts on that area?

That's really a pretty good area--though it can vary block-to-block. I lived for a few years near 32th St and Indian School back in the 90's. It was still being gentrified back then, but I loved walks along the quiet residential streets. Not many negative things happened there during my residency. I liked having the Biltmore, Scottsdale, and Tempe close-at-hand.

[observer53]

Originally Posted by nina2119

What is considered North Phoenix? I was thinking we would like to stay south of Cactus - but didn't want to limit myself too much.

Originally Posted by AZJ0SH

North Phoenix is north of Cactus, anything to the south is usually considered Central Phoenix. Some even say Greenway could be considered the boundry, since Phoenix extends so far north now.

You'll get a lot of answers on what's "north Phoenix". For me, north Phoenix starts at least a mile below Cactus Rd. As I said above, everyone's got their own definitiion of terms like that. North Phoenix, by anyone's definitiion, is a VERY large area, if you go to the city limits, and has different types and ages of neighborhoods.

[Valley Native]

Originally Posted by nina2119

I have a gym in my office building, so that isn't a huge issue. I do run and bike, so being close to trails would be great. Husband works weekends so it is really just myself and my daughter. We typically do storytime at the library, maybe do some shopping, go to her gym class, etc. Oh and we have a large dog, who would like to run around a bit.

Try the area where I live, which is Camelback East (roughly east of the 51 freeway to about 44th Street). That is a very centrally located area, but with a suburban feel in many neighborhoods. Crime is generally low, most homes are older but pretty good quality, lots of sizeable grass lawns for your dog, and hiking trails are just a short drive away due to its close proximity to the mountain preserves. Just to the east, Arcadia might also be an option, but it's quite a bit more expensive.

Originally Posted by nina2119

With the limited research we've done, Husband would like to send J to private school. At the moment he likes St. Francis/Xavier.

Excellent choice, and I commend you for this decision. The Phoenix metro area has some of the best private schools around, and you will likely not regret your child being educated in the private sector vs. the lousy public system! Personally, I recommend Rancho Solano, but they have long since relocated since I went there many years ago.

Originally Posted by nina2119

So far there is one home that I have seen the listing for that really interests me - it is located at roughly Indian School Road and 28th St. Thoughts on that area?

It's an OK area, but most of the neighborhoods to the north & east would be better.