Is Downtown Phoenix a good place to live? (Mesa, Tempe: purchase, living in)

[azriverfan.]

Originally Posted by Uhuh

I worked for New times for several years. The building is a stones throw from the Diamond backs stadium. I would be walking to grab lunch, when prostitutes would approach me, proposing sex for money. While a man in a wheel chair watches. This occurred at 12 noon everyday. When I would attend some of the venues downtown. Out side of the Brick house. Every show I was confronted by a homeless man asking for money, or asking to buy drugs from him. On the streets other then in front of the venue, there would only be homeless and crack heads. They own downtown and you know it. Being a Phoenician it is common knowledge downtown belongs to the tweekers. Some may make attempts to get it back. But to live down there. I cannot compare it to a livable downtown. It just lacks way too much.

I used to work in a clinic not far from the New Times office and that wasn't the case..not even close. The prostitutes spend most of their time on Van Buren and avoid the Chase Field and other high profile areas. Everyone knows that. Your account makes little sense considering that prostitutes meet most of their clients at night when it is more discreet. They wouldn't be walking around during the day and in a highly visible area no less

[Uhuh]

Maybe the prostitutes couldn't resist me. I have nothing to gain by lying to you all. This really did happen to me.

[azriverfan.]

Originally Posted by Uhuh

It is easy to listen to the news and believe everything they say. But the city of Tempe has survey takers everyday on the 44st bus. And they are tell the tale of how the rail killed our routes. Also the speak of how the rail did not meet the expectations of the city. The light rail will not be expanding. It costs more to operate then the amount of money it brings in. Don't expect the rail be around much longer.

You are asking a group of regular bus riders at one particular stop no less to provide their opinion of the light rail. That is hardly a strong statistical study. Their answers will be biased. I could just as easily survey people who regularly ride the light rail at one particular location and ask how that has affected their lives. Guess what their answer will be?

[azriverfan.]

Originally Posted by Uhuh

Maybe the prostitutes couldn't resist me. I have nothing to gain by lying to you all. This really did happen to me.

Yes you do. Every year, there is a select number of users that begrudge this city for whatever reason and will use hyperbole to depict this city in a negative fashion. I would have believed you were being sincere until your account about prostitutes approaching you every day at noon outside the New Times office. That is hardly a believable story.

[Uhuh]

Originally Posted by azriverfan.

You are asking a group of regular bus riders at one particular stop no less to provide their opinion of the light rail. That is hardly a strong statistical study. Their answers will be biased. I could just as easily survey people who regularly ride the light rail at one particular location and ask how that has affected their lives. Guess what their answer will be?

I never said that was the survey. The survey was the quality of the ride, and how often this route was taken. Because in July, to pay for the debt from the light rail. Valley metro is killing 20% of the routes and raising the price of all transit. If the light rail was raking in the dough, then why would they have the need to raise the cost to ride it and its older brother which has no reason to experience a fair raise except to pay for its little brothers debt.

[Uhuh]

Originally Posted by azriverfan.

Yes you do. Every year, there is a select number of users that begrudge this city for whatever reason and will use hyperbole to depict this city in a negative fashion. I would have believed you were being sincere until your account about prostitutes approaching you every day at noon outside the New Times office. That is hardly a believable story.

Seriously though, you have never walked through the neighbor hoods just north of Jefferson? Please don't tell me those are safe areas.

[azriverfan.]

Originally Posted by Uhuh

I never said that was the survey. The survey was the quality of the ride, and how often this route was taken. Because in July, to pay for the debt from the light rail. Valley metro is killing 20% of the routes and raising the price of all transit. If the light rail was raking in the dough, then why would they have the need to raise the cost to ride it and its older brother which has no reason to experience a fair raise except to pay for its little brothers debt.

[SIZE=2]The routes that were eliminated are those that are also served by light rail. Those routes were eliminated as a result of decreased bus ridership along those routes. The city is raising rates because of the poor state economy.[/SIZE]

[Uhuh]

Originally Posted by azriverfan.

[SIZE=2]The routes that were eliminated are those that are also served by light rail. Those routes were eliminated as a result of decreased bus ridership along those routes. The city is raising rates because of the poor state economy.[/SIZE]

The route they are about to eliminate goes from Deer valley road on Tatum blvd, all the way down to university, along university to the Tempe transit center. 90% of that route is not covered by the light rail. And as far as ridership. On my way home from work there is standing room only. I doubt ridership is down on that route.

[goolsbyjazz]

While Tempe is very nice, downtown Phoenix is not as bad as the previous posters say, in my opinion. For a 24-year-old it would be nice because of ASU's presence there is a younger clientele and the night life has picked up. Now would be a good time to get established there because as it develops the cost will rise and it will be more difficult to get anything down there. While there are some tough areas around downtown she will miss most of that by living in Glendale. One thing, though, it will be a long commute from there to Phoenix.

[azriverfan.]

Originally Posted by Uhuh

The route they are about to eliminate goes from Deer valley road on Tatum blvd, all the way down to university, along university to the Tempe transit center. 90% of that route is not covered by the light rail. And as far as ridership. On my way home from work there is standing room only. I doubt ridership is down on that route.

That isn't the only route they are going to eliminate. I wasn't referring to that particular route. They are in the process of eliminating routes that coincide with heavy light rail use. In regards to those routes, bus ridership is down. As mentioned earlier, light rail is busy and earning a profit. This is why expansion is going to occur in Mesa. You stated we should ignore the newspapers and media in regards to these reports but I would trust these public sources before I trust an anonymous user on a forum. You also stated light rail in Phoenix will disappear soon, yeah okay. Unfortunately, you sound like one of those homeless people who camp outside the White House who hold up signs stating the end of the world is near.

I disagree that light rail is unnecessary. Unlike LA, we are doing the right thing by taking steps to build a public transportation system before Phoenix becomes too large and congested that construction of a rapid transportation system would be impossible to build. The San Francisco Bay Area is a large spread out metropolitan area like the Phoenix metropolitan area that has benefitted from the BART. It helped develop SF's suburbs because it enabled people to commute to San Fracisco easily which led to places like Walnut Creek, Concord and the rest of the Bay area develop. Therefore, the idea that light rail only impacts large urban centers in a small congested area is false.