Choose a midtown or downtown apartment? (Phoenix: rent, crime, motels)

[synapse]

I believe the only thing that happened is that it was a condo building that never sold very well in the market downtown, and was later redeveloped as apartments. There's no bad value there. There's also a few other condo buildings along that street - Landmark, Devine, the building that has the Chevuront Wine Bar at the base - all quite nice.

[TransatPhD]

Thanks, again, I'll check those out. I found out what you meant by the wine bar--one of the Artisan buildings. I do think those look nice, from what I can tell from a computer screen.

I'm also tracking what's open at 44 Monroe. Those bathrooms!!!

[HX_Guy]

44 Monroe would be my #1 choice...I think it's the only one that really gives you that downtown living feel.

[Java Jolt]

Midtown is bustling during the weekdays but it is kind of a deadzone at night.

Downtown can be dead at times but there is more going on, like concerts, the symphony, Suns and Diamondback games, bars, good restaurants, and some shopping.

You could live in a condominium in the midtown area and take the light rail to downtown or to Tempe for better nightlife.

[Valley Native]

Originally Posted by TransatPhD

My main question is this: Is there any consensus about whether downtown or midtown will give you the most walkable and citified neighborhood? Does midtown seem to stay up later than downtown?

Both areas are very walkable ... although, downtown would be your best bet for a more citified environment. Downtown used to be a place where it would be active by day because of the high employment base, but it would die out after dark because of very few living options. That has changed, and is continuing to change. There are now condos, apartments, and lofts to choose from.

Originally Posted by TransatPhD

Has CityScape recently improved? One of the buildings I'm looking at is quite close to it. I've read the posts on the fora about it from last year and earlier, but what about right at this moment? Have more storefronts moved in?

CityScape is a fairly new development. It was a good concept, and certainly a big improvement from what was there before ... however, I personally was a little disappointed. To me, it seemed lackluster, even during the afternoon when most of downtown was busy. Hardly anybody was at CityScape the last time I was there, and what businesses existed didn't seem to be thriving with activity. Frankly, I think Arizona Center has more to offer.

Originally Posted by TransatPhD

Am I right to suggest that our price range ($1300-1700) will go quite far in condo/apartment buildings in midtown and downtown, in terms of the building not being seedy, having good maintenance, having great wifi and cable, not being cheaply made, etc?

I'm a big believer in "you get what you pay for" ... and that price range sounds like you would get something a little nicer than average, but probably nothing too upscale.

[TransatPhD]

Thanks, Valley Native. Judging by what we're living in now, our standards are pretty low, so I think I'll be suitably impressed by what our new budget (ie: we have real jobs now!) can bring us. We're not too fancy-pants.

I guess 44 Monroe is more considered downtown, right? That's really where I'm leaning to at the moment.

[Valley Native]

Originally Posted by TransatPhD

I guess 44 Monroe is more considered downtown, right? That's really where I'm leaning to at the moment.

Yes, 44 Monroe is in the heart of downtown. I think it might be the tallest condo tower in Phoenix, but not 100% sure about that. I don't know much about it, except that it was built during the housing bubble of the mid 2000s, and many of the units at that time were very overpriced. Since then, I'm fairly certain the prices have come down to more reasonable levels.

[pbenjamin]

Originally Posted by Valley Native

Yes, 44 Monroe is in the heart of downtown. I think it might be the tallest condo tower in Phoenix, but not 100% sure about that. I don't know much about it, except that it was built during the housing bubble of the mid 2000s, and many of the units at that time were very overpriced. Since then, I'm fairly certain the prices have come down to more reasonable levels.

The unsold units were converted to rentals several months ago and occupancy has gone up considerably.

[Phxguy]

I think there actually may be one unit left. Last time I checked availability was about Janurary and it was 92% full.

[SubconsciousMe]

Personally, I would chose Mid-Town over 44 Monroe. The vibe of Downtown is a bit too touristy for me. While there is culture, little is open outside of major events on a regular, consistent basis.