Quality of neighborhood (zip codes: 85043, 85009) (Phoenix, Paradise Valley: low income, sales, apartment complexes)

[rpratesh]

Hi, I need to relocate for work so I am trying to figure out where to live. Does anyone have any thoughts on the pros and cons of living in the 85043 and 85009 zip codes?

Would love to get a sense of crime, schools, quality of life, etc...

Thanks

[grmi66]

Those zip codes plant you firmly in the 'hood. There may be 1-2 decent neighborhoods that I don't recall, but it's a pretty rough part of town. When I owned a business in Phoenix most of my clients and vendors were in those two zip codes, so I was down there every day. Used the old ghetto safety rule of making sure I cleared out of the area by noon, most of the people that will cause you harm tend to sleep in and don't wake up until lunchtime.

[observer53]

I don't like making generalizations based on whole ZIP codes, since in pretty much ANY Phoenix ZIP code the surroundings can change quickly and change back again as you drive on one street. I think the "clear out by noon" is a bit extreme for any Phoenix neighborhood. Assuming there is such a rule, it's meant for true ghettos in other cities. We have some "rough" neighborhoods, but good, law abiding people live in all of them. Are they the best areas? No. I don't know the area you are working in, but you should be able to find something at least a bit better.

[grmi66]

85043 and 85009 is West Van Buren and Buckeye Roads, most of my old customers were warehouses and manufacturing plants in those two zip codes. Unless they have cleaned up dramatically since I left 5 years ago those zip codes were pretty scary in places. I would say the two worst zip codes in the Phoenix area to live in.

One of my old customers used to joke that I got all of his business because I was the only sales rep brave enough to go to the neighborhood his company was located in and he was in 85009.

[latdog]

I've been living in 85043 zip for over three years and it is not in the 'hood.' I've noticed many folks have a very liberalized view of what ghetto neighborhoods really are. Yes, there are some places in this zip that I would not recommend living-especially those closer to I-10. However, there are many newer and completely brand new subdivisions full of good people who are trying to make a living and do the best they can. It isn't Paradise Valley but not Maryvale either.

The Estrella and Laveen areas are interesting because there is a contrast between suburban and rural. Many days you can smell the dairy farm two miles away yet see downtown from my street. Major roads and subdivisions are surrounded by extended walkways meant for the numerous horse riders in the area. Also, many of older homes are horse property so the styles of living is diverse.

The public schools leave a little more to be desired but there are a plethora of private and charter schools. Local traffic is a breeze and many surface street options to get to downtown or the East Valley. The I-10 is easily accessible and the state is moving forward with plans to extend the Loop 202 south of South Mountain and up through these parts near 59th Avenue. The other commenter mentioned warehouses so there are a lot of semi-truck traffic. Amazon is located in this zip and so is Swift. This area was growing fast before 2007 but the growth is resuming.

[jaredC]

My zip code is 85015. And it is pretty rough. We have grocery carts that make it from the local Walmart and target into our neighborhood. We also have a halfway house right down the street. Talk about trashed up neighborhoods!!

[bluegrey]

85015 had about the highest appreciation, in the Valley, last year. It is a bit rough.

[El_Waiboi]

TO THE OP: I'm surprised that no one has pointed this out yet, but here you go: 85043 is a much, much, much better area than 85009. 85009 encompasses several low income and high crime areas, where as 85043 is much more on the outskirts and more rural and really not a bad place to live.

Having said that, personally I would rather live in 85009, because it's closer to the city and I like the flavor of the neighborhoods better there. But I'm a weirdo like that

Like observer said, PHX zip codes are huge, and it's hard to judge an area based on zip code alone. If you want to provide an actual address (like a few houses down from the one your looking at, to maintain your anonymity), I would have no problem telling you exactly what's up with that specific neighborhood.

[chattykc]

How about zip code 85041? Single female looking to relocate for a job at the base of South Mountain.

[BuckeyeBoyDJ]

If you want to live in the South Mountain area 85042 is the better zip code to be in. Pretty much all of the neighborhoods east of 16th St and south of Baseline Rd are decent areas. A lot of the neighborhoods are gated communities and are very nice and attractive looking and you have South Mountain in your backyard which is a nice asset for outdoor adventures. There are some nice neighborhoods just north of Baseline Rd as well east of 16th St as well as nice apartment complexes along that stretch of Baseline Rd. The South Mountain Area is the "hood" by Phoenix standards (really isn't that bad honestly) but if you want to live in a safe and desirable neighborhood then it would be in your best interest to avoid living anywhere north of Vineyard Rd (half mile north of Baseline Rd) as the neighborhoods really take a dive the closer you get to the river bottom.