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Looking in Estrella community.All looks good seems to be a great place to live can anyone give me a little feedback on what they like and what they dislike if anything in particular.My only problem seems to be that it might be a little out of the way.But that also be a good thing.Any thoughts would be appreciated.
Looking in Estrella community.All looks good seems to be a great place to live can anyone give me a little feedback on what they like and what they dislike if anything in particular.My only problem seems to be that it might be a little out of the way.But that also be a good thing.Any thoughts would be appreciated.
I've lived in Estrella for many years now. What we like is that Estrella is disconnected from the metro geographically. We do not feel like we are part of the mess down in the valley. We have clean air and no traffic. We go there to shop or to work and then come back "up the hill" and escape it. It is an insular community. You just don't get much traffic coming through here that does not have some business here. That ads to the safety or at least the perception of it. And then, there is the sense of community here that exists nowhere else in PHX that I have lived. You see your neighbors at the store, at the lake, at the schools, the club. You make friends here if you care to. There are community events like movies at the lake and Easter and Christmas parties and dances and food tasting, sports clubs, etc, that further the small town illusion.
The amenities are nice. The lakes are rather unique for PHX because of their size and the shared nature without houses on them. There are trails all around and there is a huge county park on the eastern boundary and a national monument on the south. Getting out in the desert is a piece of cake. The schools are excellent, especially the elementary where the only kids that go are Estrella kids. In the high school they bus from other areas. The HS is an A plus award winner with a very high graduation rate. They push preparatory education and have a large percentage of students who go on to post-secondary education. It is among the best high schools in the PHX area. Voters in the area approved budget overrides in both the elementary and HS districts last fall showing there is strong community support for education as well.
Now on the downside: This is a tough spot for teenagers. The community does very little for them. On the other hand, efforts to provide entertainment for them have been a flop. So the kids are bored. There is a lot of money up here too and bored kids with money = drugs and there is plenty of that going on. It was the same in Ahwatukee when I raised kids there, though, so maybe it goes with the territory.
The other thing is the obvious, you have to drive, drive, drive for everything from a burger to a bolt. We do have Safeway and a couple things now and shopping is much closer than it used to be, so there is improvement there. A medical campus is about to break ground as well. But mostly it's down the hill for whatever you want. Most here, though, would rather drive to the city than live in it. You have to have that mindset.
Also, there is the commute which is always going to be more than if you lived in the city. The Estrella part coming home though is lovely to look at and it is relaxing at the end of the work day. The trip to I10 adds about 10 minutes. There are ways to get downtown avoiding the traffic jams, though, that are not as readily available to others parts of Goodyear.
That's about it on the negatives. Just have to deal with getting in the car more than most in the city do. Country life is like that everywhere though. It's a trade off.
Last edited by Ponderosa; 06-08-2012 at 07:20 AM..
I've lived in Estrella for many years now. What we like is that Estrella is disconnected from the metro geographically. We do not feel like we are part of the mess down in the valley. We have clean air and no traffic. We go there to shop or to work and then come back "up the hill" and escape it. It is an insular community. You just don't get much traffic coming through here that does not have some business here. That ads to the safety or at least the perception of it. And then, there is the sense of community here that exists nowhere else in PHX that I have lived. You see your neighbors at the store, at the lake, at the schools, the club. You make friends here if you care to. There are community events like movies at the lake and Easter and Christmas parties and dances and food tasting, sports clubs, etc, that further the small town illusion.
The amenities are nice. The lakes are rather unique for PHX because of their size and the shared nature without houses on them. There are trails all around and there is a huge county park on the eastern boundary and a national monument on the south. Getting out in the desert is a piece of cake. The schools are excellent, especially the elementary where the only kids that go are Estrella kids. In the high school they bus from other areas. The HS is an A plus award winner with a very high graduation rate. They push preparatory education and have a large percentage of students who go on to post-secondary education. It is among the best high schools in the PHX area. Voters in the area approved budget overrides in both the elementary and HS districts last fall showing there is strong community support for education as well.
Now on the downside: This is a tough spot for teenagers. The community does very little for them. On the other hand, efforts to provide entertainment for them have been a flop. So the kids are bored. There is a lot of money up here too and bored kids with money = drugs and there is plenty of that going on. It was the same in Ahwatukee when I raised kids there, though, so maybe it goes with the territory.
The other thing is the obvious, you have to drive, drive, drive for everything from a burger to a bolt. We do have Safeway and a couple things now and shopping is much closer than it used to be, so there is improvement there. A medical campus is about to break ground as well. But mostly it's down the hill for whatever you want. Most here, though, would rather drive to the city than live in it. You have to have that mindset.
Also, there is the commute which is always going to be more than if you lived in the city. The Estrella part coming home though is lovely to look at and it is relaxing at the end of the work day. The trip to I10 adds about 10 minutes. There are ways to get downtown avoiding the traffic jams, though, that are not as readily available to others parts of Goodyear.
That's about it on the negatives. Just have to deal with getting in the car more than most in the city do. Country life is like that everywhere though. It's a trade off.
Good post Ponderosa and I agree with most of what you say.
The only point I have to say about "bored teenagers" is I think it's the responsibly of the parents to provide "entertainment", or at least point them in that direction....I feel it's not the responsibility of a government entity, a development/community, etc. to do so. Given Estrella already has a nice community pool, rec area, tons of paths/sidewalks/streets to ride bikes/skatboards, tennis courts, basketball courts, volleyball, school sports, etc., I feel kids in Estrella certainly have many more amenities than most kids have in other developments. Also in this age with video games, electronic entertainment, and computers, that adds to the options kids have these days.
I remember growing up as a kid and we lived in a basic neighborhood with no organized events(except school sports) and somehow we all found things to do most of the time. Were we bored once in a while? Sure! I think that's just the nature of youth and all humans for that matter, but we figured it all out on our own/got creative to make our own fun without causing trouble(well, at least very little trouble. ).
We go there to shop or to work and then come back "up the hill" and escape it. It is an insular community. You just don't get much traffic coming through here that does not have some business here. That ads to the safety or at least the perception of it. And then, there is the sense of community here that exists nowhere else in PHX that I have lived. You see your neighbors at the store, at the lake, at the schools, the club. You make friends here if you care to. There are community events like movies at the lake and Easter and Christmas parties and dances and food tasting, sports clubs, etc, that further the small town illusion.
Quotes like this skew the reality to newcomers. Truth is that there are awesome communities in the town of Paradise Valley, around the Phx Mountain Preserve, and around McDowell Mountain that have all this and more..and they're centrally located. They just cost a lot more. There are just too many people on this board that hail far flung out master planned communities as the only option to live around here. I'm not saying they're not awesome..they're just an hour from town.
Last edited by observer53; 06-08-2012 at 01:18 PM..
Reason: fixed broken quote tag
Thank for all your point of views.That was definetly what i was fishing for.We have looked in alot of areas throughout the valley.The two days that we went out to see Estrella we really felt at home.The amenities look awesome the stores that have been built in the community seem to be very convient and the views surrounding the community are outstanding.I personally can spare some extra time on the road to come home to such a tranquil environment.
Quotes like this skew the reality to newcomers. Truth is that there are awesome communities in the town of Paradise Valley, around the Phx Mountain Preserve, and around McDowell Mountain that have all this and more..and they're centrally located. They just cost a lot more. There are just too many people on this board that hail far flung out master planned communities as the only option to live around here. I'm not saying they're not awesome..they're just an hour from town
It doesn't skew anything. The OP asked about life in Estrella and I gave him an answer from my experience in living here for 15 years. I have lived in several different areas of the metro over the years and the vibe in Estrella is different (and more pleasant) than any of them.
The topic is Estrella not PV etc. As I understand it, the OP visited Estrella, liked it and is considering living here but wanted an opinion from someone familiar with the place. He didn't ask if there were similar places or for a viewpoint opposing "far flung out master communities". Let's stick to that and not try to shift the discussion to other areas or a rant on suburban living.
Thank for all your point of views.That was definetly what i was fishing for.We have looked in alot of areas throughout the valley.The two days that we went out to see Estrella we really felt at home.The amenities look awesome the stores that have been built in the community seem to be very convient and the views surrounding the community are outstanding.I personally can spare some extra time on the road to come home to such a tranquil environment.
We still need a hardware store and a Chinese take-out/delivery. But Ace is not too far away and there is a Panda right there too.
Thank for all your point of views.That was definetly what i was fishing for.We have looked in alot of areas throughout the valley.The two days that we went out to see Estrella we really felt at home.The amenities look awesome the stores that have been built in the community seem to be very convient and the views surrounding the community are outstanding.I personally can spare some extra time on the road to come home to such a tranquil environment.
Best wishes to you!....Estrella is a great community on many levels.
Ponderosa, what is available there now for dining or getting an adult beverage? I have not been out there in a while.
And what is the development at the very South end of the parkway? I was looking at Google Earth and I see a large pool and some small lakes.
Thanks.
Canta Mia is at the south end of the development- it is an active adult community, very beautiful inside the complex.
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