Where is the absolute worst, rock bottom part of Phoenix? (hotels, wedding)

[Arizona Annie]

Originally Posted by artvandelay

Where there is affordable housing in and around Phoenix, there are problems. Maybe not today, but 2 or 4 years down the line. I think that's the reason so many people are obsessed with home values, even though they don't plan to move.

And I always laugh when people reply that " X is affordable, and it's safe and very nice". Give it a couple years.

I'm sure you're right. I did notice the majority of the houses in Gilbert were starter/downsizing homes per se and when we looked in Chandler as well there was a mix of all price levels and sizes. I hate to hear that though. I wonder why that is the case. Do you think it has to do with people buying starter homes for rentals? Not that I think renters are bad, we rented when we first started out and left our rental home in better shape than when we moved in, but I know not all renters care enough to keep up homes when they are just renting them.

[artvandelay]

I think it's more of a disparity with the types of people, and renting vs. owning is just one of the factors.

If you equate school performance vs home prices and upkeep (and in most places of the country, there's some synch there), then my opinion is that metro Phoenix in time will even out. Say you have only 10% of area public schools which excel, in places like Scottsdale, Chandler, Tempe, some of Peoria. The home prices are more expensive, and the residents willingly pay more because they value education. You have like-minded neighbors, kids who are working toward their future, parents who are involved with that. It's a more ambitious and success-oriented demographic.

Then you look at most of the West Valley, with downtrodden schools, the kids can't take books home because of theft risk. All they can take home are internet printouts. The neighborhoods that surround these schools might look nice, but they're MOSTLY inhabited by families who don't value education much, are not ambitious, and less success-oriented. The kids, then teenagers, aren't working toward anything, parents are not involved with them. Graffiti sets in, etc, etc.

I'm all for diversity, but if I just want to survive on an hourly wage and have my kids aspire to the same hourly wage, then I will by the most affordable house I can.

If I want my family surrounded by success, ambition, and self-improvement, if possible I'm going to buy in the most expensive and affluent place I can.

This is my opinion on why affordable housing, over time, will almost always decline in appeal.

My house is very nice, a few neighbors are nice, but I look out my nice window 2 nights ago and 5 teenagers were smoking weed in the street, in front of one of the kids' house. My kids are still too young for school, but I only live there because of what I could manage at the time. As they reach school age, we will either be gone and probably not make any profit, or will spend for private schooling. But if it's possible, we will leave.

[Arizona Annie]

Originally Posted by artvandelay

I think it's more of a disparity with the types of people, and renting vs. owning is just one of the factors.

If you equate school performance vs home prices and upkeep (and in most places of the country, there's some synch there), then my opinion is that metro Phoenix in time will even out. Say you have only 10% of area public schools which excel, in places like Scottsdale, Chandler, Tempe, some of Peoria. The home prices are more expensive, and the residents willingly pay more because they value education. You have like-minded neighbors, kids who are working toward their future, parents who are involved with that. It's a more ambitious and success-oriented demographic.

Then you look at most of the West Valley, with downtrodden schools, the kids can't take books home because of theft risk. All they can take home are internet printouts. The neighborhoods that surround these schools might look nice, but they're MOSTLY inhabited by families who don't value education much, are not ambitious, and less success-oriented. The kids, then teenagers, aren't working toward anything, parents are not involved with them. Graffiti sets in, etc, etc.

I'm all for diversity, but if I just want to survive on an hourly wage and have my kids aspire to the same hourly wage, then I will by the most affordable house I can.

If I want my family surrounded by success, ambition, and self-improvement, if possible I'm going to buy in the most expensive and affluent place I can.

This is my opinion on why affordable housing, over time, will almost always decline in appeal.

My house is very nice, a few neighbors are nice, but I look out my nice window 2 nights ago and 5 teenagers were smoking weed in the street, in front of one of the kids' house. My kids are still too young for school, but I only live there because of what I could manage at the time. As they reach school age, we will either be gone and probably not make any profit, or will spend for private schooling. But if it's possible, we will leave.

Thank you so much for sharing your thoughts on this subject. I agree with you. I wish you the best on getting to where you want to be by the time your children are school age. I believe motivation has a lot to do with success, so I think you will get there.

[fellfrumheven]

Originally Posted by sablebaby

40th st and Broadway.

Hey I work there and it's true!

[ron17571]

I go to all the rough places mentioned.else than the occasional mentaly ill person approaching me,(downtown phoenix)most of these places just look like crap but i dont fear for my safety.i never even thought of maryvale as a bad place until i thought of moving there and read the maryvale posts on city-data.the wages in phoenix are crap and the forclosures prove it,people bought houses they couldnt afford.oh yeah i always liked the truck route i-10 when going by down town phoenix and seeing all the trashy homes,it really impresses people who are visiting.

[_Charles_]

Actually the area around Garfield and 16th street gets first place as the absolute worst area for violent crime and drugs.
Maryvale + all the crappy parts of the west Valley gets second place.
All the bad sections of south Phoenix gets third place.

Those are your top three.

[jvakula]

The one road where I have never seen or heard of a nice area off of it is Buckeye, and Lower Buckeye for that matter. There is probably as much crime in the Maryvale/South Glendale/Tolleson area. However the homes in these areas are much nicer and less 3rd world looking than the homes you will find in south central/ south west Phoenix. Poorest area:Approximately 24th St to 43rd Ave, Van Buren to Baseline. This area contains many auto werecking yards, manufacturing facilities that produce odors, jails/prisons, run down 3rd world-esk dwellings, ect. This does not mean the highest crime rate is in this quadrant, but definately appears to be the most poverty stricken area with the exception of a few newer gated developements hidden sporadically throughout.

[observer53]

And we revived a two to three YEAR OLD thread why? I know you are new here, but look at the dates on a thread before you post.

[_Charles_]

There are 2 really bad spots:
Maryvale and the area immiediatly to the north up to Bethany Home Rd.
The area just east of Sky Harbor airport and west of 32nd St from the 202 south to Southern.
However - onerous as they are, neither one of these areas begin to approach the "bad" sections of ohter major cities. Not even close.

[pathrunner]

Thanks Charles. Some people do want to know these things, and don't understand why people get their knickers in a twist about an old thread being revived. It's better than new ones taking up space.