Peoria Peeps? (Phoenix, Avondale, Surprise: HOA, houses, transfer to)

[PBJellyTime]

So, I’m wondering if Peoria is too good to be true. It has just about everything we’re looking for, with close proximity to other attractions we enjoy. I have an opportunity to transfer to Luke AFB, and hubby is looking into the V.A. Therefore, I’m wondering about the actual commute times. Unfortunately, we’re overseas and can’t do much legwork on our own; so, I’ve turned to the Internet.

I’m also interested in the preschools. I’ve noticed that only a few elementary schools offer Pre-K. Is there eligibility requirements? What’s up with the flash floods…how often do they occur? Are property taxes higher/lower in Peoria, compared to surrounding cities? Do most subdivisions have HOAs? I really like the idea of Arizona, but want some real feedback about the area. Thanks.

[mjd2k]

I'm in Peoria, Vistancia and for our lifestyle, we cannot find a negative yet. We're only there about 4 months of the year. Our taxes are a bit higher because of Vistancia's ammenities. I think it might be a tough commute from Vistancia to Luke. However, there are several areas of Peoria that are really nice. I play golf in Arrowhead (north of the 101) and I think it is just a dandy area.

[S. Chris Webb]

I lived in central Peoria for nine years and loved it. For the most part, a very well-run, safe, clean city. Now I live in far NW Phoenix across the road from far North Peoria, and you really can't tell the difference in cities.

Central (the south part) Peoria in general has older (than 20 years) neighborhoods. Neighborhoods built in the late eighties and newer will usually have an HOA. In general, the farther north you go, the newer the homes (and more expensive areas) but there are infills of newer homes in the south and west parts as well. South, central and west Peoria are generally flat and built on old farmland, but in the farthest north parts there is still plenty of beautiful raw desert and rolling hills. Lots of new park land has been developed in the last few years.

Peoria has a reputation as having excellent schools compared to much of the Valley and Arizona in general, but will vary from school to school. Sorry, can't help you as far as pre-K. I don't know if there are public options.

I wouldn't worry too much about flash floods unless you lived right on a river bank (then you're most likely still safe), but water buildup on roads can happen during monsoon season like anywhere in the Phoenix area.

Property taxes are similar to other incorporated cities in the west Valley.

Luke is commutable from anywhere in Peoria but from the farthest reaches like Sonoran Mountain Ranch or Vistancia it would be 40-45 minutes. Central Peoria would be more like 25 minutes. Public transportation is severely lacking, so plan on driving no matter where you will live. If you want to know how far a certain Peoria neighborhood, or any other address, is to commute from Luke AFB, it's easy to plug into Google maps using the "Get Directions" tool. (I'm not sure what "V.A." location you're looking at so can't help you there, sorry)

Peoria is a very nice city, but other options you may want to consider depending on amenities you desire, are Surprise, Litchfield Park, Avondale, far West Phoenix, or Goodyear. The commercial heart of Peoria (Near 83rd Ave/Bell) probably does have a large amount of amenities and recreational opportunities and the school system is generally better compared to most other cities though.

[DR2012]

I like Peoria, no problems for me. Don't own though, just rent. Only issue was an extremely loud neighbor, partying at night. A lot. Police will NOT respond. We called many times, contacted the HOA, nothing was ever done. They finally left. But, bad neighbors can happen anywhere. I don't know anything about the schools though. I like the area/location as we often have to go further west for family, but east for work/school. (East of our home as in West/Downtown Phoenix).

[PBJellyTime]

Originally Posted by S. Chris Webb

I lived in central Peoria for nine years and loved it. For the most part, a very well-run, safe, clean city. Now I live in far NW Phoenix across the road from far North Peoria, and you really can't tell the difference in cities.

Central (the south part) Peoria in general has older (than 20 years) neighborhoods. Neighborhoods built in the late eighties and newer will usually have an HOA. In general, the farther north you go, the newer the homes (and more expensive areas) but there are infills of newer homes in the south and west parts as well. South, central and west Peoria are generally flat and built on old farmland, but in the farthest north parts there is still plenty of beautiful raw desert and rolling hills. Lots of new park land has been developed in the last few years.

Peoria has a reputation as having excellent schools compared to much of the Valley and Arizona in general, but will vary from school to school. Sorry, can't help you as far as pre-K. I don't know if there are public options.

I wouldn't worry too much about flash floods unless you lived right on a river bank (then you're most likely still safe), but water buildup on roads can happen during monsoon season like anywhere in the Phoenix area.

Property taxes are similar to other incorporated cities in the west Valley.

Luke is commutable from anywhere in Peoria but from the farthest reaches like Sonoran Mountain Ranch or Vistancia it would be 40-45 minutes. Central Peoria would be more like 25 minutes. Public transportation is severely lacking, so plan on driving no matter where you will live. If you want to know how far a certain Peoria neighborhood, or any other address, is to commute from Luke AFB, it's easy to plug into Google maps using the "Get Directions" tool. (I'm not sure what "V.A." location you're looking at so can't help you there, sorry)

Peoria is a very nice city, but other options you may want to consider depending on amenities you desire, are Surprise, Litchfield Park, Avondale, far West Phoenix, or Goodyear. The commercial heart of Peoria (Near 83rd Ave/Bell) probably does have a large amount of amenities and recreational opportunities and the school system is generally better compared to most other cities though.

Sorry about that, I meant the VA off Indian School road in Phoenix. I was wondering the actual commute times from N. Peoria, going at 6am and returning at 5pm.

[PBJellyTime]

Originally Posted by DR2012

I like Peoria, no problems for me. Don't own though, just rent. Only issue was an extremely loud neighbor, partying at night. A lot. Police will NOT respond. We called many times, contacted the HOA, nothing was ever done. They finally left. But, bad neighbors can happen anywhere. I don't know anything about the schools though. I like the area/location as we often have to go further west for family, but east for work/school. (East of our home as in West/Downtown Phoenix).

Ugh, I would hate to have loud neighbors. We have that here and can't wait to get away from it. We also get dog poop in our front yard. I always thought an HOA would prohibit this type of behavior, but I guess you can have rude neighbors anywhere.

[PBJellyTime]

Since doing more research, we’re starting to also look into Surprise. Unfortunately, I can’t figure out the school system there. I’ve found nice houses with good elementary schools, but can’t figure out which high school they feed into. I guess I’ll have to research each house, because the designated areas are difficult to figure out. So, is there much difference from the southern and northern Surprise areas? I found some houses that I like in the area I believe to be Desert Oasis. Any insight into this area?

[fennec2009]

Go to GreatSchools - Public and Private School Ratings, Reviews and Parent Community and hover over "Find a School". There is a link to a "School and District Boundaries Map". You can enter property addresses to find out which district a home is in.

[S. Chris Webb]

"Sorry about that, I meant the VA off Indian School road in Phoenix. I was wondering the actual commute times from N. Peoria, going at 6am and returning at 5pm."

Like mentioned before, simply plug the addresses into Google maps "Get Directions" feature and it will tell you the commute distances and times. It's a great tool.

[observer53]

Originally Posted by PBJellyTime

Since doing more research, we’re starting to also look into Surprise. Unfortunately, I can’t figure out the school system there. I’ve found nice houses with good elementary schools, but can’t figure out which high school they feed into. I guess I’ll have to research each house, because the designated areas are difficult to figure out. So, is there much difference from the southern and northern Surprise areas? I found some houses that I like in the area I believe to be Desert Oasis. Any insight into this area?

Getting in and out of Surprise in high traffic times is not a pleasant experience. And, it's a long way from other areas of the Valley which, depending on your interests, you might want to travel to fairly often. At the prices of gas and car maintenance, I wouldn't go there.