Tempe v. Mesa ... What's the difference?!? (Phoenix, Scottsdale: high crime, homes, employment)

[DetroitN8V]

Originally Posted by newkarma209

If I could afford a decent 3 bedroom home in the area, I certainly would! Unfortunately I'm working with one income, and I'm only looking to spend between 1200-1300 on rent for a 3 bedroom home. Do you think I could find anything in South Scottsdale in that range? Is it worth looking there versus Tempe/Mesa/Chandler?

Maybe in south Scottsdale. With that budget I think it would probably be wise to look elsewhere. I only say that because even if you could get into the south part of Scottadale, I think other areas would be better with kids. Scottsdale tends to get more family friendly as you go north, for the most part.

[Valley Native]

Originally Posted by newkarma209

What's the real difference between living in Tempe and living in Mesa?

Is one safer than the other?
Is one more family friendly?
Is one more racially diverse?
Does one have better schools?


Some background:

I am moving to the area from PA and will be commuting to Scottsdale for work (101 & Northsight Blvd). I think Tempe is an easier commute, I can hop right on the 101, but some parts of Mesa are pretty close also. I have 2 young children so schools are important, and I am single so safety is also important. As far as I can tell, Tempe and Mesa seem to be pretty similar, but am I missing something? Locals help please!

Tempe and Mesa USED to be somewhat similar many years ago when they were bedroom communities, but that's not the case anymore. Both are large suburbs, and they really are their own cities in many aspects. As others have stated, Tempe tends to be diverse, condensed, and liberal ... much of this is due to ASU. The Mill district/downtown area near ASU is especially this way. South Tempe is much more suburban like Mesa is. Mesa has a larger population, but is very spread out. Except for west Mesa & the downtown area, hardly any part of Mesa is urban or diverse. It's typical suburbia in most areas.

The Northsight & 101 area of Scottsdale is a nice area, but might be too expensive for you to live. Both Tempe & Mesa would be a rather lengthy commute to & from work. Maybe consider certain areas of NE Phoenix west of Scottsdale Road. Housing would be a little less expensive, and you'd be in mostly family friendly areas that wouldn't be too far of a commute to your work.

[AZJoeD]

What about Fountain Hills? Decent commute to 101 & Northsight, good schools, nice family area.

Also N. Phoenix will be closer and you can find some nice homes in P.V. School district.

[Jukesgrrl]

If you have time to read them, Phoenix magazine's annual "Best Neighborhoods" articles are very instructive. They cover a much wider range of areas than the ones you've identified, of course, and are geared toward people buying real estate. But in general I've found them to be a solid source of general information about neighborhood identity.

2008: 2008 Best Places to Live - Phoenix Magazine


2009: 2008 Best Places to Live - Phoenix Magazine


2010: 2008 Best Places to Live - Phoenix Magazine


2011: Best Phoenix Neighborhoods - Phoenix Magazine


2012: Neighborhoods We Love - Phoenix Magazine


2013: Hot Neighborhoods - Phoenix Magazine


They don't include much info about schools, though, so you might want to cross reference with the Great Schools website:
Phoenix Schools - Phoenix Arizona School Ratings - Public and Private
Please, someone correct that link if it's not the one you C-Ders usually reference.

I would agree with others who have noted that if Chandler is too far for your commute, Tempe or South Scottsdale would be good choices. South Scottsdale is more "real folks" than Scottsdale in general. And while North Scottsdale is very beautiful, you'll often find the attitudes one would expect given the median income.

I've heard many people maintain that the Scottsdale schools, while better than many others, are not what they used to be. Those folks usually steer people to Chandler. Keep in mind that what is commonly called "South Scottsdale" can be confusing as the zip codes, school districts, and neighborhood names are hard to cross-reference. If there's a specific potential home you're interested in, post it here and let a real estate expert advise you on that. Personally, this former Pennsylvanian finds Fountain Hills too isolated and lacking in diversity to be interesting in comparison to where you live now.

Good luck with your move!

[SGTFDA]

I moved to Az 3 1/2 years ago from Pa. Bought a home in the Carriage Lane plan, Mesa. I block from 101 near 60. I'm on the W Mesa border with Tempe. No issues in my neighborhood. Nice. Also check Dobson Ranch. I'm a retired police Sgt. You need to come out and look around. Stay away from anything south of Thomas in Scottsdale. That advice I received from a SPD officer.

[LocoAZnative]

Never liked Mesa when I lived there the neighborhood demos changed from older retirees to illegals and tweekers and this was the area around the Mormon Temple.

I live in Tempe and has been the best area to live in. Plus, the college scenery isn't bad :P

[CheyDee]

Originally Posted by DetroitN8V

What's your budget? The 101 near Northsight is a great area. There's no need to work there and drive to Mesa everyday if you can afford a decent place near your job.

Originally Posted by newkarma209

If I could afford a decent 3 bedroom home in the area, I certainly would! Unfortunately I'm working with one income, and I'm only looking to spend between 1200-1300 on rent for a 3 bedroom home. Do you think I could find anything in South Scottsdale in that range? Is it worth looking there versus Tempe/Mesa/Chandler?

Personally, I'd rather live close to work & the kid's school(s), especially when starting out and not having first-hand knowledge of the different areas and commutes. If I was renting to begin with, (which is what I think everyone should do), I would look into a 2 bedroom apartment, rather than a 3 bedroom house, so I could swing it. Then again, I don't understand why two young children have to have their own bedrooms. If they're both very young they could easily share a room, regardless of their genders. If one is a bit older and/or they are of different genders, there are always creative ways to hang curtains, layout inexpensive bookcases, etc., in order to give each of them a separate, private space. IMO separate bedrooms would be a goal to work towards instead.

[WSPHXPELON]

Originally Posted by CheyDee

Personally, I'd rather live close to work & the kid's school(s), especially when starting out and not having first-hand knowledge of the different areas and commutes. If I was renting to begin with, (which is what I think everyone should do), I would look into a 2 bedroom apartment, rather than a 3 bedroom house, so I could swing it. Then again, I don't understand why two young children have to have their own bedrooms. If they're both very young they could easily share a room, regardless of their genders. If one is a bit older and/or they are of different genders, there are always creative ways to hang curtains, layout inexpensive bookcases, etc., in order to give each of them a separate, private space. IMO separate bedrooms would be a goal to work towards instead.

Ding ding ding! We have a winner! This is an excellent idea. Re-reading the original post, I am in complete agreement with this and feel that renting an affordable property/apartment in Scottsdale near your place of employment and childrens' schools would be the best decision you could make.

[AZ Tracy]

The traffic on the 101 going north in the morning and south in the afternoon isn't any fun at all. You'll be zooming along and all of a sudden it stops. There are always accidents. I'd try to get closer to work, if at all possible.

[Jukesgrrl]

I'm sorry that I screwed up the links for the Phoenix magazine articles. The correct links for the articles printed in 2009 and 2010 are below.


2009 Best Places to Live - Phoenix Magazine
2010 Best Places to Live - Phoenix Magazine