Cave Creek/N. Scottsdale vs Gilbert for living (Phoenix, Mesa: apartments, rent)

[nicolea]

Hi,
My fiance and I are relocating to the Phoenix area and our 2 options for jobs are in the cave creek/N scottsdale area and gilbert. We are 25 and 26 years old. Moving from the Black Hills of South Dakota on the First week of April. We have been down and looked at apartments in both areas and found a couple in each that we like. I really like the landscape and scenery in the cave creek/scottsdale area.

We want to be in an area that we can of course meet people and make new friends, we both know no one down there. we also come from ranching families with horses, and love to fish, camp, hike and be outdoors.

What are people's opinions for us smaller town country people making the big move?

[AZJoeD]

Originally Posted by nicolea

Hi,

We want to be in an area that we can of course meet people and make new friends, we both know no one down there. we also come from ranching families with horses, and love to fish, camp, hike and be outdoors.

Well you certainly cannot go wrong with the Cave Creek area. There is always something happening in Cave Creek especially on weekends. Harold's, Buffalo Chip, always have entertainment, dancing, professional rodeo, car shows. Horseback riding all over the area. You are just down the street from Ben Avery shooting range. Hiking all over at Spur Cross Ranch, Seven Springs and the Tonto National Forest. Even hike to the top of Black Mountain for awesome views of the entire valley.

Lake Pleasant and Bartlett Lake are both 30 minutes away for boating, fishing camping, and picnicking.

Plus you are only a short drive to Desert Ridge Market Place, Kierland, Scottsdale Quarter.

If you want to just hang out in the neighborhood some local pubs like Cocomo Joe's and Brisams or coffee shops like Songbird, Janey's or Roots are good meeting places.

[DetroitN8V]

Definitely north Scottsdale/Cave Creek if you can afford it.

[BuckeyeBoyDJ]

I agree with the above responses. Gilbert is family suburbia and the terrain is different from North Scottsdale/Cave Creek. Gilbert is very flat and more green with less desert landscaping. Don't get me wrong it's a great place to live but from reading your description you guys sound very outdoorsy and you'll be happier in Cave Creek/North Scottsdale........well if you can afford it that is it's definitely not cheap to live in that part of town.

[vince3vince]

I'm bias, I like the cavecreek/ north scottsdale area a lot more. But since you are renting and young, I think you would find a better fit just a little south of there- such as the Desert Ridge or Scottsdale/Mayo area.

[SageCats]

Avoid Gilbert. It's more for families and religious people. Move to N Scottsdale or Cave Creek. You can't go wrong.

[nicolea]

Thank you all of the input so far. very helpful. looking forward to more information from everyone

[Noregrets11]

Of your two options, definitely Cave Creek for the reasons others have already touched on. If you're looking for a third option, depending on where in Gilbert the job is, Queen Creek might work. It has a farming/equestrian heritage, which makes this small town Midwesterner feel right at home. Very horse friendly. They work hard to maintain their small town feel. San Tan regional park is good for easy to moderate hiking/biking/horse riding. Superstition & Tonto/Canyon Lake are about an hour away. Rent is generally cheaper. Friendly people. Although, my experience has been, as long as you're willing to smile and strike up a conversation, you shouldn't have a problem meeting people anywhere.

[R_Cowgirl]

Where are you working? That matters for where you live. Traffic can be a real bear down in the south part of the Valley due to all the towns in the area and multiple freeway systems. You can get a sense of traffic here by going to AZ511.com and watching it every day for a couple of weeks. (BTW, when you are on the road here you can dial 511 and it will give you voice prompts to find out what's going on with the freeways...)

As a SD girl myself, I can tell you this is one biiiiiiig place. Greater Phoenix is more than 585 square miles in size and has 5 times the population of the entire state of South Dakota. I have friends in EFM (East Mesa...) and they are 41 miles from my house but are still considered living in the Greater Phoenix area.

If you live in Queen Creek and want to go to the Buffalo Chip in Cave Creek one night to go bootscootin', it could take you an hour and a half to get there. Cave Creek IMHO is a great place for you. Lots going on, lot of horses, lots of midwesterners have relocated there. You have easy access to the Desert Ridge area where you'll find great amenities.

Let us know when you get here and we can meetup at the Buffalo Chip. You'll love it.

[observer53]

Originally Posted by Pallas_Athena

Avoid Gilbert. It's more for families and religious people. Move to N Scottsdale or Cave Creek. You can't go wrong.

I would not "avoid" Gilbert, but it is more geared to families. The population of Gilbert is not as church-affiliated as the stereotype it has would suggest, but the city management is a high percentage of LDS. For a lot of people, that doesn't matter, for others, it does. If you liked the SE Valley, you could choose Chandler instead. But, if you like the landscape around N Scottsdale/Cave Creek, it's a great place to be.