help with choosing city (Phoenix, Glendale: 2014, rentals, crime)

[Midwest runner]

Thanks all in advance. This is another relocation thread. We have a potential job offer in central Scottsdale. Looking for family-friendly suburb within a 30-45 min radius. I've heard the west or north valley might have better air quality, but we are open to suggestion. We'd like somewhere safe. We'd rent for 6 months to a year to get our bearings, but we need a starting off point and would ideally like to not move cities and schools too much as there are school age children involved.

A little about us: We are 40ish with a 5 and 8 year old children. We are outdoorsy sorts and will love hiking, running, enjoying the outdoors, visiting the zoo, museums, and state parks occasionally. We are regular kind of folk and get along with most. We aren't that religious, but don't care if others are. We come from a smaller suburb of Chicago. We live in a nice neighborhood considered somewhere in the middle. We are looking for a place where our kids will thrive, make friends, and where we can call home. We are open minded about city size. We have visited AZ several times in the past , but things could have changed and visiting is very different from living somewhere. We've heard good things about Surprise, Peoria, Goodyear. We've also heard good things about Chandler, Gilbert (but I'm not sure those are commutable to Scottsdale) Please enlighten me from your perspective about what might be a good fit for us.

Needs are:
Price: 200K-ish, ideally less Is this realistic anymore? If not, what is do-able?
Location: flexible but would like a 30-45 min commute from Scottsdale. Don't have crossroads yet
Schools: good system will have a kindergartener and 3rd grader for fall
extracurricular: gymnastics team, dance studio, tennis, swimming lessons, karate within a 20-30 min commute
Place with rental houses in decent neighborhood type setting available for the first year
Safe
availability of good hospitals/healthcare

Wants:
House 3-4 br 2 ba w/ garage
good shopping close nearby
under 1 hr to airport
neighborhood/community pool
neighborhood with loads of kids
Not keeping up with the Jones type of setting
movie theatre w/in 20ish minutes
health food store within 30 minutes as I have food allergies

Thanks!

[observer53]

Originally Posted by Midwest runner

Thanks all in advance. This is another relocation thread. We have a potential job offer in central Scottsdale. Looking for family-friendly suburb within a 30-45 min radius. I've heard the west or north valley might have better air quality, but we are open to suggestion. We'd like somewhere safe. We'd rent for 6 months to a year to get our bearings, but we need a starting off point and would ideally like to not move cities and schools too much as there are school age children involved.

A little about us: We are 40ish with a 5 and 8 year old children. We are outdoorsy sorts and will love hiking, running, enjoying the outdoors, visiting the zoo, museums, and state parks occasionally. We are regular kind of folk and get along with most. We aren't that religious, but don't care if others are. We come from a smaller suburb of Chicago. We live in a nice neighborhood considered somewhere in the middle. We are looking for a place where our kids will thrive, make friends, and where we can call home. We are open minded about city size. We have visited AZ several times in the past , but things could have changed and visiting is very different from living somewhere. We've heard good things about Surprise, Peoria, Goodyear. We've also heard good things about Chandler, Gilbert (but I'm not sure those are commutable to Scottsdale) Please enlighten me from your perspective about what might be a good fit for us.

Needs are:
Price: 200K-ish, ideally less Is this realistic anymore? If not, what is do-able?
Location: flexible but would like a 30-45 min commute from Scottsdale. Don't have crossroads yet
Schools: good system will have a kindergartener and 3rd grader for fall
extracurricular: gymnastics team, dance studio, tennis, swimming lessons, karate within a 20-30 min commute
Place with rental houses in decent neighborhood type setting available for the first year
Safe
availability of good hospitals/healthcare

Wants:
House 3-4 br 2 ba w/ garage
good shopping close nearby
under 1 hr to airport
neighborhood/community pool
neighborhood with loads of kids
Not keeping up with the Jones type of setting
movie theatre w/in 20ish minutes
health food store within 30 minutes as I have food allergies

Thanks!

Since you mention commuting distance, you can eliminate Peoria, Goodyear, and certainly Surprise as being within 30-45 minutes from central Scottsdale. Chandler is quite possible, depending on where in Chandler, as is Gilbert, depending on the exact starting point, but you are going to be at or toward the outer edges of that 30 to 45 minutes. Tempe is also a possibility, as is Scottsdale itself. Air quality is really not that different in the different parts of the Valley, so that doesn't really factor into the equation.

You are smart to rent first. Your price point, when you go to buy, will limit you somewhat... how much depends on what "200K-ish" really means. You would likely be looking at a somewhat older home in any of the above cities at that price. You don't say what your rental price point is.

"Family friendly" is a meaningless term, to me, as it only eliminates those communities that are age restricted. Phoeriix itself, and all its main suburbs, are all full of families, with the things that families need. So, they are all "family friendly".

There's crime everywhere, but the cities generally to the east side (thinking of your commuting issue) all have plenty of safe areas.

When it comes down to it, you are going to need to find a realtor who deals with rentals to help you sort out what's available that would fit your criteria.

[Jkgourmet]

In addition to the great advice you already received from Observer, I think determining the crosstreets does matter. What one person defines as central Scottsdale might not be as central as another thinks.

I'd also agree that the budget is going to be a limitation. I hope it's in the highest end of $200k.

[Midwest runner]

Ok, I have a more approximate address:
77th St. in between N. Scottsdale Rd and North Hayden Rd, and E. Frank Lloyd Wright Blvd and Loop 101N. It's by the Scottsdale airport

Maybe this will help a little?

[Midwest runner]

Sorry folks, I guess that's not central Scottsdale at all. Looks more like the northern part of Scottsdale? What suburbs would be affordable or *close* enough?

[FromEastCoast]

Consider Anthem. I work near you and have been renting in Anthem since Jan. Will hopefully be buying soon.

[Jkgourmet]

Originally Posted by Midwest runner

Sorry folks, I guess that's not central Scottsdale at all. Looks more like the northern part of Scottsdale? What suburbs would be affordable or *close* enough?

Yep, that's northern Scottsdale, which was why I asked the question about cross streets. Generally speaking, I would exclude Gilbert and Chandler and most of Tempe from your considerations, along with the other places that were mentioned by Observer.

Anthem is also too far, and probably out of the OP's price range, unless they can accept <1800 square feet.

In that price range, commuting time considered, I'm thinking Glendale or Peoria. I can't comment on the school systems or safety in those areas.

[observer53]

Driving distances from a lot of places are going to be outside your 30 to 45 minutes in traffic. You might be best off looking for something to rent in northeast Phoenix, Paradise Valley School District. I'm not aware of much with community pools in that area. You might find a house with its own. So much depends on what you can afford. You might find something in west central Scottsdale in the older homes there, but I don't know what the rental/sale prices are in that area.

[Finger Laker]

yeah, a lot of the southwest and southeast suburbs are going to be tough to get there .... some parts of Glendale/Peoria may work ..... also the areas north of the 101 near tatum could work, although it's been a long time since i've looked at prices there - i remember there being a pretty wide variety

[AZJoeD]

I definitely would consider some N .Phoenix neighborhoods. Anthem is a possibility. It meets all your needs, but is on the long side of your commute requirements.

I would also look in the 85024. 85022 and 85032 zipcodes. Most of these are good neighborhoods, lots of families, good schools, easy commute. You should be able to rent and buy in this area with not too much trouble.

Here is a nice one in Anthem. 4BD/2.5BA/2CG, 2000 sqft, big yard, $199K