Question about neighborhood and travel times. (Phoenix, Glendale: rental, mobile home, neighborhoods)

[Bluejay55]

Hi all,

I have a question about travel times from my new work and home address/neighborhood. Is this a good neighborhood? How long would the commute be if I left around 8:30 am and then drove home from work at 5:00 pm. on highway 51?

The new job is:

1300 E Thomas Rd, Phoenix, AZ 85014

The rental is around:

2700 E Pontiac Dr, Phoenix, AZ 85050


https://www.city-data.com/forum/attac...1&d=1423283113

Thank you!!

[grassfeeder]

you could do some simple research by plugging those addresses into google maps on your phone and it'll give you real time traffic travels times. map it out for a week at those travel times to get some data.

[Bluejay55]

Thank you Grassfeeder, great suggestion! I will do that.

Does anyone have any insight/info on the neighborhood a little to the east of the Costco off the Pima Freeway and North Cave Creek road?

[sargeant79]

The neighborhood around there is fine. That address places you in a pretty nice subdivision. South of Beardsley the neighborhood isn't much to look at with a lot of mobile homes, but it isn't unsafe or anything. It's actually a pretty good location right there. You have some of your basic retail plus a Costco on Cave Creek and Beardsley. Upper Crust Pizza is a pretty cool bar right on Cave Creek south of the 101, and there are a few other little restaurants right in that area. Not to mention you are just a few miles down the 101 from all the stuff near Desert Ridge.

Traffic on the 51 will be pretty rough based on the times you're going to and from work. That's normally about a 20 minute drive, but you'll want to allow for a good 35-40 minutes or so. In the mornings, it can get really stopped up starting around Northern starting by around 6:45-7:00 am.

[Bluejay55]

Thank you! That is really helpful information. Is it safe to assume that there are no back roads that would save me time since these locations are so far apart? Like taking North 7th all the way down, would that just be too many stop lights? Also, what is the name of the neighborhood/part of town we will be living in right by the Costco? I cannot find it on a map anywhere.

[sargeant79]

Originally Posted by Bluejay55

Thank you! That is really helpful information. Is it safe to assume that there are no back roads that would save me time since these locations are so far apart? Like taking North 7th all the way down, would that just be too many stop lights? Also, what is the name of the neighborhood/part of town we will be living in right by the Costco? I cannot find it on a map anywhere.

Not sure what the actual neighborhood is called besides just North Phoenix.

As for alternative routes, you could take Cave Creek Road to 7th Street and then stay on 7th until you get to Thomas. It will likely keep moving a bit more but I doubt it would save you much, if any time with all the stop lights. There will still be traffic that time of day on 7th, but probably not as bad as on the freeway. It just might take you 2-3 cycles to get through some lights as you get closer to downtown.

[new2colo]

Originally Posted by Bluejay55

Thank you! That is really helpful information. Is it safe to assume that there are no back roads that would save me time since these locations are so far apart? Like taking North 7th all the way down, would that just be too many stop lights? Also, what is the name of the neighborhood/part of town we will be living in right by the Costco? I cannot find it on a map anywhere.

I actually used to live in that exact neighborhood (near Cave Creek and Union Hills). Many neighborhoods here don't have well known names. They are just identified by the part of the city they're in and the major intersections that they're near. That area is broadly known as North Phoenix. I often used to tell people that I lived on Cave Creek and the 101 and people would be familiar with the Costco and the athletic complex in the area. The neighborhood is nice. It's very close to shopping at Desert Ridge Marketplace, a 15 minute drive to one of the nicest Whole Foods I've seen in the country in North Scottsdale, and you will be able to reach nearly anywhere in the Valley in under 30 minutes (non-rush hour of course) due to the proximity of the 101 and 51 freeways. It tends to be slightly cooler during the day/night than many areas of the city due to its slightly higher elevation. If you drive north of Cave Creek Road, you will be in open desert in less than 10 minutes. If you're into hiking, McDowell Sonoran Preserve is a 20 minute drive and has, IMO, the nicest hiking trails in metro Phoenix and is completely free. There is a grocery store around 32nd Street and Bell (Fry's), which is decent. There is a fairy large shopping area with SuperTarget, Sprouts (another grocery store), Safeway, and another Fry's as well as quite a few other stores and restaurants at 7th Street and Bell Road.

It should take you no longer than 40 minutes to get to/from work, even in rush hour traffic. Of all the freeways in the Phoenix area, the 51 still flows relatively well. You will hit a wall of cars around the Northern Avenue exit every morning as the freeway narrows and the speed limit drops. Going northbound in the evenings, traffic usually breaks up around Bethany Home or Glendale Avenue and then jams again on the transition ramp from the 51 north onto the 101 westbound. The eastbound 101 between Cave Creek and the 51 is also extremely jammed in the mornings. If you decide on the freeway route, I would highly recommend actually taking 32nd Street south to Union Hills Drive and then using Union Hills to access the freeway. That would save you a lot of unnecessary time stuck in heavy traffic. At other times, hopping on the 101 at Cave Creek is fine, but I really highly discourage it during rush hour even though it is right there.

Cave Creek Rd to 7th Street would actually be a good alternative to the 51. The lights are timed very well, especially on 7th Street. Southbound Cave Creek moves well during the morning. The "suicide lane" on 7th Street actually becomes an extra southbound lane during the morning commute and becomes an extra northbound lane during the evening commute. You have to deal with crazy drivers on that route in dart in and out of lanes, which can be stressful, but it is a reliable drive. The only that could mess with your morning commute is the inability to make a left from 7th Street onto major streets, including Thomas, because of the reversible lane. It sounds like you'll be on 13th Street and Thomas, which would require a left turn off of 7th at some point. You'd have to make a left onto a minor street in the morning, which is permitted.

[Bluejay55]

Thank you guys! That was incredibly helpful and informative. I appreciate your time. Seems like it will most likely be worth the drive to live in such a nice neighborhood. Sounds like a place I won't have to worry about my family walking around and near enough to keep us entertained. I was having difficulty finding new construction for rent near my work on E Thomas.