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Actually, Avondale could easily be the hottest place in the metro area as far as high temperatures. The SW Valley averages a degree or two higher than the rest of the Valley, mainly because it's slightly lower in elevation.
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Originally Posted by BIG CATS
The west valley is wide open, has tons of room to expand, and is cheap. Those are the reasons its growing as fast as it is. Ive always preferred the east valley because, well, not to make anyone upset, it doesnt feel as "generic" (for lack of better term). I dont see anything special about the west valley.
Yep, I have to agree. There are some very nice areas in the west Valley (Arrowhead/north Glendale, Sun City, Sun City West, Westbrook Village, etc.) ... however, much of the west Valley is pretty bland, and doesn't have a lot of the amenities that parts of the east Valley and centralized areas do. The Westgate fiasco is proof enough for me that pro sports & entertainment don't work in the west Valley. Many of the west Valley suburbs are in the developing stages, so it will take some time for them to become established the way Scottsdale, Tempe, and Mesa have. Much of Glendale is established, but the Westgate area is still very hit & miss with larges masses of undeveloped land.
And we have to ask: WHY is it so cheap to live in the west Valley? One reason is certain districts like Maryvale and its reputation for being a high crime area tends to keep prices on the cheap side in the surrounding areas. Alhambra is practically a Maryvale clone, although it's more of a working class area, but many of the neighborhoods are still sketchy. Even though these are districts of Phoenix, they are still technically considered part of the west Valley.
Another reason it's generally cheaper to live in the west Valley is the way many of the suburban developments are constructed: bland cookie cutter stucco houses that all look the same. Tiny yards with crushed rock, and very little greenery. If people actually like residing in the generic stucco slabs, and the long commutes to just about everywhere, more power to them. I see a home as an investment, and you generally get what you pay for. Cheaper prices often equate to cheaper quality.
Actually, Avondale could easily be the hottest place in the metro area as far as high temperatures. The SW Valley averages a degree or two higher than the rest of the Valley, mainly because it's slightly lower in elevation.
Yep, I have to agree. There are some very nice areas in the west Valley (Arrowhead/north Glendale, Sun City, Sun City West, Westbrook Village, etc.) ... however, much of the west Valley is pretty bland, and doesn't have a lot of the amenities that parts of the east Valley and centralized areas do. The Westgate fiasco is proof enough for me that pro sports & entertainment don't work in the west Valley. Many of the west Valley suburbs are in the developing stages, so it will take some time for them to become established the way Scottsdale, Tempe, and Mesa have. Much of Glendale is established, but the Westgate area is still very hit & miss with larges masses of undeveloped land.
And we have to ask: WHY is it so cheap to live in the west Valley? One reason is certain districts like Maryvale and its reputation for being a high crime area tends to keep prices on the cheap side in the surrounding areas. Alhambra is practically a Maryvale clone, although it's more of a working class area, but many of the neighborhoods are still sketchy. Even though these are districts of Phoenix, they are still technically considered part of the west Valley.
Another reason it's generally cheaper to live in the west Valley is the way many of the suburban developments are constructed: bland cookie cutter stucco houses that all look the same. Tiny yards with crushed rock, and very little greenery. If people actually like residing in the generic stucco slabs, and the long commutes to just about everywhere, more power to them. I see a home as an investment, and you generally get what you pay for. Cheaper prices often equate to cheaper quality.
I don't think the home prices are cheaper in the nice suburbs of the west valley vs east valley/central because of construction quality. The same home builders are building largely the same style homes you refer too all over the valley, east/west/north/south, with the same small yards for the most part. That's what many people want or they wouldn't be buying them in droves. I think the price difference is demand that's largely driven by employment/how close the house is to larger employment areas because people want to be closer to their employer, hence higher demand in such areas makes higher home prices. The only thing some parts of Phoenix and the east valley have is older homes that indeed have some "unique" homes compared to what's being built today but they aren't building those styles anymore, let alone on such large lots for the most part. I see lots of homes in the metro/older suburbs built in the 50's and 60's that have a sameness in look to them to my eye. I suppose it's all what one is looking for.....nostalgia, an older style that's not built anymore, etc. Lots of ways to make a house look unique, inside and out, no matter how old or new it is. And "Bland" is in the eye of the beholder I suppose.
Much of the greenery isn't as built up in the west valley as the older east/central areas because so much of it is new and that takes a while to get green. Much of Phoenix/some large cities in Phoenix have been there for 40-50+ years for the greenery to establish.
I don't think the home prices are cheaper in the nice suburbs of the west valley vs east valley/central because of construction quality. The same home builders are building largely the same style homes you refer too all over the valley, east/west/north/south, with the same small yards for the most part. That's what many people want or they wouldn't be buying them in droves. I think the price difference is demand that's largely driven by employment/how close the house is to larger employment areas because people want to be closer to their employer, hence higher demand in such areas makes higher home prices. The only thing some parts of Phoenix and the east valley have is older homes that indeed have some "unique" homes compared to what's being built today but they aren't building those styles anymore, let alone on such large lots for the most part. I see lots of homes in the metro/older suburbs built in the 50's and 60's that have a sameness in look to them to my eye. I suppose it's all what one is looking for.....nostalgia, an older style that's not built anymore, etc. Lots of ways to make a house look unique, inside and out, no matter how old or new it is. And "Bland" is in the eye of the beholder I suppose.
Much of the greenery isn't as built up in the west valley as the older east/central areas because so much of it is new and that takes a while to get green. Much of Phoenix/some large cities in Phoenix have been there for 40-50+ years for the greenery to establish.
There is no difference in homes built in the new tract developments of east, west, north or south. It used to be that you had different developers in east and west - JF Long in Maryvale and many others in the east you did not see in the west. All that is changed now that the west side is the growth leader. Same builders, same subs, same floorplans, same materials, same lot sizes, even landscaping - two trees, four shrubs. Land costs (mostly) and supply/demand are the main driver. Having said that, there are some low cost builders in places like Laveen and models that you won't see unless you go into the far east valley. But Goodyear, Surprise, Peoria, Gilbert and Chandler - the affluent growth areas - are all the same.
Some not-so-good areas like parts of west Phoenix-south Glendale exist in the west valley but this creates too many hangups and causes people to stereotype the whole westside as low-class and crime-infested.
The west valley has many clean, safe, newer areas that outnumber the crime-ridden areas.
Sure we think of Maryvale as west valley but what about Verrado, Estrella, Litchfield Park, Arrowhead, Surprise, the Sun Cities, Goodyear, northern Avondale, and northern Peoria?
It seems there is some envy happening from the east valley because it's no longer the growth leader, while west valley cities are growing rapidly and the real estate market is hotter than ever.
Many of you need to visit the West Valley and you'll find a lot going on over here. Maryvale is one small section, the good areas far outnumber the bad areas.
It seems there is some envy happening from the east valley because it's no longer the growth leader, while west valley cities are growing rapidly and the real estate market is hotter than ever.
Envy? Of what? More traffic? More cheap tract homes? More BLAH neighborhoods?
Sorry, man, I just dont see any appeal in the west Valley. Even the natural scenery isnt as good as in the west Valley. It might be special for some, but for others who appreciate the east Valley, it wont ever compare.
Envy? Of what? More traffic? More cheap tract homes? More BLAH neighborhoods?
Sorry, man, I just dont see any appeal in the west Valley. Even the natural scenery isnt as good as in the west Valley. It might be special for some, but for others who appreciate the east Valley, it wont ever compare.
Envious because the east valley's growth rate has slowed and the west valley is growing, booming, prospering and developing at a faster rate.
The east valley has many neighborhoods with cheap tract homes too and traffic is certainly an issue.
Traffic from the west valley to central Phoenix is congested mostly because I-10 is the main freeway and there are few alternative routes except regular streets, public transit is lacking compared to other parts of the metropolitan area.
If you see no appeal in the west valley that's your preference.
I'll admit there are many nice parts of the east valley just like there are many nice areas in the west valley, but what I don't like is when people slam the whole west valley because of a small number of sketchy areas.
The West Valley has the most available land for expansion. We moved here from Lake Havasu City in 1997. I'm around Camelback & 103 Ave. In 1997 there wasn't much here. No 101, no stadium. Dairy farms and agriculture most everywhere. Cabela's and Westgate were only a dream back then. Going west everything pretty much ended at Dysart Rd. Palm Valley didn't exist. All that was there were farm fields and the John Deere dealership. Now it's all built up, and still going.
I used to go shooting out around Rt. 85 and I-10. There was nothing out there. No more, it's being built up as well. Much like when L.A. developed eastbound years ago, people rode the wave out there. Selling their homes, and buying larger ones further out for the same price or cheaper. We're finding much the same out here. I could easily do an even swap price wise, from where I'm at now, and go out to areas in Buckeye, and wind up with a house almost twice as big for about the same money. You get an incredible amount of sq. footage for your money there. And it's nicely built.
The real estate market has slowed considerably, so it isn't going to be happening as fast any more. But the new homes are still being built, just at a snails pace as compared to before. With the widening and improvement of I-10 out to the dog track, (Cotton Rd.), the traffic isn't so bad driving in or out of the city. It still backs up at rush hour, but it's not too bad. Especially compared to the East Valley which is a traffic nightmare almost 24/7.
The thing with the West Valley is that out there there isn't as large amount of diversity in Housing, People or Experiences. The majority of it is either the poorer sections (South Glendale, Maryvale) Farming, single family tract housing built between 1980-2010 or the entry level Phoenix-style sprawl like Surprise, Avondale or Goodyear. Are there a few nicer areas? Yes, Litchfield Park, Palm Valley, Marley Park, Vistancia and the like are pretty nice. Arrowhead used to be really nice and parts of it still are, but the entire mall area is very dated and one a slow path of decline, and more importantly almost the entire area is chain restaurants and stores. I'd be very concerned about the Coyotes situation if I lived in the area, Westgate delivered on very few of the promises it made and the majority of it is the same generic chains I can find by any mall. Buffalo Wild Wings, Yardhouse, Kabuki, Gordon Biersch, Carls Jr., Opa! Greek etc. etc. there's nothing that really excites me about it.
Also the East Valley has a lot of room to grow, East Mesa has an airport, Chandler has a lot of land to work with and is much denser than most of the other suburbs. I'm shocked at how big some of these apartment projects are out here.
For those that require employment, the East Valley offers much more than the West Valley, especially in Chandler, Mesa, Tempe and Scottsdale. In terms of 'urban experiences' Tempe, South Scottsdale and Chandler offer diverse and varying downtown areas comprised of primarily local establishments. The only real contender in the West Valley is Glendale who is now publicly struggling and stunt making. West Valley has Lake Pleasant, East Valley has Bartlett, Horseshoe, Roosevelt, Saguaro and others. West Valley has 1 primary route from East to West (I10) East Valley has the 202 in two areas, 60, I10 and the 101 connecting all of them, the nice thing you can check Google traffic maps in the morning and make a route that avoids the worst of the traffic. In the West Valley your generally left with either grinning on the I10, attempting whatever mess they've created now on Grand or going all of the way around on the 101.
The only real way to improve the traffic in the West Valley would be IMO to make Grand a freeway all the way up to Surprise like it is around Camelback, get the Northern Expressway from the 303 to Grand. That would certainly improve the congestion out there.
West Valley is closer to Vegas and California though! It's a nuisance driving from SE Valley to Vegas sometimes.
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