What are some cute, more unique towns/ areas in Maricopa county? (California college grad recently moved to Gilbert) (Phoenix: home, job market)

[Quizillla]

Originally Posted by Colt Cassidy

Okay, Quizzy...

The good news? Cactus is... somewhat cute. Some of them are almost huggable.

This is adorable!

[Quizillla]

Originally Posted by Rico Valencia

There are indeed some rough areas in Tempe. Some of the apartment complexes near Arizona Mills and the area around the Fry's Electronics come to mind.

OP, i'm a bit incredulous that you say Mill Avenue and Old Town Scottsdale are dead on the weekends. Those places are absolutely jampacked each and every weekend, even by SF standards.

REALLY? I'll be honest and say I haven't gone that much... Maybe the few weekends I have, people just weren't out. I'll keep trying. Thanks! (:

[JGMotorsport64]

Originally Posted by Quizillla

Thanks so much! Can you suggest some areas I might visit in Central Phoenix?

I completely agree. Phoenix is VERY suburban, hot, and desert climate. I love the cost of living here- but I am definitely wanting to move somewhere WAYYYY cooler once I'm done with graduate school. I definitely am not crazy about the life-style here, although I can see why many would enjoy it. My boyfriend went to UCLA and he said it reminds him of Los Angeles with better traffic, less people, and no ocean. :P

I did like Mill, but parts of Tempe are pretty ghetto lol

I wouldn't really consider Tempe ghetto anywhere, it's a strange sight to see a city literally growing up, with that comes abandoned areas that are supposed to be razed for mid rise apartments and eventually a streetcar.

For central Phoenix, it depends on what you are into. CityScape is a pretty popular area for nightlife, during the daytime the Roosevelt/Garfield area is a nice artsy area with an artwalk and a lot of local restaurants/breweries and a cool ice cream shop called Melt. North of the I10 along the central corrider (7th Ave to 7th St.) is a very nice area of town with some interesting restaurants like Taco Guild (fancy tacos in an old church).

Along Camelback (the Camelback Corridor) is the nicer area of Phoenix proper with a lot of high end resorts and shopping including the Biltmore. Further down is the Scottsdale Fashion Square. Down Scottsdale Road to Tempe and across Washington back to Downtown is IMO the most urban area of the entire city if you are into that.

[WriterDude]

I think Arizona has some little day-trip towns that might fit, especially if you're okay with longer day trips. Fortunately, you already know this place is spread out, so I don't have to mention it. Oops. :-)

Up north (north up the 17), you'll find Prescott (Whiskey Row), Jerome (neat little town), and Cottonwood (antiques).

If you're feeling more eclectic, maybe stop into Arcosanti. (And if you're a fan of Solari's bells, I think they still have a Solari studio in Paradise Valley... here's the URL: https://arcosanti.org/cosanti.)

For larger destinations, Sedona is about 2 hours north. Flagstaff is under 2 1/2 hours. At 3 hours each way, you could set up an Eagles playlist, go up to Winslow, and see any amount of Route 66 memorabilia. Globe is about 90 minutes east, and the people there are incredibly nice, but the area is a little gritty. Someone told me the Sonoran Mexican restaurants there are all family-owned and have been there for generations, so it may be worth a look.

Tucson is 2 1/2 hours south, 3 hours to Tombstone for the OK Corral, or Bisbee so you can tell your friends.. uh.. that you went to Bisbee.

For something within an hour from where you are, you might want to take a drive north to Kierland Commons and Scottsdale Quarter. It's a very posh area, even by SF Bay Area standards. Or drive up to Cave Creek, which has some wonderful places (I've never been to Big Earl's Greasy Eats, but I love the name). I can't really think of anything especially memorable west of Phoenix

[Maroon197]

When it comes to towns in AZ, it's best to keep your expectations relatively low. Sedona is a bad tourist trap (with nice scenery), Kierland is a mall, old town Scottsdale isn't very dense or urban, and Flagstaff is okay, but not quite as vibrant as you would think/hope. Tempe is booming, but it's still primarily a college area. There is literally nothing in all of AZ to compete with places like East Carson in Pittsburgh or State St in Santa Barbara, South Street in Philly or Washington St in Hoboken. That kind of street scene just doesn't exist in AZ.

[Quizillla]

Originally Posted by JGMotorsport64

I wouldn't really consider Tempe ghetto anywhere, it's a strange sight to see a city literally growing up, with that comes abandoned areas that are supposed to be razed for mid rise apartments and eventually a streetcar.

For central Phoenix, it depends on what you are into. CityScape is a pretty popular area for nightlife, during the daytime the Roosevelt/Garfield area is a nice artsy area with an artwalk and a lot of local restaurants/breweries and a cool ice cream shop called Melt. North of the I10 along the central corrider (7th Ave to 7th St.) is a very nice area of town with some interesting restaurants like Taco Guild (fancy tacos in an old church).

Along Camelback (the Camelback Corridor) is the nicer area of Phoenix proper with a lot of high end resorts and shopping including the Biltmore. Further down is the Scottsdale Fashion Square. Down Scottsdale Road to Tempe and across Washington back to Downtown is IMO the most urban area of the entire city if you are into that.

Thanks for the suggestions, I've heard good things about Roosevelt ST. but haven't visited yet. I will check it out.

[Quizillla]

Originally Posted by WriterDude

I think Arizona has some little day-trip towns that might fit, especially if you're okay with longer day trips. Fortunately, you already know this place is spread out, so I don't have to mention it. Oops. :-)

Up north (north up the 17), you'll find Prescott (Whiskey Row), Jerome (neat little town), and Cottonwood (antiques).

If you're feeling more eclectic, maybe stop into Arcosanti. (And if you're a fan of Solari's bells, I think they still have a Solari studio in Paradise Valley... here's the URL: https://arcosanti.org/cosanti.)

For larger destinations, Sedona is about 2 hours north. Flagstaff is under 2 1/2 hours. At 3 hours each way, you could set up an Eagles playlist, go up to Winslow, and see any amount of Route 66 memorabilia. Globe is about 90 minutes east, and the people there are incredibly nice, but the area is a little gritty. Someone told me the Sonoran Mexican restaurants there are all family-owned and have been there for generations, so it may be worth a look.

Tucson is 2 1/2 hours south, 3 hours to Tombstone for the OK Corral, or Bisbee so you can tell your friends.. uh.. that you went to Bisbee.

For something within an hour from where you are, you might want to take a drive north to Kierland Commons and Scottsdale Quarter. It's a very posh area, even by SF Bay Area standards. Or drive up to Cave Creek, which has some wonderful places (I've never been to Big Earl's Greasy Eats, but I love the name). I can't really think of anything especially memorable west of Phoenix

Thank you very much! I haven't visited Tucson yet.... it doesn't really attract me as far as a city. I have gone to Sedona and Flagstaff. I thought Sedona was WAAAAAYYYY too touristy and kind of cheesy, but the natural scenery was spectacular. I really enjoyed Flag. I though it was a cute little mountain/ college town. It's amazing to see how different Northern AZ is. I will definitely check out Scottsdale Quarter.

I guess I've been feeling a bit underwhelmed with AZ after having lived in SF for so long, it's definitely a BEAUTIFUL state and maybe it's the heat that depresses me more than anything!!

[Quizillla]

Originally Posted by Maroon197

When it comes to towns in AZ, it's best to keep your expectations relatively low. Sedona is a bad tourist trap (with nice scenery), Kierland is a mall, old town Scottsdale isn't very dense or urban, and Flagstaff is okay, but not quite as vibrant as you would think/hope. Tempe is booming, but it's still primarily a college area. There is literally nothing in all of AZ to compete with places like East Carson in Pittsburgh or State St in Santa Barbara, South Street in Philly or Washington St in Hoboken. That kind of street scene just doesn't exist in AZ.

I definitely agree. I wasn't impressed by Sedona, at least the town. It was super cheesy.... I think the scenery was stunning, though.

I agree, while I think AZ is getting better, it's hard to find places that give me the same feeling as SF. I lived most of my college years in Sonoma... surrounded by vineyards and nature, so I was very spoiled in that sense. The desert climate definitely isn't my favorite, despite this, cost of living here is AMAZING. as a college grad, I haven't been able to afford the Bay Area, Phoenix makes living a lot easier

[Finger Laker]

Originally Posted by Maroon197

There is literally nothing in all of AZ to compete with places like East Carson in Pittsburgh or State St in Santa Barbara, South Street in Philly or Washington St in Hoboken. That kind of street scene just doesn't exist in AZ.

Have you actually been to any of those places?!?

[locolife]

Originally Posted by Quizillla

Thanks so much! Great advice. I realized I kind of approached it in a weird-way comparing two VERY different cities. San Francisco is obviously much more urban and compact/ less spread out. I guess it's just kind of a culture shock. I miss the nature around San Francisco, but I agree that Phoenix is definitely growing and that if you look, there is plenty to do. Maybe I've just noticed less people out because Phoenix is so spread-out and doesn't really have a central area.

Thanks again. I appreciate the advice.

Just one question, if you like the feel of SF why did you move to Gilbert? I would have suggested living near Roosevelt Row, DT Tempe or DT Phoenix. You're living in the equivalent of something like Walnut Creek and asking why it's not like SF. You have to look a little harder here than a place like SF for that sense of community, but it's there. Also, were surrounded by nature, but it's probably different than what you're used to. I suggest you think a little differently about life and nature here and you might realize what you're missing is right in front of you, you're just not looking for it.