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My husband's job is moving to Tempe (from Detroit) in a few months, and we are looking at houses primarily in Tempe or Central Phoenix. I have a million questions about both, but figured I should start separate threads to keep it less confusing!
First about us: married couple, around 40-ish, and no kids so we like to go out a lot! We have several dogs & cats so no condo/townhouse, has to be single-family. Preferably not in an area with a lot of strict HOA's because we are planning to get a camper again in a few years. Budget will be around $250K, give or take - obviously less would be nice, but our house in MI will bring in a good sum so we can probably go a little higher.
I've only visited once (stayed downtown but took the light rail to Tempe a few times), and enjoyed the Mill Ave bars/restaurants/shops a lot, although of course they skew a bit college-y. I guess I wouldn't mind living in a college town, but I don't know that I would love to be on a street where every other house is occupied by 10-12 students. My husband's job will be near Tempe Town Lake so at least the commute would be easy! So my question about that area is mainly, are there areas near campus that would just be way too young for us? How young/college-ish is the area west of Mill, by Priest Dr?
On the other side of the coin, the area down near Kiwanis Park looks really nice, albeit a little more expensive (though not totally out of the question, price-wise). Really good looking homes & parks, but are there other restaurant/shop areas down there south of Baseline Road? If not, is it feasible to walk/bike to Mill Ave for an evening cocktail? Are there places down there where we could hop on the light rail to go downtown, or is the stop up by Mill Ave & 3rd basically it? I *can* drive, I'd just rather take pubic transit (coming from Detroit, it'll be quite a novelty!) and we'd prefer to share one car if possible. We also enjoy having some beers & not driving under the influence!
Are there other parts of Tempe I should also be considering, that are close to some fun and near transportation?
Unfortunately, the only other visit we'll get before moving will be a brief house-hunting trip - probably only 5-7 days at most, so we'll need to zero in on just a few specific geographic areas before we come. And renting first won't work because of our pets, also because the company will only help us with moving expenses once.
Public transportation in Tempe is really good, the best in the Valley. When you talk about the area west of Mill, how "college-y" it is depends on how far south you go. In a SFH, if you are south of Southern Ave, or certainly south of Baseline, you aren't going to be fully surrounded by college age folks. Anywhere in Tempe south of Southern Ave will not feel like a college town.
There are shops and restaurants along the southern east west streets in Tempe, from Baseline south. There's also Tempe Marketplace in the northeast corner of Tempe, with a lot of restaurants and shopping, and accessible by bus. You won't walk up to Mill from the Baseline area for an evening cocktail, but you can find one closer, or taking a bus to the Mill Ave area is easy. www.valleymetro.org is where you need to look for transit info for bus and light rail. The light rail runs east-west through Tempe, so you would have to use the bus to come up to Mill from the south.
I've lived in Tempe for decades, since I was a college student. Feel free to ask more questions, or private message me.
Thank you so much, that's very helpful! I didn't even know about the Tempe Marketplace, so I pulled it up on the Google and WOW there are tons of shops around there! I didn't even seriously look around there too much yet.
We're looking at a lot of different areas around Central Phoenix as well, but Tempe really seems to make a lot of sense. Especially with some of the other posts I've been reading about the rush hour traffic!
Are there specific areas south of 60 with a cluster of little shops & bars, or are they more scattered around all over?
Do you know if there are particular neighborhoods that have a very "friendly" feel, where people look out for each other & even hang out together once in a while? That probably sounds silly, but we have that now in Ferndale (MI) & I'm going to miss that a lot! Conversely, are there spots that might feel a little snooty, and less welcoming to newcomers?
Another random thought: what about art fairs or other festivals in Tempe? Anything like that? Are there any shops you can think of that sell locally made goods? (You'll never guess what I do for a "living" - lol). Not necessarily huge paintings (although maybe those too), but things like handmade knicknacks, housewares, jewelry & accessories, etc? I've been trying to Google that around the general Phoenix area, but I don't think I'm using the right terms.
The single family homes in northern Tempe are in older neighborhoods, some are even in historical districts.
The farther south you go the less of a college crowd you'll experience but that will also mean a longer commute to work, the choice will be to drive or take a bus because light rail doesn't go anywhere around there.
I think there are some neighborhoods with single family homes in east Tempe close to the light rail but they're older and I'm not sure if the neighborhoods are safe.
The best bet is ask observer53 about any details, she knows Tempe like the back of her hand.
Thank you so much, that's very helpful! I didn't even know about the Tempe Marketplace, so I pulled it up on the Google and WOW there are tons of shops around there! I didn't even seriously look around there too much yet.
We're looking at a lot of different areas around Central Phoenix as well, but Tempe really seems to make a lot of sense. Especially with some of the other posts I've been reading about the rush hour traffic!
Are there specific areas south of 60 with a cluster of little shops & bars, or are they more scattered around all over?
Do you know if there are particular neighborhoods that have a very "friendly" feel, where people look out for each other & even hang out together once in a while? That probably sounds silly, but we have that now in Ferndale (MI) & I'm going to miss that a lot! Conversely, are there spots that might feel a little snooty, and less welcoming to newcomers?
Another random thought: what about art fairs or other festivals in Tempe? Anything like that? Are there any shops you can think of that sell locally made goods? (You'll never guess what I do for a "living" - lol). Not necessarily huge paintings (although maybe those too), but things like handmade knicknacks, housewares, jewelry & accessories, etc? I've been trying to Google that around the general Phoenix area, but I don't think I'm using the right terms.
Thank you again!
Tempe Festival of the Arts Spring and fall. Huge events. There are some others around the Valley as well. As far as shops that sell the items you are thinking of, I'm sure there are, but don't know specifics offhand. I'll have to check into that a little.
As far as "friendly" neighborhoods, there may be some like that here in the area, but I will tell you that the absence of front porches and the prevalence of enclosed back yards and enclosed garages in the Phoenix area, Tempe included (and many other areas in the West) make for less interaction with neighbors. I suspect that for Tempe, anyway, you'd be more likely to find that in the older neighborhoods. I did discover something recently-- www.nextdoor.com , which provides a way to connect with and theoretically get to know your neighbors better, whether it's helping look for their lost dog, recommending a doctor or handyman or cleaning service, or going to their garage sale.
Snooty areas not welcoming to newcomers? I don't think so, but the West is different from the midwest and south in that someone is not as likely to show up on your doorstep with a pie to welcome you to the neighborhood. It's not that you aren't welcome, it's just a different attitude. I will say that if you have a dog to walk, you will meet a LOT of your neighbors!
Clusters of shops and bars? Well, there are areas where there are shopping areas/restaurants on three or four corners of a major intersection in south Tempe. Likely not the same feel you are used to in MI, but some good places.
Thank you! I'm going to look up that festival! I'll find some shops somehow, I just wish they were easier to find in the internet. Even the ones I sell at in MI have a pretty poor online presence, small-business owners are busy enough just running the store! Eh, what are you gonna do.
I suspect all the neighborhoods are different from one another, just like here - I love living close to a small "downtown" area now, but grew up surrounded by strip malls & drive-thrus (guess which one is more fun). My first house was in an beautiful historic town that looked just like Mayberry, but we soon realized that everyone else had lived there for generations & they were NOT interested in having newcomers move in. We lived there 5 years & never made any friends, it was very lonely. Where I live now doesn't look at all like Mayberry, but everybody's really cool & we'll be sad to leave. They're more likely to bring you some cold beer when your power goes out than a pie though! ;-)
I think I'm just gun-shy because it took decades to find a neighborhood I love in Michigan even though I was born here. I don't want to end up in another place that hates us just because we didn't join the garden club or something! (I'm a little scared of all the gated communities in Gilbert for this reason). Ultimately I guess we'll just wind up in whatever house we like the most, but the neighborhood is so much more important than the structure, you know? It's like with work - you can have the world's greatest job on paper, but if your coworkers are mean you're still going to hate it.
I realize I'm asking questions that possibly have no answer! I really appreciate your sticking with me here & trying so hard to help! Thank you!!!
Are there neighborhoods (like Java Jolt mentioned) where you wouldn't necessarily feel safe? I don't care if a house or a hood is "older" (my current house was built in 1947) as long as it isn't falling down - and I realize crime can happen anywhere, but there's crime and then there's CRIME, you know? We get the occasional car break-ins on our street, and you probably don't want to walk home alone at 2am; I think that's true almost anywhere. Then again, a few miles away, there are parts of Detroit I don't want to drive by during the day & you can hear gunshots all night (not all of Detroit, just parts). I don't think there are any areas of Tempe that are like that! I could be wrong though?
Thank you! I'm going to look up that festival! I'll find some shops somehow, I just wish they were easier to find in the internet. Even the ones I sell at in MI have a pretty poor online presence, small-business owners are busy enough just running the store! Eh, what are you gonna do.
I suspect all the neighborhoods are different from one another, just like here - I love living close to a small "downtown" area now, but grew up surrounded by strip malls & drive-thrus (guess which one is more fun). My first house was in an beautiful historic town that looked just like Mayberry, but we soon realized that everyone else had lived there for generations & they were NOT interested in having newcomers move in. We lived there 5 years & never made any friends, it was very lonely. Where I live now doesn't look at all like Mayberry, but everybody's really cool & we'll be sad to leave. They're more likely to bring you some cold beer when your power goes out than a pie though! ;-)
I think I'm just gun-shy because it took decades to find a neighborhood I love in Michigan even though I was born here. I don't want to end up in another place that hates us just because we didn't join the garden club or something! (I'm a little scared of all the gated communities in Gilbert for this reason). Ultimately I guess we'll just wind up in whatever house we like the most, but the neighborhood is so much more important than the structure, you know? It's like with work - you can have the world's greatest job on paper, but if your coworkers are mean you're still going to hate it.
I realize I'm asking questions that possibly have no answer! I really appreciate your sticking with me here & trying so hard to help! Thank you!!!
Are there neighborhoods (like Java Jolt mentioned) where you wouldn't necessarily feel safe? I don't care if a house or a hood is "older" (my current house was built in 1947) as long as it isn't falling down - and I realize crime can happen anywhere, but there's crime and then there's CRIME, you know? We get the occasional car break-ins on our street, and you probably don't want to walk home alone at 2am; I think that's true almost anywhere. Then again, a few miles away, there are parts of Detroit I don't want to drive by during the day & you can hear gunshots all night (not all of Detroit, just parts). I don't think there are any areas of Tempe that are like that! I could be wrong though?
Tempe has a very high crime rate and one of the oldest gangs in Arizona so you might be a little wrong. Officials blame it on ASU but assigning blame doesn't mean the actual crime didn't happen in Tempe. People will defend the city but in the end the #'s don't lie.
Are there neighborhoods (like Java Jolt mentioned) where you wouldn't necessarily feel safe? I don't care if a house or a hood is "older" (my current house was built in 1947) as long as it isn't falling down - and I realize crime can happen anywhere, but there's crime and then there's CRIME, you know? We get the occasional car break-ins on our street, and you probably don't want to walk home alone at 2am; I think that's true almost anywhere. Then again, a few miles away, there are parts of Detroit I don't want to drive by during the day & you can hear gunshots all night (not all of Detroit, just parts). I don't think there are any areas of Tempe that are like that! I could be wrong though?
Quote:
Originally Posted by ibarrio
Tempe has a very high crime rate and one of the oldest gangs in Arizona so you might be a little wrong. Officials blame it on ASU but assigning blame doesn't mean the actual crime didn't happen in Tempe. People will defend the city but in the end the #'s don't lie.
I remember that survey when it came out two years ago, I didn't buy it then, don't buy it now. Statistics can be made to say whatever. Numbers can be manipulated. It is a fact that the crime rate (mostly property crime, but also others) IS higher in the area around the University. The crime logs I see in the paper have little of consequence in my ZIP code. Recently, just for fun, I signed up for one of those online crime report things that gives me updates within five miles of my house. 90 percent of what I get is in west Mesa, not Tempe. In 30 years in my house, I've had two minor thefts and I DO mean minor (skateboard taken by a kid when the garage door left open, two pots of flowers by the driveway taken). There's been a few break-ins in the area in the last few years that I know of. Personal crime vs property crime in this area is a non issue.
So, further from the University probably better, but there are plenty of safe neighborhoods. No gunshots all night anywhere.
Thank you! I'm going to look up that festival! I'll find some shops somehow, I just wish they were easier to find in the internet. Even the ones I sell at in MI have a pretty poor online presence, small-business owners are busy enough just running the store! Eh, what are you gonna do.
I suspect all the neighborhoods are different from one another, just like here - I love living close to a small "downtown" area now, but grew up surrounded by strip malls & drive-thrus (guess which one is more fun). My first house was in an beautiful historic town that looked just like Mayberry, but we soon realized that everyone else had lived there for generations & they were NOT interested in having newcomers move in. We lived there 5 years & never made any friends, it was very lonely. Where I live now doesn't look at all like Mayberry, but everybody's really cool & we'll be sad to leave. They're more likely to bring you some cold beer when your power goes out than a pie though! ;-)
I think I'm just gun-shy because it took decades to find a neighborhood I love in Michigan even though I was born here. I don't want to end up in another place that hates us just because we didn't join the garden club or something! (I'm a little scared of all the gated communities in Gilbert for this reason). Ultimately I guess we'll just wind up in whatever house we like the most, but the neighborhood is so much more important than the structure, you know? It's like with work - you can have the world's greatest job on paper, but if your coworkers are mean you're still going to hate it.
I realize I'm asking questions that possibly have no answer! I really appreciate your sticking with me here & trying so hard to help! Thank you!!!
Are there neighborhoods (like Java Jolt mentioned) where you wouldn't necessarily feel safe? I don't care if a house or a hood is "older" (my current house was built in 1947) as long as it isn't falling down - and I realize crime can happen anywhere, but there's crime and then there's CRIME, you know? We get the occasional car break-ins on our street, and you probably don't want to walk home alone at 2am; I think that's true almost anywhere. Then again, a few miles away, there are parts of Detroit I don't want to drive by during the day & you can hear gunshots all night (not all of Detroit, just parts). I don't think there are any areas of Tempe that are like that! I could be wrong though?
Jeannie when we first moved into our neighborhood it was in the summer and not a one came knocking on my door to welcome us - so I thought that was odd coming from a small town I was a bit miffed - cut to chase- I knocked on couple doors to introduce myself and now I know practically my 200+ neighbors in my subdivision - everyone is super friendly just not in your face type - I go to a monthly bunco, reading club, coffee outing, my neighbors who sell jewelry or cookware or makeup etc. we always find excuses to have fun - and actually after 2 years found that there is a newcomers group in the school region (far outreach from my neighborhood) so joined and these ladies get together at least 4-5x a month too much for me but the point is I injected myself and it's overflowing with good friendly people...
Nextdoor is good but you have to already live in a particular neighborhood to join it... sounds like you have Observer53 as a great resource for you here... my only two cents about commute is try to avoid local roads within Tempe during peak times -
You're in the right state for arts & crafts lol - Best of luck!!!
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