Downtown Phoenix living? (Sedona: home, theater, schools)

[JGMotorsport64]

Originally Posted by i'm not a cookie

You need to stop leaving beyond negative comments on EVERYTHING that has to do with phoenix, it just lowers your credibility as a poster and no one will ever take your biased opinions seriously.

He's not wrong but he is exaggerating greatly.

To OP, do understand that yes, Phoenix has a subpar downtown, that is instead filled with Tempe and Scottsdale. If urbanity is what you want it always goes:

1/2: Tempe or Scottsdale (I prefer Tempe many prefer Scottsdale they are pretty different)

3.5: Downtown Phoenix. To be fair this is up from 6th. It might make 3rd soon!

[sargeant79]

Originally Posted by lovecrowds

I don't understand why anyone would want to live in downtown Phoenix. Its deserted and depressing. The so called "historic" neighborhoods are way overpriced and located close to dumpy areas like Maryvale.

They have a small pocket called Rossevelt Row that is a few blocks of retail filled with snobby Los Angeles wannabe's sweltering outside in the desert heat. It also is surrounded by ghetto. The people in Downtown Phoenix are snobbier and more uptight then Scottsdale also.

Downtown Phoenix just has nothing going for it as it's the epicenter of a very poor city. The nicest areas of Phoenix border Scottsdale. Scottsdale you would like I think.

One other thing about Phoenix is people like it more if they move here married with kids as I never knew a metro area this size could be so married.

The main center of entertainment in the area is Scottsdale and Tempe. Even Gilbert is far more lively downtown then Phoenix. There are lots of affordable and decently priced apartments in South Scottsdale where you don't have encounter the abundent social ill's of society like you would in Phoenix.

You can rent an apartment south of Old Town Scottsdale for the same price you can rent in deserted Phoenix.

They do have some new construction for apartments but it is way, way over-priced and far more expensive then a similar quality building in Las Vegas where you said you have been before.

Originally Posted by lovecrowds

Downtown Phoenix has an issue with it's lack of vibrancy, it's dumpy "urban villages" of Alhambra and Maryvale close to it's downtown.

Your right compared to other western cities Phoenix is not poor and poverty-ridden

Per-capita income by western city: Phoenix 24,563, San Diego 34,727, Denver 35,967, San Francisco 51,727
Child Poverty Rate: Phoenix 33.9%, San Diego 20%, San Francisco 11%, Denver 22%

Looks like Phoenix is far poorer per-capita with a far-higher poverty rate. Most of those poor neighborhood are in close proximity to downtown Phoenix.

The thing is that the Scottsdale is far more vibrant with the south-western feel the original poster wants and it has $700-$800 apartments in South Scottsdale (Hayden and Thomas) area. Downtown Phoenix is the same price and offers nothing. There is no other city in the devoloped world with that crappy of a downtown. It looks okay from aerial photos but at ground level Phoenix is deserted except for an occasional festival once in a blue moon.

My judgement is not clouded at all, there are numerous online videos of people laughing at the lack of vibrancy of downtown Phoenix.

And if it's online of course it must be true. About 75% of these two posts is garbage that should be ignored. The rest is merely misleading.

My advice to the OP: Come visit. Spend some time in downtown Phoenix, Scottsdale, Tempe, and probably a few other spots and see what suits you best. Based on your original post, it sounds like you are comfortable in urban areas and are used to some of the characteristics of a city that may be scaring off lovecrowds. For that reason, any one of these areas might be up your alley (although Scottsdale tends to be more expensive...not just for housing but for food, drink, etc). It's true that downtown Phoenix's vibrance isn't quite on the same level as a lot of other similarly sized downtown areas, but it's far from the dead zone that lovecrowds makes it out to be. It may not be for everyone, but it's got it's own look, feel, it's own nightlife, it's own character, and if you can't find anything interesting to do or be a part of there then it's your own fault. And to say it's surrounded by the ghetto may be one of the most ridiculous things I've ever heard on this board, possibly surpassed only by the comment about Gilbert being more vibrant than downtown Phoenix.

[the topper]

Downtown Phoenix is improving and does have a lot going for it but too widely scattered with no connections.

[MSPADES]

Thanks everyone. I will check out Tempe and Scottsdale also. To answer the question my budget for a 1 bedroom is around 750. Honestly Vegas is not out the question since technically my child won't be living with me all the time but i wanted to open my options as well.

[locolife]

Originally Posted by lovecrowds

I don't understand why anyone would want to live in downtown Phoenix. Its deserted and depressing. The so called "historic" neighborhoods are way overpriced and located close to dumpy areas like Maryvale.

They have a small pocket called Rossevelt Row that is a few blocks of retail filled with snobby Los Angeles wannabe's sweltering outside in the desert heat. It also is surrounded by ghetto. The people in Downtown Phoenix are snobbier and more uptight then Scottsdale also.

Downtown Phoenix just has nothing going for it as it's the epicenter of a very poor city. The nicest areas of Phoenix border Scottsdale. Scottsdale you would like I think.

One other thing about Phoenix is people like it more if they move here married with kids as I never knew a metro area this size could be so married.

The main center of entertainment in the area is Scottsdale and Tempe. Even Gilbert is far more lively downtown then Phoenix. There are lots of affordable and decently priced apartments in South Scottsdale where you don't have encounter the abundent social ill's of society like you would in Phoenix.

You can rent an apartment south of Old Town Scottsdale for the same price you can rent in deserted Phoenix.

They do have some new construction for apartments but it is way, way over-priced and far more expensive then a similar quality building in Las Vegas where you said you have been before.

The above poster clearly has no clue. We're in downtown regularly, always a ton to do. We are considering a move there ourselves, from Tempe.

[lovecrowds]

Originally Posted by locolife

The above poster clearly has no clue. We're in downtown regularly, always a ton to do. We are considering a move there ourselves, from Tempe.

I think it is interesting how I always hear about "so much to do" or "never have enough time in a day to do it all" mentality on central Phoenix.

For a city of 1.5 million people and a metro area of nearly 4.6 million people, its almost hillarious how quiet that downtown is.

I know Albuquerque was mentioned and despite Albuquerque lackluster center of the city, I find it much better Phoenix.

I was looking at some apartment rentals online and suprisingly it is the same price for an apartment in South Scottsdale, Tempe right now as it is in downtown Phoenix.

I think alot of people don't consider Scottsdale originally because they think it is very expensive but it's the most happening place in the Valley and the southern part of Scottsdale is comperably priced to bad areas of downtown Phoenix.

[43north87west]

Originally Posted by lovecrowds

My judgement is not clouded at all, there are numerous online videos of people laughing at the lack of vibrancy of downtown Phoenix.

LOL talk about the blind leading the blind

[43north87west]

In 2015, downtown and the Roosevelt Row area became the most expensive residential rental location in the entire valley. You are not going to find a cheap rental downtown, and if you do, it's not actually in these areas, but outside of them.

Phoenix is 500 square miles, so its demographics are heavily diluted (which is a favorite tactic of the Phoenix haters). If you compare smaller areas you see more relevant figures.

[JGMotorsport64]

Originally Posted by lovecrowds

I think it is interesting how I always hear about "so much to do" or "never have enough time in a day to do it all" mentality on central Phoenix.

For a city of 1.5 million people and a metro area of nearly 4.6 million people, its almost hillarious how quiet that downtown is.

I know Albuquerque was mentioned and despite Albuquerque lackluster center of the city, I find it much better Phoenix.

I was looking at some apartment rentals online and suprisingly it is the same price for an apartment in South Scottsdale, Tempe right now as it is in downtown Phoenix.

I think alot of people don't consider Scottsdale originally because they think it is very expensive but it's the most happening place in the Valley and the southern part of Scottsdale is comperably priced to bad areas of downtown Phoenix.

Albuquerque? They have a terrible downtown, it's like our downtown circa 1998.

Although I wouldn't leave Tempe for Downtown it might be better in the next ten years, although Tempe has better bones.

[AZLiam]

Originally Posted by locolife

The above poster clearly has no clue. We're in downtown regularly, always a ton to do. We are considering a move there ourselves, from Tempe.

Clearly.