South Mountain Area Ghetto??? (Phoenix, Mesa: real estate, apartment, renting) - Arizona (AZ) - City-Data Forum

shlodzeegar · 06-26-2016, 07:40 PM

Hello all,

My family and I are relocating to Phoenix and are looking for a relatively safe place to buy a house. I know South Mountain used to be pretty unsafe, but while looking for a home online I am noticing dozens of new builds out in this region for a good price. Attached is the area I'm looking at with prices.

Any idea how the area is currently and what is happening in the forseeable future? I'm wondering if this area is getting ready for a big change given all the new real estate going up. Thanks for your help!

-Matt

RenW · 06-27-2016, 09:57 AM

I live on the Central/East side of the map you posted in Tempe. I have more direct experience with the eastern side of south Phoenix. Our area is okay though slightly spotty, but it seems like new home buyers are buying to fix up their places.

I've noticed as I travel around the south Phoenix area that it is incredibly diverse. Central avenue is still pretty run down with older businesses. The area just south of downtown looks pretty run down as well. As you go further south it gets far more mixed. In the Northern eastern part of south Phoenix has been getting build up with newer business parks and businesses (among some of the older ones.) There are still agricultural businesses and nurseries scattered throughout the south Phoenix area (mostly in central South Phoenix). There are also still a few small ranch properties (horses, etc) in the eastern central Phoenix area. Amongst the spotty neighborhoods in the central south Phoenix area are some newer houses, apartment buildings, etc. There still are scattered empty lots throughout the central South Phoenix area.

Once you get around Baseline there are a lot of newer developments, apartment buildings, condos, and shopping that has been built or is being built. The areas that you mentioned are really getting built up with new developments that look very nice. It seems like every time I drive down Baseline I'm seeing signs for new developments, old buildings getting torn down, or new businesses getting built.

It is almost as if the spotty parts of South Phoenix is getting completely surrounded with newer and nicer areas with Tempe on the east, downtown getting a bit of a revival, and new developments going in to the south and west. Business buildings have also been built in some of the sketchier areas as well.

Geographically it is such a convenient area in Phoenix. I can really see a lot of it getting gentrified though it likely will take a while.

asufan · 06-27-2016, 10:22 AM

The areas around 24th-32nd St are nicer than the areas just West of Central which you posted. Personally, as a Real Estate investor if I wanted to be in that Baseline and 35th to 43rd Avenue area, I would look a couple miles West at around 67th Ave. The South Mountain Freeway is going to come through that area at around 59th Ave and will suddenly make that area more attractive. I have a feeling people will want to be on the West side of the freeway to feel that they are further away from South Phoenix which gets really bad as you get closer to Central. There's already some really nice houses around 59th and 67th Avenue and I foresee that area appreciating much more quickly than say 35th Ave. The other option is East of 24th St along Baseline but that area is likely a bit pricier.

asufan · 06-27-2016, 10:37 AM

And for reference, "St." = East of Central, "Ave" = West of Central

shlodzeegar · 06-28-2016, 03:22 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RenW

I live on the Central/East side of the map you posted in Tempe. I have more direct experience with the eastern side of south Phoenix. Our area is okay though slightly spotty, but it seems like new home buyers are buying to fix up their places.

I've noticed as I travel around the south Phoenix area that it is incredibly diverse. Central avenue is still pretty run down with older businesses. The area just south of downtown looks pretty run down as well. As you go further south it gets far more mixed. In the Northern eastern part of south Phoenix has been getting build up with newer business parks and businesses (among some of the older ones.) There are still agricultural businesses and nurseries scattered throughout the south Phoenix area (mostly in central South Phoenix). There are also still a few small ranch properties (horses, etc) in the eastern central Phoenix area. Amongst the spotty neighborhoods in the central south Phoenix area are some newer houses, apartment buildings, etc. There still are scattered empty lots throughout the central South Phoenix area.

Once you get around Baseline there are a lot of newer developments, apartment buildings, condos, and shopping that has been built or is being built. The areas that you mentioned are really getting built up with new developments that look very nice. It seems like every time I drive down Baseline I'm seeing signs for new developments, old buildings getting torn down, or new businesses getting built.

It is almost as if the spotty parts of South Phoenix is getting completely surrounded with newer and nicer areas with Tempe on the east, downtown getting a bit of a revival, and new developments going in to the south and west. Business buildings have also been built in some of the sketchier areas as well.

Geographically it is such a convenient area in Phoenix. I can really see a lot of it getting gentrified though it likely will take a while.

Thanks for the information! Most of the places we are looking at are East of 19th Ave. and between Dobbins & Broadway and West of 48th. There are quite a few new builds in this area and older homes that are between 200-250K and fairly new. I really like the area since I will be working in Deer Valley, but my family lives in A.J. & Mesa and my wife will probably work around Tempe. I think in the next couple of years the area will be much nicer than it already is from the sounds of it. Thanks for your help!

SageCats · 06-29-2016, 10:27 PM

I recommend renting for at least 6 months while you check out the neighborhoods. There are lots of great neighborhoods that are better than anything around South Mountain. If you're going to be working in Deer Valley, why not live up there?

ShampooBanana · 06-30-2016, 09:37 AM

That area would not be a fun commute up to Deer Valley. It would be ok for your wife if she works in Tempe. One consideration is if you have kids most of the schools in South Phoenix are not very highly rated.

BIG CATS · 06-30-2016, 09:40 AM

I'd think one would be suicidal to commute from the South Mountain area up to Deer Valley. It can take me 30-45 minutes just from Scottsdale to get up to Deer Valley Airport, and South Mountain (traffic depending) is another 30 minutes south of where I live. I would rather eat broken glass than make that commute daily, especially in rush hour traffic.

phx1205 · 06-30-2016, 10:02 AM

It would be a relatively stress free commute actually. Heading North on the 17 is going to be a reverse commute and really shouldn't be a problem.

ScottsdaleMark · 06-30-2016, 10:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by phx1205

It would be a relatively stress free commute actually. Heading North on the 17 is going to be a reverse commute and really shouldn't be a problem.

It would only be a reverse commute once you got north of the 10 on the 17 ... and getting to THAT point would be a normal commute and would never be fun or easy. There is a lot of surface street traffic coming out of that area heading north at that time, and the downtown freeways are usually jammed up as well.

The last leg of your commute would be the easiest part, but it wouldn't make up for the first leg, in my opinion.