Where are the best employers located in Phoenix (Mesa, Scottsdale: home, find a job)

[mbzorc]

My husband and I are relocating to the Phoenix area this summer. My husband will be working in the Phoenix zip code of 85021. I don't have a job lined up yet and was wondering what are some of the larger employers with a good reputation in the valley? I have my undergraduate degree in business management and currently work in the Pharmaceutical industry. We were thinking of looking for a home in the Anthem area but I don't have a clue where I would be best off looking for a home. I don't mind commuting, as I currently spend about 45 minutes one way in Chicago traffic....

[Finger Laker]

if you are going from anthem to downtown phoenix you could probably close double that 45 minutes one way - especially during the winters

jobs are kind of scattered and i'm not really in that industry - however, if you have your heart set on anthem and your husband can live with the commute than I would probably keep my search towards nothern phoenix, scottsdale, etc ... especially if you have kids, pets, etc

[sablebaby]

Employers are everywhere. Tempe, Downtown Phx, Central Phx, Scottsdale, Mesa, Chandler, Ahwatukee, the list goes on. The best thing you can do is stay more local and not move out so far in a burb.

[Patrick754]

Anthem is nice if you are retired or work from home. It's a terrible place to live if you need to commute into Phoenix.

[hts]

I own in Anthem and would also think hard about a daily commute downtown (as much as I love it there). I don't mind the occasional trip downtown (museum, zoo, ball game, etc.), as it's nothing to go down there once/twice month, and I travel for business quite frequently (once/week), and don't mind the trip to/from Sky Harbour, as I usually catch a 7 or 8a flight out and don't normally land until 7 or 8p, so it's not that's bad at those hours either.

That being said, interesting article in today's Arizona Republic about plans to develop mixed-use north of the 101 on I-17, so I suspect we might actually see an influx of new jobs in this corridor, not to mention rising housing prices.

Plans will guide growth for north Phoenix village (broken link)

[vegaspilgrim]

Originally Posted by hts

That being said, interesting article in today's Arizona Republic about plans to develop mixed-use north of the 101 on I-17, so I suspect we might actually see an influx of new jobs in this corridor, not to mention rising housing prices.

Plans will guide growth for north Phoenix village (broken link)

What a genius idea! Let's develop every single square inch of desert valley floor land left around Phoenix, until there isn't any left!

[hts]

Ummmm...it wasn't my idea. If you don't like it, lobby your politicians. It would be great to keep the current area north of the 101 up to New River as undeveloped. I'm with ya baby.

[exit2lef]

I'm not a fan of sprawl, but having a guided plan for development in the far north portion of the city is far better than having it developed willynilly, which is what would inevitably happen without planning. In addition, the AZ Central article notes that a large swatch of land is actually going into a new voter-approved desert preserve. Again, that's better than what would have happened without city involvement.

On the down side, I am always skeptical of plans to bring jobs out to suburban / exurban locales so that residents will not have to commute as far. That sounds good in theory, but almost never works out in actual practice. First, our economy relies on so many sets of specialized skills and experience that most people can't just take a job conveniently located near home. The job that best matches their needs may be across town in another suburban / exurban village. Second, employers move facilities and staff casually. Sure, someone could start with an employer near Anthem but then find him or herself relocated to an office in Chandler.

For those reasons, it's never a good idea to settle in an outer suburb in the hope that employers will find their way there. Unless working from home is a possibility, living centrally -- or least less remotely than Anthem -- is the best option for one's own sanity as well as the environment. Even if one ends up with a long commute to a job in a suburban office park, it's likely to be a reverse commute against the heavy traffic flow. It would also be great to see more efforts to centralize employment rather than dispersing it. Doing so would encourage more commuting via public transit and help invigorate the city's core.

[hts]

I don't disagree and I'm certainly not suggesting that the OP (or anyone else) buy in Anthem and cross their fingers that they'll find a job sometime in the next 5-10 years north of the 101 as this plan unfolds.

Anthem is a truly wonderful community, unmatched in the entire Valley. When considering it as a place to raise our families (not that singles, seniors, childless couples don't find it attractive, but I think it's fair to say that Anthem's sweet spot is families), we need to determine whether its amenities and small-town benefits are worth the potential commute that one/both parents might have to tolerate.

If good jobs, a biotech (or other vertical) park, etc. develop in the NW Valley as part of this plan, even better, but for now, it's good to know there is a plan and we'll see how it plays out over the next decade or so. It's also great to see large swaths of preserved desert land, and I think it's also fair to say we'll see much more infrastructure/business/shopping/charter schools/entertainment/etc options follow as well, which can only help property values..

In any event, it's all good.

[fdxboy]

You will find that traffic is not even close to Chicago rush hour. I know that most people in Chicago find that 45min to an hour commute is not a big deal. Phoenix is a lot like Chicago in terms of housing...the closer you are to the "city" the more expensive it gets.

Originally Posted by mbzorc

My husband and I are relocating to the Phoenix area this summer. My husband will be working in the Phoenix zip code of 85021. I don't have a job lined up yet and was wondering what are some of the larger employers with a good reputation in the valley? I have my undergraduate degree in business management and currently work in the Pharmaceutical industry. We were thinking of looking for a home in the Anthem area but I don't have a clue where I would be best off looking for a home. I don't mind commuting, as I currently spend about 45 minutes one way in Chicago traffic....