Was thinking Chandler/Gilbert but now thinking Ahwatukee or Foothills (Phoenix: appointed, 2013) - Arizona (AZ) - City-Data Forum

strato58 · 02-01-2017, 01:04 PM

What are your thoughts on Ahwatukee or Ahwatukee foothills? Coming from NJ this summer. Looks really nice from afar and the schools look good too. My initial thought was Chandler or Gilbert but love the mountains in the Ahwatukee area. Thoughts from anyone who lives in these areas please?

azriverfan. · 02-01-2017, 01:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by strato58

What are your thoughts on Ahwatukee or Ahwatukee foothills? Coming from NJ this summer. Looks really nice from afar and the schools look good too. My initial thought was Chandler or Gilbert but love the mountains in the Ahwatukee area. Thoughts from anyone who lives in these areas please?

Ahwatukee is smaller (100K population) but it's more upscale. It really became a rich enclave for people in Phoenix to escape to. A lot of athletes including Larry Fitzgerald used to live there. It has lost some prestige in the last 10 years and isn't as upscale as it once was. I don't think that has anything to do with Ahwatukee but rather Chandler and Gilbert really developed and took away some of that shine.

It doesn't have the problems it once did. It used to be called the world's largest cul de sac and it was essentially one. Since that label, the 202/Pima freeway extended into there which relieved a lot of the congestion in the morning. Also, they are building a new freeway (South Mountain Freeway) which will open it up to the other side.

Ponderosa · 02-01-2017, 03:51 PM

I lived in Ahwatukee for many years. I feel like you do. I liked the mountain views, the feeling of being in the desert where I could see saguaro cacti coming and going. Chandler/Gilbert are flat and boring built on old laser-leveled cotton fields. It got too crowded and congested for me and I had to move on. If not for that, I would still be there.

Jkgourmet · 02-01-2017, 03:56 PM

It entirely depends on where you work.

azriverfan. · 02-01-2017, 04:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ponderosa

I lived in Ahwatukee for many years. I feel like you do. I liked the mountain views, the feeling of being in the desert where I could see saguaro cacti coming and going. Chandler/Gilbert are flat and boring built on old laser-leveled cotton fields. It got too crowded and congested for me and I had to move on. If not for that, I would still be there.

Chandler is flat but hardly boring. I'm from LA and it most closely resembles southern California more than any other city in the Valley. It has a lot of lakes, trees, and grass. There are a lot of bike lanes on city streets with curbed sidewalks for people to walk, bike, take strollers on. There are many soccer and football fields. Both Chandler and Gilbert have lakes you can take boats on.

Ahwatukee may have mountains but it's not very green. There are not a lot of parks and grass laden areas for kids to play in. One of the reasons we didn't choose to live there is due to the desert landscaping and mountains. I don't like scorpions, javelinas (tusked pigs) and coyotes and people who live near the foothills can experience that. But yes, it has a lot of pretty views and looks more majestic than Chandler and Gilbert.

strato58 · 02-01-2017, 05:21 PM

Is it not basically an extension of Chandler? It seems very close. If you want to enjoy downtown Chandler or the restaurants in Chandler can't you just drive there in a short period of time? Once you cross the highway you are in Chandler, no? Also doesn't it share the Keyrene schoold district with parts of Chandler?

stevek64 · 02-01-2017, 06:20 PM

The only thing I have to say about Ahwatukee that I didn't like, and this can apply to other places of course, is the times I was there I always heard the drone of traffic noise from I-10 and I was several miles in the community from I-10 in a development. Perhaps there are areas that can escape that in Ahwatukee/don't know. I think the new 202 extension is going to be built on the other side of Ahwatukee so for those who are looking for a bit of quiet away from freeway noise, and while I think AZDOT does a very good job in using quite pavement, sound walls, etc. on new road projects, it might be something to keep in mind.

smoochaz · 02-01-2017, 07:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by stevek64

The only thing I have to say about Ahwatukee that I didn't like, and this can apply to other places of course, is the times I was there I always heard the drone of traffic noise from I-10 and I was several miles in the community from I-10 in a development. Perhaps there are areas that can escape that in Ahwatukee/don't know. I think the new 202 extension is going to be built on the other side of Ahwatukee so for those who are looking for a bit of quiet away from freeway noise, and while I think AZDOT does a very good job in using quite pavement, sound walls, etc. on new road projects, it might be something to keep in mind.

I lived in Ahwatukee in the 90s off 47th St and then another more upscale community off 29th St before the turn to go to the foothills. I loved hiking South Mountain - but wasn't a fan of anything else - getting in/out to i10 from chandler blvd was horrible - I'm sure they've corrected that now with pecos road and the highway -

When we moved back from NJ in 2013 - Ahwatukee was the first place we went to and were very disappointed - got so crowded and a lot more strip centers and just huge signage off i10 ? we didn't look at chandler and gilbert for us is too cut off - but again depends on where you're going to work ...

More and more people are moving from NJ to here!!! I moved 2x from NJ to here and never regretted a day!!! What part of NJ are you from?

Java Jolt · 02-01-2017, 09:06 PM

Ahwatukee always seemed congested to me and I think it's because traffic on the major streets is backed up at the I-10 ramps.

Maybe when the 202 Loop is finished around South Mountain the I-10 traffic will be eased a little because the new freeway will act as a bypass.

It still won't do much to relieve the I-10 traffic heading to downtown though.

AZJD · 02-02-2017, 06:55 AM

I've lived in both.

Ahwatukee is most definitely more scenic, but is getting older and not much to do. Does have a convenient location to i10, but if you're stuck back in the foothills it takes a bit longer to get out of there.

In my opinion, Gilbert is one of the best areas to live in the Phoenix valley and it's getting better daily. It's the best managed and planned city in the state. Downtown Gilbert is booming and adding all the best restaurants of Scottsdale and Central Phoenix. Top schools, and it's the #2 safest city in the entire USA.