ATL to PHX relocation: the usual questions (Phoenix, Scottsdale: sales, neighborhoods)

[ITPHopeful]

Ok, I realize these posts are a dime a dozen, so thanks for your patience. I read through a on of posts and have more questions than answers. My husband and I are toying with the idea of moving out to the PHX area and are mulling over the options. It seems like there are a lot of good choices, so I’d love for those of you who are experienced to offer some insight. A bit about us:

- I’m from northern CO, my husband is from SC. We’ve been living in Atlanta for 6 years.
- We spent part of our honeymoon in Phoenix/Scottsdale, so are a little bit familiar with the area
- I’m a teacher, he is in sales (so his commute would be basically irrelevant)
- We have two small kids and plan to have more
- We are mostly in family mode, but still want reasonable access to nightlife

What we’re looking for in a house/neighborhood:
- Budget between about $325-425 (obviously depending on condition of the house, etc)
- Access to golf and a community pool, ideally with a swim team (though both of those seem hard to avoid out there, haha)
- Lots of young families (we got the vibe that Scottsdale is all geriatric — is that true? Are there younger, more lively areas?)
- The sort of neighborhood where everybody knows each other, and is safe (I’m reading that, according to some, Chandler is gang-infested?? &#128521. Even in the heart of Atlanta, kids can roam pretty freely around our current neighborhood, and we can borrow eggs from the neighbors, etc. with comfort. We’d love that same vibe.
- Proximity to a Great Hearts school — don’t care about public school quality except insofar as it draws in other young families
- Not really a necessity, but I really love the iconic southwest styles of architecture — pueblo revival and Spanish mission, too. Not sure where to find these.

We’ve looked basically everywhere around the metro, I think, but would love to hear what you love about your neighborhoods.

[Ztonyg]

You're probably looking for something in either Gilbert or Ahwatukee (although you may not get the architecture in either place).

Another area you could look is mid-town Phoenix between 7th Ave and 7th St (but it may not be as family friendly as Gilbert or Ahwatukee).