Hi. Exploring the area for retirement relocation. (Phoenix, Mesa: house, neighborhoods)

[tonyp22]

Hello everyone. I'm nearing retirement, and I've done a lot of reading and research, first looking at States that are financially friendly for people on fixed income and then looking at health care, weather, diversity, things to do... the lists I'm sure just about everyone tries to figure out. I'm down to FL, AZ, and GA. I've visited parts of Florida, and now I'll be flying into Phoenix in early September to get a feel for the city and the surrounding areas. In doing my research it looks like the Scottsdale, Mesa, Gilbert, and Tempe areas are all possibilities for me - well, parts of Scottsdale anyway. I'm in no way able to consider the mega-cost areas in Scottsdale.


I grew up in the greater NY metro area, went to school in Boston, spent most of my professional career in NJ suburbs just outside of Philadelphia, so I do like the idea of being able to access the kinds of things that are available in an urban area. I also appreciate peaceful neighborhoods that have local access to good food, good local produce, and things to do even in town. I'm spoiled (I'll admit it) by being with 60 minutes or less from everything to small local farms to major retailers to symphonies and museums. I know space is a lot bigger out there, so I'm not sure if living out East in Mesa, for example, would make it that much harder to get into Phoenix for experiencing some city life.


In today's dollars I can look at homes up to about $400K. It would be great to hear about communities that I should put on my list for initial checkout during my first visit. I'm not really into gated communities, but I guess I won't rule them out. A neighborhood that has access to good local restaurants (not chains), good food shopping (Sprouts or Whole Foods type along with access to great local farms, butchers, even fishmongers), safe, diverse, things to do. I've taken a look at Zillow and have seen many very nice homes, but that's not like hearing about things from the folks on the ground.


I also know it gets hot down there (my sister lived in Santa Fe, NM and Las Cruces for many years), so I'm wondering if my visit will still be during the time of year where I'll be able to get a sense of how hot it can get. If I had things lined up better I would have visited in July, but that didn't work out.


Anyway, that's it in a nutshell. I'll be there right after Labor Day. Hoping for a nice visit.

[hikernut]

Early September is still hot, although usually a little better than the worst of Jul/Aug. The hottest days in the year are typically in the 113-118 range, so use that as a reference. If you are here on a day when it's 102 and you find it unbearable, it might be time to rethink.


The highway system here is pretty good. From East Mesa it is a lot of miles to downtown, but as long as you aren't doing it during rush hour times you should be doing whatever the online maps are saying. There's even a light rail that runs partway into Mesa that you could use for some of that trip if you want.

[tonyp22]

Ah, thanks hikernut. I was going to ask about any rail transit systems in the area. What's this one called?

[observer53]

Originally Posted by tonyp22

Ah, thanks hikernut. I was going to ask about any rail transit systems in the area. What's this one called?

It's a light rail system, Valley Metro Rail. Info at www.valleymetro.org

[tonyp22]

Ah, I forgot to mention that Chandler is also on the list.

[hikernut]

Chandler and Gilbert are certainly nice enough, each having a small old town area you could peruse on your visit. I know less about Mesa, but have been to their downtown a few times.

As you might know, Sprouts' headquarters are in Phoenix so they are all over the valley. Proably any place you chose to live would have one within a few miles. A new one opened up only two miles from us in 2016, and we do most of our grocery shopping there.

There's also Ahwatukee, which is the portion of Phoenix proper that sits south of South Mountain park. It doesn't have a downtown, but the location is pretty convenient to downtown Phoenix, Tempe, and Chandler.

[locolife]

If you like being close to urban areas but not too close the neighborhoods around old town might be good options, there is no light rail in old town but you are close to a small urban area that has a great farmers market, endless restaurant options, some museums and a few performing arts options. I could see that as a nice retirement option where you don’t have to trek 20-25 miles on the busy freeways to get to a few urban options, this would also put you way closer to downtown Tempe and Phoenix plus a fairly short drive to connect to a light rail station for day catching a game downtown or a show at one of downtown Phoenixs venues.

I personally would not consider east Mesa based on your desire for some urban options nearby, I think the long drive in would get old, especially during retirement years when long drives probably aren’t what you’re looking for.

Chandler and Tempe have good options as well but the non-college parts of Tempe tend to be further from the urban options and chandler can also get quite far.

As for the temps you’ll expirence the warmth for sure but not the worst of it, still likely 102-106 around Labor Day with lows in the 80s, if you decide to go for a hike in one of the preserves make sure you go super early 6am is great and you can even catch the sunrise. Try to be off the trails by 8am or so and bring water!

Best of luck in your search, let us know how it goes. One positive about Labor Day weekend is people tend to be out of town, so restaurants are a bit slowe and traffic within the city is usually light.

[tonyp22]

Originally Posted by locolife

If you like being close to urban areas but not too close the neighborhoods around old town might be good options...

Thanks locolife. How would I be able to identify these neighborhoods? Are there neighborhood names I should add to my list? Is the southern part of Scottsdale a reasonable option?

[BIG CATS]

Looks like you're quite accustomed to urban life. While PHX is getting better, you might not like our "suburban" feel of PHX and suburbs that, quite frankly, all look eerily similar. I think Atlanta would suit your needs the best. Phoenix is making strides, but you're not gonna get that Philly/Boston feel. Not even close. Atlanta is definitely also better in the food department, unless you REALLY love Mexican food. Scottsdale's restaurants cater to basically everything, and it excels at it, so that's a plus. Good luck on your decision!

[ringler24]

We just moved here so take what I have to say with a grain of salt. We spent 13 years in NYC, then 4 in Eastern PA (husband commuted to the city). I also went to school up in Boston. We value much of what you stated you are looking for and we really love our choice of Moon Valley (in North Phoenix). We are close to much more urban neighborhoods (as in 10-15 min) and our neighborhood has a bit of a hybrid feel, not urban or suburban. Not cookie cutter. You'll be able to find a house in your budget. We think it's pretty great, but again we just got here.