Relocation to Phoenix Area

[observer53]

Originally Posted by popwar

West side seems to typically be Hispanic / and or lower income compared to Scottsdale , Chandler, Fountain Inn (a few examples) . Fountain Inn is really nice but would be pushing your budget in that area . Scottsdale has some really nice mini suburbs around the camelback mountain area.

I think people in Goodyear and Litchfield Park and north Peoria would disagree.


There are good schools in some of the west side communities, like the above. The amount of time the OP's husband will spend on the road living on the east side will put a real dent in his, and his family's, quality of life if they live on the east side. Agree with Detroit N8V that north/ north central Phoenix (Madison School District, even Paradise Valley School District further north) makes more sense.

[wase4711]

Originally Posted by grmi66

Don't know if it's still true, but one of the zip codes in Glendale near Arrowhead mall had the highest percentage of actual millionaires (meaning that the household had a million dollar net worth, not just a high wage earner). Used to be a vendor that sold to banks and they do pretty in depth analysis of the neighborhood their branches are in. Asked a bank manager in north Glendale to confirm what I read in the newspaper and she said it was true.

So there are good neighborhoods on the west side if you look more north.

I can confirm this, as this is the area we live in , and its very nice..

definitely would advise living in that area if you are working in that area..

[KurtAZ]

Originally Posted by popwar

West side seems to typically be Hispanic / and or lower income compared to Scottsdale , Chandler, Fountain Inn (a few examples) . Fountain Inn is really nice but would be pushing your budget in that area . Scottsdale has some really nice mini suburbs around the camelback mountain area.

Hmmm...That is over-generalizing quite a bit. Especially considering the demographic makeup of Metro Phoenix...there are "Hispanics" all over the valley, even in <gasp> Scottsdale. Plenty of millionaires and upper class neighborhoods in the Avenues, do your research on the schools (a few districts have been mentioned here) and find a place that fits for your family. The fact that Sunnyslope has become a hot area should emphasize the potential for any area to go from a slum that you would avoid at all costs to an up and coming area just shines a light on the reason for naming the city Phoenix.

[jssp02]

Maybe we will look into areas in North Phoenix around the 101 loop. Any ideas of what areas around northern Phoenix have the best school districts? Os northern Phoenix mostly older established neighborhoods or are there also master planned communities as well? We want a good sense of community, and it doesn’t necessarily need to be an established or master planned community.

[wase4711]

there are all sorts of sites that rate every school district out here, so you should start with those; and, one major thing to remember, is that out here, there are few accurate "generalizations" of
neighborhoods/communities that you are asking about.

One area can have awesum houses, families, and a great school district, and a few blocks away, there can be blighted houses, bad people, and lousy schools..

You need to spend significant time out here, investigating all these things your self, if you plan on living here long term, since the perceptions of random strangers on an Internet Forum, rarely, if ever, match up to your own..

[cactusland]

Phoenix metro is kind of unique where an amazing area can be right next door to a blighted area. In short, we are all in this together in this city. "Best" school district is also really broad. I also really need to stress this: most people will want to move in a year from wherever they are unless they are familiar with the area before buying. I strongly, strongly encourage renting. Phoenix metro is absolutely unique in how its crime/neighborhoods/etc work and 'community' is sometimes a car drive away.