Possibly moving to Phoenix area in September (Mesa, Glendale: rent, buying)

[golfer2410]

Hello everybody,

My wife and I may possibly be relocating from Iowa to the Phoenix area when she is done with school in August. She is going into the health care field, so we are hoping there are plenty of options available for her there. I work for the federal government. If we move out there I could either work in Phoenix, Glendale, or Mesa. I would prefer not to work in Phoenix, so that leaves Glendale or Mesa. Which of these two cities would be better to work in, and what city should we live in? (Doesn't necessarily have to be Glendale or Mesa, but I don't want a long commute either.) We have spent a few weeks in Scottsdale to visit her family in July/Aug the past three years, and the hot weather doesn't bother either one of us. Scottsdale would be our top choice to live in, but we are worried about commuting times and obviously it would be more expensive to live there.

Thank you in advance for all of your opinions!

[AZJoeD]

You can find nice communities in most parts of the Valley. I would go for the best job available then choose where you live. I think Scottsdale is always a good choice, but not if you work in the far east or far west valley.

I might take a look at some of your possible work locations and then use a mapping program to figure the distance for your commute.

[golfer2410]

So if we lived in Scottsdale, roughly what would the commute time be to Mesa and what would the commute time be to Glendale?

[observer53]

Originally Posted by golfer2410

So if we lived in Scottsdale, roughly what would the commute time be to Mesa and what would the commute time be to Glendale?

It would depend on your residence and work locations within those cities, as all three cover quite a bit of territory, and the time of your commute. Most likely, the Scottsdale-Glendale commute would be too long to do on a regular basis, and Scottsdale-Mesa could be, too, depending. If you were working in Glendale, there are some very nice areas on the west side to live in, in north Glendale and north Peoria. Working in Mesa, you could also live in Tempe, Gilbert, etc. I know you are most familiar with Scottsdale and that you have family there, but there are other options to explore. I don't know if you are planning on renting or buying when you get here, but if you are planning to buy, rent first. Once you know where the jobs are and have had a chance to get more familiar with the area, the choice of a permanent location will be easier.

[AksarbeN]

Originally Posted by golfer2410

So if we lived in Scottsdale, roughly what would the commute time be to Mesa and what would the commute time be to Glendale?

A lot of that depends on the time of day for commuting. Rush hour can kill what would be a normal 20 minute drive and change it to 45 minutes (more if there is an accident). The direction of traffic is also a factor, if you’re going with all the others during rush hour or if you’re driving the opposite direction of flow it’s easier. Simply another variable to consider.

I use to leave 15 minutes early and be ahead of all the other traffic; didn't have to spend the time sitting in line with everyone else waiting at traffic lights.

[Captain Bill]

If you use Google maps and get directions between two addresses, it will give you the approximate driving time with and without traffic. It will give you a good ball park number.

[Down]

I commute from N. Scottsdale to west Tempe for work and it's not bad at all. Of course, a lot of it depends on the time of day, as was previously mentioned. I leave 6:30AM or so for work and head back around 3PM and it's less than 30 min usually, but more importantly (to me at least), it's never stop and go, I'll rarely drop below 60 mph the entire drive. Definitely helps if you live close to the 101 though.

[observer53]

Originally Posted by Down

I commute from N. Scottsdale to west Tempe for work and it's not bad at all. Of course, a lot of it depends on the time of day, as was previously mentioned. I leave 6:30AM or so for work and head back around 3PM and it's less than 30 min usually, but more importantly (to me at least), it's never stop and go, I'll rarely drop below 60 mph the entire drive. Definitely helps if you live close to the 101 though.

This is a good example of how time of day and perhaps direction of travel makes a difference. This commute would be longer with a later-in-the-day schedule and, perhaps, if the commute were reversed- it seems like the northbound morning traffic on the 101 out of Tempe is worse that the southbound, and southbound out of Scottsdale in the evening can be a bear, too. Living close to the 101 does help, as surface street commutes in Scottsdale can be quite long!

To the OP-- There are a lot of variables at play here, so meaningful numbers are hard to give you.

[Down]

Originally Posted by observer53

This is a good example of how time of day and perhaps direction of travel makes a difference. This commute would be longer with a later-in-the-day schedule and, perhaps, if the commute were reversed- it seems like the northbound morning traffic on the 101 out of Tempe is worse that the southbound, and southbound out of Scottsdale in the evening can be a bear, too. Living close to the 101 does help, as surface street commutes in Scottsdale can be quite long!

To the OP-- There are a lot of variables at play here, so meaningful numbers are hard to give you.

Very true, I always feel sorry for the people commuting from the south headed north, the side opposite from me is always nudging along, stop and go, while I motor along peacefully.

I think the biggest suggestion I could make is rent for 6 months when moving here (or ANY new palce, for that matter) before buying. Chances are against you blindly picking the correct location for your needs. That's what we did...thank god! The industry we work in means that we'll likely always work in Tempe/Chandler/Scottsdale, but had we bought before living here, we would have picked Tolleson/Goodyear or further west. Now that is a commute.