Favorite parts of Phoenix? (Mesa, Gilbert: apartment, houses, neighborhood)

[JGMotorsport64]

The Roosevelt/Garfield areas, Willo, Coronado, Arcadia, and the various irrigated neighborhoods between Indian School and Northern. I love the large ranch homes with irrigated yards and trees.

[Aman2477]

Downtown Phoenix.

[Valley Native]

Originally Posted by JGMotorsport64

The Roosevelt/Garfield areas, Willo, Coronado, Arcadia, and the various irrigated neighborhoods between Indian School and Northern. I love the large ranch homes with irrigated yards and trees.

Now that our summer heat has arrived early, it's interesting to notice the difference between a "standard" Phoenix area neighborhood containing little to no grass or shade, and the older greenbelt neighborhoods with irrigation. There is a definite temperature difference, especially at night. Even during the daytime, the presence of green lawns & shade trees are much more aesthetically pleasing. The last thing I want to see when it's over 100 degrees is crushed rock and brown landscape. Puke!

[lovecrowds]

City of Phoenix: Ahwatukee is my favorite neighborhood. Arcadia is nice though. It is certainly much more lush by Phoenix standards than the typical area.

Phoenix metro area: Gilbert and Tempe would be my favorite suburbs.

I think Gilbert is one of the best operated places of it's population in the Western United States. It really has a wide variety of entertainment, recreation and just a great suburb.

In my opinion the trio of Gilbert, Scottdale and Tempe offer more when combined on amenities than many mega-cities.

[urbaneducator415]

Originally Posted by lovecrowds

City of Phoenix: Ahwatukee is my favorite neighborhood. Arcadia is nice though. It is certainly much more lush by Phoenix standards than the typical area.

Phoenix metro area: Gilbert and Tempe would be my favorite suburbs.

I think Gilbert is one of the best operated places of it's population in the Western United States. It really has a wide variety of entertainment, recreation and just a great suburb.

In my opinion the trio of Gilbert, Scottdale and Tempe offer more when combined on amenities than many mega-cities.

Thanks for your response! I really enjoyed my time in Tempe. What is the difference between Gilbert and Chandler? I hear a lot about both. And, is Tempe completely dominated by younger undergraduates at ASU? Or is there is a professional community in their 30s and 40s?

[DetroitN8V]

Originally Posted by urbaneducator415

Thanks for your response! I really enjoyed my time in Tempe. What is the difference between Gilbert and Chandler? I hear a lot about both. And, is Tempe completely dominated by younger undergraduates at ASU? Or is there is a professional community in their 30s and 40s?

No real difference other than schools. Suburban living ranging from adequate to crappy in parts of Chandler to some nicer areas and neighborhoods. It should be noted how little Chandler, Gilbert and Tempe were mentioned in this thread. Nothing wrong with them, just not standouts as you seemed to be looking for.

[lovecrowds]

Originally Posted by urbaneducator415

Thanks for your response! I really enjoyed my time in Tempe. What is the difference between Gilbert and Chandler? I hear a lot about both. And, is Tempe completely dominated by younger undergraduates at ASU? Or is there is a professional community in their 30s and 40s?

I am 30s but I would certainly not consider myself a "professional" so I wouldn't know about that.

They have alot of really nice new apartments around Mill Avenue. That particular area in my opinion likely offers the most urban "big city" experience in the state of Arizona for those that are into really lively areas.

Tempe, North of Curry seems to be a mix with a large senior population. I think that is area is an interesting mix.

Between, Broadway and Curry seems to be mainly college students.

I would say South Tempe (south of Broadway) has more of an older population and the further south one goes more people raising families.

Chandler and Gilbert are next to each other but different.

Chandler has a much larger economic disparity with parts of it having moderate poverty but it also a large percentage of it is very ritzy by Metro Phoenix standards with large homes on golf courses on manicured lawns.

Gilbert is much more egalitarian. They do have some fancy areas but not as widespread compared to next door in Chandler. There are virtually no run-down or even unappealing parts of Gilbert. They might have a handful of run-down homes in the entire town.

Chandler is a bit more vibrant than Gilbert. Chandler has some rowdy parts, Gilbert not really.

Chandler has alot of employment centers in the city proper and many people live in Chandler, work there also. Gilbert is more a city of people who commute to areas in the eastern valley.

Gilbert still has parts that are semi-rural, Chandler is more dense overall.

Gilbert has an excellent lively downtown but a majority of it is very quiet. Chandler has pockets of entertainment areas spread out, but the downtown is much quieter than Gilbert's.

Chandler has a semi-low crime rate overall but Gilbert usually 2nd safest place of it's size in the country for a place of a population of 250,000 or more. Usually, Irvine is 1st.

[JGMotorsport64]

Originally Posted by lovecrowds

I am 30s but I would certainly not consider myself a "professional" so I wouldn't know about that.

They have alot of really nice new apartments around Mill Avenue. That particular area in my opinion likely offers the most urban "big city" experience in the state of Arizona for those that are into really lively areas.

Tempe, North of Curry seems to be a mix with a large senior population. I think that is area is an interesting mix.

Between, Broadway and Curry seems to be mainly college students.

I would say South Tempe (south of Broadway) has more of an older population and the further south one goes more people raising families.

Chandler and Gilbert are next to each other but different.

Chandler has a much larger economic disparity with parts of it having moderate poverty but it also a large percentage of it is very ritzy by Metro Phoenix standards with large homes on golf courses on manicured lawns.

Gilbert is much more egalitarian. They do have some fancy areas but not as widespread compared to next door in Chandler. There are virtually no run-down or even unappealing parts of Gilbert. They might have a handful of run-down homes in the entire town.

Chandler is a bit more vibrant than Gilbert. Chandler has some rowdy parts, Gilbert not really.

Chandler has alot of employment centers in the city proper and many people live in Chandler, work there also. Gilbert is more a city of people who commute to areas in the eastern valley.

Gilbert still has parts that are semi-rural, Chandler is more dense overall.

Gilbert has an excellent lively downtown but a majority of it is very quiet. Chandler has pockets of entertainment areas spread out, but the downtown is much quieter than Gilbert's.

Chandler has a semi-low crime rate overall but Gilbert usually 2nd safest place of it's size in the country for a place of a population of 250,000 or more. Usually, Irvine is 1st.

Wasn’t really the question of the thread but this is a decent comparison between the two

[Valley Native]

Originally Posted by lovecrowds

I think Gilbert is one of the best operated places of it's population in the Western United States. It really has a wide variety of entertainment, recreation and just a great suburb.

The last time I was in downtown Gilbert, I thought it looked similar to Old Town Scottsdale about 40 years ago. Also, Gilbert being as populated as it is now should seriously drop the "town" status and refer to itself as a city, like any other sizeable suburb does.

Originally Posted by lovecrowds

They have alot of really nice new apartments around Mill Avenue. That particular area in my opinion likely offers the most urban "big city" experience in the state of Arizona for those that are into really lively areas.

Downtown Phoenix would qualify as the most urban big city experience, but Tempe's Mill Avenue district is a close second as far as that goes. Downtown/Old Town Scottsdale would probably be third, and I'd even give honorable mentions to Kierland for being an up & coming semi urbanized area in recent years. This is all in the Phoenix metro area. If you include all of Arizona, I'm sure downtown Tucson fits in there somewhere.

[More Rock]

I like all parts of Phoenix, and I mean ALL OF IT, because I explore it at dawn to take photos and everyone is asleep.