Possible relocation from East Coast to Phoenix (Mesa, Glendale: best neighborhood, apartments)

[idontneedafakefriend]

Hello,

Recently interviewed for a job as an engineer in Buckeye, AZ. Also received an offer the other day.

A little bit about me, I'm 25 years old and currently live near a big city on the East Coast (think NYC, Philly, etc.), but I'm originally from Florida. I'm used to the hot living in Florida up until I was about 23 or so. I'm into a bunch of nerdy **** like comic books, boardgames, etc. and working out, those are my main hobbies.



1. The job would be in the Buckeye area. How is living in that area for people around my age? Would somewhere else be better off for me commute wise?

2. How much of a hassle is it to get in & out of the PHX airport? I'd probably be flying out of the airport once a month to see my family or my SO on the weekends (they live far away)

3. Any neighborhoods I should avoid? I know Houston has its spots for sure. I've lived in places before where you can pretty much kiss your rims goodbye.

4. The salary offered to me was 78K (12% required contribution to retirement....). Sound okay enough for Phoenix?

[Superhornet]

Pay is good for the area.

Commute-Don't know exactly where you are coming from, but having a short commute is almost always prudent.

At the minimum, stay on the west side. Don't get lured into Mesa/Chandler/Tempe etc. Stay on your side of Phx.

Sky Harbor is one of the better airports to fly in/out of. Big airport, but compared to many other airports, certainly older airports, it's pretty well done. Compared to Reagan, LaGuardia, Phily, it will be a breeze to get in and out.

Neighborhoods-Like any other city, there are spots to avoid. Any area you are looking at deserves a look at night, not just the daytime.

I know you are used to humidity, but summers there are No Joke.

[marinezac]

1. It will be mostly families out that way but I would not commute cross town from to and from the west valley but it would be doable and less traffic then you are use to on the east coast
2. PHX is a great airport
3. There is far less rough areas in Phoenix area versus Houston
4. 78k salary is great here

[WK91]

Originally Posted by idontneedafakefriend

Hello,

Recently interviewed for a job as an engineer in Buckeye, AZ. Also received an offer the other day.

A little bit about me, I'm 25 years old and currently live near a big city on the East Coast (think NYC, Philly, etc.), but I'm originally from Florida. I'm used to the hot living in Florida up until I was about 23 or so. I'm into a bunch of nerdy **** like comic books, boardgames, etc. and working out, those are my main hobbies.



1. The job would be in the Buckeye area. How is living in that area for people around my age? Would somewhere else be better off for me commute wise?

2. How much of a hassle is it to get in & out of the PHX airport? I'd probably be flying out of the airport once a month to see my family or my SO on the weekends (they live far away)

3. Any neighborhoods I should avoid? I know Houston has its spots for sure. I've lived in places before where you can pretty much kiss your rims goodbye.

4. The salary offered to me was 78K (12% required contribution to retirement....). Sound okay enough for Phoenix?

There really isn’t much on the west side except for families. I guess Glendale near the stadium would be the best option for single people on the west side? But I don’t like Glendale at all except to go to a football game and then leave right after. But Westgate has a lot going on, too, but not as good as downtown PHX.

If I was single and working in Buckeye, I’d probably live in Goodyear. That way the commute isn’t too long to work, plus getting into downtown Phoenix for fun wouldn’t be so far either. Goodyear is a happy medium between Buckeye and downtown. Other options would be Peoria and Glendale, but way north Glendale.

Places to avoid? Avondale is kind of sketchy, although some areas are ok. Tolleson and West Phoenix are horrible, under no circumstances stay in either place. The east valley is just too far away from Buckeye, you don’t want to make that commute everyday.

Not sure if you are a baseball fan, but Goodyear has the Reds and Cleveland Baseball Team (can’t say Indians anymore).

Where to live in Goodyear? I’d look at anything North of and not too close to I-10, I would not stay south of I-10, except the other side of South Mountain, which is way too far anyway.

It’s easy to get back and forth from the airport on I-10. Which is always hit or miss, depending on if there is an accident or what time of day it is. Could be 30 minutes to Sky Harbor, could be 75 minutes, no way to know, so always have Waze.

One other idea is to just buy a house in Verrado if you plan to stay a long time. True, this is mainly a family area, but it is definitely the best neighborhood in the entire West Valley. That would be a very quick commute to work, but it would be a long drive into downtown for fun.

[Valley Native]

Originally Posted by idontneedafakefriend

1. The job would be in the Buckeye area. How is living in that area for people around my age? Would somewhere else be better off for me commute wise?

It's geared more for families and older people. Many in your age group might consider Buckeye rather boring, and perhaps much of the west Valley for that matter. Westgate would be your best option for pro sports & entertainment, but it's still a far cry from what downtown, Old Town, or Mill Avenue offer. With that said, it's still much more convenient to live closer to work as far as commuting.

Originally Posted by idontneedafakefriend

2. How much of a hassle is it to get in & out of the PHX airport? I'd probably be flying out of the airport once a month to see my family or my SO on the weekends (they live far away)

Sky Harbor is a rather lengthy commute from Buckeye, and is even longer during heavy traffic times. If traffic isn't too thick, you can get right on the I10 and head directly to Sky Harbor. You could park in one of the garages, or in the west economy lot and use the SkyTrain. The airport itself isn't too much of a hassle, but getting there can be a different story sometimes.

Originally Posted by idontneedafakefriend

3. Any neighborhoods I should avoid? I know Houston has its spots for sure. I've lived in places before where you can pretty much kiss your rims goodbye.

Pretty much anywhere in west Phoenix or south Glendale due to the amount of crime and overall sketchiness. The newer developments in Buckeye, Goodyear, or Avondale would be more appealing.

Originally Posted by idontneedafakefriend

4. The salary offered to me was 78K (12% required contribution to retirement....). Sound okay enough for Phoenix?

For a single person, yes.

[gsm113]

I have a buddy who lives in Litchfield Park. Young couple, no kids. Pretty typical suburban community as he describes it. He loves it.

I'll echo what others have said about wanting to avoid commuting from Tempe/Mesa/Chandler. The I-10 is pretty much the worst commute in the Phx area.

[CAHLUV]

Goodyear is a happy medium like others have said and the newer area from PebbleCreek/ Estrella parkway towards the 303 has a few brand new apartments. IF you stay long term you can research housing but I do agree with Verrado area being a good bang for your buck if you work around that area.

[WK91]

Originally Posted by gsm113

I have a buddy who lives in Litchfield Park. Young couple, no kids. Pretty typical suburban community as he describes it. He loves it.

I'll echo what others have said about wanting to avoid commuting from Tempe/Mesa/Chandler. The I-10 is pretty much the worst commute in the Phx area.

Yea, Litchfield Park is another place that isn’t bad at all. I would consider that too.