Moving to Queen Creek vs Peoria, Arizona (Phoenix, Chandler: new house, school)

[asufan]

Originally Posted by Rohitr

What to expect when there is a majority LDS? Sorry, never had an experience so wanted to see if it is any different.

I didn't say majority, but it is definitely an influence on the town, the school district and local government. It's just something that differs from Peoria and contrary to a post above I think they are more prevalent in QC than Gilbert. Something else to keep in mind if you have kids is they may be excluded from activities if they become friends with LDS kids. Not enough to be a deciding factor but for me I wouldn't enjoy being surrounded by teetotalers. I would also personally steer clear of the ALA schools.

[Rohitr]

Originally Posted by Sno0909

San Tan Village in Gilbert is very similar to Desert Ridge. Gilbert also has Epicenter, which is brand new and very cool. Queen Creek Marketplace is growing and has a lot available. Most of your entertainment type stuff will be in Gilbert, though. Queen Creek has more "country" entertainment like rodeos and San Tan Flats.

Are you referring to Arrowhead Mall as your close "mall?" That place has kind of been a dump for years.

Lastly, the LDS population in QC is nothing like Gilbert or East Mesa. It's definitely not the majority - not even close. I'd say the majority of the population are people who moved here from other states.

Thank you. Yes, I was referring to Arrowhead Mall and never had any problem there. Wish QC had some mall but not a deal breaker. I will check out the Gilbert places you have mentioned.

[Rohitr]

Originally Posted by asufan

I didn't say majority, but it is definitely an influence on the town, the school district and local government. It's just something that differs from Peoria and contrary to a post above I think they are more prevalent in QC than Gilbert. Something else to keep in mind if you have kids is they may be excluded from activities if they become friends with LDS kids. Not enough to be a deciding factor but for me I wouldn't enjoy being surrounded by teetotalers. I would also personally steer clear of the ALA schools.

Sorry, I misread as majority. Understood a little more about LDS population and what to expect. Is there a reason why you don't like ALA schools?

[MN-Born-n-Raised]

Originally Posted by Rohitr

Thank you. Yes looking at North Peoria vs South Queen Creek. QC is about 5-7 minutes more than Peoria depending on the time. What to expect when there is a majority LDS? Sorry, never had an experience so wanted to see if it is any different.

I'll 2nd Sno's POV. We liked the West side. But I love the East side of town much better.

In 2011 when we were exploring where to live, I had the exact same LDS concerns. I absolutely LOVED some neighborhoods in Gilbert for instance. The LDS population is about 10-12% in Gilbert. But a couple of neighborhoods that I loved literally had an LDS chapel as part of their masterplanned design!? Some non-LDS friends in SLC warned me that if you are not an LDS, you are an outsider. Being Agnostic, I didn't want to have anything to do with hanging out with brainwashed people. So I picked the Eastside of town. But SLC has a 49% LDS population. Gilbert is 10-12%.

That said, I've come to learn that because 90% of the population is not LDS, it's not really a big deal. However, I still would erase any neighborhoods with a church designed into the layout. Since Sno lives in that area, he would have a better handle on the impact. And it sounds like QC has far less LDS population.

I should mention that I'd much rather have a successful, family-oriented neighbor who is ethical (LDS qualifies) than a "Whiskey Tango" neighbor. Rest assured, there is a whole lot more of "Wisky Tango's" running around much of the diverse Pieora area. North Pieora is a better area. When it comes to demographics, strong correlations exist with how much you spend on a house or rent. The last sentence I wrote is a big reason why I like living where I live. Add in things to do. The icing on the cake is the views. I do think North Pieora has a nice-looking topography, a better demographic, and "good enough" shopping for most. I almost moved there from Surprise before coming to the East Valley.

Good luck with your move and decision.

[Sno0909]

Originally Posted by MN-Born-n-Raised

I'll 2nd Sno's POV. We liked the West side. But I love the East side of town much better.

In 2011 when we were exploring where to live, I had the exact same LDS concerns. I absolutely LOVED some neighborhoods in Gilbert for instance. The LDS population is about 10-12% in Gilbert. But a couple of neighborhoods that I loved literally had an LDS chapel as part of their masterplanned design!? Some non-LDS friends in SLC warned me that if you are not an LDS, you are an outsider. Being Agnostic, I didn't want to have anything to do with hanging out with brainwashed people. So I picked the Eastside of town. But SLC has a 49% LDS population. Gilbert is 10-12%.

That said, I've come to learn that because 90% of the population is not LDS, it's not really a big deal. However, I still would erase any neighborhoods with a church designed into the layout. Since Sno lives in that area, he would have a better handle on the impact. And it sounds like QC has far less LDS population.

I should mention that I'd much rather have a successful, family-oriented neighbor who is ethical (LDS qualifies) than a "Whiskey Tango" neighbor. Rest assured, there is a whole lot more of "Wisky Tango's" running around much of the diverse Pieora area. North Pieora is a better area. When it comes to demographics, strong correlations exist with how much you spend on a house or rent. The last sentence I wrote is a big reason why I like living where I live. Add in things to do. The icing on the cake is the views. I do think North Pieora has a nice-looking topography, a better demographic, and "good enough" shopping for most. I almost moved there from Surprise before coming to the East Valley.

Good luck with your move and decision.

When I first moved to Arizona I lived in Sierra Montana in Surprise, which is not far from your old house in Marley Park. We had a LDS church built into the subdivision. Point is, you will tend to find that all over the Valley, not just Gilbert.

[KO Stradivarius]

I would like to add that the commute to Tempe from Peoria would seem to be worse than QC. I like to minimize the amount of time I spend on I-10 going through Phoenix, due to the high congestion. That's not to say that congestion doesn't exist on the other roads and highways, but I-10 in downtown Phoenix always seems the worse.

Someone mentioned the sun direction. Commuting from the west to east (Peoria to Tempe) you will drive into the sun in the morning and evening commutes, whereas east to west (QC to Tempe) is the opposite.

In my opinion you can go from QC to Tempe much easier than from Peoria, even if the distance is similar.

Besides, I think QC is overall lower in crime.

[asufan]

Originally Posted by Rohitr

Sorry, I misread as majority. Understood a little more about LDS population and what to expect. Is there a reason why you don't like ALA schools?

My comment on ALA schools is sort of piggybacking on LDS kids not involving non LDS kids in Activities. The ALA schools are a public charter school that was founded by LDS and largely employs LDS and attracts a predominant LDS student population. Some don't realize it until they enroll and learn their kid isn't fitting in with the tribe.

[Rohitr]

Originally Posted by MN-Born-n-Raised

I'll 2nd Sno's POV. We liked the West side. But I love the East side of town much better.

In 2011 when we were exploring where to live, I had the exact same LDS concerns. I absolutely LOVED some neighborhoods in Gilbert for instance. The LDS population is about 10-12% in Gilbert. But a couple of neighborhoods that I loved literally had an LDS chapel as part of their masterplanned design!? Some non-LDS friends in SLC warned me that if you are not an LDS, you are an outsider. Being Agnostic, I didn't want to have anything to do with hanging out with brainwashed people. So I picked the Eastside of town. But SLC has a 49% LDS population. Gilbert is 10-12%.

That said, I've come to learn that because 90% of the population is not LDS, it's not really a big deal. However, I still would erase any neighborhoods with a church designed into the layout. Since Sno lives in that area, he would have a better handle on the impact. And it sounds like QC has far less LDS population.

I should mention that I'd much rather have a successful, family-oriented neighbor who is ethical (LDS qualifies) than a "Whiskey Tango" neighbor. Rest assured, there is a whole lot more of "Wisky Tango's" running around much of the diverse Pieora area. North Pieora is a better area. When it comes to demographics, strong correlations exist with how much you spend on a house or rent. The last sentence I wrote is a big reason why I like living where I live. Add in things to do. The icing on the cake is the views. I do think North Pieora has a nice-looking topography, a better demographic, and "good enough" shopping for most. I almost moved there from Surprise before coming to the East Valley.

Good luck with your move and decision.

Thank you very much

[Rohitr]

Originally Posted by KO Stradivarius

I would like to add that the commute to Tempe from Peoria would seem to be worse than QC. I like to minimize the amount of time I spend on I-10 going through Phoenix, due to the high congestion. That's not to say that congestion doesn't exist on the other roads and highways, but I-10 in downtown Phoenix always seems the worse.

Someone mentioned the sun direction. Commuting from the west to east (Peoria to Tempe) you will drive into the sun in the morning and evening commutes, whereas east to west (QC to Tempe) is the opposite.

In my opinion you can go from QC to Tempe much easier than from Peoria, even if the distance is similar.

Besides, I think QC is overall lower in crime.

Thank you! I have been through I-10 couple of times and did not like it

[Rohitr]

Originally Posted by asufan

My comment on ALA schools is sort of piggybacking on LDS kids not involving non LDS kids in Activities. The ALA schools are a public charter school that was founded by LDS and largely employs LDS and attracts a predominant LDS student population. Some don't realize it until they enroll and learn their kid isn't fitting in with the tribe.

Thank you. Do you know if Queen Creek High School or Legacy are better options?