It's Official (Phoenix, Paradise Valley, Maricopa: neighborhoods, living, moving to)

[Familyof5FromChicago]

The move date is set for Dec. 1st to travel from Chicago to Phoenix. Not sure of where exactly we will be living but we are leaning towards the Villages at Rancho El Dorado. I'm so excited and scared at the same time.

[Steve-o]

Chicago to Phoenix, eh? Talk about extreme changes! lol

Good luck to you and yours. There are many ex-Chicagoans in and around the Valley.

[twiggy]

Lots of you out here, you'll be fine! Plus, your coming in Dec. you'll think you died and went to heaven.
It will be instant summer for you. You can post on here and find a lot of x-chicagoins for chat. Good luck, and don't worry, you will be fine.

[shiphead]

Originally Posted by Familyof5FromChicago

The move date is set for Dec. 1st to travel from Chicago to Phoenix. Not sure of where exactly we will be living but we are leaning towards the Villages at Rancho El Dorado. I'm so excited and scared at the same time.

It's always exciting moving to a new state. Figuring out how the state works and everything is new. It's awesome.

[gyrlonfilm]

Congrats! my mom just moved down here from naperville, she loves it!!!! you'll feel right at home, lots of people from the midwest. you'll need your defensive chicago driving out here, people drive like their from calfornia out here!

[zenkonami]

I don't know where "The Villages at Rancho El Dorado" is, but I'll give you a bit a help on the local syntax =) For the most part everyone refers to locations in the Phoenix metro as either the cross-streets (or closest major cross streets) or by the city itself if it's not actually Phoenix. There are a few exceptions, of course...Sunnyslope, Paradise Valley, etc...effectively "neighborhoods" in the city of Phoenix proper. The neighborhoods concept never really took off in Phoenix, though, aside from a few (and I might add topographically distinct) exceptions. Naturally, I understand you may not have the local geography memorized yet, but you'll probably pick up on it fast once you're there.

Of course, I've been out of the Valley for a few years, and for all I know that's changed, but "The Villages at Rancho El Dorado" sounds more like the name of a development to me, and for my part most development names in the Valley all sound the same.

Either way, you picked a good time of year to acclimatize yourself. Ever gone swimming in January outdoors and not been cold? Ever done that after having just come down from the mountains three hours earlier for a ski? Personally, I'm glad to be out of there even if I don't like where I'm at now, but it may suit your lifestyle better than mine. I wish you success and happiness!

[Vinny536]

Originally Posted by zenkonami

I don't know where "The Villages at Rancho El Dorado" is, but I'll give you a bit a help on the local syntax =) For the most part everyone refers to locations in the Phoenix metro as either the cross-streets (or closest major cross streets) or by the city itself if it's not actually Phoenix. There are a few exceptions, of course...Sunnyslope, Paradise Valley, etc...effectively "neighborhoods" in the city of Phoenix proper. The neighborhoods concept never really took off in Phoenix, though, aside from a few (and I might add topographically distinct) exceptions. Naturally, I understand you may not have the local geography memorized yet, but you'll probably pick up on it fast once you're there.

Of course, I've been out of the Valley for a few years, and for all I know that's changed, but "The Villages at Rancho El Dorado" sounds more like the name of a development to me, and for my part most development names in the Valley all sound the same.

Either way, you picked a good time of year to acclimatize yourself. Ever gone swimming in January outdoors and not been cold? Ever done that after having just come down from the mountains three hours earlier for a ski? Personally, I'm glad to be out of there even if I don't like where I'm at now, but it may suit your lifestyle better than mine. I wish you success and happiness!

the villages at rancho el dorado is indeed a development here in Maricopa. While most of the valley is prone to use their cross streets, maricopa residents are more apt to say which development they live in. maricopa is still small enough to have only 6 or 7 cross streets that one can reference, but when you mention your development the locals know exactly where you are. When i say i live in The Lakes at Rancho El Dorado people know where i mean, but if i were to say "Smith-Enke and Porter" there could be the potential of 4 different developments i could be in, and that would certainly be the next question....

I'm sure when maricopa grows to be large that will change, but for now that's the story

[imtaya2]

Welcome to Phoenix. You'll love it here