Houses in Maryvale district (Phoenix, Mesa: school, live in, area)

[Klaudia]

The Maryvale fear is over exaggerated. We live in Maryvale and our neighbors have lived here for more than 20 years. When one of the homes went on foreclosure and was sold to a landlord, we noticed right away that it was being used as a drug house. Every single one of us called and made a report and complained when nothing was being done. Turns out they were doing surveillance on the house, and in a couple of weeks the swat team showed up and arrested them all.
So don't think for a minute that none of us care about our neighborhood.
On our street we are one of the few with young kids, but I won't give up my neighborhood just yet. Particularly because my kids are attending one of the top, if not the top, schools in Phoenix - Alhambra Traditional School (also listed in this month's Phoenix Magazine). I'm glad we live close and I don't have to drive up to 30 miles to get to it, like many other parents are.
We probably will move eventually, but not because of crime. My kids can go outside and play, and visiting friends are not escorted to their cars because of violence, but because we are polite. We choose not to own guns - that is also our constitutional right, and we don't wear bullet-proof vests.
I can't remember the last time a murder was reported in our block either, nor do we hear gunshots "constantly".
I'm not saying Maryvale is not rundown, but it's not like some people come on here saying, "Stay away, don't even dare to drive by!"

I know for a fact that everyone on my street minds their own business, we will take notice if you are doing any illegal activity and will report it to law enforcement, but we will NOT shoot at you, nor are we looking for trouble. Just making it day by day.
But like any neighborhood in the city, there is crime, that doesn't mean everyone who lives here is a felon.

[lildevil01]

I also have lived in Maryvale for 5 yrs now, never seen or heard most of the problems these people keep talking about . Face it there is a lot of crime in all of phoenix .As for poor built homes my is a John F Long home its all brick not built cheap .I don`t understand why everyone has to cut our area down all the time . I do post negative things about other areas cause I don`t live there so basically have no way to judge the areas properly. I know my opimion may vary from others but I go outside my home and walk to other houses down the street late at nite and have never had a problem!

[Ponderosa]

It's good to see the people who actually live in Maryvale comment. My elderly MIL used to live there until a few years ago. I never thought it was that awful a place either. She had a nice little house on a quiet street, kept a vegetable garden out back. In fact, her Hispanic neighbors looked out for her, mowed her lawn, and fixed up things in her house for free. Find that in an upscale subdivision!

[LocoAZnative]

The worse part of Maryvale is 43rd Ave and Mcdowell I bet move of these posters dont live around that area. Thant intersection it probably the worst in the Valley, and there are a few murders there every year.

[Klaudia]

Do you live near this intersection?I actually live right down the street, the school my I referred to is about a mile from this intersection. I know where I live and am comfortable and feel safe. Your opinion, which is what it is if you don't live here, doesn't tell the reality of where I live. I'm not saying you should come live here if you don't have to or choose not, but for us that live here, we know most people's comments about Maryvale are exaggerated by those who've never lived here.

Originally Posted by LocoAZnative

The worse part of Maryvale is 43rd Ave and Mcdowell I bet move of these posters dont live around that area. Thant intersection it probably the worst in the Valley, and there are a few murders there every year.

[LocoAZnative]

Originally Posted by Klaudia

Do you live near this intersection?I actually live right down the street, the school my I referred to is about a mile from this intersection. I know where I live and am comfortable and feel safe. Your opinion, which is what it is if you don't live here, doesn't tell the reality of where I live. I'm not saying you should come live here if you don't have to or choose not, but for us that live here, we know most people's comments about Maryvale are exaggerated by those who've never lived here.

Let's see the subway murders, Circle K clerk killed, There are 2-3 murders just at that intersection a year. You grew up there so you have roots there, and I'm sure people leave you alone. But to tell an outsider nothing will happen is naive. I'm sure the gangsters see them moving in and they will immediately get jacked.

[roundball]

Originally Posted by Klaudia

Do you live near this intersection?I actually live right down the street, the school my I referred to is about a mile from this intersection. I know where I live and am comfortable and feel safe. Your opinion, which is what it is if you don't live here, doesn't tell the reality of where I live. I'm not saying you should come live here if you don't have to or choose not, but for us that live here, we know most people's comments about Maryvale are exaggerated by those who've never lived here.

HAHAHA. Here is the Phoenix PD's exaggerations. I will say that there were no murders reported in the past year in your square mile.. I think that the main word is "reported". Can you honestly tell me that most crimes are reported?

[SIZE=+1]Phoenix Police Department
Grid Stat Summary by Selected Grids for All Subjects[/SIZE] Based on Arizona Revised Statutes Statistics for Reported Crimes Report Period: 1/1/2009 - 1/31/2010 Grids: Homicide Sexual
Assault Robbery Aggravated
Assault Violent Crime
Total* Burglary Theft Auto
Theft Arson Property Crime
Total** Drug
Crime Total
Crimes*** BC18 1 2 3 5 24 7 36 11 50 BC19 3 11 15 29 57 54 28 139 22 190 BD18 3 9 15 27 38 41 37 1 117 18 162 BD19 7 13 20 33 70 32 135 28 183 Totals 0 7 27 45 79 133 189 104 1 427 79 585


edit..well that didn't turn out right. I'll take a screen shot and fix it for you in the am.

[Klaudia]

Originally Posted by roundball

HAHAHA. Here is the Phoenix PD's exaggerations. I will say that there were no murders reported in the past year in your square mile.. I think that the main word is "reported". Can you honestly tell me that most crimes are reported?...

I'm not disputing the crime rate, but I'll answer that.
Even though not all crimes are be reported, anywhere, neither you or I can say that most crimes are not reported. How would we know for sure, if it's unkown. In the case of murders, yes, I can honestly tell you that I believe most, if not all, do go reported. Like anywhere else, it's hard for a murder to go unreported (it can be hidden, i.e. dump the body elsewhere, etc), but anyway it would be known - in any city.

@ LocoAZnative: The murders of the teens in Subway and the Circle K murder are years apart, what I mean is, you can't say it's a daily occurrance, like in any city there are murders. And even though the rate may or may not be higher here, NO, again, it does NOT mean, you will get mugged, jacked, shot, etc. just because you are not a "local" or "regular" here it. If that were true there would be multiple murders daily, lets be "honest".
Where did you get the information that that's the fate of new people in Maryvale?

Even though it's not the best area we are not monsters, like in the movie, "The Hills Have Eyes," wanting to kill people that drive by here. That is not a true picture of Maryvale. I've never heard of it, nor have I ever seen it reported on the news or even heard of it from local friends or neighbors, only people on these forums, of which no one has said they've actually visited the area, more than just a drive. I wouldn't consider that valid information.

[LocoAZnative]

I never said mursers where a daily occurance or you can't drive thru the area. but to say its safe area is naive and you are directing people into an area they have no business living. It looks like you grew up there so you will be more defensive about it. Reality is though The Vale is one of the worst area in the valley after the Southside.

[Klaudia]

Actually, I've already said I'm not telling anyone where to live. Just telling readers what it's really like to live here, or come into Maryvale, wether to visit or on business. I just feel comments like yours are decieving people, and I'm not just talking about living here.
Like I said, telling people we are out to hurt them if they come by here is not true. If we look into the police crime lists most people who get hurt are out looking for trouble, drug dealers, human smugglers, etc. Not people here to visit or do business, nor I or my neighbors who live here.