Relocating from MI, trying not to freak out about it, where to live? Please help! (Phoenix: apartment)

[jakattack]

I am a 27 year old teacher from MI who recently accepted a position to teach in Avondale for next year, so right now the plan is to move in the early/middle part of July. I plan on taking a trip out in June to find a place, but am really not sure where to look (for an apartment), and the more I look at other posts on here the more confused I get! So I though I would just put my questions and concerns out there and see what people have to suggest.

Ok, first of all, I literally won't know anybody there... so my main concern is that I live somewhere close to area(s) that would be good to meet people around my age (generally speaking). I am a gay male, so I also want to make sure that I'm in a pretty open-minded area. I don't want to be to far from work (I could handle a 30-40 minute drive, but anything more would be pushing it), and I want to be somewhere relatively safe... growing up right around Detroit I thought crime was fairly bad around here, but reading all of these posts has me paranoid about ending up in one of the ghetto's of Phoenix! So, at this point I was thinking of looking maybe in central phoenix, but I was also considering glendale maybe? Anybody that has advice, please share... as the moving date gets closer, and I remain pretty clueless, I am getting more nervous by the second! Thank you! Oh, and what is a reasonable price for a one-bedroom apartment? From what I've seen it looks like between 700-800/ a month is the going rate for a decent place in a decent, that might even include an in unit washer and dryer? Am I on the right track? Help!

[AksarbeN]

You can find many areas on the southwest side of the metro area that will be just what you’re looking for with an easy commute. Stay away from anything on the east side of the valley, not because there is anything wrong with the area but only because you’ll have hours of time on the trip to work each day. Live on the side of town that you work in.

[jco]

If you're teaching in Avondale, you're teaching in a suberb. It looks like you're looking for city life. Still, you're near the 10, so driving to the city in the evenings isn't going to be hard for you. With traffic as bad as it is, I woud buy based on where you work rather than where you'll spend the weekends. Around you is Litchfield Park, Buckeye, Tolleson, Surprise, and Goodyear. Of those, I believe Surprise would be the furthest drive (about 25 minutes if you live near Litchfield Rd.), and I would recommend staying out of Tolleson. Litchfield Park is nice, but is probably far from what you're looking for. Glendale is hit and miss, but there's a nice historic district you can live in. It's pretty artsy. And about open-mindedness... just remember to practice what you preach... this is a conservative state (changing yes, but still is).

[AzDreamer]

AZ may be a conservative state but it's a Goldwater kind of conservatism, live-and-let-live. Don't try to push your ways on them and they will do the same for you.

[sheena]

Originally Posted by jco

If you're teaching in Avondale, you're teaching in a suberb. It looks like you're looking for city life. Still, you're near the 10, so driving to the city in the evenings isn't going to be hard for you. With traffic as bad as it is, I woud buy based on where you work rather than where you'll spend the weekends. Around you is Litchfield Park, Buckeye, Tolleson, Surprise, and Goodyear. Of those, I believe Surprise would be the furthest drive (about 25 minutes if you live near Litchfield Rd.), and I would recommend staying out of Tolleson. Litchfield Park is nice, but is probably far from what you're looking for. Glendale is hit and miss, but there's a nice historic district you can live in. It's pretty artsy. And about open-mindedness... just remember to practice what you preach... this is a conservative state (changing yes, but still is).

It's changed yes, starting to lean well left now.

[asd48017]

Also moving to Litchfield Park on June 30th which is approx 14 miles southwest of Phoniex. Just put a down payment on a home last week so we are ready to go. Sent you a private email so get back with me if you have any other questions.

[jlynn25]

I am also considering a move from metro detroit to the pheonix area. I have some friends that live in Scottsdale, but it kind of sounds like the burbs around here. Any good advice you have received about finding a good left of center area? Tempe sounds like the best bet to me because its the youngest, but I'm not sure I want to live by a bunch of college students.