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I am so glad that people that don`t live here want to bash it . But the honest truth I can walk down my street anytime of the night with no problems . Like I said there is probably crime in some areas of maryvale as there is in the rest of the city but I don`t sit here and cut down others area cause I don`t live there. Yes my house value maybe lower due to foreclosures but Recently Canadian people have been buying some of those homes and most are planning on moving and and some already have
Hmmm, was that sarcasm? I wasn't bashing Maryvale. I was stating the violent crime rate in Maryvale is the highest in the city of Phoenix, according to the Phoenix police department website. That's factual, not subjective - not bashing at all. And I also said I was truly glad you feel safe in your neighborhood. That was sincere. Why the hostility?
Compelled by this thread I took a look at the Phoenix violent crime list for '09. From what I can tell the worst area was W Van Buren & S 35th Ave. Other unsavory areas were:
I was born in Maryvale in 1963 when it was new, beautiful, green, and an absolutely PHENOMENAL place to live. My dad bought my mom their 1st, and only new home, watched it being built from ground up, picked the lot, floor plan, and exterior style. It's on the west side of 51st Ave., and just south of Thomas Road. It wasn't a John F. Long home, but a "Total Electric Medallion Home". From 51st Ave., on the East, to 59th Ave., on the West, from Thomas Road on the North, to Encanto Blvd., to the south those are all "Medallion Homes", and they were/are absolutely gorgeous! I was born at the original Maryvale Hospial, small single level, and a sister hospital to that of Glendale Memorial Hospital on Northern, and approx. 63rd Ave. We had the Maryvale Golf Course, the Maryvale Mall, Parks, Pools, Drive In's, BEAUTIFUL Brand New MARYVALE HIGH SCHOOL. My sister was the 1st class to start as a Freshman in the fall or 1963, and finish out in 1967 as a graduating Senior. We had a Lucky store on 43rd., Ave., and Thomas, Macayos on 51st and Indian School, a DurWeinersnichell on 59th Ave., and Indian School, (I remember it was an A-Frame building you drove into). The area was SO Beautiful.
Maryvale I TRULY believe has been given a BAD WRAP over the last few decades. I'm not discounting the area is older now, BUT I think there is a lot of "Gossip" throughout the Phx., Valley about how BAD Maryvale is, when those who are making A LOT of the comments have NEVER lived in Maryvale, actually BEEN to Maryvale, and don't know anyone who lives / lived in Maryvale. They seem to simply be repeating what they've heard, or read. Maryvale, like ANY OTHER area, or neighborhoods in Phx., Scottsdale, Tempe, Mesa, etc., etc., has is good, and it's bad. Nice neighborhood, and not so nice neighborhoods. It's no different from, better, OR WORSE than any other part of the Phoenix Metro Valley. Maryvale had 2 major hurtles to overcome in the last 25 years. 1st was cute, adorable, small, to medium sized homes that weren't as "fancy", and consequently weren't as costly as other homes in the surrounding area's, SO as Phx., expanded, people being people always wanting something better, more expensive, to impress themselves, and their neighbors, left the Maryvale area for North Phx., Paradise Valley, etc. To each his own, and so goes life, but don't bash Maryvale once you've left it. It's done nothing wrong. The home are still there, they're still cute, and adorable, some are actually very stately, and large. There are large, beautiful home in Maryvale if you look for them. The homes around the Golf Course for example are fine, stately homes. I've read blogs, and posting on the internet calling Maryvale a BLIGHTED area, and should be torn down; that it was a BAD IDEA. I'm not sure who wrote that, but THIS is the kind of "gossip" I'm talking about. IF the writer, and those who agree with that writer, feel as if Maryvale is BLIGHTED, again, PUT THE BLAME where it squarely belongs, which is on the people who abandoned it, NOT on Maryvale, it's still the same as it's always been. The 2nd hurtle Maryvale had to overcome was that REDICULOUS cancer scare back in the '80's. Not only was nothing EVER proven, BUT it was later found to be FALSE. LOOK IT UP. When that hit Maryvale, there was what one reporter called "White Flight", and EVERYONE freaked out, and left. Again, put the blame where it belongs. FACTS are an AMAZING THING!
SO with those 2 hurtles in the rearview mirror, why is there still so much gossip about how BAD Maryvale is? Because that's the way people are. I guess it makes them feel better, I don't know, I don't think I want to, but I do know it breaks my heart to hear it, because when I drive through Maryvale, I STILL SEE those CUTE, ADORABLE, and YES EVEN LARGE STATELY HOMES, that are just BEGGING to be spruced up, green lawn, sprinklers going, pools in the backyards, trees. There are A LOT of Maryvaler's who take pride in ownership, but like everything else we need more. If you look back at the history of other cities, and neighborhoods throughout the U.S., (San Francisco's Height-Ashbury or Castro district comes to mind), Those area's at one point were getting the "Bad Wrap" that Maryvale is getting now, and look at where those area's are now. Some of the most desired, and expensive, (for those that, that matters to), real estate in the country. I AM NOT saying Maryvale will be another Height-Ashbury/Castro, but with people with an out of the box imagination, the sky's the limit. Maryvale is in need of some TLC, and a pat on the back! It's been the home to a lot of fine, good, upstanding, hardworking people, and deserves to be a vital, beautiful, part of the vibrant city of Phoenix.
OH, and that BEAUTIFUL, "Total Electric Medallion Home", my dad bought for my mom, WELL my sister, Maryvale Class of 1967, STILL lives there, and it's just as BEAUTIFUL as it was the day it was finished.
Thanks for taking the time to read this, and I HOPE it made you re-think Maryvale, and what it means to those of us who love it!
Greg
I was born in Maryvale in 1963 when it was new, beautiful, green, and an absolutely PHENOMENAL place to live. My dad bought my mom their 1st, and only new home, watched it being built from ground up, picked the lot, floor plan, and exterior style. It's on the west side of 51st Ave., and just south of Thomas Road. It wasn't a John F. Long home, but a "Total Electric Medallion Home". From 51st Ave., on the East, to 59th Ave., on the West, from Thomas Road on the North, to Encanto Blvd., to the south those are all "Medallion Homes", and they were/are absolutely gorgeous! I was born at the original Maryvale Hospial, small single level, and a sister hospital to that of Glendale Memorial Hospital on Northern, and approx. 63rd Ave. We had the Maryvale Golf Course, the Maryvale Mall, Parks, Pools, Drive In's, BEAUTIFUL Brand New MARYVALE HIGH SCHOOL. My sister was the 1st class to start as a Freshman in the fall or 1963, and finish out in 1967 as a graduating Senior. We had a Lucky store on 43rd., Ave., and Thomas, Macayos on 51st and Indian School, a DurWeinersnichell on 59th Ave., and Indian School, (I remember it was an A-Frame building you drove into). The area was SO Beautiful.
Maryvale I TRULY believe has been given a BAD WRAP over the last few decades. I'm not discounting the area is older now, BUT I think there is a lot of "Gossip" throughout the Phx., Valley about how BAD Maryvale is, when those who are making A LOT of the comments have NEVER lived in Maryvale, actually BEEN to Maryvale, and don't know anyone who lives / lived in Maryvale. They seem to simply be repeating what they've heard, or read. Maryvale, like ANY OTHER area, or neighborhoods in Phx., Scottsdale, Tempe, Mesa, etc., etc., has is good, and it's bad. Nice neighborhood, and not so nice neighborhoods. It's no different from, better, OR WORSE than any other part of the Phoenix Metro Valley. Maryvale had 2 major hurtles to overcome in the last 25 years. 1st was cute, adorable, small, to medium sized homes that weren't as "fancy", and consequently weren't as costly as other homes in the surrounding area's, SO as Phx., expanded, people being people always wanting something better, more expensive, to impress themselves, and their neighbors, left the Maryvale area for North Phx., Paradise Valley, etc. To each his own, and so goes life, but don't bash Maryvale once you've left it. It's done nothing wrong. The home are still there, they're still cute, and adorable, some are actually very stately, and large. There are large, beautiful home in Maryvale if you look for them. The homes around the Golf Course for example are fine, stately homes. I've read blogs, and posting on the internet calling Maryvale a BLIGHTED area, and should be torn down; that it was a BAD IDEA. I'm not sure who wrote that, but THIS is the kind of "gossip" I'm talking about. IF the writer, and those who agree with that writer, feel as if Maryvale is BLIGHTED, again, PUT THE BLAME where it squarely belongs, which is on the people who abandoned it, NOT on Maryvale, it's still the same as it's always been. The 2nd hurtle Maryvale had to overcome was that REDICULOUS cancer scare back in the '80's. Not only was nothing EVER proven, BUT it was later found to be FALSE. LOOK IT UP. When that hit Maryvale, there was what one reporter called "White Flight", and EVERYONE freaked out, and left. Again, put the blame where it belongs. FACTS are an AMAZING THING!
SO with those 2 hurtles in the rearview mirror, why is there still so much gossip about how BAD Maryvale is? Because that's the way people are. I guess it makes them feel better, I don't know, I don't think I want to, but I do know it breaks my heart to hear it, because when I drive through Maryvale, I STILL SEE those CUTE, ADORABLE, and YES EVEN LARGE STATELY HOMES, that are just BEGGING to be spruced up, green lawn, sprinklers going, pools in the backyards, trees. There are A LOT of Maryvaler's who take pride in ownership, but like everything else we need more. If you look back at the history of other cities, and neighborhoods throughout the U.S., (San Francisco's Height-Ashbury or Castro district comes to mind), Those area's at one point were getting the "Bad Wrap" that Maryvale is getting now, and look at where those area's are now. Some of the most desired, and expensive, (for those that, that matters to), real estate in the country. I AM NOT saying Maryvale will be another Height-Ashbury/Castro, but with people with an out of the box imagination, the sky's the limit. Maryvale is in need of some TLC, and a pat on the back! It's been the home to a lot of fine, good, upstanding, hardworking people, and deserves to be a vital, beautiful, part of the vibrant city of Phoenix.
OH, and that BEAUTIFUL, "Total Electric Medallion Home", my dad bought for my mom, WELL my sister, Maryvale Class of 1967, STILL lives there, and it's just as BEAUTIFUL as it was the day it was finished.
Thanks for taking the time to read this, and I HOPE it made you re-think Maryvale, and what it means to those of us who love it!
Greg
Once Maryvale was as you described it. But it has changed. There are some houses that have been kept up but there are many that have not.
Something I have noticed is the definition of what is Maryvale has changed. We moved into the area near 35th Ave & Thomas when I was a kid. None of us considered that to be Maryvale back then. Yet it seems to be nowadays. So Maryvale is getting a bad rap from neighborhoods that weren't Maryvale.
As to the cancer thing. I really don't know that much about it. But my late father's house received another one of those newsletters showing the chemical contamination plumes. They all seemed to originate from 35th & Indian School area. There were 3 or 4 distinct plumes. They were talking about a class action suit. I tossed it as I don't plan on signing up but the chemical contamination concern isn't gone. No matter what the facts of the case are.
Started house hunting in 2008, and we decided to check out a foreclosure in Maryvale. This place was HUGE. We could've got the place for a song but we felt that it would cost too much to get move in ready.
But......there was no way we could get a mortgage on it as all of the appliances & cabinets had been ripped out.
Something I have noticed is the definition of what is Maryvale has changed. We moved into the area near 35th Ave & Thomas when I was a kid. None of us considered that to be Maryvale back then. Yet it seems to be nowadays. So Maryvale is getting a bad rap from neighborhoods that weren't Maryvale.
We can disagree on what is or isn't something like "Deer Valley" or "midtown" but Maryvale should have a precise definition. It was a John F. Long housing development. Having said that, I have no idea what that definition was/is.
We can disagree on what is or isn't something like "Deer Valley" or "midtown" but Maryvale should have a precise definition. It was a John F. Long housing development. Having said that, I have no idea what that definition was/is.
The "Maryvale" urban village designation from the City is much larger than that. To me, when I think Maryvale, I'm thinking of the area pretty much in those original boundaries. May be a function of how long I've lived here.
If you look back at the history of other cities, and neighborhoods throughout the U.S., (San Francisco's Height-Ashbury or Castro district comes to mind), Those area's at one point were getting the "Bad Wrap" that Maryvale is getting now, and look at where those area's are now. Some of the most desired, and expensive, (for those that, that matters to), real estate in the country. I AM NOT saying Maryvale will be another Height-Ashbury/Castro, but with people with an out of the box imagination, the sky's the limit. Maryvale is in need of some TLC, and a pat on the back!
The reason that Maryvale will never be anything like those places is the quality of the homes themselves. Here is a couple of shots of homes in the Haight:
These are well built, historically interesting structures that have survived earthquakes. Unfortunately when John F. Long built affordable homes, he accomplished it by cheap construction and uninteresting architecture. I can't imagine them being part of any sort of urban renaissance.
They are what they are, yes, small slump block homes with very basic design. Not the sort of thing that lends itself to extensive updating/modernizing. Other parts of what is now called Maryvale may be somewhat different, but it's not going to be high on the list of Phoenix neighborhood to have some sort of rebirth.
They are what they are, yes, small slump block homes with very basic design. Not the sort of thing that lends itself to extensive updating/modernizing. Other parts of what is now called Maryvale may be somewhat different, but it's not going to be high on the list of Phoenix neighborhood to have some sort of rebirth.
Slump block was a popular decorative block that you paid a premium for and was typically used on the front face of a home. I think the typical Maryvale home was plain concrete block.
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I wasn't bashing Maryvale. I was stating the violent crime rate in Maryvale is the highest in the city of Phoenix, according to the Phoenix police department website. That's factual, not subjective - not bashing at all. And I also said I was truly glad you feel safe in your neighborhood. That was sincere. Why the hostility?
