East Valley vs. West Valley (Phoenix, Mesa: city hall, lease, homes)

[azriverfan.]

Originally Posted by SOON2BNSURPRISE

What is in a name, in this case my City Data Forum name. I do love Surprise. I also love Peoria, Scottsdale, parts of Glendale, I love downtown Phoenix, I kind of like it all over. I was even in Gilbert a few times and liked it there. Haven't found too much not to like.

I like the West Valley also. The West Valley is headed in the right direction and it's getting nicer ever year but it still pales in comparison to the East Valley in terms of overall ammenities. I think we can all accept that without taking offense. After all, the West Valley is still fairly new. A lot of the developments there aren't even 5 years old. Anyone who expects the West Valley to suddenly compete with the East Valley is deluding themselves. I live in Chandler. Although I think Chandler is really nice, it still has a long way to go before it can be compared to Scottsdale in terms of amenities. That's not a criticism of Chandler, it's just the reality. Chandler is a new community. It's going to take time before it can truly compete with a city like Scottsdale in terms of amenities.

I can understand someone saying they prefer the West Valley but when someone states there are more amenities in the West Valley...that's just an ignorant statement. If they say the West Valley offers better amenities like certain venues like football that at least makes sense but if they are trying to say the West Side overall offers more amenities, that's simply not true.

[SOON2BNSURPRISE]

Originally Posted by azriverfan.

I like the West Valley also. The West Valley is headed in the right direction and it's getting nicer ever year but it still pales in comparison to the East Valley in terms of overall ammenities. I think we can all accept that without taking offense. After all, the West Valley is still fairly new. A lot of the developments there aren't even 5 years old. Anyone who expects the West Valley to suddenly compete with the East Valley is deluding themselves. I live in Chandler. Although I think Chandler is really nice, it still has a long way to go before it can be compared to Scottsdale in terms of amenities. That's not a criticism of Chandler, it's just the reality. Chandler is a new community. It's going to take time before it can truly compete with a city like Scottsdale in terms of amenities.

I can understand someone saying they prefer the West Valley but when someone states there are more amenities in the West Valley...that's just an ignorant statement. If they say the West Valley offers better amenities like certain venues like football that at least makes sense but if they are trying to say the West Side overall offers more amenities, that's simply not true.

Can we safely say we go to live in the West Valley and go to play in the East Valley? In time the west side will get more of what people want in the way of fun.

[pbenjamin]

I am not particularly fond of either of them. I prefer the middle. I also disagree with the idea that Scottsdale is part of the East Valley. To me, the East Valley is the US-60 corridor.

[Ponderosa]

I got out of the east valley and won't go back. East valley is in decay. Everything is old and run down and is turning into a dump. Look at Mesa. Once a desirable place to live, it is now mostly ghetto. Fiesta Mall - ghetto. Arizona Mills - gang banger hangout. Everyone in the east valley is old like their houses, too. You have to go far, far east in the east valley to find anything new and fresh. The new areas are 40 miles from the center.

West is best. Where the east is going down the toilet, the west is getting better and better. It is where the growth is, where the future is.

Past=East
Future=West.

[mhouse2001]

I panic each time I cross Central Ave. going west: "Oh NO!" Seriously though, I much prefer the streets to the avenues. The West side has no geographical landmarks and it's easy to get lost in the monotony. With few exceptions, the areas all seem rundown, hotter, and more treeless than the East Side. Other than 9 spring training teams practicing in Feb/Mar, I have no need to go west for anything. Though to be totally honest, I've never set foot in Gilbert (why would I go there?) and I think Mesa to the Superstition foothills should be burned to the ground and rebuilt. When I say East, I mean east of 7th Ave (yes, I know that's technically on the west side) to the 101 but including areas further east in Scottsdale. So, I guess I'm really a fan of the Central Valley.

[asufan]

Originally Posted by Ponderosa

I got out of the east valley and won't go back. East valley is in decay. Everything is old and run down and is turning into a dump. Look at Mesa. Once a desirable place to live, it is now mostly ghetto. Fiesta Mall - ghetto. Arizona Mills - gang banger hangout. Everyone in the east valley is old like their houses, too. You have to go far, far east in the east valley to find anything new and fresh. The new areas are 40 miles from the center.

West is best. Where the east is going down the toilet, the west is getting better and better. It is where the growth is, where the future is.

Past=East
Future=West.

Please, I wasn't going to get involved, but your post is as laughable as the West Side is. You mention Fiesta Mall and AZ Mills, but fail to mention, let's see, Chandler Fashion Center, Scottsdale Fashion Square, Tempe Marketplace, Santan Village Mall, The Borgotta, Superstition Springs Mall and whatever that new one in NW Mesa is called.

I wonder why you didn't compare those malls to what the West side has? BECAUSE YOU DON'T HAVE ANY. You have that mall in the middle of the war zone that used to be called Westridge. That mall is 10 times worse than AZ Mills ever has been. And at least Mills has an Imax and an aquarium. After that, you have Metrocenter, also gangbanger-ville, (maybe more central than West), Westgate, which is busy during events, and Arrowhead, which is the crown jewel shopping area for the West valley, and frankly, all you have. The new mall on Bullard and I-10? Yeah, that's not gonna happen for at least 8 more years, if ever.

I was listening to the D-Backs game this weekend briefly, and they were at the Goodyear park mentioning how nice it was, but said "it's just waaay out here in the middle of nowhere". I mean, there may be a Fry's or a Wal Mart a few miles away, but that's it. I go out of my 5 year old house (not EVERYTHING in the East valley is old, like you say), and within a 5 mile radius, I can choose from over 100 different eateries. I have seen people mention Canyon Trails on here as well, and the "great new shopping center on Cotton Lane". I drove by there 2 weeks ago looking at property, and it was mostly vacant storefronts, and the monument signs and sides of the "stores" were covered in graffiti. And it was essentially in the middle of nowhere, with no competing retail nearby.

I lived in Arrowhead Ranch a long time ago, and my parents still live there, and I can honestly say the NW part of the West valley is the only part with any redeeming value. The SW part of the valley is, and always has been, the least desirable part of town. Poor schools, high crime, low property values, no jobs, no shopping, no dining, etc. Sure, there's a lot of new construction going on, but by and large, it's the starter home bare-bones type housing product 35-feet wide, small lots, little architectural appeal, poorly landscaped, etc. You KNOW that is not gonna look good in 15 years.

And just to refresh peoples' memory, both the Cardinals and Fiesta Bowl fought hard to build the stadium in the East Valley. They actually had footings poured, but it was stopped by Bilsteen because people were worried about a plane hitting the stadium (this was after 9/11). So, construction was stopped, and they looked at several other areas in the East Valley, many of which didn't seem to want it. Finally John F. Long's company donated all that land for the stadium, and the rest is history.

[asufan]

And here's another article for people to chew on...

This quote says it all: "Good schools and close proximity to employment, retail centers and churches are helping the area weather the storm, said Jay Butler, associate professor of real estate at Arizona State University.

"It is a more stable area because it has some of the things you don't see in other areas," Butler said. "It has all the plusses."

SE Valley home values fare better than most in metro area

[Finger Laker]

Originally Posted by asufan

I was listening to the D-Backs game this weekend briefly, and they were at the Goodyear park mentioning how nice it was, but said "it's just waaay out here in the middle of nowhere". I mean, there may be a Fry's or a Wal Mart a few miles away, but that's it. I go out of my 5 year old house (not EVERYTHING in the East valley is old, like you say), and within a 5 mile radius, I can choose from over 100 different eateries. I have seen people mention Canyon Trails on here as well, and the "great new shopping center on Cotton Lane". I drove by there 2 weeks ago looking at property, and it was mostly vacant storefronts, and the monument signs and sides of the "stores" were covered in graffiti. And it was essentially in the middle of nowhere, with no competing retail nearby.

I lived in Arrowhead Ranch a long time ago, and my parents still live there, and I can honestly say the NW part of the West valley is the only part with any redeeming value. The SW part of the valley is, and always has been, the least desirable part of town. Poor schools, high crime, low property values, no jobs, no shopping, no dining, etc. Sure, there's a lot of new construction going on, but by and large, it's the starter home bare-bones type housing product 35-feet wide, small lots, little architectural appeal, poorly landscaped, etc. You KNOW that is not gonna look good in 15 years.

This is just not true - the ballpark is closer to downtown than most of chandler/gilbert/mesa.

There is also no graffiti problems at the shopping plaza at canyon trails

There are also a ton of options for most things within 5-10 minutes of the ballpark - next time you swing by let me know and I can direct you to some

Put your emotion away before you lose all credibility

[asufan]

Originally Posted by Finger Laker

This is just not true - the ballpark is closer to downtown than most of chandler/gilbert/mesa.

There is also no graffiti problems at the shopping plaza at canyon trails

There are also a ton of options for most things within 5-10 minutes of the ballpark - next time you swing by let me know and I can direct you to some

Put your emotion away before you lose all credibility

I can drive you right by the tagged shopping center on Cotton Lane if you like Unless they cleaned it up since then. That still doesn't change the fact that the "great" shopping center is little more than a Wal Mart supercenter with a few peripheral stores. And there's really not much else around the ballpark, unless you drive several miles away to Palm Valley, which happens to be an area that I like. But Palm Valley is still considered "waaay out there" to most people. And the people that I knew that lived in a Toll Bros. neighborhood in the Palm Valley area, had to do all their christmas and birthday shopping in Scottsdale or Chandler.

[Ponderosa]

Originally Posted by Finger Laker

This is just not true - the ballpark is closer to downtown than most of chandler/gilbert/mesa.

There is also no graffiti problems at the shopping plaza at canyon trails

There are also a ton of options for most things within 5-10 minutes of the ballpark - next time you swing by let me know and I can direct you to some

Put your emotion away before you lose all credibility

It's tough on east-siders seeing the stadium, entertainment venues, the freeways, the latest in home designs, the growth of ASU, solar energy, and all the plans that have been delayed but not abandoned in the recession going to the west side. I may be a little harsh in characterizing the east side as decaying, but anyone who is anyone in valley development knows which way the wind is blowing and where the future is - hint WEST. And by the time the west catches up with all the trapping of the east side, the east side truly will be a rundown 90s looking place.