Possibly moving to Phoenix/Scottsdale

[dbewen]

Hey guys I'm going to give this thread a bump since I will be starting my move to Phoenix this Friday. My office is at camelback and 24th. We are considering living in the Biltmore area or Old Town Scottsdale. It will just be me and my wife, no kids. Any advice on either location? It appears the commute should be under 30 min if we choose old town?

 

I would pass on Old Town. I live in the Biltmore area and find very little reason to go over there. I would recommend staying in between 44th St (do Avenues exist :)), 20th, Indian School, and Camelback for an ultra-short commute with access to good food, drinks/bars, shopping, and grocery selection.

 

There isn't much walking though in Phoenix. At best you will have your local place to go to but there isn't any sort of place that offers groceries, shopping, food, drink in one walkable location. Not much city-like density here. Old Town is the only place with any sort of walking culture but you are still getting in your car to get groceries.

 

Golf is better up north but also more expensive. The good munis are south of Biltmore and many "value" courses are as well.

 

 

By walkable, I am looking for something like a coffee shop and a few dinner/drink options. Driving for groceries and other stuff, I'm ok with. Trying to avoid suburbs. As an example, we will be viewing a condo next week in the Optima Biltmore. When i was there for my job interview it seemed that spot supported what we are hoping for within a few block walk.

 

Which munis and value courses do you recommend? I saw some aged posts about discount cards (https://www.phoenix.gov/parks/golf/cardholder). Is this still a good buy? At $50 ($30 renewal) it looks to be a pretty low risk.

[SilverBullets]

I would vote Arcadia all day long. My wife and I live around 47th and Indian school.. just north of Indian School. It’s a fantastic place to live. Like others have noted, great restaurants all around. Some easily walkable, all easily bikeable. Quick access to the canal as well. We will hop on the canal and ride down to old town or will hop on the canal and ride 25+ miles for workouts. We are a couple blocks from OHSO, LGO, Ingo’s, North, Doughbird, etc.

 

The area is really getting expensive. You’re not going to find a ‘value’ house in Arcadia. But the commute to basically anywhere other than west valley is as easy as it gets. My only issue with Arcadia is it’s not close to many golf courses. All of them take a bit of a drive (30 minutes to TPC, 35 to WeKoPa and southern dunes).

 

I have always valued location over price. I’m willing to pay a premium to be in a great location. After living in Arcadia for the last 18 months, I’m not sure I would live anywhere else in the valley. At least while I’m working and have to commute.

[az2au]

I have always valued location over price. I'm willing to pay a premium to be in a great location.

I agree completely on that. You have to love where you live or what's the point? For me a commute has never been an issue until now because I'm at my client site in Tempe 1-2 days/week instead of being out of town 4-5 days/week but there's no way I'd trade the mountain views and community I live in now for a shorter commute. We did a comprehensive search and started with the idea that no community should be excluded before we decided to invest an extremely significant amount of money in renovating this place. In the end we love it so much here that we couldn't justify going anywhere else.

[fore_life]

What about the coranado area? Lots of action on 7th street, easy bike to downtown, mid century homes with character.

[One_Putt_Blunder]

ere other than west valley is as easy as it gets. My only issue with Arcadia is it's not close to many golf courses. All of them take a bit of a drive (30 minutes to TPC, 35 to WeKoPa and southern dunes).

 

I have always valued location over price. I'm willing to pay a premium to be in a great location.

 

I concur, love waking up to this view every morning.

 

[Waffles]

Hey guys I'm going to give this thread a bump since I will be starting my move to Phoenix this Friday. My office is at camelback and 24th. We are considering living in the Biltmore area or Old Town Scottsdale. It will just be me and my wife, no kids. Any advice on either location? It appears the commute should be under 30 min if we choose old town?

 

Good Choices, I'd also throw in the Arcadia area, such a cool spot and would be a hair shorter commute

I'd rank them:

Old Town

Arcadia

Biltmore

Windsor

 

They're all close enough that it shouldn't matter too much. Arcadia used to be considered a value but I'm hearing that homes there are going for more than the greenbelt now. Not sure I'd be willing to pay that.

 

Honestly, I'd also consider downtown/Copper Square depending on what you like to do. There's a member here that lives down there and loves it. Glad to hook you up with him if you'd like to speak to him about it.

 

I would highly recommend the downtown area. Not that you can really go wrong with the options present, but having been to all the other areas, downtown is my favorite. It has the best selection of local music out of all the options and you right by the DBacks and Suns.

[az2au]

Hey guys I'm going to give this thread a bump since I will be starting my move to Phoenix this Friday. My office is at camelback and 24th. We are considering living in the Biltmore area or Old Town Scottsdale. It will just be me and my wife, no kids. Any advice on either location? It appears the commute should be under 30 min if we choose old town?

 

Good Choices, I'd also throw in the Arcadia area, such a cool spot and would be a hair shorter commute

I'd rank them:

Old Town

Arcadia

Biltmore

Windsor

 

They're all close enough that it shouldn't matter too much. Arcadia used to be considered a value but I'm hearing that homes there are going for more than the greenbelt now. Not sure I'd be willing to pay that.

 

Honestly, I'd also consider downtown/Copper Square depending on what you like to do. There's a member here that lives down there and loves it. Glad to hook you up with him if you'd like to speak to him about it.

 

I would highly recommend the downtown area. Not that you can really go wrong with the options present, but having been to all the other areas, downtown is my favorite. It has the best selection of local music out of all the options and you right by the DBacks and Suns.

Yep, I have Suns season tickets (go to every game if I’m in town, sadly this year ;) )and probably go to 20 or so DBacks games/year (mostly hosting clients). I think downtown has a lot to offer these days. It is nothing like it was 20 years ago.

[fore_life]

FWIW, it used to be way easier to find crack and hookers 20 years ago, so depends on what you’re into I guess.

[ferrispgm]

I live right downtown, a 5-7 minute walk to Talking Stick Arena and love it. There are a lot of new/newer restaurants, bars and cocktail lounges, art studios if you like that type of thing and some boutique stores, also several really good coffee houses. I used to live across the street from Scottsdale Crossings Mall which was nice as well but if you are in to things being walkable your food and even shopping options were more limited unless you are in your 40s or 50s as the stores there with some exception of course, are geared towards that age range more. But I did still like it a lot. What's nice now though is that living downtown, the freeway is a 30 second drive away and I can get to most courses within 25 minutes and at worst 45 minutes. Southern Dunes is only 35 minutes away now which is a nice bonus whereas before it was about an hour.

 

On a side note.....I'm taking dibs on Fore for any best ball tournament if he is listing as a 40 handicap now lol.

[dbewen]

What's the commute like on game days into downtown Phx?

 

There's a building (on 4th st) across the street from Chase field that could work for us. Are there certain blocks that you recommend? Specific areas to avoid?

[ferrispgm]

What's the commute like on game days into downtown Phx?

 

There's a building (on 4th st) across the street from Chase field that could work for us. Are there certain blocks that you recommend? Specific areas to avoid?

 

I work at 20th and Highland and don't have any problems leaving work at 5 and getting home but I'm at 3rd st. and Roosevelt. If you are talking about the high rise condos, there could be some difficulty but you have plenty of exits you can take to bypass the traffic. Lately going west on the I10 is nightmare as they are doing work down by 59th ave and I10. I take the 51 to Thomas and Thomas to 3rd. If you take the I10 E though it's not as bad. Traffic through downtown is very minimal and not typical of a city. Depending on where you would be coming from, you may be well off taking a 3rd street exit and going down town from there. But again, there are so many options, it's hard to pick a really bad way if you are taking a side street. The only one I avoid is 7th st. down by Lincoln as that can get backed up more.

[az2au]

What's the commute like on game days into downtown Phx?

 

To 24th and Camelback? Maybe 25 min at worst. I often go to games from 7th and Thomas and it takes me 10-15 min. I would guess, on average, it would take 7-10 min more because you'd go a different way 24th to Highland to 51S to Washington to 4th. Yesterday I was at my house before heading to the game, l left at 4:17pm, the parking lot is 32.9 miles from my house per Google Maps and I got there right at 5 as I had a conference call at that time and started it after I entered the parking garage. That's pretty typical. It occasionally takes longer and it could be slightly shorter if I catch every light but, close enough for you to estimate. My guess for you is 17-20 min on average.

[ferrispgm]

It takes me about 8 minutes to go from 3rd and Roosevelt to 22nd st. and Highland/Camelback on the weekends. Work week morning takes 15 minutes....work week afternoon in the reverse takes 20-27 minutes if I take Thomas. It takes maybe a minute or 2 less if I sit in the backup to get onto the I10 but I'd rather take a couple extra minutes and not be in stop and go and ready to go postal on people.

[jhoppmann]

Lots of infill development happening around Phoenix now. Realtors will advertise properties as being in Arcadia all the way south to the 202 (LOL). I wouldn't consider anything south of Thomas as Arcadia

[SilverBullets]

Lots of infill development happening around Phoenix now. Realtors will advertise properties as being in Arcadia all the way south to the 202 (LOL). I wouldn't consider anything south of Thomas as Arcadia

 

East of 40th and north of Osborn is what I consider Arcadia. Some parts south of Osborn as you get closer to like 56th. But yeah, nothing south of Thomas.

[vancouver81]

What an awesome thread, so much great info (coming from someone who’s only been a few times but may look at retiring here in 20ish years).