In the past, I have admitted to assuming that an area held a feeling of….well….snobbery.  There I said it, sometimes in my nativite, I assume a certain area of town thinks they’re better than everyone else.  And once again, I am happy to say I have been proven wrong. 

Ahwatukee, pronounced just like it looks, is a small part of southern Phoenix.  Tucked right into South Mountain and bordered by the I-10 freeway on the other, it has great access to Tempe, Phoenix, Scottsdale but has somehow retained it’s small-town charm. 

Now, because real estate is ruled by Location, Location, Location, homes in the Ahwatukee Foothills area catch a pretty hefty price tag, which probably led to my snobbery assumption.  But as my network of moms began to stretch further and further from my own front door, I began to realize that some very family-focused families were residing in Ahwatukee, and certainly lacked the look-down-the-nose attitude. 

I asked 10 year Ahwatukee resident Lorraine G., what she thought of it and I learned a lot.  Lorraine says she “lucked into” her home in the Foothills.  Her husband liked just that aspect, the hill-iness and years later when the kids came along, they realized they were in an incredible school district with tons of other families. 

Lorraine’s favorite things about the area include:  that her neighbors know her kids and vice versa, the huge amount of parental involvement in the schools, and the laid-back, lack of snobbiness (as I blush).  Also, all the holiday festivities…

Chandler Blvd is lit up and the Saturday after Thanksgiving we have the (free) Festival of Lights carnival/beer garden/craft action all day at Desert Foothills Park. A must-do for families. Also, there are (free) concerts in Desert Foothills Park (four a year) which brings out all the families for picnic and you can bring wine/beer. Also the holiday hayrides down Desert Foothills Parkway.

Her kids love having all their friends nearby of course, but they also love the state of the art YMCA.  It has lots of classes, including yoga, and even massages.  And her kids probably don’t appreciate it but their schools are incredibly good.  That area feeds into the Sierra Elementary, Alta Dena Junior High, and  Desert Vista High Schools, who earned 20 perfect math SAT scores this year! 

Ahwatukee is also a hit with the outdoorsy families.  With South Mountain literally in your backyard, you could go on a different family hike every weekend.  Talk about nature walks! 

And when we called it the World’s Biggest Cul-de-sac, we really mean it.  The only way in or out, is on the “Loop”, Warner Rd loops down into Ray Rd.  Just look at a Phoenix map to get the idea.  It really limits crime, and encourages a feeling of community.   

A four bedroom house that feeds into Desert Vista high school, ranges from $199k for 1,900 sq ft, up through $749k for 3,800 sq ft and ALL the bells and whistles.  I know of one home right now, on it’s own cul-de-sac, backs up to the golf course with amazing views and upgrades (including a pool), that is over 5,000 square feet offered at $749k.  It’s a real steal. 

For more information about the area, feel free to contact me.  The World’s Biggest Cul-de-sac is worth a look.