Are you relocating to the Phoenix area?  What’s the Best Commute from Downtown Phoenix to suburbs like Mesa, Chandler, and Gilbert?  Well, that’s the million dollar questions isn’t it?  First, let’s look at a map.  Click on this map so you can see it large while you read this post.  Clicking on it a second time makes it even more clear.

Okay, downtown is right in the middle of the map, see where the 51 meets the 202?  Downtown is just to the left of that.  So, if you are heading to North Mesa, you take the Loop 202 straight out of downtown.  The tan area is Mesa, it’s pretty big huh?

Tempe is obviously very close, that’s the nearest green area.  Look under Mesa, the purple is Chandler and the pinkish is Gilbert.  All of those triangles are park n rides for carpoolers, with some bus routes picking up there. 

Okay, now that you have your bearings, let’s talk commute in the Phoenix area.  We start with the assumption that someone in the household works in or near downtown Phoenix but wants to live somewhere affordable, family friendly, with good schools. 

First you should know that for some reason, it’s the north/south commute that is the most bogged down, that Loop 101 is especially hairy but they are building a carpool lane so that should really help.  See the curve in the I-10, we call it the Broadway Curve and it’s the thing that kills the I-10, even though it has a carpool lane.  See how the Loop 202 curves around (hence Loop?), we use the terms “Upper 202″ and “Lower 202″ for obvious reasons. 

The key to a good commute isn’t actually physical proximity to Downtown Phoenix but proximity to the freeway.  A 30 minute drive to Downtown Phoenix on surface streets is maybe 8 miles, a 30 minute drive on freeway is at least 25 miles.  So if your house is within 3 miles of the freeway, you can go further and further out and get a more affordable home. 

The average downtown commute time from the East Valley is 30 minutes without traffic and 45-60 minutes in rush hour. 

You can browse my family friendly neighborhoods to get a sense of the different communities, especially check out “What’s the Difference between Gilbert and Chandler?”.  But here’s an extremely generalized summary of the different East Valley Cities:

Mesa:  is huge, is the oldest of all the suburbs, honestly I would only consider buying a home in two areas.  North Mesa, along the freeway, good neighborhoods, good schools, great proximity to hiking, lake access, etc.  Or far South East Mesa, look at Elliot Rd off the Lower 202.  Feels rural but still lots to do.  Great Gilbert Schools in that area with Low Mesa Taxes.

Tempe:  mostly college town with ASU on the northern edge.  I love Tempe because it has some great older homes, lots of green mature trees, tons of culture, and if you do enough research, really good schools.  High in taxes though and houses cost more. 

Chandler:  it’s nice, it’s big,  I would only consider buying a home south of the Lower 202 and that really extends the commute.  It has some great schools.  Lots to do.  Great neighborhoods include Ocotillo, Old Stone Ranch, Pinelake Estates, Arden Park, Carino Estates….

Gilbert:  My personal favorite, because it’s where I currently live and to me, it’s the most family friendly.  It has really good schools, lots of parks, a brand new mall, and generally good freeway access.  Great Gilbert Neighborhoods include Jake’s Ranch, Val Vista Lakes, Country Lane, Power Ranch, Seville (far commute), Agritopia, ……

To look for homes for sale in any of these neighborhoods: click on the corresponding tag below or click on “Search for Homes” above and enter in the Subdivision Name.

If you have any questions or want more info about commuting, relocating to Mesa, Chandler, or Gilbert, just email me.  Have a great day!

Arden Park in Chandler Arizona is a Neighborhood with Everything!

 A house bought on a whim becomes a treasured home and community.

 Heather V. and her family bought their Chandler home on a whim.  Her husband, a recent graduate from law school and scheduled to take the bar exam, didn’t have a job.  One weekend, “just for fun,” the couple decided to house hunt.   They walked into a new subdivision, checked out the models, and knew it was meant to be.  They put the deposit down that day.

 They’ve never looked back.  With a neighborhood like Arden Park , why would they?  Arden Park was built around 2003 and is near Germann and Alma School in Chandler .  More on the great location later, what really matters is the feel of the neighborhood.

Friendly Neighborhood

 Heather says the best thing about the neighborhood is how nice the neighbors are.  Apparently, many of the neighbors used to work together at Micro-Age.  Heather’s next-door neighbors were in that group and introduced Heather and her family to everyone else.  Since everyone knows everyone, people smile and wave and spend time catching up on each other’s lives.  Heather’s best friend is two doors down and another friend is moving in down the street.

 The neighborhood’s young moms are also very friendly, Heather says.  During cooler weather, everyday by 4 p.m., the tot lot is filled with neighborhood kids and their moms.  Few places in Phoenix offer this kind of camaraderie. 

 Great Neighborhood, Great Location

Heather also loves the location.  Besides the tot lot down the street, there is a 17-acre city park and elementary school within walking distance.  There is great access to the newly completed Loop 202.  Chandler Regional Hospital , Chandler Fashion Center , and Chandler Gilbert Community College are all within a five-minute drive.  Not to mention the 10, count them 10, golf courses within 10 miles. 

 Within such a metropolitan area, I wondered about safety.  But Heather says it’s incredibly safe:  she can walk at 10 p.m. on well-lit streets and feel completely secure.  The fact that the neighborhood is so stable probably lends itself to the security.

 Since this couple moved in, they’ve had a beautiful baby girl who is now a rambunctious toddler and Heather has started her own business, Stroller Strides.  That’s how we met.  While Heather put me through my workout paces, she happened to mention how much she loves her neighborhood.  And what a beautiful neighborhood it is.  Thanks for sharing Heather!

To search for homes in Arden Park, Click on “Search for Homes” above and use Arden Park for the subdivision.

This question is very common for people thinking of moving to the Phoenix-area, or even just from the West Side to the East Side.  When people research good schools in Arizona (which are VERY important for resale value and investment regardless of your child status), three areas generally come up.  The Scottsdale/Paradise Valley area, which is generally too expensive for most families, and then the school districts of Gilbert and Chandler.

Chandler and Gilbert are right next to each other and so it stands to question, “What’s the difference?”

I put that question to a few of my mommy friends to check their perception of the cities.  Heather Vanacour, owner of Stroller Strides and mother of one, said “The feel of Gilbert, even in city management, seems to be more family oriented.” 

Gilbert Real Estate Family Friendly

I would agree with her.  City of Gilbert knows that it’s bread and butter is the amount of families in and their attraction to Gilbert.  There is even a new outdoor mall, with a huge focus on families.  There are multiple play areas and the sidewalks were designed so multiple strollers could walk side by side.  Developers cited the desire to cater to Gilbert families. 

Another example of that is in city planning.  In Gilbert, developers are required to build in play structures within the communities per number of homes.  That allieves the city of developing a ton of city parks.  Chandler has some really incredible city parks, huge structures that all feel new and seem to go on forever.  However in Gilbert, pretty much every child can walk to a park from his/her home.  While it might not be amazing, it’s accessible. 

Cherryl, mom of 5, said “I honestly can’t think of anything except that Chandler seems to have more businesses and Gilbert use to seem to have much more residential, but i guess that has been slowly changing as well.”  Cheryl is spot on with her assessment.  Chandler has been able to attract huge, high-tech companies such as Intel, Micro-Age, and Amkor.  While those some of the employees with families do live in Chandler, there’s also a huge amount of the “single professional” there as well.  You are hard-pressed to find many singles in Gilbert. 

In the same vein, Chandler has a huge amount of golf courses per population.  In Arizona, anytime you have lots of golf courses, you’re also going to find lots of retirees.  Which is great, I’m just pointing out the differences in population between Gilbert and Chandler. 

Debi, mother of 2 and former teacher said, “I grew up in Chandler but now, as you know, live in Gilbert.  Honestly I don’t see a real big difference between the two.  I think both have good and bad areas, both have a great school district, and both have really good shopping and entertainment.  The only thing I can think of is that I think Gilbert pays higher taxes.” 

I agree with her, although I can’t find anything to support that perception.  I think Gilbert does pay higher property taxes.  However Chandler’s land will be built out by 2010, already you can see the consequence of that in higher price tags for homes.  With the amount of farm land Gilbert still has to develop, Gilbert homes have a long time of being slightly more affordable than Chandler.

From a real estate standpoint, I can only see one primary difference.  Chandler is older than Gilbert, only slightly but still it’s there.  So, the not so nice areas of Chandler are a little more widespread and they have more older homes to weed through than Gilbert. 

Gilbert and Chandler Crime Statistics

I tried to find crime stats on the two areas.  From the Chandler Police Department page, you find this map with the info that there were 156,563 calls for service in 2006.  On the City of Gilbert page you can find this map with total service calls being 57,577.  That’s a big difference.  But as you can see, none of these local moms had the perception that one city was safer than another. 

After reading this, you might feel I’m being biased towards Gilbert and maybe I am, since it’s where I live and raise my family.  But I can think of some wonderful neighborhoods in Chandler such as Pinelake Estates, and Old Stone Ranch.  Stand-out neighborhoods in Gilbert include Higley Groves, Seville and Country Lane. 

Every time I write an ending paragraph to this article, it sounds like I’m trying to bash one or the other.  So I’ll just say this, you need to visit both areas.  Look around and get a feel for the differences.  Your instinct will tell you where the right place is for your family.

Old World Charm and Friendliness

One of the best neighborhoods in the Phoenix area is brand new.  It’s already proven itself in several areas.  If you’re looking to move to the Gilbert or Chandler area, and want a new home, you need to put Old Stone Ranch on your list. 

There are few new home communities in the Valley that are still selling homes at a steady clip. Most of them are lacking in at least one area: location, size of home for the money, neighborhood character, and finally decent lot size. One Chandler community has it all and the steady sales prove it.Old Stone Ranch by Shea Homes first garnered interest in the East Valley because of the lakes and water features. There are lake communities in the East Valley (hardly any in the West Valley) but they are “older” neighborhoods, generally built prior to 1995. The water features are pretty stunning, especially at night with the mood lighting. There is a lovely veranda for picnicking that is right on the water and near the nice playground.

Further enhancing the character is white fencing around Old Stone Circle and how each home on the main drag is required to have green grass in the front yard. It really makes the neighborhood stand out from the Beige Syndrome most Phoenix neighbhoods succumb to. Some of the home elevations (how the home looks on the outside) are your typical Southwest adobe look but the majority have stone veneers that lend more to an East Coast feel.

The location is Lindsay Rd. and Ocotillo Rd., right on the edge of Gilbert and Chandler. Two miles away is the huge new San Tan shopping center with new restaurants and movie theatre. The 202 freeway is right next to the shopping center. Sure, Old Stone Ranch is currently surrounded by agriculture but that means the most money can be earned in appreciation now, not five years down the road.

The homes range from 1700 sq feet up to 3500+. The prices start in the high $200s and go up to the $500s. Luckily with that amount of money, you also find big lots and nicely designed floorplans.   The neighborhood elementary school is

Ryan Elementary in the Chandler School District.  Is this a family friendly neighborhood? With loads of families moving there, lots of playgrounds, and an elementary school within walking distance, all signs point to “yes”.   For those looking to relocate to the Chandler or Gilbert area, Old Stone Ranch might be just the place.