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!

When a client calls and says “We need a larger house but we absolutely have to stay in the same neighborhood”, I know it’s a community I need to find out more about.

Jaime and Scott M. bought their home in Stratford Estates, Mesa Arizona three years ago.  At the time, the main motivator was a great deal.  The builder was offering great incentives with their final model home.  Jaime and Scott couldn’t say no to a big, beautiful new home, completely landscaped and decorated nicely. 

Besides the great deal, there were other things about the community that keep their family there today.  The most prevalent being no homeowner’s association.  This is extremely rare in Phoenix, to find a newly built home without a homeowner’s association. 

The average HOA fee is $100 a month.  That generally pays for a landscape company to keep up a public area and maintaining a governing body to enforce community standards such as weeding, upkeep, and architectural standards. 

They are quite happy to live without those standards.  They say the majority of the neighbors maintain their lawns and homes quite nicely.  And there is a lot to maintain;  the average lot size in Stratford Estates is a little over a quarter of an acre.  This doesn’t sounds like much to people coming from Idaho or Missouri, but in Arizona the average size lot is closer to a 10^th of an acre.  With all of that land and no homeowner’s association, many neighbors in Stratford Estates are building second garages, workshops, or even guest homes. 

Not only do the large lots add to the send of privacy, it also helps that all of the homes are single level.  Not one house has a two story looming down on the back yard. 

I wondered about the sense of community without a common area, such as a park or community pool.  Jaime says that people are out all the time, walking dogs or playing with the kids.  That makes it really easy to get to know your neighbors.  During the eight months of the year that it’s comfortable to sit outside, Jaime and Scott frequently sit in the front yard, watching the kids play and chatting with neighbors. 

In addition, the neighbors of Stratford Estates have organized a Block Watch.  They meet a few times a year, including a huge Halloween Block Party that is held every year.  Each street has a leader that is responsible for his/her own section of volunteers.  Jaime makes a point to bring her family every year because it’s really only once a year to see all of the neighbors together.

The location has become very convenient.  The brand new Gilbert School District school is a short bike ride away, the newly completed San Tan Freeway is only 5 minutes away with major shopping and movie theaters nearby.  Amazingly, it’s also rural enough to see the stars at night. 

Well, Jaime and Scott have recently had their third child and know that a fourth will come in a year or two.  Which means it’s time to find that larger floorplan they already know they love.  And they know something that most homebuyers don’t, they just know they’ll love the neighborhood.