Moving to Phoenix...where should I look for apt

[uspcommuter]

Hey Y'all,

I recently got a post-grad residency postition at the Veterans Affairs Medical Center (Carl T. Hayden) and I am planning to move out there in mid-June from the philadelphia area. The position only last for a year. So, I am thinking about renting a furnished studio or 1 bedroom. My budget is around $750/month.

Is there any areas that you would recommend for a new college grad? I dont mind living far away from the medical center (up to 30mins driving) but I would love to live near the local SuperMegaMart. (yes I grocery shop alot)

Any suggestions and advice on moving would be deeply appreciated.

Thanks much.
Tony

 

[JNB]

"Between the Sevens" (7th Ave to 7th St) is popular, close to the VA, and very tony.

Beyond that, north & west is your better bet. Ignore the brays of those that promote Scottsdale, Tempe, Mesa. East Valley snobbery!

A map follows (somewhat tongue-in-cheek, mind you. Don't nobody get their panties in a wad! )

 

[uspcommuter]

Oh forgot one important thing to ask...if I ever have free time. Is there anything I should check out?

Also, any chain/independent supermarts I should stick to?

 

[JNB]

Oh forgot one important thing to ask...if I ever have free time. Is there anything I should check out?

Also, any chain/independent supermarts I should stick to?

This is the Southwest, so "outdoors" things are always primary (unless it's 110+, which it will be again soon enough, so...). The Heard Museum is an absolute must for a newcomer. Taliesin West (Frank Lloyd Wright's western home) is worth a day. I could go on & on.

Supermarket chains include Fry's, Basha's, both locally originated. Fry's is the same family that Fry's Electronics came from, and Basha's covers a number of different store "brands," including Food City (caters more to the Hispanic community, great selections!) and AJ's, very upper-end & pricey. The others are Safeway and Albertson's. There are a number of Wal-Mart, Target, and K-Mart that have grocery departments (including the new Neighborhood Wal-Mart grocery-only stores), and a few Sprouts health food/organic stores around town.

 

[it5five]

John's map is correct.

I live in the West valley, and even though it can get pretty boring at times, its alright.

Do look for something "in between the sevens" though. There are more things to do in terms of entertainment, and you are in a nice central location, so getting to the eastern/western reaches of the valley won't be bad. Something to look for though is the quality of the apt. you'll be renting. Things can really be hit or miss in central Phoenix. There has been a lot of new development recently, so there are plenty of good places to live, but there are also plenty of places to avoid.

If you do want to hang out with college-aged people, Tempe would be the place. But if you rent in central Phoenix, all the Tempe bars and night-spots will only be about 15 minutes away.

 

[luminosity]

Neighborhood Wal-Marts are excellent, and have good produce. My girlfriend and I picked up our first decent corn in months there just yesterday. It should be noted that the grocery only Wal-Marts and the regular/super Wal-Marts are night/day in terms of organization and general calm.

Are you going to be living in Phoenix itself, or in one of the many surrounding cities? That will significantly impact what you'll be able to find and what you'll pay.

 

[Stampyhead]

Man, I feel bad for you. I lived in the Phoenix area for 5 years and I hated every second of it. Hopefully your residency will go by quickly and you can find a nice job back East.

 

[jb60606]

California.

 

[uspcommuter]

Hey y'all,

Thanks for the info, but after much searching...I have come across a few more questions.

How is the safety around the medical center and phoenix overall? Since I am a resident its pretty much get there at the crack of dawn and go home when people are watching Leno....soooo is the 7's in a relatively safe area?

Also, after reading review in Apartmentsratings.com it seems like the two biggest issues that people have are cockroaches and dog poop...any tips on avoiding that?

 

[it5five]

The Phoenix Police has a section on their website where you can look up crime statistics. Here is the link

As far as the dog poop goes, the only way to avoid that is to rent at a place that doesn't allow pets, but I've found that most apartments in Phoenix do allow pets, and I don't know if you have any pets of your own. My apartment complex is pretty pet friendly, and has cleanup "stations" (scented bags for you to pick up the dog poop with) all around, and people still don't clean up after their dogs. There isn't much you can do about it, unfortunately.

 

[JNB]

Hey y'all,

Thanks for the info, but after much searching...I have come across a few more questions.

How is the safety around the medical center and phoenix overall? Since I am a resident its pretty much get there at the crack of dawn and go home when people are watching Leno....soooo is the 7's in a relatively safe area?

Also, after reading review in Apartmentsratings.com it seems like the two biggest issues that people have are cockroaches and dog poop...any tips on avoiding that?

This gives a nice graphic representation of crime activity. It presents in a Google Maps window, so you can pan around & zoom in anywhere you want. The area we've been talking about is centered on Zip 85012, and moves out from there. Here's a Zip Code map, 85012 is a little vertical sliver in the center, you can range out from there.

I would suggest that if all possible, come out for a brief visit before committing on a place and executing the move.

 

[uspcommuter]

Just an update...

Hey y'all,

Just thought I give yall an update from the info you guys/girls gave me. I settled in an apt complex near the PV mall. The rent was not too bad and it was close to the 51 and it had all the things I was looking for in a place.

Unfortunately, about 3 weeks into my stay, my apt got broken into and my iMac was stolen. Sigh...a good chuck of my digital memories are in there. Yes I did file a police report but the results are still nil.

Just thought I inform all of ya. Mainly just to complain because I constantly get reminded that "oh I have a video/pics of xyz's bday party that I can share" then I realized my iMac was stolen so no dice.

I am finally back on my feet with a friend's old dell (thank god it doesnt run Vista) but I miss my iMac alot. Ok enough complaining.

 

[Chundles]

Somewhere out of the sun.

It hit 124°F when I was living there so many years ago - we used to stop going in the pool when it got below 96°F. Too cold....

God that was so long ago now, more than 20 years. Memories, like the the... eew.

 

[apsterling]

Hey y'all,

Just thought I give yall an update from the info you guys/girls gave me. I settled in an apt complex near the PV mall. The rent was not too bad and it was close to the 51 and it had all the things I was looking for in a place.

Hm. That's not far from where I live. Have you shopped at Fresh and Easy yet? They have some great deals, despite being owned by British Supermarket Giants.

 

[gregdrummeraz]

Oh forgot one important thing to ask...if I ever have free time. Is there anything I should check out?

Also, any chain/independent supermarts I should stick to?

Castles'n'coasters kiddy park here.


Encanto park. art walks are every month(you can meet some... interesting? people there.


Bentley dealership is one of my fav places.

There is plenty to do here.

 

[gregdrummeraz]

Hey y'all,

Just thought I give yall an update from the info you guys/girls gave me. I settled in an apt complex near the PV mall. The rent was not too bad and it was close to the 51 and it had all the things I was looking for in a place.

Unfortunately, about 3 weeks into my stay, my apt got broken into and my iMac was stolen. Sigh...a good chuck of my digital memories are in there. Yes I did file a police report but the results are still nil.

Just thought I inform all of ya. Mainly just to complain because I constantly get reminded that "oh I have a video/pics of xyz's bday party that I can share" then I realized my iMac was stolen so no dice.

I am finally back on my feet with a friend's old dell (thank god it doesnt run Vista) but I miss my iMac alot. Ok enough complaining.

awhh bud, so sorry. My house has been robbed. It hurts. And the PV area is the WORST because the wealth.

My cousin lives in a nice complex across the street from where she works are PV mall also. She is the site designer for all the web pages for the arizona malls

 

[uspcommuter]

Talked to my detective on the case...and he said its pretty much a lost cause. Got any suggestions to ease the pain/inconvenience or any solutions?

 

[Chundles]

Talked to my detective on the case...and he said its pretty much a lost cause. Got any suggestions to ease the pain/inconvenience or any solutions?

Hookers?



No seriously...

 

[it5five]

Somewhere out of the sun.

It hit 124°F when I was living there so many years ago - we used to stop going in the pool when it got below 96°F. Too cold....

God that was so long ago now, more than 20 years. Memories, like the the... eew.

It's a nice and cool 86°F at midnight right now.

Talked to my detective on the case...and he said its pretty much a lost cause. Got any suggestions to ease the pain/inconvenience or any solutions?

Maybe it was someone else that lives in your complex that knew you had expensive electronics inside?

I don't think there's much a chance of recovering the iMac. Was anything else stolen? If not, consider yourself lucky it was only the computer. It's a real shame though that irrecoverable memories were stored in it. I hope you're able to get it back. If you have renters insurance see if the stolen computer is covered.

Besides the theft, how do you like Phoenix?

 

[uspcommuter]

Yes other stuff were stolen...My nintendo Wii and an air mattress. Sigh...so sad. I miss my iMac the most tho, I had over 40 gigs of pics and home videos.

As for phoenix, I dont hate it but I dont love it either. I think overall I am just not an Arizonan if there are any around. Compared to my colleagues who love the heat, to me its ok. So thats not a + for me. Mexican food is good but not to die for...like Chicago Deep Dish, Philly Cheesesteak, Memphis Babyback or New England Clam Chowder (Yes I can go on about food). But I am only here for one year so I will just grind it out.

 

[Chundles]

It's a nice and cool 86°F at midnight right now.

Starting to get into that time of year for us now too, can't wait till it's 30°C+ at midnight - only kicker here is that it'll be north of 80% humidity too.

God I hate the heat.

 

[JNB]

So sorry to hear about the theft!

If you got through your first summer, the rest become far easier. My first summer there I ended up in an ambulance & ER with heat stroke. After that, it's just a minor annoyance.

Now that the weather's beginning to break, mornings & evenings are more pleasant, the air's drying out, and you'll have a chance to begin to explore a bit more. Try the various mountain parks (North, South, Squaw Peak, Camelback, Thunderbird, and others). Learn about the local flora & fauna. Give yourself a chance and you'll begin to see why three separate ages of humanity going back thousands of years sought the Valley. 4.2 million people can't be wrong!

If you have wheels, south to Tucson/Nogales (where my family is originally from) or north to Prescott (like biscuit)/Sedona/Flagstaff. Take the back way out to Strawberry/Pine and the Rim. Get a camera and fill up a new Mac with it..

Forget the malls, they're the same anywhere you go. 'Zona could take a lifetime to explore.

 

[it5five]

Yes other stuff were stolen...My nintendo Wii and an air mattress. Sigh...so sad. I miss my iMac the most tho, I had over 40 gigs of pics and home videos.

As for phoenix, I dont hate it but I dont love it either. I think overall I am just not an Arizonan if there are any around. Compared to my colleagues who love the heat, to me its ok. So thats not a + for me. Mexican food is good but not to die for...like Chicago Deep Dish, Philly Cheesesteak, Memphis Babyback or New England Clam Chowder (Yes I can go on about food). But I am only here for one year so I will just grind it out.

Speaking of food, I recommend Oreganos to everyone I can. Incredible food. The Big Rig (rigatoni with a tomato-chipotle sauce) is the best pasta dish I have ever had, and the pizza is great too (chicago style stuffed, pan, and thin-crust).