Reviews & Comments
Chandler, AZ
I Love Mesa. -
6/29/2024Mesa is such a medium sized city but so big for it's size that even if you drive 20 minutes you still will be in Mesa. In West Mesa it's where all the services for women's health and ADA centers are, including the famed Asian District and the potential future Fiesta Mall being reimagined. But also you have Central Mesa that is growing, including Downtown that is lovely and older looking but has so much to offer with it's family and business friendly areas that are just being rebuilt into something for everyone, that wishes to become a place for people and not just for cars, which is a great thing to strive for. Central and West Mesa also have excellent Transit if you like Rail and Bus systems.
In East Mesa it is also growing as well with the Northeast being for those who like the outdoors, to bike, to live closer to nature, and you have Southeast Mesa which has the Airport and so much Business and Industrial including new housing that is very premium and luxury based including Restaurants and Entertainment and Libraries being built as a whole. It's somewhere if you like something new you should head there.
In my conclusion I live in Mesa not because I liked a certain time when i moved here, wish to see it crystalized in Amber. I moved here because I could see it's future with a focus on Transportation with the Light Rail coming in as ASU heavily invested in Downtown Mesa, and West Mesa began to grow to have the best services for health, a focus on community, businesses and restaurants that were much more local with anchor's being premium ones that blend in well and are not boring to look at as a whole with the Asian District. West Mesa and Downtown bring in heavy amounts of revenue for the city and have a lot of premium investment to the infrastructure due to it's population and marriage between housing, business and public transit.
I see Central Mesa and East Mesa beginning to have that investment, services, and even housing that West Mesa has had for so long and that will become places wish to move to and where there will be Mixed Use, Transit, and have premium services like Gigabit Fiber, great places to shop at, doctors, businesses, schools, libraries, office services etc. Than to be stuck with shopping and no shoppers or services with no people around to provide services for like other parts of the valley. I agree with the other reviewer to give Mesa a shot and to see if you like it,I know i do and others as well because it's the 3rd biggest city in Arizona for a reason.
Scottsdale, AZ
From Snobbsdale to Scottsdale. -
6/29/2024It's been a long time since I visited Scottsdale after visiting a few times a decade ago. It used to be more of an area that deserved it's punchlines for being stuck up and pretending to be millionaires despite making 100k a year and disliking anyone that would dress normally to come to visit and to enjoy the beautiful premium areas it has to offer. It definitely made me feel uncomfortable to visit and many businesses did not like coming to there at all. Everyone I knew hated it.
That is until recently a few times I visited, i noticed a lot has changed for the better. People are more friendly including businesses, there are wealthy people that live there that are actual millionaires who are younger, and there is a lot better places that are built with Mixed Use in mind that has high property values and is actually competing with Tempe and it's neighbors with Office, Restaurants, Housing than losing everyone to it. The only thing I can think of that Scottsdale could use is a Streetcar or a Light Rail System that would be able to connect to Phoenix or Mesa and attract a lot more foot traffic and businesses to it's best areas to show how great of a premium city Scottsdale is including Bus Rapid Transit. I can hope it builds on this than loses the progress it has made from where it lost so long ago.
Tempe, AZ
A Small College Town to a Small College City. -
6/29/2024Tempe is a very unique case of a College Town that has quickly become a Small College City or a Small City. It used to be where there was small pockets of walkability like one reviewer mentioned with only those who could afford it, a few bars, some nice restaurants and not much transportation. Now it's a place where it has attracted so much businesses from Restaurants and Office Space, Entertainment, from Chandler, Gilbert, and even some from it's 3rd biggest city in Arizona neighbor Mesa due to it's friendliness to Mixed Use, Building Types and easily has an advantage due Transportation with the Tempe Streetcar and Light Rail. Also this is not just to Mill Avenue for ASU, but also outward to South Tempe and to North Tempe as well near Scottsdale with building nice walkable and premium areas. I would categorize Tempe as more forward thinking and much faster paced than all of it's neighbors overall. It's a beautiful city with so much to do that I think it is 10 years ahead of everyone else in the East Valley that is only just figuring out about these concepts as a whole.
Phoenix, AZ
The Heart Of Arizona. -
6/29/2024As someone that has worked in Phoenix for close to 20 years now. There is great areas to eat at, great opportunities for premium small businesses to set up shop and even developer friendly for those who would like to be creative and innovate in the heart of Arizona that could not do so anywhere else. Also Phoenix is home to a lot of great sports arenas, services, businesses, and is building great transportation with Rail and Bus-Rapid-Transit. I would only recommend Phoenix to those who are used to big cities and wish to try to make Phoenix the a great city of it's own. There is so much potential to work with here.
Maricopa, AZ
Maricopa a beautiful fast growing City. -
6/29/2024I can safely say that Central Arizona is a fast growing area alongside Buckeye in the West. As East Valley prices are spiraling out of control currently and has become unlivable everyone is trying to find affordability to the West and Central parts of Arizona, to find a walkable, with great transportation community orientated environment that is something they can not get in the East Valley. Maricopa is one of those places and almost feels like home in the East Valley like one reviewer mentioned which i do echo. I also do hope for more Mixed Use as well, and potentially Rail to take me to work and back because in the East Valley it feels like it was built wrong and focused on one direction and was not entirely balanced on Transportation like Rail, Bus Rapid Transit and various Building types especially near Rail and Bus Rapid Transit, but just car only and not enough walkability unless you live in good areas sadly. I definitely will recommend it to anyone who wishes to have the East Valley feel but something different and more affordable with a focus on public safety.
Buckeye, AZ
Silently the Fastest Growing City in Arizona -
6/29/2024I have visited Buckeye and it is amazing how it has transformed over the last 5 years along with other parts of the parts of the West and Central Arizona becoming fast growing areas that is no longer the East Valley. In fact currently, Buckeye in the West Valley is in the top 15 fastest growing Cities in America alongside Maricopa City in Central. This is in part because Buckeye is very community friendly, including Business and Development, affordable living that is one of the lowest in the entire country for apartments and housing, also importantly walkable, with smart and sustainable planning for urban environments than just the Car. It is not locked to the past and is learning from mistakes in other spots in the valley and across the U.S. This is definitely a place to look into if you wish to be apart of a city that is new rather than one that is set in it's ways or is going to take a long time to see the results of. As most of the East Valley has to redevelop but Buckeye has tons of land and is able to develop quicker. I love what I see here, and can see myself living here as time goes on especially if it builds for more rail, mixed use, and cycling like it has been over time.