Reviews & Comments
Apache Junction, AZ
A retirement Town -
4/8/2024Apache Junction is more or less a retirement town for those who are not middle class or upper income. It is for those who can not afford to work anymore and live out their years in peace. The only criticism i can give is that i do wish there was more mixed use elderly care facilities and also places that emphasize walkability for those that can not drive and that desperately need everything in close proximity with some public transit help if necessary. Other than that Apache Junction is not bad at all.
Mesa, AZ
Good city, and well planned for it's Urban Renewal -
4/8/2024Mesa is a really good city despite some trouble with Superstition Springs and the failure that is Fiesta Mall, there is nice areas throughout and some areas that need to be Redeveloped badly, also there is solid transportation in Central and West Mesa. East Mesa and Southeast Mesa is a growing part of the city, and the City Council does an excellent job of staying on top of all the problems residents have and they are very communicative as a whole. There is tons of good Ice Cream places, Restaurants, and even Downtown is starting to renew itself with new buildings coming online in the coming months especially with Melody On Main.
I will say that Mesa in contrast to many cities and towns has good staffing when it comes to Public Safety and also has excellent programs to help the homeless who are down on their luck to rehab in society. They also have an eye for the future with approvals for Fiber Internet, Water Storage smart meters, Cybersecurity investment for the city and even an understanding of a need for Public Transit and Urban Renewal as a whole. Mesa is slow moving with it's projects as the 3rd largest city but it thinks things through rather than quickly builds out and not understanding where and how everything will work.
I would positively recommend anyone to visit this city and potentially move if they are interested in what i am saying above. Mesa is not the same city as it was 10 years ago, and is moving towards something much greater and more grand. Although it will take time to see it will be great when it does happen.
Phoenix, AZ
Big City Revitalization. -
4/7/2024Phoenix has tons of the best places to shop and eat at bar none due to it being the big city. Downtown is definitely underrated. There also is some nice new developments going on throughout the city and some cleanup/rebuild aspects throughout as well. The only reason why i can not give Phoenix a 5 star despite it having Light Rail, Bus Service and building out, is that they definitely have issues with crime in certain areas in the big city, homelessness. They need public safety and community organizers to help cool down the areas that are very bad and dangerous so that way things can get better throughout the city. Otherwise it's not a bad place to live in overall.
Gilbert, AZ
Small Town feel mixed with Urbanism. -
4/7/2024Gilbert should be compared to the Midwest in the sense that despite the size of the buildings being 5 stories tall in Mixed Use Areas, it retains the small town feeling, and there seems to be an understanding of how to integrate uses together rather than segmenting them apart from each other. Agritopia is a huge hit and is a highlight of how to do Mixed Use correctly that feels like it's apart of the town's character than to just build out quickly, i hope there is more throughout it because the walkability of this town is definitely up there with Tempe and Phoenix, but keeps it's character while doing so.
It's a safe normal blue collar town that is similar to Chandler, and has some excellent school districts as a whole. I would recommend anyone interested in the things i said to go out and see for themselves and if they like it move here. Like one user said the only downside is that there is not much transit and it could definitely use a Train at the Verde Station and make a stop to Agritopia, even 15 minute bus service. Which Transportation is a sore spot in the valley as a whole.
Tempe, AZ
A Fastbreak towards Urbanism -
4/7/2024Tempe is a small city that definitely has nice areas, nice weather, the people are always good, and it is home of ASU. The Tempe town council has done a good job towards making a college town become a college city in which there is tons of things to do, to eat, and to live in, have all amenities within a 15 minute walk. This is in no small part to the city council doing an excellent job at realizing that a college town should not have one area that is walkable or even have just transit in that area. But instead has great apartments, condos, townhomes near the campus, and even the car free life breakout development in the Southwest of Culdesac Tempe which stands out amongst the rest of cities and towns that is next to the Light Rail, Streetcar and Bus with tons of places to shop, eat, and go to for entertainment.
The only reason why i gave Tempe a 4 star instead of a 5, is due to the need for more public safety and rehab services in certain areas. Other than that Tempe to me is a solid College City that really has grown very well over the years and is on the fast track of being ahead of the pack along with Phoenix.
Chandler, AZ
A great town that still has the magic. -
4/7/2024As someone that has lived in Chandler nearly my whole life. I understand Chandler has it's fair share of problems in recent decades from affordability to certain areas that have become desolate and just blight. But that is no reason to write off a town as good as Chandler, as all towns go through it's phases from great to decline back to great again. Chandler has been absolutely resilient and is a beloved area for all natives in Arizona, that have lived in the state for decades to where it commands the respect of Phoenix, Mesa, Chandler and even Gilbert Town Council members that visit annually, including those that visit from California. There is also small business owners that are placed with greater emphasis than just your standard franchise, the weather is beautiful and crime is not really much of an issue compared to larger cities and towns. Chandler is a Blue Collar town as a whole much like Gilbert is.
With that being said, i can positively agree that Chandler does need some TLC in regards to Transportation and Housing. Transportation needs to be better and be every 15 minutes with Bus Rides, there also should be a Streetcar that heads into Mesa like another user mentioned. While there is plenty of shopping and hospitality, but there is a severe lack of housing and perhaps Mixed Use would be very helpful as a whole for Chandler to retain it's small town feel with 5-10 stories without compromising on it's small town feel by building a giant skysc****r looking really off in a small town like Chandler. I have visited the Chandler Council these last few months and have felt very encouraged by the direction the town is heading in addressing these new challenges i mentioned above to grow smart rather than grow huge and to plan everything out with efficiency in mind than just approving everything and throwing it out there.
I do believe Chandler still has the magic, and i would encourage everyone who can no longer live here and are frustrated to have patience as the housing crisis will be behind us one day and those who were priced out will one day be able to live in Chandler again once more.
Gilbert, AZ
re: Good Walkability, Mixed Use, Safe. Lacks
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4/7/2024I positively agree, Gilbert is a lovely town that is definitely blue collar and family friendly. The Epicenter is very cool and i have had no issues with anyone at all. Very small town Midwestern feeling in the mixed use buildings that blend with the Arizona scenery i just adore. Agritopia is something i wish more Arizona Towns had. Transit should be a thing for these Mixed Use Developments anyways.