Moving to Phoenix

[britta9913]

We may be moving to Phoenix from MI in 2 months. DH is currently in Phoenix for a series of interviews with a company hq'ed in downtown. He is excited and hopeful that an offer will come soon. I'm a little freaked out at the thought of moving across the country, and overwhelmed with the task of finding a neighborhood, city, school district, dr's, playgroups, etc...

Can anyone recommend areas (cities or neighborhoods, etc...) that are AP friendly, community activities, access to natural living types of stores, etc? I don't want to be a toddlerwearing outcast.

We also have a hearing impaired daughter, who will need a hearing impaired school.

Thanks

[longislandmom]

I just moved here in the heat of summer from NY. It should be even easier for you. I am not sure if this school is what you need:
http://www.asdb.state.az.us/pdsd/

If DH is working dowtown then I think living in southern Phoenix or any town in the south part of the valley is best to keep his commute down. You can try Gilbert, Chandler, Tempe. Other that have lived here longer will probably be more helpful.

One more link for a school in Mesa that may be close to where you end up:
http://ssdhh.edkey.org/

[tallulahma]

i moved from mi to az... but to tucson.

your moving at a great time.

i love it here.

gl!

[Gr8ful Momma]

:

I'min the process of trying to moved to Phoenix.

[britta9913]

Thanks for the links and info, it's almost overwhelming trying to do everything from here in MI but we can't afford a house hunting trip down there to find a house to rent. Anyone have a good realtor they can recommend? Looking into Gilbert or Mesa I think. I really don't even know where to look!

:

[KerriAZ]

I'm in Chandler and I love it here! I've been here for 10 years now. There are several natural stores close by where I am. There are actually 2 school districts in Chandler, Chandler and Kyrene. We live in the Kyrene boundaries and it is one of the best districts in the state. We love it. (My DD is in 1st grade...)

PM me and I can give you the name of a realtor who could possibly help you out!

Good luck to your DH in his interviews and best of luck with your move! Let me know if there is anything I can do to help you out!

[rgjmja]

I'm born and raised Arizonian !!

Born in Tucson and a few years later moved into the East Valley , (Mesa , Chandler, Gilbert)..

Go to each of the cities websites and take a peek and see if any one particular city catches your eye ..
The thing about the metro phoenix area is that the cities all run into each other!
Meaning you could be standing at an intersection and be in 3 different cities all at once ..

I love it here !!
2 to 3 hours to Snow and Seasons !
6 hours and you are at the ocean !
3 hours and you are in another country !
6 hours and you are in another country on the beach !!
No Earthquakes, no Tornado's , no Hurricanes .
It's 70-80 degrees around Christmas !!

[britta9913]

We're looking at homes in Val Vista Lakes, any thoughts for/against?

[rgjmja]

Originally Posted by britta9913

We're looking at homes in Val Vista Lakes, any thoughts for/against?

Nice area , great community association with lots of activities for the kids and the adults . It's a family Community !
I think you will really like it .

HOA is very involved, so I don't know how you feel about that !

[Killick]

I just have to put a plug in for South Phoenix. It is close to town, great hiking trails within nice walking distance, and if your DH is working downtown, the commute is significantly less.

We live in the S. Phoenix area and love it.

[KMK_Mama]

I was born and raised in AZ. I was born in Scottsdale, then lived in Ahwatukee (suburb of Phoenix), moved to Mesa when I got married and now we're in Queen Creek.

I have heard that the best school districts are Gilbert & Kyrene. There are also plenty of charter schools around.

[Leningradka]

Hi! I moved here from NY last April, and I love it! I work in downtown Phoenix (good samaritan hospital), and live in Scottsdale. If you and/or hubby will be working downtown, you might wanna stay in Central/N Central phoenix. My commute is under 30 min - but I hate traffic so that is JMHO. I dont know much about schools, and I am renting, so I still have time to figure out if we will need to move further/closer depending on schools.
No offense to anyone, but if you are working downtown, I think commuting from anywhere but Phoenix/Scottsdale is too long. But then again, I used to commute to Brooklyn 2 hours/day so I REALLY HATE commuting. I would say see where your hubby will be working, and then depending on that decide how much time are you willing (or he) to spend in the car each morning/eve. I also bought a book when I was moving, it was called "Where to live in Phoenix" and it gave you a good idea of schools, housing prices, commuting times, etc.

Also, not to be a Scottsdale Snob but we do have a ton of natural stores, practitioners, yoga studios, and in general anywhere in PHoenix , but esp Scottsdale (or as some call it Snottsdale) people tend to be very conscious of their health/appearances/well being. So my personal vote goes for N Central Phoenix/Scottsdale Area. PM me if you would like more info.

[calicocj]

I am in Scottsdale too, but really South Scottsdale, almost North Tempe.

It is a very convenient location for us since DH and I both work in Tempe and we feel the same about commuting as the PP - HATE it!

Welcome to AZ!

[britta9913]

So bummed to share that they low-balled the offer for him so he turned it down. We just can't take a job less than what he is making now, and they weren't going to comp him any moving/relo expenses... it's just too much to stomach financially. Bah humbug... stuck in MI in Auto World for a while longer I guess. He is doing a phone interview with a Tucson company early next week... but I haven't found many nice things being said about the city.

[mama2elisabeth]

We moved from Phoenix last summer and LOVED living downtown. I think it gets a bad rep as most downtown areas do, but it was a great place to live. Very artsy and lots of hippie folks. I just hated the summer heat and lack of winter so we moved.

Good luck!