What’s not to love about Phoenix? Arizona’s capital is home to a vast state where epic movies are made, hit songs naming its cities are played, and tourists flock year-round for an escape. With the cost of living lower than the national average, year-round sunshine and exquisite culture, The Valley provides many comforts without breaking the bank. Folks from all walks of life can thrive here. Whether you’re looking for the best areas to raise a family, a place suited for working from home, a bustling area for young professionals, want to live life lavishly, or are looking for a second home, we know just the right neighborhoods to match your needs.
Here are our top five best places to live in Metro Phoenix for…
1. Raising Families | North Central Phoenix
North Central Phoenix exudes a fantastic midwestern feel as many newly renovated ranch-style homes are enclosed on spacious lots, filled with sprawling green lawns, making it one of the most picturesque and desirable neighborhoods in the city. North Central has some of the best public and private schools including Brophy College Preparatory High School, All Saints’ Episcopal Day School and St. Francis Xavier School. After the school bell rings, pick up the kids and take them and Fido for a bike or stroll on the Murphy Bridle Path Trail along Central Avenue, which is iconic for its postcard ash and olive trees dating back to the early 1900s. When you work up an appetite, there are numerous family-owned restaurants, unique shops, and boutiques in the area – everything you need to keep the family engaged. North Central really feels like a small city within a city. A great bonus is that the airport is just a short drive away.
2. Work from Home | Uptown & Downtown
If you love being in the center of it all, while having the flexibility to work from home, with the convenience of making a dash to the office if you need to, Uptown and Downtown Phoenix are your sweet spots. The ability to run a meeting from home, walk to a neighboring gym during your lunch break, and be back in under an hour for your next meeting, is unmatched. If you grow tired of working from your home or office, there are plenty of coffee shops like Cartel Coffee Lab where the WIFI is just as strong as the coffee. Once your laptop is closed, you can easily access downtown restaurants and shops to get together with friends – you can’t miss Uptown Plaza. If you’re more outdoorsy, you can easily hike or bike to nearby parks in the area. If you ever need to take your mind off from work, head to the Japanese Friendship Garden and take a stroll under the canopy of beautiful Japanese Maple trees and take in the serenity of the water.
3. Luxury Living | Paradise Valley
Paradise Valley looks exactly how it sounds. Forget Texas – everything in “PV” – as the locals call it – is big! Secluded luxury estates sit on vast acres, nestled on cliffsides, with stunning views of Camelback Mountain that will simply take your breath away. This wealthy enclave is dripping in luxury golf courses, boutique shops and destination resorts that attract tourists year-round. PV is surrounded by eight resorts that are also some of the area’s top employers such as the JW Marriott Camelback Inn Resort & Spa. Many of the resorts include residences such as the Ritz Carlton, Azure, Mountain Shadows and Ascent at the Phoenician. Residents here have access to over 10 sought-after public and private schools in the area, not to mention some of the best dining and shopping around. If that’s not enough, there’s more! PV straddles Central Phoenix, Arcadia, and Scottsdale- so residents can also dine, eat, and play at some of the best spots these surrounding neighborhoods have to offer. In a nutshell, PV is the best place for the wealthy to thrive and be alive!
4. Young Professionals | Arcadia Lite and South Scottsdale
With a growing economy and plenty of opportunities for higher education at nearby Arizona State University, it’s no wonder that Arcadia Lite and South Scottsdale are popular destinations for young professionals. Both neighborhoods blend well into one another, offering affordable and modern homes that are perfect for young professionals with access to tons of locally owned restaurants bars, gyms, yoga studios, with a vibrant social scene. Young parents love taking their kids to the Scottsdale Greenbelt, an 11-mile recreational pathway that connects several outdoor areas including a skate park, an artificial lake, and a golf course. McCormick Stillman Railroad Park is also a big hit with the kids.
5. Second Homes | North Scottsdale
If you have your eyes on Arizona for a second home – we get it – you’re looking for that picture perfect experience where you find yourself sipping an ice-cold margarita in one hand, while placing your other hand above your brow to watch a Harris Hawk sail past a Saguaro cactus as it contemplates its next meal at sundown. Sounds too good to be true? Well, the Phoenix isn’t real, but the rest is the postcard getaway you’ve always dreamed of. North Scottsdale is one of the best places for those travel magazine experiences that make your second home feel like a vacation. You’ll find anything from condominiums to sprawling residential estates that showcase architectural styles of Spanish Mission, Mediterranean Revival and Southwest style homes that are also close to great schools. Architect Frank Lloyd Wright’s winter home, Taliesin West, is a prominent tourist attraction and a national historic landmark home. The home is nestled in the desert foothills of the McDowell Mountains.
No matter what drives you in life and where you want to live, there’s something in Phoenix for just about everyone. Our neighborhoods are as unique as the tapestry of flavors and cultures that draw new residents from all over the world, and nobody understands them better than our team at Halpern Residential.