Demi Ward

Fountain Hills is a dreamy town that borders Scottsdale, AZ. The city is rich in scenery and is low key and relaxing, with some of the friendliest people you will find in the Phoenix metropolitan area. One of the main attractions in Fountain Hills is it's spectacular fountain that erupts from a lake at the top of the hour for about 15 minutes at a time, through out the day and into the evening. The fountain is illuminated at night and is a beautiful sight, as it is the 4th largest fountain in the world! Fountain Hills has several annual fairs and other events that feature art, music and wine tasting. Mountain views abound in many directions. You can see the Four Peaks, the Superstition Mountains and the McDowell Mountains from many points in the area. If you are looking for entertainment - a convenient option is the Ft.McDowell Casino, which is just a stone's throw away. This casino features the state's largest card room and also offers gambling instruction and lots of free entertainment. There are also many top musical artists that perform at the casino throughout the year, especially on major holiday weekends. The downside of Fountain Hills is that there is not a whole lot of employment there, which has limited the growth of the town and keeps property values lower than in neighboring Scottsdale. It is an ideal place though, to raise a family or to retire, due to its secluded location and relaxed way of life.

Litchfield Park is a planned residential community, 16 miles west of central Phoenix. This is a nice and affordable area with many conveniences and a touch of luxury, as it is the home of the Wigwam Country Club, Championship Golf Resort & Red Door Spa. There's a real wholesome small town feel here that anyone raising a family can appreciate. There are also lots of parks and recreational areas nearby including the White Tanks Regional Park, which features many unusual petroglyphs or rock carvings. Estrella Mountain Regional Park is also nearby, which features an 18-hole golf course, as well as camping, horseback riding, hiking and picnic facilities. You can also visit the Wildlife World Zoo & Aquarium, located at 16501 W. Northern Ave., Litchfield Park, AZ 85340, which is open 365 days a year. Litchfield Park is easily accessible from I-10, which makes this a great place to visit for travelers as well as residents of the Phoenix metropolitan area. The city of Litchfield Park hosts many different events each year including outdoor food festivals, outdoor concerts, outdoor arts festivals and many other events. PIR (Phoenix International Raceway) is also located here, which hosts major auto racing events throughout the year. Major employers in the area include Morton Salt and Lockheed Martin. Litchfield Park is also a popular place to live for many military retirees due to the close proximity of Luke Air Force Base. Overall, this area has a lot to offer for families, retirees and travelers alike.

This is a somewhat remote area with very scenic views. One of the pitfalls when driving in this area is limited cell phone reception, but this doesn't matter much because you will want to focus your attention on all of the scenery around you. There are lots of residential neighborhoods tucked far off Carefree Hwy. Many of the homes are perched on mountainsides with remote access. There are also lots of bikers/motorcyclist that enjoy traveling down Carefree Hwy and they also congregate in the nearby town of Carefree, AZ, that has lots of charming shops, art galleries and restaurants - with a real wild west feel. If you decide to venture into the city of Carefree, be sure to watch your speed, as this is a small town speed trap at its best! Carefree Hwy dead ends into North Scottsdale road, which offers a spectacular view of the Boulders, a very unique rock formation - which is also the location of the Boulders Resort and Golden Door Spa. The Boulders Resort features golfing, fine dining, shopping and much, much more. For those with some money and time on their hands, this resort may be just what you are looking for. http://www.theboulders.com/

The moon valley area of Phoenix is not as prestigious as other areas in the valley, such as Scottsdale, but there are some very nice older neighborhoods that should be considered, if you are looking for value and less hype. At the time of this writing (late 2010) quality homes could be found from $85,000 up to over $1,000,000 in this area. This is because there are both low lying areas and mountainous areas in the area, with the higher priced homes perched in secluded neighborhoods with awesome views. Many of these homes provide spectacular scenic views of mountains and lower areas of the valley. There are also several golf courses in the area, including the courses at Moon Valley Country Club, as well as The Pointe Golf Course at Lookout Mountain. A popular spot for outdoor recreation is the North Mountain Park Preserve Area, a landmark peak with great panoramic views of the city from its summit. The recreation area includes 5 different walking/hiking/nature trails, with a maximum elevation of up to right over 2,000 ft. Large ramadas are also available for picnic reservations and other smaller ones are available on a first-come, first-serve basis. Overall, Moon Valley offers eclectic living that is affordable for all. This is the perfect area for relaxed city living without compromise, since there is also adequate low profile dining and shopping in the area.

Central Avenue is a very busy corridor that divides up the city. This area is also known as Midtown. The METRO light rail also runs down Central avenue, which is a major convenience for commuters, since tens of thousands of residents are employed in the immediate area. In addition to many businesses, there's plenty of places to live, shop, dine and be entertained in the area. If you are looking for variety in dining, this is the perfect area of the city to frequent. Some of the best restaurants in the area include: Postino Central, Fez, Oregano's Pizza Bistro and the Barrio Cafe. Another interesting find, which is further north on Central Avenue is Bomberos Cafe & Wine Bar, which is technically not in the Midtown area, but is worth the drive north on Central Ave to hit this spot. Bomberos is officially the valley's first South American cafe - and it was built in a refurbished fire house! The atmosphere is open and friendly and the restaurant has a cozy outdoor firepit and seating area, which is nice on cool desert nights. In Midtown, you can easily access shopping outlets, like those found at the Christown Spectrum Mall, which was also Arizona’s first air conditioned, enclosed mall. The main branch of the public library and the Phoenix Art Museum are also right on Central Avenue. So, if you are looking to truly experience the city of Phoenix, Midtown/Central Avenue is the place to start, to sample all that the city has to offer in culture, arts, entertainment, dining and history.

I bought a condo near the intersection of E. Shea Blvd. and Tatum Blvd. This is called the "magic zip code" in the area (85254), since you get a Scottsdale mailing address and Scottsdale schools, but you pay taxes to the City of Phoenix. There's a mix of apartments, condos and houses in the area, where three cities literally meet: Phoenix, Scottsdale and Paradise Valley. Singles, families and retirees all have an interest in living here for various reasons. There are many people who own property here that they use on a recreational basis, during the cooler months (a.k.a. "snowbirds"). There are a ton of resorts, spas, golf courses and country clubs in the area. I was in the Paradise Bakery at this intersection just a few weeks ago, when Grant Hill (Phx Suns) came in the store one Saturday afternoon. So if you like to rub shoulders with the rich and famous, this is an area that you may want to consider living in. The closest major shopping center is the Paradise Valley Mall, which is an older mall that has been well maintained. It has many stores and there are tons of other shops and restaurants in the same vicinity of the mall. For a higher end shopping experience, try going to the Kierland Commons shopping area at Greenway Pkwy & Scottsdale Rd or the Scottsdale Fashion Square Mall at Camelback Rd & Scottsdale Rd.

I moved to this area as a cost savings measure, but I later regretted the decision. The intersection where I moved is very deceiving, as the traffic patterns vary greatly depending on the time of day and the day of the week. I rented an apartment that faced the road (a big mistake) and could never have any peace and quiet due to all of the tractor trailers, motorcycles and cars with loud thumping bass music pumping at all hours of the night. My windows frequently rattled from the traffic passing by. To make matters worse, I had someone steal a bike from my upstairs front balcony in broad open daylight (they cut through the chains) - so crime is definitely a problem with this area. There are frequent emergencies in the area and the noise from the fire engines is ear piercing and stressful. Helicopters are often heard overhead, day and night, covering the news of different events and/or searching for fugitives suspected to be on the run in the vicinity. Living in here is like living in a war zone. Also, the power always goes out whenever there's a major thunderstorm and it takes hours for the power to be restored. There's also frequent flooding of the roads when it storms - so beware! On a positive note, there's convenient access to the canal system / bike trails in the area, but I unfortunately did not get to experience this but a few times before my bike was stolen. When my lease was up on my apartment, I rejoiced so I could move to an area with less drama!

I moved to this area for convenience reasons. I live about 2 blocks from the 202 Loop (Red Mountain Freeway) which is located very close to the Phoenix Sky Harbor airport. I am also only about 10-15 minutes from downtown Phoenix when the traffic is light - and the east valley cities are all very accessible from this location. If you travel north on 44th street, you will cut directly through the Arcadia District, Biltmore District, Camelback District and some of the most scenic parts of Paradise Valley, where 44th street turns into Tatum Blvd, as you travel north into Scottsdale. I was attracted to the area because of the Arcadia District, because I have an interest in arts and the eclectic mix of people, as well as being a fan of the charming, mid-century homes in the area that have largely been upgraded and modernized. The schools in the area have a fairly good reputation as well. For the most part, the area is relatively peaceful, although I can sometimes hear traffic noise from the 202 Loop, which is only a few blocks away from my apartment complex. The best immediate shopping area is at 44th street and East Thomas Rd. There's a large Fry's, Target, Ross, Petco, Sears, Office Max and other stores in the shopping center. There are fast and inexpensive places to eat like Chipolte, Scholtzskys and IHOP in this area as well. If you head north on 44th street a few blocks to E. Indian School Rd. you will find additional places to grab a bite to eat including Pei Wei, Starbucks, Rubio's and The Wildflower Bread Co. Now, if you want to do some serious shopping, your best bet is to continue heading north on 44th street to E. Camelback Rd. then head west for a few miles until you hit the Biltmore Fashion Park. This mall features high end retailers including Macy's and Saks Fifth Avenue as well as an array of moderately priced and upper ending dining venues. My favorite dining spot at the mall is Stingray Sushi because of the fresh atmosphere, great outdoor patio and wonderful happy hour specials.

I moved to the Deer Valley area in order to be close to my employer, as I was working at the PetSmart Corporate office off of I-17 at the time. There are other corporate offices in the area including Wells Fargo Home Mortgage, American Express, Discover Card Services, Safeway and Lucent Technologies. The Deer Valley airport is also close by, which features car rental services, a restaurant, a gift shop and a flight school. I found that there is a lack of convenience in terms of quality grocery shopping in the area. There are grocery stores around like Fry's and Safeway, but they are the smaller/lower end versions of these stores. There are many apartment complexes in the area and lots of moderately priced houses, etc. I don't think that this is the best area for children. It is a concrete jungle for the most part. Nightlife in this area is pretty much non existent except for the occasional strip club or restaurant bars at places like the Macaroni Grill. I have also noticed some graffiti in select parts of the Deer Valley area. I don't know what the crime rate in the area is, but there are alot of transient people and college students that go to UTI's MMI (motorcycle technology school), so there are alot of motorcycles around creating noise. If you are looking for shopping in the area, it is fairly limited. If you need to do major shopping, the best option is to venture east on the 101 to the Desert Ridge Marketplace. http://www.shopdesertridge.com/

I moved into the Tramonto neighborhood and found the area to be very pleasant for the most part. The neighborhood is very clean and relatively peaceful. The only exception to this is the noise that sometimes carries over the I-17 corridor from the Ben Avery Shooting Facility off of Carefree Hwy. This facility is actually open at 7AM during the summer months, so if you are considering moving to the Carefree Hwy area near I-17, please be aware of this fact, as you may be awakened early on the weekends, due to shooting guns. One nice thing about this area is the scenery and the fact that it is relatively close to Lake Pleasant, where you can partake in outdoor activities like camping, boating, kayaking, fishing, swimming, hiking, picnicking, and wildlife viewing. During the cooler months, North Phoenix is the place to be for viewing hot air balloons in the morning sky - its a beautiful sight! Also, there's many shops and restaurants off of I-17 and Happy Valley Rd (The Shops at Norterra) when you are ready for your next shopping adventure. You can also head north on I-17 a few miles to the city of Anthem, AZ - where you will find the Outlets of Anthem - an outdoor/indoor mall with tons of name brand/designer outlet stores and a nice food court. When you are done shopping, you may want to head over to Off the Hook Sushi & Martini Bar, where you can people watch and get an affordable bite to eat and drink. Overall, the North Phoenix area has a lot to offer and is one of the best parts of the metro area to live.