Photography by Michael Woodall Robson historic district, Mesa

...Arcadia! Why not save the best for last and reward our loyal Web readers at the same time? The rest of the list is below, and you can click here to view last year’s Best Places to Live. Enjoy.


                   * * * *

Peacocks and pontoon boats. Horses and foodie havens. Here are some of the Valley’s best places to call home, based on your own personality.

Forget numbers, headlines and foreclosure data for a moment and think back to when you entered the market as a home-buying newbie. Remember those days?

The house wasn’t perfect, and the location probably could have been a few blocks better. The kitchen needed a makeover, or maybe the yard needed an intervention.

Still, there was always the house. It was shelter, an ideal place to raise a family or to claim a part of the world as your own.

In light of the real estate meltdown, that’s the kind of vision we need to regain these days, says one real estate expert. “I really think the best place to live is where you want to live,” says Diane Scherer, chief executive officer of the Phoenix Association of Realtors. “You have to look at the next 10 years, not the next six months.”

So shove the numbers in a drawer and match your personality to 21 of the Valley’s Best Places to Live. This is life beyond the “portfolio.”

The Aspiring Arcadian
East Arcadia, Phoenix
85018

Fans of Postino’s, rejoice: No longer must you cry into your organic wine or feel guilty about illegally parking in someone’s driveway. Affordable homes in distinct neighborhoods exist just around the corner from your Gucci watering hole.
 
A diverse crowd of artists, poets, blue-collar Joes and government employees call the 40th Street corridor near Indian School Road home. When they’re not painting, writing, walking or renovating their old ranch-style homes, they’re hitting up restaurants such as La Grande Orange, Over Easy, Radio Milano and The Vig, or stopping by less pretentious spots like Chicago Hamburger Company, Thai Lahna and Mama Java’s coffeehouse. The Bike Barn, one of the city’s oldest independent bike shops, is just around the corner.
 
With that kind of lineup, it’s almost surprising that a block party didn’t materialize sooner than last November. That’s when cops stood guard as residents came out to watch hip-hop dance troupes and scarf hamburger sliders in the middle of Indian School Road.
 
“You have many, many different kinds of people here – a very broad range of demographics,” says Sylvia Block, a retired human resources executive and area resident since 1996. “It’s a diverse area. We have a little bit of everything.”
 
Recent stats show that the average home price across the 85018 ZIP code was in the low $400s. This includes the posh Arcadia area. But here, just a block or two away from 40th Street and Indian School Road, three-bedroom charmers were going for under $300,000 at press time.

Encanto, Phoenix

The Modest Couple
Madison, Phoenix
85016

Ralph Haver was a visionary. After serving in World War II, he returned to the U.S. and eventually came to Phoenix to practice his first love: architecture. The location? About five minutes northeast of midtown Phoenix in what must have seemed like the outskirts in the 1950s.

But that’s the kind of vibe much of the Madison area still embodies today. Haver’s simple yet modern homes, located around 16th Street and Bethany Home Road, are hidden treasures that punctuate this neighborhood’s character, which appeals to young families and retired folks alike. The area is almost 60 years old, but it hasn’t lost a step.

Got a dog? Like to hike? Love to eat? This area is for you. Enroll your kids in one of the state’s best school districts, marvel at the area’s stock of mature trees and irrigated lawns, sip iced tea on the front porch of your modest ’50s-era brick ranch home, and laugh at the ridiculously short drive to Piestewa Peak, Sky Harbor International Airport, Downtown and the Camelback corridor. Restaurants such as Richardson’s, TEXAZ Grill, Phoenix City Grille and more are just a short walk away. All of this can be had for under $300,000 in some cases.

There are no homeowners’ associations. There are no red-tile roofs. Haver would be proud. “It’s not very common anymore in Phoenix,” says Laura Bartos, a retired city employee and Madison area resident since 1980. “We all walk, and we all know our neighbors.”


The Friendly Neighbor
Encanto, Phoenix
85007

There’s a reason homes in the 75-year-old historic district of Encanto-Palmcroft have, for the most part, upheld their values lately: People love living here. Perhaps it’s the design of the neighborhood, which sits between Seventh and 15th avenues from McDowell Road to Encanto Boulevard. The quaint homes were designed to look toward each other, encouraging a sense of community, according to the Encanto-Palmcroft Historic Preservation Association. Or perhaps it’s the uniqueness of the homes themselves: You’ll find several different architectural styles here among the nearly 330 houses, including American Colonial Revival, Spanish Colonial, Tudor Revival, Cape Cod and Pueblo Revival.

Or just maybe it’s Encanto Park, which sits in the center of it all. This 222-acre park features fishing and boating, a golf course, lighted recreation courts, a playground, pool, grilling stations and the historic Norton House. In addition, Enchanted Island Amusement Park offers plenty of rides for the kiddies. Basically, there’s no reason not to get to know your neighbors with this park nearby. And once you’ve made a few new friends, invite them out for a casual drink at the hip new lounge, Sidebar, at Seventh Avenue and McDowell Road. Or head to the eclectic cluster of restaurants at 15th Avenue and Thomas Road, which includes Persian Garden Café, Mu Shu Asian Grill and The Original Hamburger Works.


The $40K Millionaire
South Scottsdale
85251

If you have champagne tastes but a budget for beer, consider the area just a bit south of downtown Scottsdale, between Indian School and Osborn roads from roughly Scottsdale Road to 80th Street. This isn’t south south Scottsdale, the rougher border between Scottsdale and Tempe that seems to be home to more strip malls and strip joints than actual homes. Rather, it’s the more acceptable southern enclave of Scottsdale, best for those who like a bustling nightlife scene and the swankiest restaurants and shopping centers but are still far from being able to fit the bill for it.

You’ll still share a ZIP code with the ritzy Optima Camelview Village and Scottsdale Waterfront condos (which could cost you a cool mil or more, if you had it), but you’ll want to opt for something like the Pueblo Verde Condos instead. These cute decade-old, pueblo-style homes located on Earll Drive will run you closer to $250,000 but still offer the same perks of living in Scottsdale – namely location, location, location. You’ll be within walking or biking distance of Scottsdale Fashion Square, Scottsdale Stadium and plenty of places to eat and drink in Old Town.

In fact, there are several affordable condos and townhomes in this area, many of which have been renovated and remodeled with hardwood or tile flooring and the newest appliances. So don’t judge these buildings before taking a look inside; just like you and your checking account, they’re probably more stylish than their price tags imply.


The Budding Artist
Downtown Glendale
85301

Everyone knows that downtown Scottsdale and Roosevelt Row in Phoenix harbor some pretty talented artists, but if you’re wondering where our next crop of gifted painters, sculptors, photographers and actors will come from, look to downtown Glendale. Not only is arts and culture a $6.6 million industry in Glendale, according to a recent national economic impact study of nonprofit arts organizations, it’s also home to 235 arts-related businesses. This number surely will grow, thanks to the Glendale Arts Commission, which awarded 25 performing arts grants to nonprofits, schools and government agencies in the city for the 2008-2009 fiscal year.

And nowhere else in the Valley fosters the arts for our younger generations like this westside community. In addition to monthly events and workshops held at the Glendale Public Library, check out the city’s Summer Art Camp. Held June 29 through July 30 at the historic Sahuaro Ranch, children ages 6 to 18 will be able to attend five four-day workshops conducted by artists of different mediums. There are so many arts programs to tout, in fact, that the city recently launched a new TV show on Glendale 11, the city’s cable channel, titled Glendale’s Got Art, which highlights different arts and cultural activities in the city as well as young artists and their works around town.

If you’re looking to settle in closest to Glendale’s arty hubs ­– downtown and the historic Caitlin Court district – you’re in for a steal. Modest single-family homes and condos in the 85301 ZIP code were running $50,000 (no joke) to $150,000 at press time. If you need a bit more room and luxury to encourage the whims of the budding artist in your family, check out some of Glendale’s tonier ’hoods, like Arrowhead Ranch, Hillcrest Ranch, Palomino and Hidden Manor, which all can be found between 59th and 79th avenues from Union Hills Drive to Pinnacle Peak Road. Homes in these neighborhoods easily push the million-dollar mark, so let’s hope your talented tots don’t turn into artists of the starving variety.

Esplanade, Phoenix

The Workaholic
Esplanade,Phoenix
85016

Don’t worry, we’ll make this quick, we know you only have a sec. You’re a busy attorney/stock broker/ad exec, after all, and we know how valuable your time is. Impressive skills, by the way. It’s not easy juggling a venti mocha frappé while checking your Blackberry calendar, talking into your Bluetooth and power walking (in stilettos!) to your next meeting. You’re always on the go, have a Type A personality and don’t hear the word “no” often. You already know the Esplanade area is a great place to punch the clock (not that you ever stop working), so why not make it a great place to live as well?

Esplanade Place is right up your alley. This luxury 12-floor condo tower at the intersection of 24th Street and Camelback Road suits your fast-paced lifestyle and puts you at the center of the Valley’s bustling business corridor. From the 12-foot-high waterfall that graces the lobby to the decked out club room, business center and rooftop negative-edge pool, this place is dressed to impress, just like you. Units range from $795,000 to $2.5 million and 2,400 to 4,250 square feet, and the amenities match the best hotels (concierge service, doorman, onsite laundry services, underground private parking).

The best part? You’re within walking distance of work – or at least your next power lunch at the Esplanade Center or Biltmore (just across the street). Houston’s and McCormick & Schmick’s, located within the Esplanade Center, teem with posh-looking, suited-up business types at lunchtime, while Merc Bar sees these same “suits” let loose with a libation or two after working hours.

Need to entertain clients? Bistro 24 at The Ritz-Carlton sits on the corner of 24th and Camelback, and the Arizona Biltmore Golf Club is just across the street, allowing you to tee up in the morning, seal your next deal by noon, shoot back to Starbucks for your third soy latte of the day, Twitter your boss, fit in a spin class at the nearby 24 Hour Fitness (Camelback and 32nd Street), and make it back to the office before the East Coast markets shut down for the day. Whew!