Sahuaro Ranch

The Family Minded
Sahuaro Ranch
85302

Imagine historic buildings, excellent public parks, great restaurants and plenty of shopping. Thankfully, a home near these attractions doesn’t always have to break your bank account.

Try the neighborhoods near 59th and Peoria avenues. Here, affordable one- or two-story homes march up to Sahuaro Ranch Park, which was built on the site of ranchlands once homesteaded in 1886 by William Henry Bartlett, a key player in bringing water to the Salt River Valley. Today, peacocks and chickens wander amid mature trees and several historic structures maintained by Glendale’s parks and recreation department. The park also features nine covered ramadas with barbecue grills, horseshoe pits, softball fields, soccer fields, sand volleyball courts, a dog park and one of the world’s first “suspended” playground setups for kids.

But Sahuaro Ranch Park isn’t the only reason to consider this area. Glendale’s main library branch is just around the corner, along with Glendale Community College, Downtown Glendale and Arrowhead Towne Center. Education and cultural festivals aside, this last bit begs the question: Why pay extra to live by the Arrowhead Towne Center when you could pay less, live next to Glendale’s “crown jewel” park and drive to Arrowhead in 15 minutes?


The Work-at-Home Parent
Surprise
85374

If you consider the words “home” and “office” to be interchangeable, and your coworkers are three children and a Labrador, you are not alone. At least not if you live in Surprise. With its spacious, reasonably priced homes, the Valley’s safest large city (surpriseaz.com) is tailor-made for mompreneurs and stay-at-home dads.

Surprise’s compact community area has the vibe of a town square. The Surprise Community Park buzzes daily with families frolicking at the well-equipped playground, sand volleyball court, stocked lake and dog park. Sports-loving families appreciate the adjacent aquatic center, 25-court tennis complex and Surprise Stadium, the spring training home of the Texas Rangers and Kansas City Royals. A stone’s throw away are the Surprise Library and Heard Museum West, where you can exercise mind as well as body.

Close by are the West Point and Kingswood Parke neighborhoods, the latter lakestrewn and with larger properties. Marley Park homes are fancier (columns, archways, whiffs of New England) and close to Vogue Bistro, where frazzled moms can get a dose of glamour in the form of designer-named martinis.

Ocotillo, Chandler

The Lakefront Lover
Ocotillo, Chandler
85248

There’s a reason the world’s greatest cities are situated by water (OK, besides transport and drinking): People like living shoreside. And though Phoenix is smack in the desert, there are a surprising number of options for dangling your feet over the pier, reeling in a fish or taking the boat for a spin – all from your backyard.

Chandler’s Ocotillo neighborhood, which weaves around a cluster of manmade lakes at Alma School Road and Sandpiper Drive (just south of Queen Creek Road), is one of them. The homes are fairly identical – spacious two-stories the colors of a French manicure – but nevertheless beautiful, and garnished with queen palms, bougainvilleas and lawns that slope into the water. Plus, they are in a good school district, offer easy access to loops 202 and 101, and how cool is it to live on a lake? Kids and party guests love paddling between houses, spotting herons and just enjoying the soothing sound of lapping water. Your Golden Retriever will think it died and went to doggie heaven.

When the weather’s fine, nothing beats grilling lakeside, but otherwise, head to nearby Grimaldi’s for wood-fired pizza or D Vine Bistro & Wine Bar for live music and merlot.  

Other neighborhoods for water babies include The Lakes of Tempe, near McClintock Drive and Baseline Road, and Pecos Ranch, near Dobson Road and Loop 202.

Queen Creek

The Dime Store Cowboy
Queen Creek
85242

Clouds mosey across a big sky corralled by mountains. Tumbleweed nuzzles against fences bordering fallow farmland. A road sign warns of tractors crossing, and hand-painted plywood slabs advertise “HAY FOR SALE.” And as mom always said, hay is for horses.

With its rural vibe and stable of equine amenities, Queen Creek is home sweet home for horse lovers. Horseshoe Park & Equestrian Centre, which opened this year, boasts a 1,200-seat show arena, 100-stall barn and a round pen open to residents. Desert Mountain Park features a horse path and staging area. Coming soon: an equestrian trail along Queen Creek Wash, part of a plan to create a 143-mile multi-use network throughout town.

In this relatively tract-housing-free-zone, your neighbors might be Marlboro man types or newlyweds in a starter home. Prices are pocketbook-friendly, plus you’ll find few opportunities for spending money out here: You can drive around for 15 minutes without seeing so much as a Circle K, which can be a relief – unless you’re hungry. If that’s the case, head to Schnepf Farms or Queen Creek Olive Mill for fittingly farm-fresh fare.


The Foodie
Old Town Scottsdale
85251

Make no mistake, the Valley’s best restaurants are located on the outskirts of town (Kai, Binkley’s) and hidden in unassuming strip malls (Yasu Sushi Bistro, Kabab Palace), but the largest concentration of excellent restaurants sits smack dab in the middle of Old Town Scottsdale (from roughly Indian School to Camelback roads along Scottsdale Road). If you live to eat, live here.

No matter what your price range or how picky your palate, there’s bound to be at least a handful of Old Town joints you’ll make a part of your regular routine. For instance, you may find yourself craving the Hangover breakfast sandwich at Daily Dose, the cinnamon Challah French toast at The Breakfast Club or the chorizo scramble from The Mission’s weekend brunch menu – three scrumptious options to start the day. Ladies who lunch will be drawn to delicious salads at Arcadia Farms Café, Cowboy Ciao and the vegan hot spot, Mandala Tea Room.

Love sushi? Stingray, Sea Saw, Ra and, coming soon, Samurai Cowboy and Shell Shock, line up along or near Scottsdale Road like sushi beacons. Hankerin’ for steak? Pink Pony and Mastro’s have proven to be stalwarts in that arena. Pizza lovers take pride in Grimaldi’s, Slices and Sauce (all highly affordable). Fine’s Cellar, Estate House, Digestif and Metro Brasserie are among the crop of rookie restaurants making big splashes. Geisha A Go Go’s private karaoke rooms and Trader Vic’s Polynesian-inspired drinks make dining out fun again, and Tandoori Times, Malee’s Thai Bistro and Frank & Lupe’s Old Mexico Restaurant will cure your cravings for ethnic comfort food. Two weekly farmers’ markets may even inspire you to create your own craveable feasts at home.

To put yourself within walking distance of this restaurant mecca (trust us, you’ll need a built-in exercise routine to combat your new calorie intake), opt for condo living. More than 60 condo and townhome projects fill the Old Town area, ranging from the slightly older (we prefer “retro”) condos starting at $250,000 to the newer, glitzier complexes that come at a cool million per pop (give or take a few hundred thousand).