West Phoenix - What Has Changed In 5 Years?

[Goober13]

It's about the same, although Metrocenter area has declined more. The Dillards store there is a clearance center. Penney's closed and moved to Christown, El Torito closed. The hispanic population has grown somewhat. The area has declined a little, and is more working class, but is liveable in my opinion without too much drama.

[Valley Native]

Originally Posted by Goober13

It's about the same, although Metrocenter area has declined more. The Dillards store there is a clearance center. Penney's closed and moved to Christown, El Torito closed. The hispanic population has grown somewhat. The area has declined a little, and is more working class, but is liveable in my opinion without too much drama.

It's too bad it has been allowed to decline. I remember in the '70s when the Metrocenter mall was new, it was one of the largest of its kind in the country. People came from all around to see it and to shop there. It was almost like the "Mall of America" of that time.

The last time I was in the Metrocenter area, it seemed so run down compared to what it used to be. I can't understand why such a thriving area would be allowed to become this way.

[Goober13]

Urban sprawl is killing the Phoenix area and it has for years. I was young, but remember when Metrocenter opened too. Lots of privately owned available land has enticed builders to continually build new subdivisions, and home owners to abandon their homes sooner than they would in more land restricted areas for newer and better homes instead of remodeling the homes they have.

All the new residents coming to the valley flock to the newer housing areas, and the older middle class areas are allowed to decline, and the stores follow the new growth.

Phoenix will never be as cosmopolitan as a metro area it's size should be, until it focuses on rehabbing the inner core instead of building new track homes farther and farther from existing shopping and business districts.

[grmi66]

For a few years before I moved out of Phoenix I was in a group of people that was focused on moving into and fixing up houses in some of the older neighborhoods as well as trying to preserve some of Phoenix's historic or artistic commercial buildings. My personal opinion was that I would rather live in a 40-50 year old block home or older ranch style house than to buy the chicken wire and stucco houses on the edge of town. If you look around parts of west Phoenix, there are some really cool neighborhoods with houses that have some character or present a great opportunity to turn into a cool house.

Here is a website that I really like: Modern Phoenix: The Neighborhood Network

Most of the buildings and house they talk about are in central Phoenix and east Phoenix, I felt like an explorer because nobody else was really looking for modern style or hip looking ranchers out on the west side of I-17.

[Ritchie_az]

Originally Posted by Goober13

Urban sprawl is killing the Phoenix area and it has for years. I was young, but remember when Metrocenter opened too. Lots of privately owned available land has enticed builders to continually build new subdivisions, and home owners to abandon their homes sooner than they would in more land restricted areas for newer and better homes instead of remodeling the homes they have.

All the new residents coming to the valley flock to the newer housing areas, and the older middle class areas are allowed to decline, and the stores follow the new growth.

Phoenix will never be as cosmopolitan as a metro area it's size should be, until it focuses on rehabbing the inner core instead of building new track homes farther and farther from existing shopping and business districts.

I know you look at that as being "bad", but don't you think there is a reason this happens and people not only allow it, but choose it?
If an area was truly "great" to begin with, then it remains "great" through all of the changes. If it wasn't "great" then people move on and new ones move in, and it is up to those people to make the most of it. If they don't, you get what you describe.
If you placed "restrictions" on the outlying areas (I guess to drive up costs to make it more difficult to build), the people in the non-"great" neighborhoods still have to choose to "make the most of it". And if they are not now, then they won't then. All that's been done is artificially drive up housing costs.
That's my opinion.

[Ponderosa]

Originally Posted by Goober13

Urban sprawl is killing the Phoenix area and it has for years. I was young, but remember when Metrocenter opened too. Lots of privately owned available land has enticed builders to continually build new subdivisions, and home owners to abandon their homes sooner than they would in more land restricted areas for newer and better homes instead of remodeling the homes they have.

All the new residents coming to the valley flock to the newer housing areas, and the older middle class areas are allowed to decline, and the stores follow the new growth.

Phoenix will never be as cosmopolitan as a metro area it's size should be, until it focuses on rehabbing the inner core instead of building new track homes farther and farther from existing shopping and business districts.

It is not just sprawl or desire to live further out. AZ needed to accomodate a huge number of low income workers who came after 1980 via illegal immigration. They moved to closer in locations with better services and triggered a flight to the suburbs as the character of the neighborhoods began to change. I think the Metrocenter area and Fiesta Mall, for that matter, would still be OK neighborhoods had immigration been held in check.

[Valley Native]

Originally Posted by Ritchie_az

I know you look at that as being "bad", but don't you think there is a reason this happens and people not only allow it, but choose it?
If an area was truly "great" to begin with, then it remains "great" through all of the changes. If it wasn't "great" then people move on and new ones move in, and it is up to those people to make the most of it. If they don't, you get what you describe.
If you placed "restrictions" on the outlying areas (I guess to drive up costs to make it more difficult to build), the people in the non-"great" neighborhoods still have to choose to "make the most of it". And if they are not now, then they won't then. All that's been done is artificially drive up housing costs.
That's my opinion.

My opinion is let people live where they want. If they want to reside in the far flung exurban areas, fine with me ... but those who choose to do so have no business complaining about their often long commutes, or about all the foreclosures in their area (which are more common within these newer outlying developments in the last few years).

Being the nation's fifth largest city & 11th largest metro area, Phoenix no longer can thrive on what worked in the past. An economy dependent on sprawling growth, real estate, retirees, and snowbirds worked well many years ago, but now it's time to grow up and behave like a true world class metro area. Whether anybody wants to admit it or not, there is more demand than there used to be for centralized growth and upward development. The primary reason that hasn't happened as much as anticipated was the downturn in the economy.

Also, consider that some Valley cities will soon be landlocked and won't be able to grow outward much longer. Tempe is already at that point ... and Glendale, Scottsdale & Chandler aren't far behind. Therefore, if those cities wish to keep growing, the only way to build will be up.

[Ritchie_az]

Originally Posted by Valley Native

My opinion is let people live where they want. If they want to reside in the far flung exurban areas, fine with me ... but those who choose to do so have no business complaining about their often long commutes, or about all the foreclosures in their area (which are more common within these newer outlying developments in the last few years).

Being the nation's fifth largest city & 11th largest metro area, Phoenix no longer can thrive on what worked in the past. An economy dependent on sprawling growth, real estate, retirees, and snowbirds worked well many years ago, but now it's time to grow up and behave like a true world class metro area. Whether anybody wants to admit it or not, there is more demand than there used to be for centralized growth and upward development. The primary reason that hasn't happened as much as anticipated was the downturn in the economy.

Also, consider that some Valley cities will soon be landlocked and won't be able to grow outward much longer. Tempe is already at that point ... and Glendale, Scottsdale & Chandler aren't far behind. Therefore, if those cities wish to keep growing, the only way to build will be up.

No disagreement from me.....