Queen Creek too Far? (Phoenix, Mesa: rental, hotel, houses)

[trickybird]

If we bought in Queen Creek is it a pain to get into Phoenix? Is there anything to do there besides golf? If we rented out a house should it be a vacation rental or a longer term lease?

Thanks!

[Bondurant]

Yes. The commute would not be fun.

There's not much to do out in QC. Nice area. Especially if you have a family.

The housing issue is a matter of preference that you'd have to figure out for youself. There's no definitive answer to your query.

[jdhall1]

When I was out in Phoenix earlier this month, it took me about 45 minutes from downtown Mesa to get to my friends home out in Queen Creek, living Mesa at about 6PM. The main road down there was only 1 lane in each direction,looked to have very little shopping and there were almost no lights along the road for safety.

[CheyDee]

Originally Posted by trickybird

If we bought in Queen Creek is it a pain to get into Phoenix? Is there anything to do there besides golf? If we rented out a house should it be a vacation rental or a longer term lease?

Thanks!

QC is removed from Phoenix, compared to many other areas, but to me that is part of it's charm. It's not that far out though, with Phoenix less than/almost an hour's drive away. I would say yes it's a pain if you drive to PHX daily for work, but it's just fine if you only go to PHX occasionally. Queen Creek is an area with a lot of wide open space and beautiful green farms to drive by. There is a mix of acreage/horse properties, along with the more commonly styled Phoenix-area subdivisions, where houses are in very close proximity to each other. It's considered by many who live here as living in "the country", while still being relatively near the city.

There are several shopping centers here. One is the Queen Creek Marketplace, with stores that include Super Target, Kohl's, Bed, Bath & Beyond, Paradise Bakery, Ulta, Stein Mart, Cost Plus World Market, and others. There's also a Super Wal-Mart, with more stores in that shopping center. There are smaller shopping centers, as well.

QC has restaurants, (including some "mom and pops", as well as commonly found chains and fast food eateries), a brand new equestrian center, a performing arts center, (which offers productions by national touring companies), Schnepf Farms, (peach & other you-pick fruits & vegetables, store, bakery, restaurant, assorted events & concerts), The QC Olive Mill, (tours, restaurant, store), golf courses, a ceramics store which offers supplies, classes and kilns to fire your work, and other local places. There are, of course, physician's office buildings, pharmacies, dry cleaners, etc. A sparkling clean, brand new, state-of-the-art hospital, Banner Ironwood, recently opened to service QC and San Tan Valley.

For those who desire such amenities, there is major supermarket shopping available online from Safeway, with home delivery to QC; many local restaurants offer home delivery, as well.


Here are some links:

Queen Creek Marketplace
Queen Creek Performing Arts Center
Schnepf Farms
Queen Creek Olive Mill
Banner Ironwood (http://www.bannerhealth.com/Locations/Arizona/Banner+Ironwood/_Ironwood+Home.htm - broken link)

Originally Posted by jdhall1

When I was out in Phoenix earlier this month, it took me about 45 minutes from downtown Mesa to get to my friends home out in Queen Creek, living Mesa at about 6PM. The main road down there was only 1 lane in each direction,looked to have very little shopping and there were almost no lights along the road for safety.

I don't know what route you took to get from downtown Mesa to QC, but whichever way you went you spent twice as long traveling as you could have. (My husband works in west Mesa and his commute time is approx. 20 minutes each way.)

The "main road" you refer to sounds like the old "Main Street" area on Ellsworth. That is the older section of town, which has not yet been renovated. However, that is NOT the main road in Queen Creek. The main roads do not have only one lane in each direction and they all have adequate street lights.

See above links for some of QC's shopping.

[cacto]

Queen Creek is way out there.

[Jenn543]

It depends on where you work. If you work in Chandler or Tempe, it should be fine.

[acrylic]

Originally Posted by CheyDee

I don't know what route you took to get from downtown Mesa to QC, but whichever way you went you spent twice as long traveling as you could have. (My husband works in west Mesa and his commute time is approx. 20 minutes each way.)

Cross streets for both locations would be helpful because I can't see that as being correct. It even takes a while to get to QC from Chandler, so I think 20 minutes is way too conservative of a number.

[CheyDee]

Originally Posted by acrylic

Cross streets for both locations would be helpful because I can't see that as being correct. It even takes a while to get to QC from Chandler, so I think 20 minutes is way too conservative of a number.

For discussion, let's say one lives in the Queenland Manor development. If s/he was to drive from S. Ellswood Road and Ellswood Loop north to Elliot, make a left onto Elliot and a quick right onto 202 north, take 202 north to US-60 west and exit at S. Mesa Dr., s/he traveled just under 20 miles. Since that's pretty much all highway driving, it takes just 20 minutes.

That is not the best route to get from QC to Chandler, since there is little point in going as far north as 60, to go back south again into Chandler. Taking 202 west into Chandler is usually the best option. If one prefers side streets to highways one can drive a shorter distance, but it will take longer to get there.

[jdhall1]

The hotel was the Phoenix Mesa Mariott, a few blocks northeast of the Mesa arts district. His house is in a subdivision near the intersection of West Skyline & North Gary Road in Queen Creek. The GPS brought me on 60 to 202.

[CheyDee]

West Skyline Drive & North Gary Road are both located in San Tan Valley, out in Pinal County. They are NOT in Queen Creek, which is in Maricopa County. It's farther out to San Tan Valley than it is to Queen Creek.