Apache Junction (Tucson, Mesa, Casa Grande: apartments, rent, condos)

[maverick974]

Hi again,
I've been trying to sell my house in Oregon for the last year and make the move to the valley of the sun.
I've made several trips there and I was looking at the east valley. I've made several posts about Queen Creek and other cities of the east side but I never checked out Apache Junction because I've read a lot about how bad a place it was.
Well, one day I talked to a friend that lives in a nice neighborhood in Mesa. He told me that Apache Junction has a bad reputation but it has grown and is now a very nice town with all the growth. He said it used to be the place with all the drugs and crummy houses. An "old" town but nice. So I went down there a few weeks ago. I took a drive to Maricopa then over to Casa Grande and finally to Apache Junction. I spent a few days there. I looked around quite a bit and frankly, I loved the place. A good mix of old and new. I loved the views of the superstitions in the background from almost anywhere you are in the town.
In all the trips I've taken to the Pheonix area, I did like Queen Creek the best. Well, that I could afford anyway. I plan on buying a house cash. I don't want any debt so I can start new.
Anyway, I ended up liking AJ better than Queen Creek. In Queen Creek, EVERYTHING is new but it's lacking on infrastructure.
AJ had everything I was looking for. Semi rural, close to the lakes, a major highway is right there and I liked the old town feel to the place.
I'm hoping to here from some folks that live there and what they think of the town and the people.
Some quick background on me. I'm 50, widowed, grown kids and I'll be opening a business so I won't have a drive to work all the time.
Also, I KNOW it's hot there. So many threads on that so lets not dwell on the heat. Just the town and how you like it.
Your thoughts would be greatly appreciated.

[LOA Chandler]

Hi Maverick, If you've been to AJ and you like it, that should settle it for you. It as the 60 going through it so you can get to the shopping, restaurants etc. in no time. The backdrop is gorgeous with the mountains. A little farther out, Gold Canyon, is very nice as well. Go for it!

[maverick974]

Yeah, I thought it was interesting but I haven't spent much time there and hence the new thread.
I've heard it was a dump with a lot of drugs, flophouses, meth labs and the like. I didn't see any of that kind of stuff but again, I was only there for a few days.
I saw some old parts of town but I didn't see anything "seedy" but I could be wrong.

[Bummer]

Originally Posted by maverick974

Yeah, I thought it was interesting but I haven't spent much time there and hence the new thread.
I've heard it was a dump with a lot of drugs, flophouses, meth labs and the like. I didn't see any of that kind of stuff but again, I was only there for a few days.
I saw some old parts of town but I didn't see anything "seedy" but I could be wrong.

Sounds like you've found YOUR perfect spot, Maverick.

No matter what anyone else says or thinks, there's no such thing as a "perfect place for everyone" and there probably never will be. I relocated to Tucson from the California Bay Area and my only regret after more than 12 years is that I didn't do it sooner.

Enjoy your new home and Good Luck.

[aztoga]

Go with where YOU feel home. If you like AJ, then don't worry about what anyone else says.

The views of the Superstition Mountains are definitely a wonderful thing to see every day and if you're interested in doing any hiking, you'll have easy access to a variety of those hiking trails. I'll be the air is better out there than most places closer in to the Valley, too!

Congrats!

[deckdoc]

there are a couple of "seedy" parts of town but all in all Apache Junction is a great place to be~ and in Pinal county which is a good thing!

Good luck in your endevours~ and considering your age you might look into 55+ communities~ they may allow it and several in Apache are definitely on my good list!

[maverick974]

Originally Posted by deckdoc

there are a couple of "seedy" parts of town but all in all Apache Junction is a great place to be~ and in Pinal county which is a good thing!

Good luck in your endevours~ and considering your age you might look into 55+ communities~ they may allow it and several in Apache are definitely on my good list!

Hi,
I'm curious as to why you like Pinal county better than Maricopa county?

[AutumnOrange3]

I have not lived in Apache Junction for close to two years. I'm in NC now. Now a days, you have to watch yourself no matter where you live, I did not feel very safe in Apache Junction but that could have been my location. The location was pretty nice looking, but sadly lots of break ins of condos and apartments. The Walmart was across the street, which was great! Down the block was a Circle K which was a little seedy to me. Seems your looking into getting a house, so you would most likely be in a different area than I was. Many, many times I've been approached by strangers asking for rides or money when out and about grocery shopping in AJ or Mesa, which was a bit freaky because most of the times I was with my kiddo. I was not too pleased with the school district, but this looks to not be a concern for you. My allergies were terrible in the area So sadly I did not leave my windows open very much. When those yellow trees started to bloom, I would try to run for cover and quick lol, the dust irritated my allergies very badly too.

I loved the small town sort of feel. I miss the beautiful view of the Superstitions that I got to see every day, which always put me in a good mood. Every morning, I was on my patio with my coffee. The area is very easy to navigate with the grid system, but I think most areas close by are like that and easy to get to shopping, out to eat ect. Yes it does get very hot, but I did not mind it too much. It can get quite chilly in the winter, but did not seem to last very long. Before I left, a few new sub divisions popped up along Broadway Ave. (or rd. sorry my memory)They looked pretty decent to me. It does seem your quite taken with the area and if it feels right, than go for it!

I really miss AZ at times.

[mattpresley]

I hate and love AJ. I live off ellsworth road about 2 miles from AJ and do most my errands there. If you go north of apache trail you discover gorgeous scenery and custom homes with acreage. I drive meridian north until it ends with beautifal hiking trails. Makes for a nice winter day!

The Bad- Snowbirds double the towns population 6 months out of the year. For some reason they think the speed limit is 45 on hwy 60 and think that the 40MPH section of Apache trail is 25MPH. They also crowd all the stores in restaurants. this boosts AJ's economy but unfortunatley makes going to frys for a loaf of bread take an hour

- The flooding, I don't know what the deal is exactly but I discovered that whenever we get a good storm 2/3 of AJ roads become Impassible and stay pretty water covered for a few days. I pulled a lot of people who stalled out of the water with my truck a few weeks ago. OTOH I have never seen 60 or apache trail flood.

- The freaks- There is a decent population of your typical white trash. The welfare abusers, the meth-heads, People that just remind me of the movie "the hills have eyes", and a lot of homeless.

- An abundance of trailer parks

- this one aint bad IMO, Theres a ton of bikers, probably because all the most scenic valley drives(minus the moutain preserve off 51, and Carefree highway) are a rock throw away from AJ.

Like I said I love and hate the town. it balences itself out with pros and cons. I recommend you rent in AJ for a year. I dont mind living here!

[mattpresley]

Originally Posted by dreamsncharms

I have not lived in Apache Junction for close to two years. I'm in NC now. Now a days, you have to watch yourself no matter where you live, I did not feel very safe in Apache Junction but that could have been my location. The location was pretty nice looking, but sadly lots of break ins of condos and apartments. The Walmart was across the street, which was great! Down the block was a Circle K which was a little seedy to me. Seems your looking into getting a house, so you would most likely be in a different area than I was. Many, many times I've been approached by strangers asking for rides or money when out and about grocery shopping in AJ or Mesa, which was a bit freaky because most of the times I was with my kiddo. I was not too pleased with the school district, but this looks to not be a concern for you. My allergies were terrible in the area So sadly I did not leave my windows open very much. When those yellow trees started to bloom, I would try to run for cover and quick lol, the dust irritated my allergies very badly too.

I loved the small town sort of feel. I miss the beautiful view of the Superstitions that I got to see every day, which always put me in a good mood. Every morning, I was on my patio with my coffee. The area is very easy to navigate with the grid system, but I think most areas close by are like that and easy to get to shopping, out to eat ect. Yes it does get very hot, but I did not mind it too much. It can get quite chilly in the winter, but did not seem to last very long. Before I left, a few new sub divisions popped up along Broadway Ave. (or rd. sorry my memory)They looked pretty decent to me. It does seem your quite taken with the area and if it feels right, than go for it!

I really miss AZ at times.

AAAH you lived on delaware huh?