Tempe, AZ

[katieliz456]

 Could I still successfully get around Tempe and even some areas of PHX using pt and not a car? 

I used public transit (bus&lightrail) for my first 2 years, because having a car/parking pass was way out of my budget. I lived on campus, so I didn't have to stress about getting to/from class, which helped.

1. The lightrail is GREAT- very reliable, and runs every 15-ish minutes.  It goes to both the Tempe and Downtown Phx campuses, and there are a number of nice apartment complexes along the lightrail route. It's pretty easy to just jump on the lightrail and not have to worry about connections.  There are plenty of bike racks, if you prefer to bike to the station, and then ride.  During rush hour, you might have to stand, but there are lots of grab bars and the total ride from campus to a nearby apartment would only be about 15 mins. There are occasionally "creepers", so i don't recommend riding alone late at night.

 

2. Public bus: I used the bus to get to/from work at the Tempe Marketplace mall when I lived on campus. The buses are ok, but only run every 30 mins and tend to run late.  This was annoying because I'd usually be cautious and take the earlier bus to work, then have to spend 30-40 minutes killing time at the mall.  Our streets are all on a grid system, which does make the bus system easier to navigate.  Bus stops are really close together (at least every couple blocks), so it shouldn't be a problem for grocery shopping or running errands. Again, it is just slightly inconvenient because you may have to wait at the bus stop for 30 minutes after you've finished your shopping (not fun in the 115 degree heat!)

 

3. Orbit circulator: There are free buses that go through the neighborhoods of Tempe/Scottsdale. I take the Orbit to campus every day, because it goes right down my street and drops me off in front of my building on campus. The Orbit runs every 15 mins, and takes about 20 minutes from my house to campus. driving would take only 10-15 minutes, but I like being able to study on the Orbit and not having to pay $8/day for parking! I have a car that I use on the weekends for errands& visiting friends, but I actually love the Orbit. There are also some sketchy homeless people who sit on the bus all day, and it sometimes smells like pot :/ But if you bring an iPod and read a book, no one should bother you.  If you go to valleymetro.org, they have the Orbit routes and you can look for a place along one of the routes. Neighborhoods south of campus (near Southern) tend to be cheap, safe, and quiet-- lots of families, retired people, and some grad students. Very few undergrads and partying, and extremely low crime rates  

[beajae]

Thanks Katieliz456! Your respond is definitely appreciated.

[assolute]

Hey guys! 

 

I just got into ASU Tempe for the MiM program and was looking for apartment suggestions west of campus
I will be using the public transit so nowhere too far from campus!

[DaniDevotchka]

Hey everyone! Forgive me if this isn't the right place for this but I'll be heading to ASU in the fall and I'm looking to get an apartment close to the west side of campus. If anyone is interested in splitting a 2 bedroom private message me!

[DeleteMePlease]

Hi,

 

I am visiting ASU as an intern from August to October. Any tips for short-term leases?

 

Thanks!

[nohika]

Anyone know anything about The Enclave (apartments) or the Haven Apartments?

 

Thanks!

[DeleteMePlease]

So I was thinking about staying at Block 1949. Any experience with these apartments?

[EG326]

Hi all,

 

I will be starting my graduate studies at ASU in August and I'll be moving to Tempe from San Diego.  I'm pretty clueless as to where to start looking for apartments so any advice would be much appreciated.  I noticed some of the previous posts are a little old so I am hoping to get some more recent information.  I will be riding my bike to class so I would like to be as close to campus as possible.  Classes begin August 21st, and I'd like to arrive in Tempe a couple of weeks before to allow myself time to settle in before school starts.  Will I be able to find something if I start looking for apartments in early/mid July?  THANK YOU!

[Nrrrdgrrrl]

I have been here for almost 3 years, and I can say that the further you go from campus, the more likely you are to find something decent and affordable.  I live just across the border in Mesa, right on the lightrail line, and it is pretty ideal.

 

As a married grad student, I'm not interested in the undergrad craziness, and my apartment complex is almost entirely families and younger professionals.  On the train, I can get to campus in about 20 minutes, and it is MUCH cheaper to get a transit pass than a parking permit.  I think Mesa in general is cheaper than Tempe for living, so don't count it out!  The area just northwest of campus has some decent places as well; I have some friends that live between Mill and Priest, University and 3rd.

[EG326]

Thank you Double Shot!  I am not interested in living with undergrads either so you're advice is much appreciated!  I think in previous posts people had mentioned crime is a problem in Mesa.  Do you feel pretty safe living in that area?  Does the train run late and do you feel safe taking it at night?  Thanks!

[Graditude]

I think in previous posts people had mentioned crime is a problem in Mesa.  Do you feel pretty safe living in that area?  Does the train run late and do you feel safe taking it at night?  Thanks!

Similar question here! How is the area in Mesa just across the city line from Tempe, where the light rail ends? From what I can tell from Gmaps, it has the canal trail, a large Safeway supermarket near a light rail stop, and is still within biking distance of campus.

 

I lived in Phx for a few years in the 90s but don´t remember that much, so current info would be appreciated as I weigh this offer from ASU. )When I lived there, light rail was still just a project that people said would never happen, the Roosevelt artsy district was still basically crack alley, and the metro area was smaller by a million or so people -- so obviously much has changed!)

[puravida_slp]

I have been here for almost 3 years, and I can say that the further you go from campus, the more likely you are to find something decent and affordable.  I live just across the border in Mesa, right on the lightrail line, and it is pretty ideal.

 

As a married grad student, I'm not interested in the undergrad craziness, and my apartment complex is almost entirely families and younger professionals.  On the train, I can get to campus in about 20 minutes, and it is MUCH cheaper to get a transit pass than a parking permit.  I think Mesa in general is cheaper than Tempe for living, so don't count it out!  The area just northwest of campus has some decent places as well; I have some friends that live between Mill and Priest, University and 3rd.

Can I ask what apartment complex you live in? I've been searching for apartments in Mesa (I live in Ohio and will be attending ASU this fall) and am feeling a little overwhelmed by everything there is to consider. 

 

Also, how much it cost to use the light rail?

[Geologizer]

For light rail info, check the asu parking and transit site for up to date info. I think it's called a u-pass, if I remember correctly. You get a student discount rate on a semester long pass, but I don't remember the actual cost. It's probably changing every semester anyway.

[kant]

Any body heading to ASU for MSCS? I am an international student.

[EG326]

Hello everyone!  I'm relocating to Tempe from San Diego and I'm hoping to move sometime between August 1st and the 15th since classes start on the 21st.  Am I correct in feeling that if I wait until July to start looking for apartments, I might have a hard time finding something close to ASU?  I'll be riding my bike so I'd like to be as close to campus as possible.  Also, does anyone have recommendations on specific apartment complexes?  I've started looking at some places online but I'm feeling a little overwhelmed at the moment.  Thank you!

[eprzpd]

Hey All! 

 

   I am interviewing at ASU in a couple weeks for their HDFS doctoral program. I have other offers at Purdue and the University of Missouri so I was hoping someone could tell me the pros and cons of living in Tempe, AZ to help me with my decision! Cost of Living? Housing? Anything and everything you can think of!

 

Thanks!

[RP15]

I'm from the Phoenix area. Housing is cheap, don't worry. You'll find a place that is less than $600/month without a problem (of course, with roommates). 

[jujubea]

Caution: I am biased, I strongly dislike AZ in general.

 

Tarantulas, giant centipedes, rattle snakes, and scorpions. For critters with venom, they are some of the most poisonous in the United States. Google giant brown centipede. I stepped on one (10 inches long) in the middle of the night, it "bit" me (can't actually bite, just pinches) and had shooting pain for about a week afterwards, in addition to numbness and tingling in my toes where it got me. We have woken up to scorpions on the floor in the house, and have had a rattlesnake in the backyard in only the half year I've been here.

 

Some of the worst air quality in the country, due to dust problems.

 

Hot as heck with almost no respite. It "cools down" in the winter months. Get used to being hot all the time.

 

Local population seems to be lots of immature frat-boy types, worse than a typical "college town." Areas downtown are covered with drunken undergrads -- you'd think you were still on campus half the time.

 

Great airport with lots of travel options.

 

Source: I live relatively close by. --shudder-- I can't wait to move.

[RP15]

Caution to OP, ^ this is an extreme over-generalization. Turning down an opportunity because of you believe you'll be affected by "venomous tarantulas, giant centipedes, rattle snakes, and scorpions" is idiotic. 

[luxiel]

Hello! I'm from Mesa (which is very close to Tempe), and I would advise getting a place in Tempe at least 5-ish miles away from the main campus. jujubea in right about the scene around campus/downtown. You can also look into Mesa for housing, since it is equally as cheap. Hope this helps! :3

[jujubea]

Caution to OP, ^ this is an extreme over-generalization. Turning down an opportunity because of you believe you'll be affected by "venomous tarantulas, giant centipedes, rattle snakes, and scorpions" is idiotic. 

 

Oh no, I didn't say she should turn it down because of it.

 

She asked for pros and cons.

Having lived with these little creatures, I'd call it a con.

 

Also, just curious why you think it's extreme or an over-generalization? It's kind of just a fact of living in the southwest. Just like tornadoes are a factual part of living in Tornado Alley, and earthquakes are part of living in California. 

[RP15]

Perhaps from the 23 years of living in Phoenix and not once did I get bitten by a scorpion, snake, centipede, etc. has something to do with it. 

[jujubea]

Some of us are just lucky, I guess!

 

My partner lived there for only 6 months and came across almost all of those. There were rattlesnakes routinely in the park/grassy area of the apartment complex, and they had an open "scorpion problem."

 

My nuclear family lived there for 7 years and tell similar tales.

 

When I moved in earlier last year, I had been around one or two months and we got our first rattler in the backyard. We also have brazen coyotes who actually wander into the suburbs in the middle of the night, too! 

 

Maybe we've all just lived in the more "exciting" areas of the southwest... 

[mallorn]

Hi everyone,

 

I'll be attending ASU this fall and am currently looking at apartments and rentals. Right now I'm considering two different ones, one located slightly east of the university, walking distance, and one further west of the university near Priest Ave and Elna Rae St. Is there a better/safer neighborhood between the two or does it not really matter? Thanks!

[eebarbarabee]

Tempe native here! although i choose not to live there because you feel like you are in the middle of a concrete jungle... its one of the best run cities in phx metro. great parks, lots of city events at beach park, a wonderful downtown, the only IKEA in phx area, free shuttles, well-paved roads (I love tucson but, potholes are everywhere. Tempe is just so well taken care of THEY HAVE MONEY), and the light rail makes it fun to check out downtown phoenix and sports/music events there (although tempe has plenty of music on its own). Sometimes you may want to check out mesa but, eh? (sorry, tempe people hate on mesa but its ok)

 

Hiking... yes try camelback. Also south mountain is very close. just DO NOT GO HIKING ANYTIME AFTER APRIL until NOVEMBER. unless you go super early in the morning. IT IS TOO HOT. idiot people have DIED hiking in AZ during the summer/fall. 

 

If you are ok driving... take a drive up to lost dutchman state park/aka the superstition mountains for some beautiful scenery/hiking in the winter or spring, and the lakes up there are awesome too (saguaro and canyon lake).  Try going up north to "rim" country for some beautiful camping in the pines (see around payson, pine, and strawberry) Horton springs or fossil creek are  personal faves.  Also tubing on the salt river is fun and you don't HAVE to go when all the drunk people are there. Try going on a weekday morning. Its lovely. (i'm a nerd)

 

on housing...

-look for places to live along Orbit/flash shuttle routes. They are free shuttles that can take you to campus in AC comfort (although you may be chatted up by a nice homeless person). search for a map online. 

-The neighborhoods south of campus are very nice, and there are a few apartments located within them. Look for anything on college avenue. Camelot apartments on broadmor and college, for example.

-west of campus is a bit sketchy but it is so convenient. Many people i knew lived off of 1st street in apts by the lake- salado springs apts or south bank apts.. also anything off 13th street (there are some condos on 13th and roosevelt that get rented out to grad students) is very convenient and quiet.  

- I dont know much about east of campus only that it used to be rough when i was growing up but it seems to be on the up and up since the lightrail.

-north of campus, you cross the lake and you are in sketchyville as well, only a little prettier because of papago park being there.

-people are right. Housing in tempe is expensive for lower quality because of the prox, to campus. central mesa is cheap but yuck in my opinion. Ahwahtukee/scottsdale/chandler are fancy or newer but expensive probably. 

-south phx is NOT a nice place to live. avoid it like the plague. and anything around the airport. But you CAN find cheap houses to rent there. just beware. Try zillow rentals/hotpads/craigslist to find houses to rent. 

- if you have kids toddler age, take them to the library and the historical museum (they are in one complex together) for storytime and wild wednesdays. preschool age, there are great prek options provided through not only ASU but also tempe elementary school district. Send your older kids to broadmor elementary.