So, you have finally made the decision to dump all your weekend suburban chores like mowing the lawn, scrubbing the pool, and trimming the bushes.  Determined to steal back your weekends, you’re ready and willing to try out urban living and see what city life is all about.  Maybe you are looking to rent or lease a hip loft, or maybe you just want to move your office to a more industrial / creative space closer to bistros, coffee shops, light rail and the action?  Or, with pricing much more affordable now, maybe you are considering buying your first home in the city?  Whatever it is, you probably need some guidance... and Urban Realty is ready to help!

Arizona has truly come of age with city living

options over the past 10 years.

Although many urbanites who’ve migrated here from über cool cities like New York, Paris, or San Francisco might argue the point, Arizona has truly come of age with city living options over the past 10 years.  There are now more Arizona urban neighborhoods than ever before, which means more urban buildings and high rises, which means many more urban lofts, condos, and townhomes for those longing for the city life.  If you talk to most people about urban living in the valley, they will focus primarily on the three main urban hubs of Downtown Phoenix, Downtown Scottsdale and Downtown Tempe.  However, there are also fabulous urban cores at the Biltmore-Camelback Corridor (24th Street & Camelback) as well as North Scottsdale.

Downtown Phoenix, Downtown Scottsdale or Downtown Tempe?

How do you choose which area is best for you?  It really isn’t an easy decision.  If you begin to dissect the different urban hubs, they each have their advantages and their drawbacks.  Consider the Downtown Phoenix lifestyle, it seems to have an early adopter, artistic, raw, earthy energy going on.  Like Downtown Tempe, the Metro light rail now cuts through the middle of Downtown Phoenix which almost instantaneously made the area feel more “urban” than it previously did.  That’s a good thing.  If you are looking to be at the forefront of what could one day be an eclectically cool urban environment, then Downtown Phoenix just may be for you.

The Downtown Scottsdale lifestyle, for the time being, seems to have the hip nightclub scene on lock down.  Young, single professionals love living in this area as they can walk to or from the latest club, bar or bistro that has recently opened up.  This is the place to go to see and be seen by the trend setters.  It is also very close to the most visited shopping mall in the state-- Scottsdale Fashion Square.  One big gap in Scottsdale's urban lifestyle is access to the Metro Light Rail, but that may or may not be important to everyone. If this description jives with your style, then you might want to make Downtown Scottsdale your new home.

We happen to be a little prejudiced, our office is in the heart of Downtown Tempe so you’ll have to forgive us, but we believe Downtown Tempe offers the best, most authentic urban experience in metropolitan Arizona.  Not only is Tempe the home to a university booming with over 70,000 students (Arizona State University) generating all the creativity that entails, but it also offers the neighborhood friendly Mill Avenue District with it’s shops, bistros, bars, urban parks like Tempe Town Lake (second only to the Grand Canyon as the most visited Arizona attraction), annual arts festivals, urban garden, 4th of July celebrations, and one of the top 10 New Year celebrations in the U.S.!  As pointed out before (and pictured above) the new light rail runs right through the heart of Downtown Tempe, giving young and old road warriors easy access to Sky Harbor Airport.  Ride the rail a little further and you’ll find yourself in Downtown Phoenix ready to watch the big game at Chase Field or US Airways Center.  Walkability in this pedestrian scaled, neighborhood friendly environment is really what sets Tempe apart from the other urban cores in the Valley.  View Urban Realty’s Downtown Tempe “WALK SCORE” here (hint: Almost Perfect).

Walkability in this pedestrian scaled, neighborhood friendly environment is really what sets Tempe apart from the other urban cores in the Valley.

Whatever locale you decide upon, Urban Realty is here to help guide you the rest of the way into your very own home in the heart of the city.  If you are moving from suburbia, may we suggest reading our article on the six things to consider when moving into city life?  Important considerations like lifestyle, amenities, space and storage, parking, noise are just some of the items explored in the article.  View the full Article on Moving to City Life Here.

So, do you want to learn more about renting, working and enjoying the urban environment in Tempe, Arizona?  Want to see the condos and offices we have For Lease and/or For Sale in and around Downtown Tempe?  Then Visit our Website Here.

Or Contact us anytime at:

Email Tom Tokoph | 602.549.9000

Designated Broker | Urban Realty & Development