Is Downtown Phoenix Arizona a nice place to live?

Downtown Phoenix is improving, but Phoenix is a little unusual among cities in that its downtown isn't exactly where all the nightlife is. Yes, more is coming in as light rail gets built, more people go to the sports stadiums, and more condos get built - but so far, it's not like downtown, say, Chicago, with its nightlife. The people moving into the area tend to be a little older than 24, urban pioneers of sorts.

The post-college and college nightlife, to this point, is still more active in downtown Scottsdale and the Mill Avenue area of Tempe. You may have to give downtown Phoenix a few years yet. Still, it's worth a look. You can talk to the tour guides downtown - they call themselves Copper Square Ambassadors, that's the nickname of the downtown area - and they can give you some advice. Or you can call or email them yourself:

http://www.coppersquare.com/about/ambassadors/

Downtown Phoenix is not a condo lofty kind of place. They're trying to make it, but the only time it's happening is when there's a ball game or concert. There's a lot of construction going on there so it's really congested right now, especially with the light rail system going in. If she's working in Goodyear, it's a far drive. The plus is that she would be commuting the opposite way of traffic. A lot of people that live in Goodyear work downtown.

Goodyear and Palm valley are really nice areas why not live there? If she likes the night life, she should consider Glendale and Peoria. There's a few places there, but she can also jump on the freeway towards Tempe and Scottsdale and not be too far from work.

Goodyear is way out west part of Phoenix metro area. If she wants a cool night life for young adults, Tempe and Scottsdale are the best and safest areas. Being 24 myself I wouldnt want to live in Downtown Phoenix. Too congested. But Tempe and Scottsdale are really far from Goodyear. I work in Tempe and a co-worker lives in Goodyear, she says it takes about an hour each way. If she decides to live drive tell her that she needs to have A/C in her car if she ever wants to make it through a summer!!

Downtown Phoenix isn't like most other downtowns...it's separated into two areas. The "Copper Square" area has really improved, and they are trying hard to make it fun for younger people. I personally would LOVE to live in a loft in DT Phx, but I couldn't afford it.

Better bet for her if she wants the cool loft type thing is to get something in the Westgate area, where the hockey arena and football stadium are located. This area is exploding with great new apartments, and will be one awesome place! Plus, it's easy freeway access, which she'll need if she will be working in Goodyear, and much closer than downtown Phx.

Downtown Phoenix WILL be a good place to live in a few years, right now the building and construction is a nightmare and traffic is otrocious. It should be plenty safe with the locations they are building and the newer lofts are central to freeway access. The new ASU campus is down there as well and there is plenty to do in these areas.

There is NO nightlife in Downtown Phoenix. If she wants to be near the nightlife Scotsdale is the place to be. As for the people who say Mill Ave or the ASU campus, the good nightlife isn't really there anymore.

The drive from Phoenix or Scotsdale to Goodyear will be REALLY REALLY bad.

i would say instead of phoenix she gets a place in tempe. downtown phoenix will be a cool place to live in the future with the new light rail, new condos, and some other projects going up, but for now i wouldn't recommend it. it would be closer to goodyear but i think tempe would be better. there are tons of new condos going up in tempe and the light rail will be going through downtown. the night life is far better than phoenix because of the asu campus right there.

Metro Center is not considered Glendale. Most of Peoria is ghetto and old, and south Phoenix is starts south of Buckeye Road. North of Bell from 83rd to about 67th avenue would be good. North Phoenix around the 101 loop (both sides of 1-17) Biltmore, Camelback area... Avondale isn't bad.. I am from the west side, though Garden Lakes has a lot of drop houses. I've lived in Mesa, Chandler, Tempe, Arcadia and far west valley. I like the east valley better- the Tempe/Gilbert area is nice.

When you think of a fun, vibrant dowtown metro area, put Phoenix at the bottom of that list.

Tempe or Scottsdale would be the place for a 24 year old.

Honestly the best nightlife is in the Phoenix metro areas and not downtown. You see because Phoenix has such poor public transportation people don't really find a lot of reasons to go downtown unless they have to. Downtown Phoenix has really made a reputation for itself as being home to many of our low income society.