Moving to Phoenix! Need ALLLL the advice and neighbobrhood stuff etc....and FOOD!!!

[FirstLight]

I'm an online ASU student who is fonally moving to the Desert! (So excited, can you tell?) I've been in Tahoe for 30 years and am so stooked to get TF out of the snow! I'm keeping my house her for the time beng, so running away during summer is still an option

ANYWAY!
Got a Zoom meeting with my school counselor today and I've bookmarked a few off-campus apartments I'm interested in. I visited this past January for a week, so I have a basic idea of what the layout is and the suburbs...

School campus in in Tempe.
What do you guys think of Chandler/Gilbert/Mesa?
Should I just stay downtown?

I want to be in an apartment bldg because of security and other amenities. So I'm not afraid of the city!

I have been a country mouse for so long, I am looking forward to it

ALSO!!! FOOOOOOD!!! What are the big specialties to look for? big Native influence, so Imma definitely find a couple good places for frybread, etc... but I'm sure there are other immigrant cultures there and food to experience...so hit me!

Thanks in advance

[AZSkiffyGeek]

1. I can't speak too much about apartments

I'm on the West side, and don't know much of the Chandler/Mesa/Gilbert area. I can say that downtown Phoenix and Tempe are both blue, while Chandler/Mesa/Gilbert are red. The further out you get the rent gets cheaper, but you'll have a longer commute - and the areas around the downtown and Tempe campuses are probably the worst parts of town for finding parking. Still not that bad - the city is very car friendly.
As far as food, we have great Mexican food, and a little bit of Native cuisine - not as much as you'd expect. The one place I know is Fry Bread House, and they are excellent.
Definitely try Barrio Cafe (if it's still around, they was talk about it closing earlier this year). The chef/owner is a queer lady who is a big supporter of Democrats and has hosted events/photo ops for our candidates. Los Dos Molinos is another great one, there are locations in downtown and in Mesa that are great if you like spicy New Mexican style food.
Also try Pizzeria Bianco. It has consistently been judged the best pizza in America, and its owner Chris Bianco is a bit of a celebrity chef. The problem is it only seats about a dozen people, so the waits are long. There is an attached bar you can usually get seated easily at, and still order from the same menu. Bianco has another Italian restaurant, a coffee house and bakery as well.
Another local gem is Cornish Pasty Co, they are based here and have multiple locations around town. You'll also want to try a Sonoran Dog, a southwest style hot dog from Mexico that is wrapped in bacon and topped with beans and chiles - Tucson is really the place to get those though. Tucson has a host of great Mexican restaurants as well, especially El Charro Cafe.
As far as other cuisines, the Valley is developing a good food scene, but its nowhere near the level of other big cities yet.
Hope this helps!

[FirstLight]

2. all this is good stuff!

How much time is it from Phoenix to Tuscon?

I've only been as far as Phoenix, so I definitely plan on exploring more of the southwest too!

Haven't been to New Mexico Yet, and Moab UT is one of the most gorgeous places, but I need to see more like Monument Valley, and so much more!
I'm studying Anthropology, so I am excited to be getting to knonw more of the Native Communities also.

[AZSkiffyGeek]

3. It's about 90 minutes to Tucson

Flagstaff is also worth visiting, that's about 2 hours north. There is plenty of Native American stuff to explore, there are several tribes along the outskirts of Phoenix and of course the Navajo/Hopi land in the Northeast of the state. And thanks to Barry Goldwater and Dennis DeConcini, there are a ton of National Monuments and Parks to check out - a lot of them being ancient Native ruins.

[FirstLight]

4. My first visit to AZ was in the north/Flafstaff and Grand Canyon

I also went through the Sunset Crater park and it was gorgeous...

so, yeah, there's enough to look at to keep me busy for a long time!! I'gotta get in shape for hiking!

[IbogaProject]

5. Tucson is 107 miles from Phoenix

But the traffic is hectic, they don't have extra roads like the eastern part of our country have so that one highway can clog up some times. Just get settled in and get a feel for the traffic timings as it is all about avoiding crush-hour there. Try and stay somewhat close to ASU, depending on your budget as the heat makes using public transport tough at times for over half the year. The other half the weather is amazing.

[Richard_GB]

6. I lived in the east valley for about 20 years

All the cities you mention are good. Tempe has the most social activity. I would not recommend downtown Phoenix. Ahwatukee is nice. I would suggest looking for apartments near a valley metro station. This would get you to ASU and downtown Tempe without the need to drive (thus eliminating the risk of a DUI conviction on a night out). You really need a car to get around the East Valley because of the heat and the cities are spread out. However, it is a great place to live for 9 months of the year and tolerable for the other 3. Enjoy it, I did.

[Kali]

7. public transportation has improved a lot since I grew up in the valley

but Arizona is pretty much vehicle-required. if you are coming from snow country you may have a rough time from April to November. it was still hitting 100 this month in the Phx area. it can be brutal to the point of deadly. winter in the valley is FABULOUS.

The drive across the Phx metro area can take longer than the drive to Tucson LOL it always jams around Queen Creek for no apparent reason. I 17 north of Phx to Flag and environs often gets jammed due to wrecks. Lots to explore in the state depending on interests. Plenty of readily available tourist type info since it is a huge industry here. can't speak to housing anymore, although there is a lot of new apt type stuff around Tempe now, but it has been a huge stucco and stick single home area for generations.

[FirstLight]

8. I'll be driving, and probably only there in the Winter & "nice" temps ;)

Once it gets too hot I can run away back to the Sierras

I have a Kia Soul, good commuter car. And I also dont mind driving on the back streets instead of freeways...I'm definitely not a stressful driver anymore LOL I grew up in the Bay Area and that commute was pretty narly.