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Longer Commute VS Farther from Friends

ArizonaKevin

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Hey yall,

I am looking for some input from the RDP braintrust. My lady and I are looking for buy our first place in the PHX area, we both work in North Scottsdale/North Phoenix and our friends are all down in Chandler and Gilbert. (For people who aren't familiar with AZ they are about 30-40 miles apart.) My question is, would you rather live closer to your work and have to drive further to hang out with friends? Or live closer to friends and have to drive farther to get to work?
 

Singleton

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Closer to work for me equals more time with my wife and family. I had long commutes and by the time I got home, I was fried and useless.
 

Deja_Vu

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I would go for the shorter work commute for sure!

But I've commuted on the I-15 over 50 miles a day one way for over 30 years... so I might be a little biased. :)
 

mbrown2

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Shorter work commute. You work every day....you don't see friends and family everyday. In addition, after living in Chandler for 4 years I would rather be in North Phx or Scottsdale than south. It seems easier to get to the river with more ways to get to the east side and 10 freeway. It is closer to Pleasant and it is closer to heading north ie: Prescott, Sedona, Flag....Don't get me wrong...I loved our place in Chandler and they have a lot going on down there with the tech corridor and stuff. But if doing it over I would likely go north....as north as I could get.
 

Activated

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Shorter work commute is what we chose after my wife's office moved further away.

Now we see our old neighbors and good friends once a year or so.

Wouldn't change our decision but I still miss the old neighborhood.
 

RiverDave

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Hey yall,

I am looking for some input from the RDP braintrust. My lady and I are looking for buy our first place in the PHX area, we both work in North Scottsdale/North Phoenix and our friends are all down in Chandler and Gilbert. (For people who aren't familiar with AZ they are about 30-40 miles apart.) My question is, would you rather live closer to your work and have to drive further to hang out with friends? Or live closer to friends and have to drive farther to get to work?

Closer to work.. get new friends. :D

RD
 

Mandelon

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RD's right. You go to work every day, you only go to see friends on weekends probably... when there's likely less traffic anyway.
 

Abc123

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Hey yall,

I am looking for some input from the RDP braintrust. My lady and I are looking for buy our first place in the PHX area, we both work in North Scottsdale/North Phoenix and our friends are all down in Chandler and Gilbert. (For people who aren't familiar with AZ they are about 30-40 miles apart.) My question is, would you rather live closer to your work and have to drive further to hang out with friends? Or live closer to friends and have to drive farther to get to work?

Choose the place you enjoy coming home to more.

I live in Costa Mesa. My offices in Diamond Bar and Brea (25-35 miles). It's less expensive to live up there, but I can't ride a beach cruiser or take a $5 Uber to any of my friends houses from up there. I'd also be bored out of my mind living up there (closer to work).

30-40 miles of AZ traffic isn't nearly as bad as it is here. My friends left So Cal then bought a place in Queen Creek a little over a year ago. They say when people bitch about traffic there, they're still going 45 mph compared to 5 mph in CA.

However, in your situation, personally, I'd rather be in Scottsdale than Gilbert.
 

WhatExit?

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Me, I'd rather be closer to work because I'd make that drive a lot more often than driving to my friends.

It all depends on your priorities
 

mjc

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Closer to work, if they are real friends they will come to you.
 

530RL

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There are all sorts of people with white rocks around the mail box and garden gnomes in N. Phoenix and Scottsdale. I would move. :D

But if moving to North Phoenix, I'd take the time if you have kids to check out which schools they will go to.
 

mesquito_creek

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There are some other things to consider, but if its that simple of a choice then I go with closer to work. Especially if you would have to commute up and down the 101 during rush hours. If for some reason you work hours that avoid traffic, I might triangulate east mesa so that work, friends and the lake are all 20 minutes. There is going to be a $$$ difference between the house prices in N Scotts versus Chandler/Gilbert also...
 

ArizonaKevin

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If we're being honest, the big reason that I am considering the chandler/gilbert area is because it is so affordable. I grew up in chandler and commuted to north Scottsdale every day and it was a nightmare so I moved up to Thompson Peak and Bell and now enjoy my commute but don't see friends very often. Maybe tempe/south Scottsdale is a happy medium?
 

ChevelleSB406

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Choose the place you enjoy coming home to more.

I live in Costa Mesa. My offices in Diamond Bar and Brea (25-35 miles). It's less expensive to live up there, but I can't ride a beach cruiser or take a $5 Uber to any of my friends houses from up there. I'd also be bored out of my mind living up there (closer to work).

30-40 miles of AZ traffic isn't nearly as bad as it is here. My friends left So Cal then bought a place in Queen Creek a little over a year ago. They say when people bitch about traffic there, they're still going 45 mph compared to 5 mph in CA.

However, in your situation, personally, I'd rather be in Scottsdale than Gilbert.

NGE and I have the same thought process but travel the opposite directions. I live in Brea, all my friends are around Brea, I don't have a wife or kids, so I live a 5 dollar uber from anywhere I wanna be. I work 35 miles away which is about an hour commute with a toll road in there, but it would be more expensive for me to live by my Lake Forest office, and I fear I would hardly ever see anyone or feel like driving all the way out to see them, and definitely no late nights and uber rides. I live where I enjoy coming home to. I think that would all shift to short commute if I had family waiting for me at home, so depends on each individuals situation.
 

Abc123

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NGE and I have the same thought process but travel the opposite directions. I live in Brea, all my friends are around Brea, I don't have a wife or kids, so I live a 5 dollar uber from anywhere I wanna be. I work 35 miles away which is about an hour commute with a toll road in there, but it would be more expensive for me to live by my Lake Forest office, and I fear I would hardly ever see anyone or feel like driving all the way out to see them, and definitely no late nights and uber rides. I live where I enjoy coming home to. I think that would all shift to short commute if I had family waiting for me at home, so depends on each individuals situation.

Totally agree with you on the family part. I wouldn't want to be more than 10 minutes away from my house or my kids schools.
 

Enen

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Ask Riverlynchmob how he feels about long commutes these days. :D
 

Ziggy

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RD's right. You go to work every day, you only go to see friends on weekends probably... when there's likely less traffic anyway.
Exactly.
.
And RD is right about making new friends too.
 

460

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IMG_4772.jpg

Everyday. Gilbert to 43rd ave.

No way I'm living in snotsdale or the avenues. [emoji16]
 

fishing fool

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I skimmed thru the responses and did not see anything about family quality.
I worked 62 miles from work but with my income I felt I could give my kids a better life/ up bring there then living closer to work.
So when looking for homes think of what life the kids will have
 

fishing fool

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Lol, read post #2[emoji106]

Not really what I am talking about.
The home/ area the kids will be going to school, play and sports may be a factor in what home to get. The quality of the neighbors makes a big difference.
 

Ziggy

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There are all sorts of people with white rocks around the mail box and garden gnomes in N. Phoenix and Scottsdale. I would move. :D

But if moving to North Phoenix, I'd take the time if you have kids to check out which schools they will go to.[/QUOTE



Totally agree with you on the family part. I wouldn't want to be more than 10 minutes away from my house or my kids schools.[/QUOTE



Not really what I am talking about.
The home/ area the kids will be going to school, play and sports may be a factor in what home to get. The quality of the neighbors makes a big difference.

I understood what you meant.......it's your skimming that needs a tune up[emoji39] [emoji23]
 
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