More on Tempe

• The Gilbert area has lots of homes within your price range (250+), and so does the south Tempe area, although some of the homes in that price range may be older in Tempe.

• Want to live East of the office so that you drive to and from work away from the sun

• My favorite is Tempe Town Lake with local art, lots of trails, water activities, buisness parks, shopping, etc. Tempe does tend to have some not so nice parts. But these are older areas, not ghetto. The city also has some beautiful master planned communities. When I think Tempe though I think location. It is right in the middle of all the action in the metro area, and you have very easy access to everything. I have heard that schools overall are good, but it really just goes school by school.

• Personally, I would choose Tempe -- primarly because it is more centrally located, with good access to several freeways, the airport, and the light rail line under construction. It's also a place with interesting restaurants, recreation, scenery, and cultural attractions all within its borders. Perhaps the biggest benefit of Tempe is that there are nice neighborhoods that are not far removed on the edges of the community. The Lakes area, just south of Baseline Road, for example, is an attractive suburban neighborhood within a short drive of downtown Tempe.