Expert's Guide to the Top Neighborhoods in Phoenix, AZ for College Renters
I never attended school in Phoenix. While living there for some time, I often longed to join in on the fun and adventure I saw students from a number of colleges in the area. Maybe it’s partly because my sister graduated from ASU, but Phoenix always seemed like a great place to go to school.
All of that said, I’ve lived in Phoenix long enough to know the neighborhoods, and today, I’m going to help you explore some of the best neighborhoods with access to four of the leading college campuses in the area.
Arizona State University
With over 70,000 students at the main Tempe campus alone, Arizona State is arguably the most prominent and notable college in the state of Arizona. Competitive in every area of research and a tier one school in virtually every college sport, it’s a great place for students to push their limits and pursue promising careers.
As such a major campus, ASU has considerable on-campus housing. If, however, you’re looking to get off the campus, then the following three neighborhoods promise easy access to ASU along with a number of living advantages.
Cyprus Southwest
Cyprus Southwest is about two miles from the edge of campus. While this does put it within walking distance, remember that the ASU campus is massive, and depending on where you need to be, simply getting across ASU could take a bit of time.
That said, Cyprus Southwest is one of the most competitive neighborhoods for ASU students and employees. It’s the most affordable neighborhood within walking distance, and it has everything you can need with a wide range of student housing options, amenities everywhere, and all of the food, shopping, and entertainment you could want.
University Heights
University Heights is as close as you can get to ASU without living on campus. The entire neighborhood is within walking distance from the edge of ASU, and the area caters to students. As a neighborhood, University Heights is extremely walkable (a rarity in Phoenix areas).
Really, this is the beating heart of ASU country (aside from the campus itself). You’ll find parks, shopping, restaurants, and more all within a short walk. You will be surrounded by Sun Devils and inundated with ASU culture.
When you want a break, University Heights is a relatively short drive from the major areas of Phoenix, including downtown.
South Scottsdale
Just across the river from Tempe, this neighborhood gives you more room, freedom, and flexibility, all while minimizing your commute to school. South Scottsdale constitutes a large region. Depending on where you end up living, you could be anywhere from two to five miles from the ASU main campus.
South Scottsdale is much more affordable than you might assume with “Scottsdale” in the name. Yet, it’s a place of rapid development, making it an exciting place to live, even while you have a little less crowding compared to other neighborhoods near ASU.
Grand Canyon University
Grand Canyon University is one of the most notable colleges in the Phoenix area. With over 100,000 enrolled students, it has a larger student population than even ASU. In fact, it serves the most students in the state of Arizona, after the University of Phoenix (which only offers online classes).
GCU is a major part of the Phoenix culture, and if you want to live close, then consider some of the best neighborhoods around the campus.
Encanto Village
Encanto Village constitutes a good chunk of space in the northern part of Phoenix proper. Considering that, it’s one of the more affordable neighborhoods in Phoenix, but it comes with relatively high levels of safety, convenience, and comfortable living.
The village is anywhere from 2 to 10 miles from campus, allowing you to keep your commute short.
Even while you’re off campus, the village itself will give you plenty to enjoy yourself, including one of the largest parks in the area, the Encanto Island Amusement Park, and a whole lot more.
It’s one of the more desirable places to live with close access to downtown Phoenix.
Roosevelt Row
Roosevelt Row sits right on I10, making up the edge of downtown Phoenix. For anyone who wants to be in the beating heart of the city, this is your neighborhood. Also known as the art district of Phoenix, you’ll find a lot of creativity and excitement right on your doorstep.
With these obvious points of appeal, Roosevelt Row is still reasonably close to GCU, about a 10 mile drive in total.
This might be the most “happening” neighborhood in all of Phoenix, with countless options for fun, adventure, shopping, and more all a short walking distance away.
Alhambra
While the GCU campus is large enough to constitute its own neighborhood, it sits close to the middle of Alhambra. If proximity matters most to you, this is where you want to check apartments first.
The Alhambra region constitutes roughly 15 city blocks, with GCU sitting in the southwest/central part of the neighborhood.
In Alhambra, you have more than you need in terms of food, shopping, and entertainment, and the living costs are a little below the Phoenix metro average. You’re also right on top of a major stop for the metro rail, giving you access to the rest of the city.
Mesa Community College
Arguably the premier community college in the greater Phoenix area, Mesa Community College has provided affordable, quality education to many students over the years. With roughly 20,000 current attendees, it’s a vibrant campus with a wide range of topics and career paths.
Sitting in Mesa, the community college has a ton of surrounding apartment options. While you browse them, take some extra time to consider Dobson Ranch, Las Sendas, and Eastmark as some of the best places to live with access to the campus.
Dobson Ranch
Dobson Ranch sits just across Highway 60 from the campus. It’s very close, but the highway and river create a sense of separation that allows Dobson Ranch to feel like its own Oasis within the greater metro.
Considered by many to be one of the best designed neighborhoods in the whole Phoenix area, Dobson Ranch offers safety and conveniences, all in a self-contained little region of the city.
You’ll find living expenses in the middle of the road for the region, allowing you flexibility in where you live without compromising on quality of life. Best of all, the farthest corners of Dobson Ranch are still within three miles of the Mesa campus.
Las Sendas
Getting out of the immediate vicinity, Las Sendas offers you a higher quality of living still within 20 miles of the Mesa campus. This is one of the few places to live close to the community college that gives you a lot of access to outdoor activities, like hiking. You’re right on the edge of the Usery Mountains, and you can enjoy everything that comes with that.
Overall, Las Sendas is a little more upscale than some neighborhoods closer to Mesa Community College, but the housing is still competitively affordable. Most of all, this is a family-centered community, which is great for many students and employees commuting to the school.
Eastmark
Eastmark also gets you a little further from campus, but still within 20 miles. Sitting on the southeast end of Gilbert, this Mesa community is another great option if you like getting out of the city and into a bit of wilderness. This neighborhood is right on the edge of the metro area, but it still manages to give you quick and easy access to the major parts of Phoenix.
Eastmark is another self-contained area within the city, making it easy for you to do your shopping and eating. Best of all, you get a range of parks and wildlife areas that allow you to experience more than just the hustle and bustle of city life.
Phoenix College
A community college in Phoenix proper, Phoenix College is a great place to learn. With an enrollment around 10,000 students, attendees can get an intimate learning experience while developing professional skills.
If you are looking for apartments near Phoenix College, you have plenty of choices, as it’s in the city of Phoenix. Among those choices, you will find some of your best options in the three neighborhoods listed below.
Encanto Village
We’re back to Encanto Village, and that’s because of how close Phoenix College is to GCU. While Encanto is close to GCU, it’s right on top of Phoenix College. In fact, Phoenix College sits within the relative area of Encanto Village.
That makes it the closest place to live to the campus, and you still get the major benefits of being in Phoenix’s greater uptown region.
Really, this is a leading up-and-coming area for young professionals in Phoenix. If you want to work on networking while going to school, it’s a top pick for where you can live.
North Mountain
North Mountain is the closest neighborhood you will find to Phoenix College outside of Encanto Village. The whole neighborhood is within 10 miles of the campus. Meanwhile, you also have access to the North Mountain park, letting you escape the city for fresh air and enticing hiking and outdoor events whenever you like.
North Mountain comes with a range of student housing options that range from just below to just above median pricing for the Phoenix metro. This allows you to live comfortably while being close to upscale areas when you want more shopping, eating, and entertainment options.
Maryvale Village
Going the other direction, Maryvale Village is also around 10 miles from Phoenix College. This time, you’ll be directly west of downtown in one of the most affordable areas with access to the college and all that surrounds it.
Maryvale is still very much in the heart of Phoenix, giving you proximity to downtown Phoenix. You’ll never be short on eating, shopping, or entertainment choices, nearly walking distance from all of it. Best of all, you can beat a lot of commuting traffic, as you’re already inside of major highway mergers that tend to see the most congestion.
While these four colleges are among many more in the Phoenix area, if you’re looking at any of them for an education, you now have a better idea of the neighborhoods that give you the best living options.
