Gilbert, Arizona

One of the interesting, and we think cool things about Gilbert is its insistence both philosophically and legally that it is a town and NOT a city. In fact, it is the most populous town in the entire U.S.of A. Why is this important or a good thing? Because Gilbert which is technically a suburb of Phoenix doesn’t want to be seen as a boring appendage of a bigger city and it isn’t so hungry to be a CITY that it stakes its claim on that status -- quite the opposite. That civic pride in being distinct and intimate feels important in a world of mindlessly growth-oriented suburbs and cities.

Now just being a town isn’t necessarily something to celebrate. Instead, what seems magical about Gilbert is how it maintains a small community energy but with a growing population. This is done in part through a vibrant series of events, mostly free, that bring everyone together in the town square. This includes a three-day festival called Gilbert Days, that celebrates the paving of Gilbert Road through downtown. Gilbert Days festivities include a carnival, a 5k and 1k run and an appearance of Santa himself. If they do that for the paving of the main street road imagine what they do the rest of the year!

Here's a passionate local with a pov on the town: Gilbert is a wonderful place to live. It's my favorite place in the valley. Yeah, it's not the greatest if you are young and want an active bar/club life. There might not be any in Gilbert (dunno; not my scene). But it's low-key, family friendly, has the best overall school district in the state, a responsive city government, relatively well situated, and lots of houses in lots of price ranges.

Come on, it’s Arizona. You had to know this was coming. If you aren’t up for extreme heat from May through September, when the redline crosses 100 degrees many days, then steer clear. That said, we should note that the people who live here are not immune to the heat, they’re just smart about it. Get stuff done in the morning, hide in the air conditioning in the afternoon and then get out again at night when it cools off a bit.

Here's a summary of the cons of Gilbert from a local: The smells (and blowing dirt right now with frequent construction) are fairly prominent in E Gilbert (Power/Recker). Another thing to watch out for is noise levels where there are lots of bars. I lived downtown for a few years until recently and Whiskey Row made it a nightmare. Certain pockets of East/southeast are poised to become destinations for stuff like that too.

We talked earlier about the town-like vibe of Gilbert that manifests in lots of family-friendly communal activities. They certainly contribute to a warm lifestyle for the mostly families that live here.

Gilbert also has lots of parks for your kiddo’s recreation, and it’s a biker’s dream-town with a Central Trail System with over 135 miles of hiking and biking trails. It also has a skate park, an observatory, a Trapeze artist training facility, and for god’s sake a Wakeboard park. Who knew that was even a thing? It has such an interesting blend of things to do for just a “town” that your lifestyle here is going to include the options of a full-blown city but in the wrapper of a much smaller place.