Mesa feels more like an outdoor haven that happens to have access to a city rather than a city that happens to have access to the outdoors. In Arizona, warm weather means we enjoy hikes, bikes, and trips to the river in t-shirts while relatives up north and out east huddle around fireplaces. [**Usery Mountain Park**](https://www.maricopacountyparks.net/usery-mountain-regional-park-um/) understandably gets the most attention due to its beautiful landscapes and 3,500+ acres of outdoor adventures. This includes long backpacking trips, horseback rides, and family BBQ spaces. Nearby Saguaro Lake and additional local parks fill out the options for outdoor activities. 

On the other hand, if you can’t handle summer temps that consistently clip 110 Fahrenheit/ 40 Celsius, Mesa is probably not for you. Mesa doesn't have a ton of shade, little grows here after all.  Nothing is growing here. The air quality also isn’t great, in part due to the necessity of cars created by the extreme sprawl of the city. Mesa is one of the poster children for unsustainable desert cities. Those inclined to think about things like environmental sustainability probably aren’t the ones considering moving here in the first place, however, as Mesa is one of the most right-leaning cities in the country.





Experience the Great Outdoors (For 9 Months)

LookyLOO Review of Mesa

Mesa is the third largest city by population in the country without a significant downtown. This makes the lifestyle feel decidedly suburban. The city is working hard to change that though with a major housing and commercial district building effort that started in the late 2010’s. Apartments, condo developments, family housing and tons of new businesses are building the core traffic the area needs to support a restaurant and bar scene. Right now most people head to Scottsdale or Phoenix if they’re looking to “trip the light fantastic” but if you stick around it looks like that’s going to change. 

If you want to check out what locals in Mesa get up to here's the [**calendar of events**](https://downtownmesa.com/events). 


Lifestyle 

The Mesa economy is exploding. It is strongest in tech and healthcare. Data centers from Google and Apple are popping up all over the area which means all sorts of engineering, technician and operational data center jobs are in high demand. Engineers of all kinds are also in high demand. Electrical for the tech construction and civil for overseeing civic growth. Education is also a huge employment category as Mesa is the largest school district in the state. As with many affordable cities in the southwest, south central and southeast there are long haul wfh’ers moving her to take advantage of the low costs and warm weather. 


Worklife 

[**Mesa Unified School District**](mpsaz.org) is an above average public district, that receives an [**"A-" on niche.com**](https://www.niche.com/k12/d/mesa-unified-school-district-az/), with particularly high scores for Clubs & Activities. 

Parents generally discuss the highs and lows of different schools, not unusual for big cities, with the highest concentration of high-performers in the north-central portion of the city. It should be noted though, that there are excellent schools spread throughout the city so keep an eye out for the pearls amidst the different neighborhoods. A few of these pearls include:
-[**BASIS Mesa**](enrollbasis.com/mesa) is an outstanding public charter for K-12, receiving an [**"A+" on niche.com**](https://www.niche.com/k12/basis-mesa-mesa-az/) and ranked the #1 high school in Arizona. It gets "A+" scores for every characteristic of the school experience. 
-[**Red Mountain High School**](https://rmhs.mpsaz.org/) is one of the highest-ranking high schools in the area, receiving an [**"A" on niche.com**](https://www.niche.com/k12/red-mountain-high-school-mesa-az/?map). It gets good grades across the board for Academics, Teachers and Clubs & Activities. 
-[**Mountain View High School**](https://mtnview.mpsaz.org/) is the #78 ranked best public high school in the United States, receiving an [**"A-" on niche.com**](https://www.niche.com/k12/mountain-view-high-school-mesa-az/?map). It receives high grades for Teachers and Diversity. 

Schools

If you just switched to working remotely, Mesa should be on your list of places to check out. It’s warm year round, and comes with a number of things to do, such as go for a hike, check out the beautiful Arts Center, explore a museum, attend a Spring Training Baseball game at Hohokam Stadium, or have your friends over for a barbecue. You’ll never be too far from a golf course either, with a whopping 25 courses located around town. The warm weather, solid housing market, and proximity to Phoenix are extremely appealing to recent retirees and those with growing families as well. Mesa has a little something for everybody… if you’re comfortable with the heat and the politics.


Why You Should Move Here Now?

**the_TAOest**
Living in Mesa
6mo ago
✭✭✭

I live in West Mesa, well northwest at Center and Mckellips. I LOVE the bike trails nearby, the salt river and Saguaro lake for paddle boarding, the Superstitions for hiking and camping, the Tonto national Forest is near, and the Asian District for grocery stores and restaurants.

The West side of Mesa is varied so it depends where you drop your pin. The light rail is near and Tempe is not far away, not is Phoenix or anywhere but west Phoenix!

Here's a bike map of canal trails I ride often. Fitness Corridors 3.0 https://goo.gl/maps/TYg1tRwqagYPvUa9A

For more local reviews check out [The Reviews](https://lookyloomove.com/locations/mesa/reviews) on Mesa: 

The Damn Desert (For The Other 3 Months)

Reviews of Mesa from Locals

**The Best Thing About Mesa?** - The Great Outdoors (For 9 Months)

Mesa is one of those places that feels more like an outdoor haven that has access to a city rather than a city that happens to have access to the outdoors. Out here in Arizona, warm weather means you can enjoy trips to the river in t-shirts while relatives out east huddle around fireplaces. Legendary Usery Mountain Park gets the most attention due to beautiful landscapes, and 3,500+ acres of outdoor adventures including long backpacking trips, horseback rides and family bbq spaces. Nearby Saguaro Lake and a host of local parks fill out the options for spending your time away from the fireplace. 

**The Worst Thing About Mesa?** The Damn Desert (For The Other 3 Months)

If you can’t handle summer temps that consistently clip 110 Fahrenheit/ 40 Celsius, Mesa is not for you. If you think you can handle those days on account of the shady neighborhood walks you’re used to back home, be warned you are in the desert. We’re not well acquainted with things such as shade & nothing is growing here. The air quality also isn’t great, in part due to fact everyone needs a car to navigate the city sprawl. Mesa is one of the poster children for unsustainable desert cities (Come on SOLAR POWER!). Those inclined to think about environmental sustainability probably aren’t considering moving here though as Mesa is one of the most right-leaning cities in the country.

**How You Living?** - A House with AC

The warm weather in states like Arizona leads to an economy driven by real estate, and Mesa is no different. There are plenty of solid housing options within a variety of price ranges. The northeast side of the city is known as one of the best places to raise a family in the whole state. The southeastern corner of Mesa is home to Eastmark, rated one of the most well-planned neighborhoods in the country, with amenities such as swimming pools, sizable homes, and year-round community events. This gives Eastmark, like most of Mesa, the feeling of a suburban paradise.

**Why You Should Move Here Now?** - Working Remotely?

If you just switched to working remotely, Mesa should be on your list of places to check out. It’s warm year round, and comes with plenty to do: a beautiful Arts Center, museums, Spring Training Baseball games at Hohokam Stadium, 25 golf courses, and as noted a ridiculous amount of outdoor options. The warm weather, solid housing market, and proximity to Phoenix are extremely appealing to recent retirees and those with growing families. Mesa has a little something for everybody… if you’re comfortable with the heat and the politics.


Mesa sits in the Phoenix Metro Area also known as the Valley of the Sun. While Phoenix definitely carries the most gravitational weight of the cities in the Metro, that include Phoenix, Mesa, Tempe and Scottsdale, the growth in the other cities and suburbs is balancing things out right quick. Mesa sits on the southeast corner of the Metro and just an hour from the foothills of the Tonto National Forest. The Valley is of course a valley in the desert and as such is scorching hot in the summer months(and increasingly the spring and fall) but you aren’t far from cooler climes in the national forests that run along the eastern side of the state. 


The Area

The lack of a vibrant downtown has held Mesa back from drawing large community of youngsters. New development in Downtown is changing that as the housing options for rentals and condo purchases have taken off. New businesses are bringing those who want to walk to work and even Covid didn’t seem to slow things down. The historical district, adjacent to downtown is also drawing in some of the young professionals. A light rail system gets you downtown and different ‘hoods in the district are emerging as nice options. Check out Temple Historic District, West Second Street District and Wilbur Street Districts if you’re looking to get in on the revivals before it’s too late!
- Downtown
- Historic Districts


Young Professionals

Downtown

Mesa is more family and retiree friendly than Young Professionals or couples or singles with no kiddos who want a quieter scene than the typical downtown pub crawl. The Historic Districts of Mesa are really the ideal choice for these communities. Great homes and neighborhoods that fell into disrepair but are on their way back and not only have their own commercial district but border the downtown area and have a recent light rail addition to whisk them down to the growing commercial spots should they get the hankering. You can buy a home for cheap here and renovate it for a nice start on city living. 
- Temple Historic District
- West Second Street District
- Wilbur Street Historic District


DINKs/SINKs

Temple Historic District

Mesa is known for great planned communities for families and a good place to start your search is Eastmark. This master-planned community has over 40 parks, tons of biking/walking trails, shopping and some of the best schools in Mesa. Alta Mesa is another nice, reasonably priced option. Built around Alta Mesa Golf Club it also has great schools and a beautiful Greenbelt Park and runs through the center of the neighborhood. Ideal for the kiddos and the grownups to recreate. If you need something fancier checkout Las Sendas. 5,000 sq ft+ luxury homes will all the plush amenities an upscale development offers. 
- Eastmark
- Alta Mesa
- Las Sendas
- Dobson Ranch


Families

Eastmark

Mesa and the entire Phoenix metro are huge draws for retirees. Warm weather, low cost of living, great healthcare and a friendly outdoor lifestyle make it perfect if you’re ready to enjoy living large. Mesa and the Phoenix Metro are notable for the variety of 55+ communities available to empty nesters, snowbirds and retirees. The big communities include: Sunland Springs and Villages, Dreamland Villa, Leisure World and Fountain of the Sun. Prices across these communities range from $100k all the way up to $700k at Sunland Springs. Plenty of retirees also choose the golf-friendly neighborhoods of Alta Mesa and Las Sendas if they prefer to be outside of the 55+ community experience. 
- Sunland Springs Villages
- Dreamland Villa
- Leisure World
- Fountain of the Sun
- Alta Mesa
- Las Senda


Retirees

Sunland Springs Village

Mesa

**the_TAOest**
Living in Mesa
6mo ago
✭✭✭

I live in West Mesa, well northwest at Center and Mckellips. I LOVE the bike trails nearby, the salt river and Saguaro lake for paddle boarding, the Superstitions for hiking and camping, the Tonto national Forest is near, and the Asian District for grocery stores and restaurants.

The West side of Mesa is varied so it depends where you drop your pin. The light rail is near and Tempe is not far away, not is Phoenix or anywhere but west Phoenix!

Here's a bike map of canal trails I ride often. Fitness Corridors 3.0 https://goo.gl/maps/TYg1tRwqagYPvUa9A



**wkeddmo**
Lived in Mesa
6mo ago
✭✭

Mesa is fine, I lived there without issue for 3 years and the 8 people I know who moved into the area over the last 2 years all love it too.

West Mesa around the former Fiesta Mall (now demolished) specifically gets a bad rap because brown people live there and there's a lot of people with racial bias in the Valley. The tram lines are also very accessible from the main roads so alot of homeless people are more present because they're hanging along the line. Theyre not violent though, just poor and hungry. Downtown Mesa is slowly growing, there's nice little pockets for what you need (restaurants, gyms, groceries), parks are safe, schools are good. Just avoid the Rise apartment complexes - awful management.

**373wilmot2018**
Lived in Tucson
6mo ago
✭✭✭

I’ve lived in Tucson and Mesa -

Mesa is huge but the traffic and roads are much better than Tucson’s. There’s just as many outdoor activities to do here as there is in Tucson. You won’t hit the tree line with an hour drive like on Mt Lemmon but you’d be right in the middle of that and flagstaff (3 hour drive total) so you’d get your pick if you wanted to go skiing or boarding. A lot of great hikes and even indoor museums are less than 30 minutes away depending where you end up.

I thought Mesa was ranked as one of the safest cities per capita in 2021 or 2022 but I can’t remember the article. It has its rougher areas but I have no problems as a single parent out and about by myself with my kid.

If you end up towards Dobson and southern, you’re pretty close to Tempe. Mill ave is a 15 minute drive depending on traffic. If you’re going to school the light rail has a stop near there to get you to ASU, too.

**peachy_keen_bitches**
Living in Mesa
5mo ago
✭✭✭

Hello and welcome! My husband and I moved to downtown 5 years ago when I was 25. So much has changed since we first arrived and largely for the better! There’s lots to do in Mesa but may take some time to tap into the events. For local places, definitely spend a Saturday exploring the businesses on Main Street. Some favorites of mine are the old bookstore, Lost Dutchman for a coffee (The Nile is also a great pick), and Buckhorn Vintage. For a night out, definitely check out Chupacabra and grab a late night treat at Novel Ice Cream.

You’ve already been recommended the comic shop and Milanos, but here to second that! They sound like places you might really enjoy. I’m also pretty sure the Bookmans further south of downtown hosts DnD events? but I could be mistaken.

To stay current on events, the downtown mesa instagram page does a good job of sharing what’s happening and when.

Highlights: downtown is growing and it’s growing RAPIDLY. there is lots of room for community input and involvement in the direction of that growth. it’s an exciting time to live here!

Mesa, Arizona

Seriously Red

Looklyloo Score: 85

Reviews

What's it like to live in Mesa?