15 Things to Know Before Moving to Glendale, AZ
The city of Glendale in Arizona combines rich history, fantastic year-round weather, exciting professional sports, and low housing costs. Glendale, one of Arizona’s four largest towns, located in Maricopa County, is known for its two major stadiums, Gila River Arena and University of Phoenix Stadium, which have hosted major sporting events like the Super Bowl in 2008 and 2015.
What’s life like in Glendale? Keep reading as we look at fifteen things to know before moving to Glendale, AZ!
1. The city’s proximity to Mexico makes it a diverse place to live
Living so close to another country’s border has certain advantages, including the inevitable blending of cultures.
This region of the country used to be referred to as Mexico. As a result, many families have lived in this place for many generations and have strong, emotional links to it.
The population of Glendale is made up of 45% whites, 39% Hispanics, 8% blacks, 5% Asians, 2% Native Americans, and 1% Polynesians.
2. Winters are mild in Glendale
One of the best parts about living in Glendale is that you won’t ever have to shovel your car out of the driveway again.
The beginning and end of each year are the coldest times of the year, and average highs will be in the 60s, and average lows won’t fall below 40.
If you’re escaping a colder climate, you’ve arrived in paradise.
3. You get to enjoy low tax rates
We all agree that more taxation is the one thing we could do without. Luckily, Glendale knows this.
The local property tax rate of .8% is lower than the state average and 1% lower than the national average.
The state income tax rate is likewise very low compared to other states.
4. You’ll need a car to get around town
No one knows for sure, but it seems like the owner of a major car dealership in Glendale has staked a claim in the city. This is because there are so many cars on the road that it’s overwhelming.
Getting around town without a car is difficult because the city was not designed that way.
Because there aren’t as many places to walk, bike, or use public transportation, most people in the area now own and rely on a car or other motor vehicle for every trip outside.
5. You can’t escape the traffic
If you live somewhere where driving is essential, you should be prepared for heavy traffic. That may be the norm, but that doesn’t make it any easier to deal with.
The city has made extraordinary efforts to promote Glendale as a vacation spot. As a result, the combination of an increase in traffic due to both tourists and increased vehicle numbers can make rush hour extremely unpleasant.
Getting about town requires advanced planning and the use of backroads, not that these routes are in any way better.
6. Summer is really uncomfortable
It isn’t easy to take pleasure in summer when temperatures spend most of the season above 100 degrees. That’s smoking hot. Glendale is one of the cities with the hottest summers.
What’s the purpose of venturing outdoors if the slightest movement of a doorknob might unleash a blast of hot oven air right into your face? You’ll have to stay indoors and keep the air conditioning running all day, which takes a toll on your utility bills.
Obviously, this rules out going outside and doing anything in the sun. It’s the high point of summer everywhere else, but not in Glendale.
7. Head over to Phoenix for some nightlife
Glendale is not a good choice if you want to be able to do things after dark. This region has a lot of the characteristics of a suburb.
Everybody seems to be heading to bed at a reasonable hour after sundown. Thus Glendale might almost be classified as a quiet town.
However, Phoenix is only a couple of hours away and offers an energetic nightlife. That’s why it’s the place to throw a bash rather than boring Glendale.
8. Public transportation is unreliable and expensive
It was inevitable that public transportation would be labeled as a con, given that the city was not designed with alternate forms of transportation in mind.
The current infrastructure consists of a bus service that only runs on a limited basis. Residents have complained about the high prices and the lack of dependability of the service.
9. Solar panels are hardly used in Glendale
Strangely, even though it is one of the sunniest regions in the United States, only a small fraction of residences in Glendale have solar panels.
If local authorities were concerned with the health and lifespan of the community as a whole, they would work to establish rewarding systems which would benefit the city’s ecology, its residents, and their utility bills.
Since the air conditioner is always on, it would seem like this should go without saying.
10. Locals don’t drink the tap water
The water in Glendale is safe to drink from a technical standpoint. All the precautionary measures have been taken into account, and it satisfies them all. But still, no one can say for sure why everyone avoids drinking tap water.
Scientific consensus states that unadulterated water should taste neutral. Because of this, any existing flavor has likely been tampered with. The water, however, in this city has a unique taste to it, and that might be one of the things locals are trying to avoid.
There are a number of possible causes, but many residents have water delivered while they wait for it to be resolved.
11. The crime rate is quite worrisome
Glendale has one of the highest crime rates in the United States.
As a whole, the rate of property crime in the United States is 35. However, it’s much higher in this city, at 74. When it comes to violent crime, however, Glendale is just five points below the national average, which is quite worrisome. As you go closer to central Phoenix, the crime rate rises.
West Deer Valley, Union Hills Drive, College Park, and North Litchfield are the safest places to live in the city.
12. The cost of living is only slightly higher than the national average
Glendale’s reasonable cost of living is a major selling point. As the number of residents in Arizona continues to increase each year, so does the general expense of living there. However, the cost of living in this city is only 7 points above the national average, which is still very reasonable. Glendale is one of the cities in Arizona that has managed to maintain a manageable cost of living.
The median home price in the city is also $385,256, which is also much lower than the national average.
13. Glendale is a major sports destination
Although Glendale does not have a professional sports team, the University of Phoenix Stadium hosts home games for the NFL’s Arizona Cardinals. The stadium, which features a natural roll-out grass field, was featured on the show Modern Marvels. In 2008, Super Bowl XLII was held at the stadium, which helped to establish Glendale as a major sports destination.
You can ride your bike, scooter, or whatever else you have in Glendale. Skateboarders, inline skaters, and BMX bikers can enjoy the Sk8 Court Plaza and X-Court, respectively, as a safe and fun place to ride. Extreme sporting events, like Action Sports Association professional demos, are also held in the city.
14. Deer Valley Rock Art Center
One of Glendale’s best-kept secrets is the Deer Valley Rock Art Center. A museum, nature preserve, and archaeological site, it features the region’s biggest concentration of Native American Rock Art, with over 1,500 petroglyphs etched into approximately 600 boulders. There are excellent exhibits and workshops, making this one of the best cultural opportunities in Glendale.
15. Visit the Thunderbird Conservation Park or the Elsie McCarthy Sensory Park
Glendale is home to a lot of unique parks. Thunderbird Conservation Park, located in the Hedgpeth Hills, protects the desert ecosystem and welcomes tourists to explore the Sonoran desert via more than 20 miles of multi-use trails over its 1,185 acres. Large and little dogs alike will enjoy the agility course and water stations available at Foothills Park.
The sights, sounds, smells, and touches of the Elsie McCarthy Sensory Garden were all designed with that purpose in mind. The park is divided into many areas, such as the “Soothing Gardens” and the “Inspiring Art,” which use a range of plants and trees that use texture and aroma, water elements for sound, touch, and sight, and evening lights for added theatrics.
In Summary
There are a lot of things that make Glendale a fantastic place to live. They include the abundance of parks, low tax rates, mild winters, sports, and cost of living.
On the other hand, there’s also the scorching summers, unreliable public transport, high crime rate, and terrible traffic.
