Southeast Valley Info

Ahwatukee, Apache Junction, ASU, Chandler, Chandler Heights, Fiesta Mall
Foothills, Gilbert, Guadalupe, Higley, Mesa, Queen Creek, Sun Lakes
Superstition Springs, Tempe

Tempe
Tempe is a vibrant and pulsing college town and home to Arizona State University (ASU) and many of today's most successful young musicians.

Tempe was the earliest of Phoenix's urban neighbors, found in 1871. As the home of ASU, it possesses the cultural exuberance of a campus town - host to dozens of concert artists and lecturers each year. It is also home to manufacturers and electronics industries.

It is an urban community of 158,000 residents, and is bordered by Phoenix on the west, Scottsdale on the north, Mesa on the east, and Chandler on the south.

Arizona State University, with a main campus of over 44,000 students located in Tempe, is the fourth largest public university in the nation. ASU is a research institution, well-known for its engineering and business colleges. ASU professors, staff, and researchers have played an important role in contributing to Tempe's considerable educational and cultural resources.

In 1997, the 1.2 million-square-foot Arizona Mills Mall opened in Tempe. The Mills features value-oriented stores and a wide variety of entertainment venues.

An exciting development unfolding is the development of the Rio Salado lake project, with a dam holding back 244 acres of water on a normally dry river bed, providing boating and entertainment.

Mesa

Mesa, the state's third largest city sits on a plateau southeast of Phoenix, Because it sits atop a plateau, it was named Mesa, a Spanish word that means "tabletop."

Mesa, east of Tempe, was incorporated in 1889. The town was stamped with the cultural character of its Mormon founders and their family-oriented values. In 1928 the Mormon Temple, still one of the Valley's most impressive structures, was completed, underlining Mesa's role as "the Mormon capital of Arizona."

Its economy is one based on manufacturing as the city attracted and kept such industrial giants as Boeing and Motorola. Throughout its dramatic growth, Mesa has maintained the traditional values of its founders, priding itself on fine schools, churches, and an atmosphere of economic opportunity, preserving the community image generations of Mesans have of "a fine place to raise a family."

Williams Gateway Airport in southeast Mesa is a designated location for aerospace, education and industrial development. Williams Gateway and Falcon Field offer complete aviation facilities to industrial and commercial development locally.

Chandler
Chandler is another of Arizona's' expanding cities, now the seventh largest in the state, is perfect for young families due to its draw of high-tech firms.

Chandler, south of Mesa, grew out of the agricultural holdings of Detroit veterinarian Alexander Chandler, who came to the Valley in 1887. Chandler has attracted high-tech industry, particularly electronics plants. The transformation from farmland to booming city continues. Streets are widened - only to be widened again - and residential subdivisions seem to spring up from the earth, flourishing like the cotton grown in the old days.

Chandler is fast becoming known as the "Oasis of the Silicon Desert." Motorola and Intel have four plants in Chandler, including facilities where Motorola's Iridium project and Intel's chips are developed and produced.

More than 75% of Chandler's 20,000 manufacturing employees are in high-tech fields, compared to the national average of 15%.

Chandler annually celebrates the best it has to offer through unique festivals. In March, the annual Chandler Ostrich Festival attracts over 200,000 people with a parade, carnival, and live entertainment and ostrich races.

Gilbert
Gilbert, just southeast of metropolitan Phoenix, is one of the fastest growing cities in the country. Overflowing with "Old West Charm," Gilbert holds country auctions and barbecues as part of its everyday social life.

A superior school system, quality housing in a variety of price ranges, recreational amenities and employment opportunities are some of the reasons that Gilbert has attracted new residents and businesses.

Named for Robert Gilbert, who donated land for the railroad station, the town maintains a proud sense of its Old Western flavor and charm.

Gilbert has a progressive town government with a pro-business attitude and an emphasis on quality development. The Town of Gilbert offers the capacity to accommodate demand for municipal infrastructure and services from new and expanding businesses.

Agriculture still plays an important role in the area with cotton, grains, alfalfa, vegetables, citrus and livestock.

Ahwatukee Foothills
In 1935, Helen Brinton bought a portion of the land and named it Ahwatukee (AH-WA-TOO-KEE), a Crow Indian word for “House of Dreams”. In the late 1950’s International Harvester purchased acreage south of the mountain to use as a proving ground.

Presley Development purchased most of the original ranch land in 1971, and opened the master planned community of Ahwatukee. There is now nothing left of the original ranch residence.

Young commuters and their families and retirees are the primary denizens of this rapidly growing, unincorporated community south of Phoenix.

Ahwatukee borders the 16,500 acre South Mountain Park and offers everything from apartment, townhome, and patio-home living to Master Planned Communities and custom territorial estates. Retail stores and schools have been built to accommodate growth, and recreation and community activities are in ample supply.

Mountains, Lakes, Majestic Sunsets, Breathtaking Golf and Pristine Desert. These are the words that describe the warmth and charm of a small town blessed by the amenities of a big city just next door. Interstate 10 forms the eastern border and provides convenient access to all parts of the Valley. Many residents work in nearby Tempe, Mesa and Chandler.

With an excellent school district, open park spaces, shopping centers, golf courses, and lakes, and little hills, Ahwatukee has much to offer. Although not actually a separate town, Ahwatukee has a strong identity and a sense of community.

Communities in the Valley of the Sun:
West Valley, Southeast Valley, Phoenix, Northwest Valley, Sun Cities, Northeast Valley