Glendale

Located in the northwest part of the Valley of the Sun, Glendale is Arizona’s fourth-largest city with a population over 227,000. Two major freeways run through Glendale, making it very accessible to the rest of the Valley. The fact that the city is one hour closer to key West Coast cities than other Arizona cities has been a factor in Glendale’s ability to attract major corporations.

Glendale’s economy benefits from high technology businesses and other major corporations that have chosen the area as home.

While Glendale hosts large sporting events, including the 2008 National Football League Superbowl, and is home to vast shopping malls, it has also retained the charm of its Historic Downtown shopping district, with antique shops and quaint restaurants. New residents are drawn to its beautiful neighborhoods, excellent medical facilities and highly rated schools.

The city of Glendale is recognized for its sound financial management and is highly rated by such financial evaluation firms as Moody’s and Standard & Poor’s. This has resulted in taxpayer savings and also enables the city to improve its public services and parks. Neighborhoods in Glendale have benefited from the Neighborhood Partnership program, which provides assistance in grant applications to improve the city’s neighborhoods. The city is also focusing on increasing property values in older sections of town.

New development in central Glendale tends to be higher density housing than in the surrounding area. Master-planned communities such as the upscale Arrowhead Ranch are changing the area’s demographics by attracting more affluent residents. Homes in this community are priced anywhere from $120,000 to $1 million. The community of Rovey Farm Estates:Sunrise is selling its 2,000- square-foot to 3,100-square-foot homes from $221,000.