South Mountain

South Mountain is the Urban Village lying just south of downtown Phoenix in the area between 48th Street and 27th Avenue, south of the Salt River, to the northern boundary of South Mountain Park Preserve.  This area is all about the great outdoors and enjoying the Arizona lifestyle!   In addition to South Mountain and all the other attractions in South Mountain Village, it's a fast and easy commute from here to all the professional sports events, cultural venues and employment opportunities in downtown Phoenix.  And it's only 20 minutes to Sky Harbor International Airport.  

Recreation
There is much to do in Phoenix for fans of the performing arts, athletics or the outdoors. Residents of South Mountain are conveniently located within 7 miles of downtown and less than 15 minutes drive to the central city where you will find numerous performing arts establishments offering opera, ballet and big-name sports and concerts. There are several museums and parks to spend time at as well, including the Phoenix Art Museum, Childrens Museum, Science Museum and Heard Museum. People can go golfing, visit the zoo, the botanical garden, the amusement park Castles N' Coasters, or one of many waterparks. Phoenix is the playing site of many professional sports teams, including teams in the four big sports: football, baseball, basketball, and hockey.

Heard Scout Pueblo.   Dobbins Road, between 16th and 20th Streets.  The Boy Scouts enjoy this camp located right on South Mountain.

Mystery Castle.  Mineral Road, east of 7th Street and south of Dobbins Road.  You just have to see this to believe it.  A man habd-built this in the early part of the last century for his baby daughter, and she still lives there and is one of the tour guides!

South Mountain Park Preserve.  South Central Avenue south of Dobbins Road.  With over 16,000 acres, South Mountain Park Preserve is the nation's largest municipal park and one of the largest urban parks in the entire world.  It is owned and maintained by the city parks department.  Its major peaks include Maricopa Peak, Goat Hill and Mount Suppoa, which reaches 2,690 feet. The park is ideal for hiking, mountain biking and horseback riding.  Fill in your email on the contact form below to receive a map of all the trails in the park.  (My favorite trail is Fat Man Pass.)  The range also has Hohokam and U.S. Cavalry ruins as well as fascinating petroglyphs carved into the rocks.  Check out the exhibits and events at the Environmental Education Center located near the park entry.  One Sunday a month is designated as Silent Sunday when vehicles are not allowed in much of the park and people are encouraged to explore the park on foot.

South Mountain YMCA,  E. Olympic between Central and 7th Street

Phoenix Police Academy, 15th Avenue and Olney.  Target Shooting Range is open to the public on the week-end.

Public Golf Courses in and near South Mountain Village:

The Legacy Golf Resort.  32nd Street between Baseline and Southern.

The Raven Golf Course at South Mountain. 36th Street north of Baseline Road.

Vistal Golf Club. 7th Street, just south of Dobbins Road.

Aquila Golf Course. 35th Avenue between Dobbins and Baseline, in nearby Laveen.

Education

The elementary schools, middle schools, and high schools in the South Mountain area offer residents a wide choice of public schools, charter schools, and private schools.   Call Maureen at 602-791-0898 if you would like to receive a list of schools located within South Mountain Village.  A complete list of the public and charter schools in the Phoenix metropolitan area, along with complete details about each school, can be found at ade.az.gov and additional information, including private schools, at greatschools.net.

Post secondary higher education includes:

South Mountain Community College, On S. 24th Street between Baseline and Southern.  About 8,000 students attend classes at this campus which overs a wide range of studies.

Arizona State University, one of the largest public schools in the nation, has 4 campuses in the Phoenix area, 2 of which are extremely convenient to South Mountain Village.   The main campus in Tempe is just 20 minutes east of South Mountain Village.  The downtown campus is only 7 miles north in the rapidly developing BioScience area of downtown where TGen and the U of A Colleges of Medicine and Pharmacy are also located.

Housing.  The "Baseline Corridor" (which runs the full width of South Mountain Village from 48th Street on the east to Laveen Village on the west) has been rapidly re-developing for the past a decade, with residences and businesses now taking the place of acres of citrus groves and flower fields that were historically found in this area.   Over 10% of the new homes constructed in Phoenix during the building boom between 2000 and 2005 were built in South Mountain.  If you want help making the right choice on South Mountain real estate, let me help you.  I know the area well, as a resident of Phoenix since 1980 and a resident of South Mountain since 2003.  Contact me at Urban Premises to get complete information on this area. You can also check out my current properties for sale in the Featured Listings tab.  You can buy a lot of home here for the money, and it's close in so you will have time to enjoy life (instead of wasting your time, money and gas commuting).

My Favorite Restaurants in South Mountain Village include:

Amano Pizza Bistro and Wine Bar.  1541 E. Baseline Road.  South side of Baseline Road just west of 15th Street.  Creative gourmet pizzas, salads, pasta dishes and other wonderful entrees are found in this small, friendly restaurant and wine bar.  Fresh home-made rolls and great appetizers.  (Try the stuffed peppadews!)  Opens at 5:00 pm for dinner most evenings and brunch on Sundays.  Call for exact times and days.  602-268-9466

The Farm at South Mountain.  6106 S. 32nd Street, just south of Southern Avenue.  There are actually three great restaurants here.  The Morning Glory Cafe serves up a great breakfast.  The Farm Kitchen has wonderful sandwiches, salads, desserts, and more during the lunch hour that you can enjoy on the picnic tables in the pecan grove.  (It's a great place to hold an event in an outdoor setting - our daughter's engagement party was there and everyone loved it!)  Quiessence is the upscale restaurant at The Farm - fabulous for enjoying happy hour on the patio and/or a gourmet dinner inside the original farm house.  The Farm does close up during the summer, so call ahead for the hours open.  602-276-6360

Hungry Howie's Pizza.  1635 E. Baseline Road.  Yes, it's a chain, however, their pizza is head and shoulders above the typical pizza chain.  They even post nutrician info on their website (hungryhowies.com) and they deliver.  Open 11 am to 10 pm (11 pm on Friday and Saturday).  602-276-6000.

Los Dos Molinos.  8646 S. Central Avenue.  The original and still very popular place for authentic mexican food.  602-243-9113

The Secret Garden.  2501 E. Baseline Road.  The Vintage Market operates a charming restaurant here in a historic building that was converted from a large farm house built in 1929.  This venue also hosts weddings and other special events in the evening.  It is open to the public for lunch, along with a garden store also on the property.  602-268-5522

T-Bone Steak House.  10037 S. 19th Avenue.  From 1965 until about 1999, this was one of the few buildings around these parts.  Great views of downtown and panoramic city lights.  Cowboy steaks, burgers and more, grilled outdoors over a mesquite fire, served with cowboy beans, bread, and a simple salad bar.  Their grilled salmon and fried chicken are both moist and yummy, too.  Save room for the apple pie a la mode!  Open for dinner at 5 pm daily.