Ahwatukee Arizona

Ahwatukee is an "L"-shaped community in Arizona bordered on the north by South Mountain Park and Baseline Road, on the east by Interstate 10 and the cities of Chandler, Guadalupe, and Tempe, and on the south and west by the Gila River Indian Community. Due to Ahwatukee's relatively few access points it has been called The World's Largest Cul-de-sac.

Legend has it that in 1921, Dr. and Mrs. W.V.B. Ames built a home on approximately 2,000 acres (8.1 km²) on the southeast side of the South Mountains. They gave the area its original name, Casa de Sueños, which in Spanish means, "Home of Our Dreams." Dr. Ames died within just three months of moving into the home, and after Mrs. Ames' death in the home and most of the land was willed to St. Luke's Hospital, then bought by Miss Helen Brinton, who appeared to have retranslated the name of the home to the Crow Indian word Ahwatukee which now serves as the name of the village. The home was demolished in 1979, and parts of it were used to build the Our Lady of Guadalupe church.

As it turns out, the Crow translation for "House of Dreams" (ashe ammeewiawe) sounds nothing like Ahwatukee. More likely, the town was named after the Crow words awe chuuke, meaning "land on the other side of the hill," or "land in the next valley."

Ahwatukee Foothills Arizona has been recognized by Money Magazine as one of America's "Best Places to Live". Ahwatukee Arizona is home to many Arizona Cardinals players and coaches due to its proximity to the team's Tempe training facility. As of April 2005, the median home price in Ahwatukee Arizona was $315,000, third only to Scottsdale and Paradise Valley among cities in the Phoenix Metro area in terms of housing prices.

Ahwatukee falls within three zip codes:

• 85044 (population 40,000)- Covers the area north of Chandler Boulevard and roughly east of 32d Street. It has a median income of approximately $60,000.
• 85045 (10,000)- Covers area roughly west of Central Avenue. It has a median income of approximately $100,000.
• 85048 (40,000)- Covers the remaining portion of the village. It has a median income of approximately $85,000.

Another interesting Ahwatukee Arizona fact According to a business section article in The Arizona Republic on December 20, 2006, residents in the Ahwatukee ZIP code 85045 have the highest credit card debt in metropolitan Phoenix, with an average revolving credit card debt of over $6,000. Also, notice of trustee sales, the first step to home foreclosures, are much higher in Ahwatukee Arizona than in metro Phoenix. Many real estate professionals and financial planners are contributing Ahwatukee's residents' high-debt to overspending, poor personal budgeting skills, and living beyond their incomes' means. These experts also believe that adjustable mortgages and rising interest rates are partly to blame. The article suggests that Awhatukee residents, especially those living in western Ahwatukee (85045), are living beyond their financial capabilities and these residents are keeping up with the Joneses, but with the potential of enduring financial hardship. Also, that pressure to keep up with the neighbors, as well as eating out, and expensive private education for their children, contribute to such high consumer debt.

Ahwatukee's strong education system adds to its reputation as an excellent place to live. The area's K-8 Students are served by the Kyrene School District. The Kyrene Schools in Ahwatukee include Kyrene Cerritos (K-5), Kyrene De La Colina (K-5), Kyrene de las Lomas(K-5),Kyrene Estrella (K-5), Kyrene Monte Vista (K-5), Kyrene de los Lagos (K-5), Kyrene del Milenio (K-5),and Kyrene Sierra(K-5) elementary schools, and Centennial (6-8), Akimel A-al (6-8), and Altadena (6-8). High School students go to one of two in the area: Desert Vista and Mountain Pointe. Both schools are operated by the Tempe Union High School District. There are also a number of private/charter schools, including Horizon Community Learning Center Charter School, Intelli-School High School, and Skyline Technical High School.

Ahwatukee enjoys easy access to the South Mountain Park trail system, where mountain biking, horseback riding, and hiking are allowed. The area also has four public golf courses, many neighborhood parks and community centers, a public swimming pool, and a fairly active shopping and nightlife area near the "village core" at 48th Street and Ray Road. The recently built Pecos Park is also a favorite spot for many teenagers. When it is completed, it will boast a mini city center, with the Ahwatukee Foothills police substation.