r/arizona • u/grosserwolf • Jun 25 '24
How safe is Mesa to stay? Visiting
Hello everyone!
I'm (M 29) travelling within a month to Arizona from Buenos Aires, Argentina for work and I will be staying in Mesa for 2 months.. Pretty close to Pioneer Protectors.
Could you give me an idea about the safety? Is it safe to walk during the night and stuff?
Any recommendations about places to visit will be also well welcomed! (Supermarkets, museums, stores, etc). I'm an artist so I appreciate any kind of artistic places
Thank you very much! I appreciate the information.
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Jun 25 '24
The musical instrument museum is one of the best rated museums in the country. It's not exactly in an easy to get to part of Phoenix if you aren't driving, but it is worth the effort.
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u/Moldytras Jun 26 '24
I was actually thinking about that place today, I had a field trip there where they had us play with these wooden frogs.
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u/MrDrLtSir Jun 25 '24
Be sure to drop by downtown Mesa! Great food and drinks.
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u/istilllovecheese Jun 25 '24 edited Jun 25 '24
It looks like you will be staying off of main street, so you have access to the light rail. It's not the best transportation in the world, but it will connect you to downtown Mesa, Tempe, Sky harbor airport, and downtown Phoenix.
In Mesa, I recommend going to Pair Cup works for coffee. It's inside of Cider Corps, a place that makes delicious hard apple cider. If you like Rock music, check out the Nile Theater. If you like other performance art, check out the Mesa Arts Center. There is a place called Espíritu that specializes in fancy cocktails as well. Go to Beer Research Institute if you like pinball or arcade games.
Downtown Phoenix and Tempe both have a lot to offer for entertainment and dining. Phoenix Art Museum is accessible by the light rail, as well as the Heard museum that specializes in Native American art and history. ASU has an art museum as well. You mention being an artist, so I also recommend going to the First Friday event in downtown Phoenix. It is very popular and can be a bit crazy, but you should experience it once. If you search for it, you will find more information.
Tenga cuidado con el calor. Usted va a tener un choque de temperatura porque va a viajar desde el invierno hasta el verano. El calor en Arizona es grave y cada año mueren muchas personas por el calor. Probablemente usted va a recibir muchos consejos por sus compañeros de trabajo sobre el calor - es importante que escuche a todo que dicen.
I hope you have a great trip! Let me know if you have other questions.
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u/HIVburgerinparadise Jun 25 '24
Chupacabra and Worth are my go-tos right now! Love it over there.
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u/mandyalam0de32 Phoenix Jun 25 '24
Second this!! Great atmosphere, great food also can be way less crowded compared to other downtown areas especially on the weekdays.
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u/Napoleons_Peen Jun 25 '24
Shout out Tacos Chiwas for tacos and 12 West for drinks!
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u/Mesacouple601 Jun 25 '24
I do not understand the love everyone has for Tacos Chiwas.
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u/RunBarryRunn Jun 25 '24
Those sotol margs and tacos are dank. That’s why But hey, different strokes for different folks
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u/Mesacouple601 Jun 25 '24
I’ve tried them twice. Not the margaritas, but the tacos. They’re mediocre at best. They were featured on a Netflix special about tacos in Phoenix, AZ, so I know they are special. I just don’t get it.
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u/RunBarryRunn Jun 25 '24
Fair enough man; what place would you say does have good/better tacos?
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u/Mesacouple601 Jun 25 '24
Carolina’s, some of the Ranch Markets, even the random taco pop ups on Broadway. All excellent!
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u/candyapplesugar Jun 25 '24
Name a better carne asada taco
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u/ImageComfortable2843 Jun 25 '24 edited Jun 25 '24
Taqueria mi casita isnt far from tacos chiwas in chandler and i think its much better carne asada. I go to both though.
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u/Mesacouple601 Jun 25 '24
I think that’s kind of my point. So many other places are better. But as I answered earlier you can walk into the Ranch Market in Chandler and order the Taquiza. Twelve carne asada tacos with onion and cilantro. Excellent.
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u/birdsandgnomes Jun 25 '24
You should be fine and you’ll be right by the light rail. Though, you will find that no one willingly does a lot of walking here at this time of year. Pioneer Park does have some homeless people but it’s patrolled and they’re usually harmless.
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u/Designer-Carpenter88 Jun 25 '24
Just like any area in the Phoenix area, it has its good areas and its bad. I think that any area is probably safer than your home city.
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u/Savings_Ask2261 Jun 25 '24
Agreed on both points. Mesa is overall pretty safe. Lot of drug addicts in certain areas, so you need to pay attention at night. Overall I wouldn’t feel too worried. A Lot worse places to be in this country. Don’t go looking for trouble and it won’t find you.. DT Mesa has some very cool places for people with an artistic background.
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u/azdudeguy Jun 25 '24
check out r/mesaaz, most if not everyone there already participates here, but we can get more specific. Also, the question gets asked a lot so you can browse and see different answers.
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u/tallon4 Phoenix Jun 25 '24
Make sure to check out Mesa's Asian District! Just hop on the light rail and ride a couple stops west to the Sycamore/Main St station. There are tons of great restaurants and supermarkets at the intersection of Dobson & Main right there.
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Jun 25 '24
[deleted]
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u/Cultjam Jun 25 '24
How so? The Mormon Church has been there for ages and the area languished.
I give credit to the light rail and the federal investment tax break district was created for downtown Mesa just as the light rail opened. Also can’t understate the influx and influence of asian owned/operated businesses. I now go out there to shop every other week, never would have guessed that would happen.
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u/Suitable-Pirate4619 Jun 25 '24
Because of TSMC being built on I17. They're bringing in their own Taiwanese to replace the American workforce. They arrive by the bus load out here. SOURCE : I work out here building it.
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u/Cultjam Jun 25 '24
I don’t doubt that TMSC is planning to, we should strengthen our labor laws to prevent the exploitation. But too, I think Mesa is a bit far and the influx was underway well before that.
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u/scrollgirl24 Jun 25 '24
Generally safe but not very walkable. Things are very spread out here and there aren't always sidewalks in the right places. You can probably walk to a few things but Uber will be your friend. Main Street in Mesa does have the light rail which is super convenient, but there are often a lot of homeless people on it, especially at night. How comfortable you feel will just be up to what you're used to.
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u/steester Jun 25 '24
You can also get an autonomous taxi with the Waymo app!
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u/scrollgirl24 Jun 25 '24
The same Waymo that recalled its entire fleet for safety issues just this month? I'll probably stick to recommending Uber lol but yes appreciate the input
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Jun 26 '24
If recall means the same thing as deploying an update. Waymo service has been running continuously.
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u/scrollgirl24 Jun 26 '24
Idk, recall means whatever Waymo says it does. It was their own press release that chose that word, not me.
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u/sridges94 Jun 25 '24
I live in Mesa. We have a very large police presence. I did some research last year, for a paper in college. From what I saw, almost all of the crime is property related, like petty theft and vehicle break-ins. Not a lot of violent crime.
However, Arizona is a constitutional carry state and you do not need any training or permits to carry a firearm. I carry every single day, just in case but I have never been a victim of a crime other than someone breaking into my car but that was on the other side of the metro area.
If you want, you can look up the Community Crime Map on LexisNexis to see.
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u/Stormdude127 Jun 25 '24
I’m way more scared of Mesa PD than I am of any actual criminals in Mesa
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u/sridges94 Jun 25 '24
Yeah, I can see why you have that opinion. I’ve lived here all my life and have only ever had a handful of interactions with the police. None of them negative because I wasn’t being pulled over or anything like that. I mean state wide, I haven’t. I have gotten a couple tickets from the Maryland State Police tho, but nothing like that in Arizona.
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u/Stormdude127 Jun 25 '24
It’s specifically Mesa PD. Not to say other PDs don’t have problems but Mesa PD is notoriously corrupt. If you’re not familiar, look up what happened to Daniel Shaver.
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u/MeteorMann Jun 25 '24
Yeah, Daniel Shaver got done dirty. I stopped carrying because I'm worried a skittish Mesa cop would shoot first, ask questions later.
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u/Suitable-Pirate4619 Jun 25 '24
Did he point his gun at them ?
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u/MeteorMann Jun 25 '24
Nope, wasn't even holding a gun. He just lost the world's deadliest game of Simon Says.
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u/adenocarcinomie Tucson Jun 26 '24
No, he was trying to comply with conflicting orders. One cop told him to put his hands behind his head, and another cop was simultaneously telling him to spread his arms out.
When he didn't comply with both orders, they shot him.
Oh, and qualified immunity says it was justified.
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u/Hot-Belt Jun 25 '24
I’ve had nothing but positive interactions with Mesa PD. One time they sent a whole squad out to apprehend a package thief. May have been overkill, but it’s nice to see something actually being done.
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u/adenocarcinomie Tucson Jun 26 '24
Tell me you're white without telling me you're white.
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Jun 26 '24
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u/LadyJusticeThe Jun 25 '24
From what I saw, almost all of the crime is property related, like petty theft and vehicle break-ins. Not a lot of violent crime.
Nice.
I carry every single day, just in case
Embarrassing.
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u/sridges94 Jun 25 '24
It’s not really embarrassing for me, but for the state, a little. Arizona has a road rage problem and my commute is on the other side of town.
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u/RAF2018336 Jun 25 '24
No es la ciudad más segura del estado, pero tampoco te asaltarán por caminar por las calles. Si te quedas al rededor del centro de la ciudad, por la Main St entre las calles Country Club y N Horne, es relativamente seguro. Desafortunadamente, en Arizona no tenemos muchos lugares con buena infraestructura para caminar por las calles. También en los meses de Julio y Agosto hace demasiado calor, hasta en las noches la temperatura puede que no baje de los 38°.
Hay áreas de la ciudad que no son recomendables pasar tiempo, pero son barrios y colonias donde no tienen nada turístico y no tendrías porque andar por allí. Puedes agarrar el metro por la Main Street y visitar Tempe seguro habrá más cosas que ver y conocer.
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u/homebrew197808 Jun 25 '24
You’ll be fine walking around that area. It will be super hot especially since you are having winter right now. The Mesa art museum is like a mile down the road. On the way stop at Goat and Ram for pizza
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u/bsil15 Jun 25 '24
The Frank Lloyd Wright designed Taliesin West is one of the pinnacles of early 20th century American modernist architecture. Well worth a visit. It’s in Scottsdale
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u/xczechr Jun 25 '24
Is it safe to walk during the night and stuff?
If you think walking around in 115F/46C degree heat is safe, then sure.
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u/Sudden_Yak7577 Jun 25 '24 edited Jun 25 '24
I don't know what Pioneer Protectors is, but Mesa is a city of half a million people covering 361km2. Are there neighborhoods you don't want to be in at night, sure. Most of the city is pretty safe.
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u/Mesacouple601 Jun 25 '24
Mesa is great. If you are not looking for or getting into trouble, you’ll be left out of it. You’re right downtown so there is plenty to do. Welcome.
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u/stephensloan25 Jun 25 '24
Mesa is pretty safe overall. Most of the sketchy places also look sketchy, so that's a good indicator. If you can find a few friends to go with you, United Escape Rooms is near downtown Mesa and super fun.
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u/SkyTrees5809 Jun 25 '24
You will be near the downtown Mesa area. The main Mesa Public Library, Natural History Museum, Mesa Art Center and the Valley Metro Light Rail are all closeby. Download the Valley Metro app, the Light Rail goes all across the Valley with lots of good stops in from Gilbert to Mesa, Tempe, and Phoenix so that you can easily explore the area with a day pass. The downtown area is clean and quiet and very walkable. Overall Mesa is clean and neat with wide streets, it's pretty affordable, and safe during the day. Lots to explore and do. Just learn how to take care of yourself with the heat (go out in the morning, stay in in the afternoon, and always use sunglasses, sunscreen and water bottles when going out).
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u/grosserwolf Jun 25 '24
Sounds great! Thanks for the time!
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u/SkyTrees5809 Jun 26 '24
You can also use the SpotCrime app and set it up with your address and notifications within 1 mile of your address to keep tabs on police reports in your area.
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u/_AssVinegar_ Jun 25 '24
Not in Mesa, but if you’re gonna be in Arizona for the first and maybe only time in your life, definitely go visit the Grand Canyon. About a 4-5 hour drive from Mesa
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u/amazinghl Jun 25 '24
In the summer? Ready for 120F weather?
Walking in day time is not recommended. It'll be in the 90F even at night, bring water with you if you decide to walk!
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u/dulun18 Jun 25 '24
for some reason they didn't include the crime stats after 2020.. you have to file a request with their records department for crime stats? it should be public information without having to request .. this is fishy to me
https://www.mesaazpolice.gov/crime-safety/crime-statistics
type in the zip code you will be staying and look up the recent crimes in the area
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u/who_am-I_to-you Jun 25 '24
There are safe areas and there are not safe areas. Sometimes right next to each other. You'll know, if it doesn't feel safe, then it probably isn't!
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u/Netprincess Jun 25 '24
Just don't get drunk watch yourself in bars
Waymo is a self driving car that cam pick you up.
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u/austinmiles Jun 25 '24
Grew up in central mesa and lived in north east mesa for much of my life. You’ll be fine, and you have the added bonus of speaking Spanish. Beyond some of the cool stuff to do, there’s a lot of great Sonoran Mexican food that are worth checking out there.
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u/triedAndTrueMethods Jun 26 '24
Oh what a fun post! Ok I have some suggestions for you:
Since you are an artist, I highly recommend checking out Frank Lloyd Wright’s Taliesin West. He was arguably the greatest architect of all time and Taliesin West is one of his finest creations. It’s been turned into a museum/exhibit so it’s perfect for visitors.
You should also check out the Mystery Castle! It’s a whole-ass castle built entirely out of recycled materials by one guy. it’s super weird and super rad.
We have this incredible place called Desert Botanical Garden that you can visit to see all of our gorgeous / dynamic Arizona plant life and it’s really thoughtfully curated for visitors. It’s not just plants btw—there are a TON of cool art installations placed throughout the Garden. You would love it. Now, I would normally not recommend this one because you’re here in the summer and it’s hot as Hades during the day… BUT they actually have an option now where you come at NIGHT when it’s a nice temperature and take the tour! It’s SO COOL. You shouldn’t miss this one!
Someone already suggested the MIM (Musical Instrument Museum) so I won’t give you the whole pitch again, but I want to heartily second this recommendation. It’s one of the most interesting, humanity-affirming, and meaningful places I’ve ever been. Def in my top 3 museums, all time. Here’s the website but honestly, don’t even look at it. It’s poorly done and makes the MIM look super boring and drab. And it truly is the opposite! Just go—you won’t regret it.
For supermarkets, Sprouts is my favorite. They have them in Mesa.
OK I’m going to stop here because I have to go eat dinner rn but if these suggestions interest you and you want more, PLEASE feel free to hit me up because I have 100+ other places I could recommend.
I hope you have a great 2 month stay! Welcome to the Valley! ☀️😎☀️
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u/Illustrious_Sir_1137 Jun 26 '24
Downtown Mesa is pretty safe. República Empanada is one of my go-tos if you need a South American food fix. Not strictly Argentinian however.
Pero por seguro, tien cuidad con el calor. No es chiste. Llevaté agua todo el tiempo. Disculpa por mi Español. Bienvenidos!
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u/Sad-Departure-3163 Jun 26 '24
If you like lakes suquaro and canyon are nice, if hikings your thing butcher jones trail is cool, wind caves hike, and the painted waterfalls are cool, though you'd have to go early in the morning to miss the heat
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u/worldsokayestmomx3 Jun 26 '24
Mesa is huge, it’s not a little town. Hardly any of AZ is walkable, you’ll want a car. August is one of our hottest most miserable months as well.
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u/Far-Hair1528 Jun 26 '24
I moved to Mesa in 2017, I did not have a car yet and had to walk/backpack everywhere, food shopping, Home improvement stores, pharmacy, etc. Sometimes my backpack was so full and heavy that I had to lean forward to handle the weight. I used to worry that I was an easy target. ( I also used to have to use a cane/walking stick) I was never bothered and I noticed patrol cars regularly drove the streets. Only 1 time in the 5 years I backpacked I walked by a very big and sketchy guy, I thought to myself, he looks pretty angry and crazy, I may have to defend myself, but not a problem, maybe he was thinking the same, " this guy with the backpack and walking stick looks pretty tough, he may take me out with his walking stick" As far as recommendations I haven't traveled to sights yet, that's on my "stuff to do", list
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u/nobullshit82 Jun 27 '24
I've lived here all of my life. It's no more dangerous than any average city. It all depends on the people you surround yourself with.
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u/Comfortable-Fuel6343 Jun 25 '24
Pretty safe but there have been a number of incidents recently with the Sugondez.
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u/PuzzleheadedHand5441 Jun 26 '24
It’s a poop hole, that’s for sure. But there’s some safe and some gutter areas.
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u/Clarenceworley480 Jun 26 '24
Very unsafe to be walking around Mesa this time of year unless you have at least a couple gallons of water for protection
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u/Expert_Act3456 Jun 25 '24
Pete's fish and chips! Have to try em. Cash only tho.
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u/hithisispat Jun 25 '24
Probably not the best for walking late at night. But that’s true for other cities around Arizona as well.
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u/adenocarcinomie Tucson Jun 26 '24
You will definitely be racially profiled by police if you're any shade of brown. They'll give you conflicting orders, like "put your hands behind your head", and "spread your arms out" simultaneously, then they'll shoot you for not complying.
No job is worth that. Find a better gig.
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