West Valley, Arizona
Have you recently moved to the Greater Phoenix West Valley, or are you coming for a visit? Let us give you the lay of the land and some ideas on how to use the site so you can get the most out of it.
Start with the Resources and click on Activities & Family Fun to see all the cool things to do. If you are looking for child-friendly places to eat, visit the Restaurants section. You can find babysitters on our Classifieds section and under Child Care Options. Click here for information on Parks. If you are in need of hotel accommodations, go under the Travel area for a list of places to choose from. Check out the Events Calendar to see what's coming up and click on Local Perks for specials and discounts from area businesses.
Welcome to the West Valley: Goodyear, Avondale, Buckeye, Litchfield Park, Peoria, Glendale, Surprise, and more! We consider ourselves lucky to be able to enjoy mild (ice-free) winters, great golf, peaceful mountain views, and numerous parks for hiking, biking and more. Located in the suburbs, you are still able to take advantage of the big city culture and events. You have professional baseball, hockey, basketball, football, and even la crosse all less than 30 minutes away. You can head north to Lake Pleasant in Peoria for boating and water sports, visit the white tigers at the Wildlife World Zoo just North of Litchfield Park, or venture a bit farther north to more rural parts of Arizona like Sedona (beautiful red rocks) or Flagstaff (in case you want to see some snow in the winter). This is an exciting time to live in the Southwest Valley as our community is growing quickly and new shopping malls, family entertainment venues, and other conveniences are popping up all around us each month. Enjoy!
AVONDALE is located about twenty minutes west of downtown Phoenix, just west of Tolleson, east of Goodyear, and south of Litchfield Park.
Historic downtown Avondale hosts annual special events such as Billy Moore Days Western Heritage Celebration, Fiesta Parties Mexican Independent Festivals, and Taste of the Southwest Valley Regional Event.
There is a new state of the art civic center on Avondale Boulevard for all government operations and it houses the Avondale Civic Center Amphitheater for community events such as the Under the Stars Concert Series. Avondale is the future home for the West Valley Arts Council. Also you can find Estrella Mountain Community College near Thomas and Dysart, which offers a wide variety of classes to parents for continuing education. EMCC offers childcare assistance programs available to those who qualify.
Home to Phoenix International Raceway (PIR) which brings in racing fans from all over the country for NASCAR and Indy events. Friendship Park, an extensive youth sports complex on McDowell between Dysart and Avondale Boulevard, boasts 11 soccer fields, four baseball fields, a dog park and a Japanese sculpture garden.
Two main shopping plazas are Gateway Pavilions at 99th Avenue and McDowell and Coldwater Plaza at I-10 and Dysart. Gateway Pavilions has some large, popular retailers, a couple restaurants, and a huge luxury movie theater. Coldwater Plaza offers many restaurants, fast food places, and all kinds of stores.
Less of a suburb feel and more of an old west, small town atmosphere. Buckeye celebrates its history with Countryfest in the Fall, Pioneer Days in the Spring, Electric Light Parade, and the Holiday Arts and Crafts Boutique. Also you can catch exciting shows and events at the Helzapoppin’ Rodeo.
Enjoy great views and sunsets at the White Tanks Mountain Regional Park. The park offers all kinds of outdoor activities including overnight camping. Buckeye Town Park has a picnic area, a skate park, volleyball, and a great Olympic size pool with a water slide and other water features to help cool you off in the summer. In addition you can find the Buckeye Historical and Archaeological Museum with an original pottery collection at Town Park.
The City of Glendale is situated next to Phoenix and runs from Pinnacle Peak Road to the north, to Camelback Road on the south and from 43rd Avenue on the east to Luke Air Force Base and Reems Road on the west.
Glendale offers a wide variety of family activities and dining opportunities and is well-known as the home of Luke Air Force Base.
Glendale also boasts a unique shopping experience in its downtown district, with nearly 100 one-of-a-kind shops, carrying wares ranging from antique treasures and home-made crafts to pop-culture-finds. Delectable dining opportunities for every taste and ethnicity abound throughout the city, sure to satisfy whatever cuisine you crave.
Sports fans congregate in the newly-built University of Phoenix Stadium, to cheer on Arizona's home football team, the Arizona Cardinals. This same field is also garnering national attention as the chosen venue for the 2008 Super Bowl. Hockey fans also howl in Glendale for Arizona's NHL team, the Phoenix Coyotes.
For the holidays, you can take the family to enjoy a time-honored twinkling event, the Glendale Glitters Holiday Lights Spectacular, (running from Thanksgiving until the middle of January).
Other visitor 'hot-spots' include the Cerreta Candy Company, Sahuaro Ranch, and family museums, (including the Police Museum and Bead Museum), aimed at entertaining and educating the public.
GOODYEAR is located about twenty-five minutes west of downtown Phoenix, south of Litchfield Park, west of Avondale, and east of Buckeye.
City of Goodyear
Nestled at the base of the Estrella Mountains, you can head outdoors to enjoy the Estrella Mountain Regional Park for hiking, biking, horse back riding, and special events. The Southwest Valley Chamber of Commerce also brings a Senior Rodeo to the park each year.
Enjoy shopping and restaurants at the Palm Valley shopping centers near I-10 and Litchfield Road. Coming soon a new Westcor shopping mall is beginning construction at Bullard and McDowell Road.
Wind your way up the hills to master-planned community Estrella Mountain Ranch to enjoy Goodyear’s Taste and Tunes Festival in the Fall, the annual Lakeside Symphony Pops Concert in the Spring, and a Farmer’s Market the third Saturday of the month from 10am – 2pm.
Take your little ones to Goodyear Park for playgrounds, skate boarding, and baseball, or join the new YMCA for other great family exercise and activities (both located near Thomas and Litchfield Road). The City of Goodyear has an aquatics and recreation program that offers many kids’ classes and sports.
LITCHFIELD PARK is located about twenty-five minutes west of downtown Phoenix, just north of Goodyear and Avondale.
This is a small, yet charismatic city with attractive and unique neighborhoods that hosts an Annual Native American Festival sponsored by the West Valley Fine Arts Council. You will find many great children’s activities and programs at the Florence Brinton Litchfield Library. The city of Litchfield Park provides an online recreational center and activities guide including youth sports, camps, and classes.
The Wigwam Golf Resort & Spa (four-star resort) offers golf, spa services, and several recreational classes to kids and parents in the community. Don’t miss the Wildlife World Zoo a few miles north of Litchfield Park. The zoo has a train ride, sky ride, carousel, petting zoo, boat ride, kids play area, refreshments, and of course animals too.
Peoria is located East of Glendale, West of Sun City and North of Avondale and Goodyear.
Peoria offers a wealth of indoor and outdoor activities for families. During Spring Training, sports fans can take in a Seattle Mariners or San Diego Padres game at the Peoria Sports Complex. Visitors to the Challenger Space Center can learn about our universe and the astronauts who have explored space. Water enthusiasts can water-ski, jet-ski, boat, scuba-dive or fish at Lake Pleasant. Recreational activities also available in Peoria include public pools and five golf courses.
Patrons of the fine arts can take in a play or musical at Theatre Works or Arizona Broadway Theatre, both of which call Peoria home. In addition, Theatre Works offers classes and workshops in drama at the Peoria Performing Arts Center, while Arizona Broadway Theater ticket holders enjoy an elegant dining experience, along with the entertainment.
A range of restaurants, suitable for families, is easily found within the city.
Surrounded by mountain park lands, a regional lake and the Sonoran Desert, Surpise is located about 45 minutes from downtown Phoenix.
Entertainment in Surprise includes the city's popular Aquatic Center, which offers residents a respite from the heat with slides, waterfalls and refreshing pools.
Visitors and residents can also enjoy DreamCatcher Park, the city's "first all-access sports facility."
Golf enthusiasts have a choice of eight different golf venues within the city's boundaries, while White Tank Mountain Regional Park is a popular place to hike and bike, especially in the cooler winter weather of Arizona.
If tennis is your game, watch for a new 17-court/5,000 seat Tennis Complex, soon to be completed.
The Kansas City Royals and Texas Rangers call Surprise Stadium home for Cactus League Spring Training.
Services in Surprise include Sun Health Hospitals, as well as several urgent care centers. Arizona State University is situated only 20 minutes away.
A small city with big growth on the horizon. Tolleson has three city parks, a community center, five lighted ballparks, basketball, tennis, and racquetball courts. The Tolleson Public Library offers a summer reading program.
