South Mountain Foothills in Phoenix House Family-Friendly Ahwatukee

Nestled against the wine-hued South Mountain foothills, Ahwatukee is one 15 villages that have been designated by the city of Phoenix, Arizona. Because of its close proximity to the mountains, Ahwatukee has the feel of a small, family-friendly town tucked far away from the hustle and bustle of the big city.

Beckoned by both its mid-range homes as well as a plethora of luxury Phoenix homes, just under 90,000 people currently call Ahwatukee home. The numerous amenities of Ahwatukee include sparkling-blue man-made lakes stocked with fish; there are also a number of parks and greenbelt areas, several well-maintained golf courses, a multi-screen movie theater and plenty of grocery stores and restaurants. Retail therapy includes large department stores as well as specialty shops and boutiques.

Once named by Money Magazine as one of the ?Best Places to Live,? Ahwatukee is known for its outstanding public schools. The community is served by the Kyrene School District for kindergarten through 8th grade and the Tempe Union High School district for high school, both of which are highly rated by the Arizona Department of Education (ADE). In fact, all of Kyrene?s twenty-plus elementary schools earned ?excelling? or ?highly performing? ratings from the ADE, while the high schools all received ?excelling? ratings.

Residents of Ahwatukee enjoy several community-related events each year that enhance the welcoming and down-home ambience of the village. For example, every fall the Festival of Lights Kick-Off Party takes place in a local park and features dozens of delicious restaurants and unique arts and crafts vendors, plus a wide variety of bouncy castles and other rides and games for children. The event helps raise money for the Festival of Lights, an annual holiday celebration in which millions of twinkling white lights adorn cacti and trees along part of Chandler Boulevard, one of the town?s major thoroughfares. Thousands of people from nearby cities and towns such as Phoenix, Scottsdale and Paradise Valley drive to Ahwatukee every December to admire the community?s beautiful display of holiday lights.

In addition to I-10, Ahwatukee?s main boundaries to the east include the cities of Tempe and Chandler. The Gila River Indian Community is located to the south and west, and the 202 San Tan Freeway is just a few minutes? drive from many sections of Ahwatukee.