People from California who have relocated to the East Valley area of Arizona refer to this area as…read morethe "OC of Arizona." Yes, you heard that right, frustrated Californians referring to Gilbert as Orange County. I can see some resemblance with wide streets and shopping areas, however the OC is not all that it is hyped up to be (Believe me, I am a CA millennial who has done their time in the OC - by the beach and inland!). Neither is Gilbert! Upon your first visit to Gilbert, you might think it is a nice area with all the shops, cute and manicured streets, and restaurants. But once you've been here for any amount of time, you will quickly realize that shopping and restaurants is all that's here! Lots of millennial types going to restaurants and bars. It's nothing but socializing with friends here and eating at overpriced and overhyped restaurants. Young parents letting their kids run wild in public areas is the norm. I am a shopper and even I get bored with the shopping here. I only come to Gilbert when I am passing through the area - there is nothing special here.

I love this building firstly. the architecture has a great welcoming feel to it, from the outside…read moreall the way in. the staff to greet you always have smiles when you walk up. Not a large place, which is great. People remember you and treat you like you've been there forever. Its great. I've had to come here for some pre-bids and bid openings. I hope I have to come back to this laid back, calming place. Take the time to look at their dedications to fallen officers, firefighters etc. I think its beautifully made. They have a time capsule to open in 2067. I cant wait to be there!! hahahahaha

The town of Queen Creek has grown exponentially since I visit visited about 20ish years ago. For…read moreexample, Ironwood used to be two single lanes in both directions and there was no target or plethora of businesses in the Rittenhouse area. Honestly, it amazes me how much this town has developed! Some great growth, and others haphazardly planned causing some infrastructure issues. My city has actually taken some of what occurred here in consideration for our very own growth. Periodically, I visit Queen Creek as they have a few businesses that aren't in Apache Junction/East Mesa. Such as, Torchy's Tacos and Portillo's. I've even ventured here for some great Yelp events. Overall, I think it is a great town to visit and if you have a desired business, take the drive!

5/28/25 Today we visited for shopping…read more Shopping 5/5 At the Queen Creek Market Place. My wife shopped Nordstrom Rack and Ulta. Nice Market with lots of popular stores and restaurants. Also close to one of our favorites San Tan Flat! Traffic 2/5 Is always challenging due to area growing pains. I'm sure it will payoff in the long run.

Super cool places!! Definitely worth checking out!! Train ride was awesome, and the mine shack was…read moreso thrilling!

We had not been to this little Western ghost town before, but it has been at least 12-ish years. We…read moredecided to go visit the little ghost town (tourist site) and have an early dinner at the Saloon. This was actually a real mine and town back in the 1800s. We took the mine your, which was short, but interesting and informative. Made me glad was I wasn't a miner! We also took the haunted bordello tour. The bottom floor of the bordello is a gift shop, so we were only on the second floor, which is quite small. The pull the curtains to make the place dark, light a candle, and begin with the ghost accounts of the place. They hand out a couple of ghost hunting told, and take you to the two rooms where ghosts have been reported. It was fun! We also visited the mystery shack, which is a building built in two different angles so it looks like gravity is defied (water running toward, etc ). It was really fun, but kind of disorienting and kind of a workout. I almost feel twice. There are little shops with lots of Arizona-themed items (like paperweights with scorpions in them), cowboy hats and boots, and Western shirts. After going into all the shops, we went to the saloon for dinner. This place is very touristy, but we had a fun afternoon.

I don't know much about the Town of Florence, but as an out-of-towner, I do know that it's…read morein-between the 2 major cities of Phoenix and Tucson. It's a secluded area that is definitely up and coming. New homes are popping up everywhere, and Florence has a bunch being built right now by numerous home builders. There isn't much out this way that I know of except a few restaurants, some gas stations and car washes. I hear the prisons in the area once used to be in full swing, but now they are supposedly closing down. Not 100% sure on that, but I'd imagine if they are doing it, they'll be building new homes on that land. There's so much flat land out here, it's really peaceful compared to the busier surrounding cities. You'll need to hit up the Queen Creek area which is a half hour north. That's a bustling area with shops and restaurants, and Costco with a gas station. I think it'll take a few years before this town gets to that level. They don't even have a Target or Walmart here! The closest Walmart I know of is in Coolidge about15-20 minutes away. I guess I'll see what the future has in store for Florence. Right now, it's a quiet area that many young families and professionals are settling into. You might want to check it out if you're interested in buying a home. There's so many popping up, and the newer neighborhoods look really nice!

I live in Florence, but not in the old town. I'm out in Anthem a few miles west of downtown. So…read morewhat's it like in Florence? Well the primary industry are the prisons. There are 11 jails and prisons in Florence, including the Arizona Department of Corrections in addition to multiple privately run prisons. So sightseeing isn't really a big draw here. There are a handful of restaurants, including a Sonic, Burger King, Taco Bell and McDonald's as well as a few non-chain Mexican and Chinese places. Old town Florence has been trying to revive and reimagine itself for the last few decades but nothing much has really taken hold. There is a bit of surrounding farmland, and Country Thunder lands here every February which is really the biggest attraction going in these parts. There are a few wineries and a Saint Anthony's Greek Orthodox monastery you can tour. It is really beautiful out here though, and the pace is slower than in Tucson or Phoenix, so there are a lot of retirees out here. Personally I like it, but I'm not much of a nightlife person. It's also a lot more affordable out here, but still close enough to Mesa or Queen Creek to get into the Big City if that's something you need to do.

I can't say anyone ever actually recommends a courthouse. It's that place you try to avoid if…read morepossible. I made it to almost 40 years old without getting a ticket until last month, and lemme tell you, it was a strange experience. That's not to say I probably shouldn't have been ticketed once or twice, but still... I feel it was an impressive feat. I arrived to the courthouse in Downtown Chandler an hour early on a warm, sunny day (whoever says it's fall lied to you; the high today was 100° F) in a spacious parking lot with covers, trees, and well kept municipal buildings. Inside, you go through security not unlike the airport, and check in. I've never been to court, and I don't know if security was amused or felt sorry for me (my ticket told me my court appearance was at 3:00 pm/15:00, but you still have to get a ticket at the kiosk), but the man came to my rescue and helped me choose the right option. I noticed immediately I was VERY overdressed in my Sunday best: a blue dress with white polka dots, little white platform pumps, makeup, earrings, and necklace. Everyone else wore jeans, making me question my decision to dress up (I thought that's what you were supposed to do). The lobby was very clean though. Also, you don't know how hard it is to covertly sneak a picture and hope no one will chastise you for taking pictures. I don't recommend trying it in the actual courtrooms though. I'm not that bold. Waiting wasn't too different from the MVD except the process moves WAY faster, and the customer service representatives at the window are super friendly. I presented my kiosk slip, my ticket, my registration, and a dated receipt of the registration. In return, I filled out a form with my name, case number, what I wanted from the judge, and the reason I felt the motion should be granted. Went to the courtroom upstairs and waited my turn. It was kind of warm, but I don't know if that's because the temperature was high, I was nervous, or that I've had hot flashes since I was 28 years old. All three could be a possibility. My conversation with the judge consisted of two questions and lasted less than thirty seconds. Then a decision was made, and I was on my merry way. So was it a good experience? Ehhhh, going gave me horrible anxiety. BUT the staff did make an uncomfortable situation better for me, so thank you to the City of Chandler for your hospitality! P.S. the moral of the story is to not get a ticket if you don't want to go to traffic court.

Literally called and asked for timeframes to see the Judge, was provided inaccurate information…read morecausing me to take unnecessary time off of work and completely waste my time. What a disappointment. Had to wait about 30 mins just to talk to someone. Why does everyone move so slow? Get it together!!