At home in Old Town Gilbert with The Hill Family

Nate and Kate Hill lived for some time in the urban environments of Central Phoenix and Tempe. However, as their family began to grow, priorities shifted. They wanted safety, security, and more living space. Old-Town Gilbert fit the bill perfectly.

Nate and Kate Hill read to their son, Dex.

Dex explores the family home on his personal tractor.

The Hill Family's gorgeous open kitchen.

Large, affordable homes abound in Gilbert.

“We never considered Gilbert. Our agent, Caleb, suggested it out of the blue.”

When Nate and Kate first toured Gilbert, they were caught off guard. Having been prior residents of both Central Phoenix and Tempe, they saw it as a completely different lifestyle. Still, what caught them most off guard wasn’t the switch from urban to suburban, it was how rural such a connected area could feel. “When we came to visit and turned off the freeway, we were passing farms and horses and goats. We didn't really know that Gilbert existed down here. It doesn’t really feel like the Arizona desert that we’re used to,” Kate told us. They fell in love immediately. It provided all the modern conveniences of their “old life,” paired perfectly with the safety, security, and space necessary to conduct their new one. The Hill’s had just recently expanded the family with little Dex and desperately needed to expand their living situation to match. Now, they live in a gorgeous, open floor-plan, single-family home in Old-Town Gilbert. The love eating breakfast at the kitchen island, they love relaxing in the evening in their first-ever private backyard, and they love letting Dex roam the halls rambunctiously in his John Deere tractor (complete with ‘sidecar’ for the pup!).

The Lifestyle

Aerial view overlooking Gilbert, Arizona.

Tons of family-friendly nightlife entertainment options.

The weekly Farmer's Market is a local favorite.

“It’s family friendly. Our neighbors are incredible. Everyone is kind.”

Old-Town Gilbert offers a lifestyle completely unmatched in Arizona communities. The public schools are phenomenal, the crime rates are historically low, and healthcare is higher ranked and more affordable than neighboring areas. All these reasons and more lead to CNN Money awarding Gilbert with a coveted spot on its “Best Places to Live” list. The city is known for being family focused, with endless parks, community events, and a commitment to public safety.

Beyond this, Old-Town Gilbert specifically has generated quite a lot of noise in recent years for its charming and quant lifestyle offerings. A passive observer would be astounded to see the transformation these streets have undergone in the past decade. Now, over twenty restaurants and shops line the streets of the small “downtown” core of Gilbert. The rise of Old-Town Gilbert is turning one of the fastest growing and wealthiest cities in the nation into a destination for food, business, and education.

The Schools

Gilbert High School, Home of the Tigers!

The high-performing Highland High School.

“A lot of families choose charter, but we’ve been really pleased with the public schools.”

Old-Town Gilbert takes advantage of being located within the Gilbert Public School District. For over 100 years, GPSD has offered academic distinction that has set them apart from others. They’ve achieved a record number of awards, recognitions, and accomplishments, including an A+ rating from the Arizona Department of Education. They employ over 50 nationally board-certified educators. A record 37% of their teachers hold masters degrees in their field and have an average tenure of nearly 15 years. They take pride in honing in on student interests with varying curricular focuses, including agricultural science, automative, business, culinary, STEM, fine art, journalism, JROTC, and more.

Furthermore, Gilbert has a wide array of private and charter school options, should you decide to go that route. One of Gilbert’s most prominent private schools is, surprisingly, a preschool. The Goddard School is nationally known for their ability to help foster brilliance within children and is one of the few Nationally Accredited preschools in the state of Arizona.

The Work

Massive tech investments are bringing in new wealth.

Old Town Gilbert is seeing rapid expansion/job creation.

“It’s easy to get everyone. From Downtown Phoenix to Downtown Gilbert, it feels quick.”

Gilbert ranks #1 nationally, across a surprisingly large swath of statistics. One of the most telling? The city is ranked number one in the country for “wallet wellness”. Meaning residents in the southeast of the Valley are simply the best in the nation at fiscal responsibility. This attitude and intelligent approach to finance bleeds into many aspects of day-to-day life in Gilbert. Just under 50% of the residents here hold at least a bachelor’s degrees in their field. The median household income is $90,000, coupled with the overall low cost of living. That’s impressively high. Furthermore, the housing industry here is absolutely booming, with some of the highest value growth and new-build construction happening statewide. With a targeted focus in the Science, Technology, Engineering and Math industries (STEM), Gilbert is home to many companies with focuses in Advanced Manufacturing, Aerospace and Defense, Bio-Technology, Clean Technology and Renewable Energy. As such, a highly innovative and increasingly younger generation of Arizonans is relocating to this commerce hub.

The Play

Freemont Park has expansive fun for the entire family.

Tons of coffee shops, restaurants, and more!

Gorgeous public spaces surround Old Town Gilbert.

Dierks Bentley’s Whiskey Row has become a hot spot.

“We go to the park, feed the ducks, maybe hit the rec center at Freestone to workout.”

Old-Town Gilbert is at the center of a quickly expanding and ever-more-entertaining, family-first community. The sun is always almost shining on the area’s high-rated golf courses, stunning parks, and various recreational areas. Perhaps the most popular is Freestone Park – less of a park and more of an expansive outdoor entertainment venue. The park spans 88-acres and features a rec center, baseball fields, sport courts, a mini-amusement park, fishing lakes, and a brand new, 22,000-square-foot skate park. Freemont is truly a kid’s dream.

Old-Town has quickly become the go-to place for excellent dining in the East Valley. Spanning just a few blocks of Gilbert Road, the strip offers your choice of over twenty excellent restaurants to please all palates – and there are more on their way. You’ll also find Dierks Bentley’s Whiskey Row, which has spurred an intense new interest in the downtown Gilbert core and lead to widespread interest in the area by other eateries and nightlife spots. In the years to come, downtown Gilbert is poised to become a destination not unlike Mill Avenue – except without the college students. This is, after all, a family friendly community.

On Saturday mornings, you can peruse the farmer’s market situated just behind the historic water tower. And don’t forget to stop by the Gilbert Historical Museum and learn all about the area’s rich history.