Central Mesa

Central Mesa Overview

Mesa’s re-energized downtown as well as historic, family-oriented and affordable neighborhoods can all be found in this area. Several shopping centers, including Mesa Riverview are here. Spring-training venues Hohokam Stadium and Sloan Park draw many visitors and baseball fans to this area. Parks are easy to find. Several freeways run through and around this area. Mesa Community College is here. And Golfland Sunsplash is near the middle.

Transportation

The U.S. 60 and Loops 101 and 202 run around and through this neighborhood.

Explore the 5 areas of central Mesa

Downtown: 85201

Downtown is where Mesa’s historic central district can be found and a growing arts community. Many of the city’s historic homes are also here. The Mesa Country Club is right next to Hohokam Stadium. Sloan Park, another spring training spot, is here, too, as is Mesa Riverview, a popular outdoor shopping and entertainment hotspot.

Dobson Ranch: 85202

Dobson Ranch is anchored by the popular golf and manmade lake community the area is named after. Mesa Community College’s main campus is here. Several shopping centers are located in this neighborhood. Affordable apartments and mobile-home parks dot the north end.

Royal Palms: 85203

Royal Palms is named after the golf course development and shopping center near the middle of this area. The Salt River runs along the northern edge. Park of the Canals is also here. Homes are older and relatively affordable.

Reed Park: 85204

Reed Park is an area popular with families because of its many schools and parks. Reed Skate Park is in the middle of this area. Oak Park Mesa and Oakview Terrace are other subdivisions in this neighborhood. Most houses were built in the 1970s.

Fiesta Lakes: 85210

Fiesta Lakes is named after the golf club near the center of this area. Shopping centers and parks are easy to find here. Apartments, townhomes and mobile-home parks are spread throughout the northern end of this area.

Housing

Dobson Ranch is this area’s biggest community. In other parts of this area, affordable neighborhoods with older homes, apartments and mobile-home parks can be found. Most of this area’s houses were built in the 1970s and ’80s. There’s plenty of retail. This area is popular with families, retirees and students at Mesa Community College.

The Market

Central Mesa is a mostly affordable neighborhood for homebuyers and renters.
Median home prices in this area are below metro Phoenix’s overall median. Downtown is the most affordable area. The Royal Palms area has the highest prices.
This area was hurt by the housing bust. But home prices are rebounding back to boom levels.
Rentals area plentiful but can be tougher to find in the winter and spring, when students from nearby Mesa Community College must compete with snowbirds.

Living here

Expect to find many shopping centers, golf courses and affordable neighborhoods. Dobson Ranch is the neighborhood’s most prominent community, but older apartments and mobile-home parks can be found in parts of this area. Historic homes are in the Downtown neighborhood, which is being revitalized with new arts and culture venues. Hohokam Stadium draws baseball fans come February and March. This area attracts families, students and retirees. Parts of this neighborhood are vibrant, but some pockets are older and a bit worn down.

Things to do in Downtown: 85201

Main attractions

This neighborhood is bustling with things to do, from seasonal events and public concert series to farmers markets and art walks. Come February, you’ll have two spring training ballparks to choose from: Hohokam Stadium, home of the Oakland Athletics, and Sloan Park, home of the Chicago Cubs. This neighborhood is also home to the stately Mesa Arizona Temple of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day-Saints, which becomes a holiday destination for all faiths when the grounds are transformed with millions of Christmas lights.

Out on the town

There’s also something to do downtown. Mesa Arts Center, a state-of-the-art facility that hosts big-name touring acts and theatrical productions, is a point of pride. And there’s the Arizona Museum of Natural History, which showcases and educates on the natural and cultural history of the Southwest with paleontology and archeology exhibits. You’re a quick shot down the freeway from Tempe Marketplace, an outdoor mall and one stop for all your shopping, dining and entertainment needs. A 16-screen Harkins Theatre is there. Keep an eye out for concerts at other events at Mesa Amphitheatre.

Outside

A series of off-the-street bike paths make this a great neighborhood for bicyclists, runners and walkers. The Tempe Cross Cut Canal Path joins Sun Circle Trail, which follows the Consolidated Canal and circles from west Mesa through east Mesa and on to Gilbert. The trails have on-demand traffic controls at street crossings. There also is a north-south Tempe Canal Trail between Mesa Riverview and U.S. 60. Riverview Park connects to the Rio Salado path, which travels west to Tempe Town Lake and north into Scottsdale. To the east, Wind Tunnel Trail is a popular hike in Usery Mountain Regional Park, where everything from camping to an archery range can be found.

Things to do in Dobson Ranch: 85202

Main attractions

Golfland Sunsplash, one of the Valley’s premiere waterparks with thrilling waterslides, a wave pool and a lazy river, is located here. The entertainment park also has an indoor arcade and mini-golf course. Stay culturally connected with a trip to Mekong Plaza, which features shops, supermarkets and restaurants that celebrate Asian culture. In February, nearby Sloan Park becomes the spring training home of the Chicago Cubs.

Out on the town

The area is a quick shot on the freeway from two major shopping centers. There’s Tempe Marketplace, an outdoor mall and one-stop-shop for all your shopping, dining and entertainment needs, and with a 16-screen Harkins Theatre. Chandler Fashion Center is a large indoor mall that’s also home to a 20-screen Harkins Theatre. Outdoors

A series of off-the-street bike paths make this a great neighborhood for bicyclists, runners and walkers. The Tempe Cross Cut Canal Path joins Sun Circle Trail, which follows the Consolidated Canal and circles from west Mesa through east Mesa and on to Gilbert. The trails have on-demand traffic controls at street crossings. There also is a north-south Tempe Canal Trail between Mesa Riverview and U.S. 60.Riverview Park connects to the Rio Salado path, which travels west to Tempe Town Lake and north into Scottsdale. To the east, Wind Tunnel Trail is a popular hike in Usery Mountain Regional Park, where everything from camping to an archery range can be found.

Things to do in Royal Palms: 85203

Main attractions

This neighborhood is close to Downtown Mesa, which is bustling with things to do, from seasonal events and public concer series to farmers markets and art walks. Nearby Hohokam Stadium is the spring training home of the Oakland Athletics. This neighborhood is also home to the stately Mesa Arizona Temple of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day-Saints, which becomes a holiday destination for all faiths when the grounds are transformed with millions of Christmas lights.

Out on the town

The Mesa Arts Center, a state-of-the-art facility, hosts big-name touring acts and theatrical productions. And look for the Arizona Museum of Natural History, which showcases and educates on the natural and cultural history of the Southwest with paleontology and archeology exhibits. This family-centric neighborhood is loaded with parks and kid activities, including Qual Run Sports Complex, which features eight sports fields, playgrounds and a dog park.

Outside

Things to do in Reed Park: 85204

Main attractions

Nearby downtown Mesa is a hive of activity, from seasonal events and public concert series to farmers markets and art walks. Mesa Arts Center, a state-of-the-art facility that hosts big-name touring acts and theatrical productions, is near. And look for the Arizona Museum of Natural History, which showcases and educates on the natural and cultural history of the Southwest with paleontology and archeology exhibits. The Mesa Arizona Temple of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints becomes a holiday destination for all faiths when the grounds are transformed with millions of Christmas lights.

Out on the town

Catch the latest movie releases at AMC Mesa Grand 24. Spoil your kids with a trip to Amazing Jake’s, a play center with go-karts, bowling, arcade games and laser tag. A quick shot down the freeway is Superstition Springs Center, an indoor mall packed with department stores, familiar retailers, boutiques and popular restaurants.

Outside

Things to do in Fiesta Lakes: 85210

Main attractions

Public and private golf courses abound, including Fiesta Lakes Golf Club, Dobson Ranch Golf Course and Kokopelli Golf Club. You can continue your education or switch career paths at Mesa Community College. The Mesa Arizona Temple of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints becomes a holiday destination for all faiths when the grounds are transformed with millions of Christmas lights.

Out on the town

Mesa Arts Center, a state-of-the-art facility that hosts big-name touring acts and theatrical productions, is nearby. And so is the Arizona Museum of Natural History, which showcases and educates on the natural and cultural history of the Southwest with palentology and archeology exhibits. Spoil your kids with a trip to Amazing Jake’s, a play center with go-karts, bowling, arcade games and laser tag.Outside

Who lives here

Among the most populous areas of the Valley, Central Mesa is below average in income and fewer than half the houses are owner-occupied. The area is racially diverse and has relatively high numbers of school dropouts. The Dobson Ranch neighborhood (85202) has significantly fewer dropouts than the adjacent neighborhoods.

5 things to know about Mesa

Its downtown is coming back: A group of downtown Mesa supporters have been working to build the area back up, especially its blossoming arts community. The area is attracting new shops, restaurants, housing, museums and festivals. Downtown business owners, vendors and volunteers now regularly host free family movie nights, poetry slams, salsa classes, night markets and other activities. And the Mesa Arts Center, which routinely attracts talent from across the nation and globe, recently beat out the Sydney Opera House for the international Venue Excellence Award in performing arts.
It has a thriving regional airport: Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport supports more than 10,000 area jobs and funnels $3.6 million into the local economy each day. Planners believe it could grow in the next few decades to be a reliever airport for Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport.
Its residents volunteer: Mesa volunteers provided the equivalent of $5 million worth of work for their community last year. That’s more than 233,000 hours spent cleaning, painting, manning committees and helping execute city events. On Make a Difference Day every October, residents, neighborhood groups, local business, church groups and city staff volunteer for a variety of beautification and cleanup projects. Non-profits have pushed to bring more affordable housing to the city.
It has a lot of great parks: Mesa has been nationally praised for its more than 50 parks. Riverview Park, next to the Cubs spring training, is always buzzing with people. Some older parks, including Pioneer, have struggled in recent years. But the city is slowly working to revitalize them. Northeast Mesa provides access to Usery Mountain Regional Park, a 3,648-acre preserve run by Maricopa County, and the Tonto National Forest.
It embraces higher education: Mesa Community College is the biggest two-year school in Arizona and has four campuses. It’s part of the 10-school Maricopa Community College Districts. Mesa also has campuses for three other larger colleges, Illinois-based Benedictine University offers standard bachelor’s degrees. Upper Iowa University has various degree programs. And Pennsylvania-based Wilkes University offers graduate degrees and soon an accelerated degree program for Maricopa Community College District students.