This Arizona Neighborhood In Phoenix Is An Affordable Gem With Mountain Views, Peaceful Parks, And Tasty Eats

North Mountain Village is a pretty humble name for such a big place: The neighborhood covers 43 square miles and is home to about 185,000 people. This "village" is composed of 65,000 households, and the landscape is a mix of suburban development, desert mountains, and human-made canals. You'll find a constellation of local restaurants, watering holes, and golf courses. At the same time, there's a lot of public space to explore – more than a third of its land area is dedicated to parks and preserves. With a median home price of $370,000 (lower than the $400,000 of Phoenix as a whole) and high scores on Niche for diversity, public schools, and nightlife, it's no surprise many families decide to settle here.

Few out-of-towners have ever heard of North Mountain Village, especially compared to Greater Phoenix hotspots like Tempe or Scottsdale. Take a drive through here for the first time, and it might feel like any other satellite community in Maricopa County. But North Mountain Village isn't as isolated or generic as it may seem. The neighborhood's center is only 11 miles north of inner-city Phoenix, and the light rail heads straight here; you can ride the B train from Central Park Place — in the middle of Downtown Phoenix — to North Mountain Village in less than an hour. This relative closeness is part of what makes Phoenix one of five American cities that feel small despite their large populations. And visitors will be rewarded with outdoor fun, hilly horizons, and a spectrum of dining options.

Hikers may not even realize they're in North Mountain Village when they head to the Lookout Mountain Preserve in the district's northeast corner. The "mountain" has a prominence of 583 feet, which isn't too high, but the trails should give you a good workout, especially in the hotter months, and they'll typically last one to two hours. At the rocky upper reaches, the panoramic views of the surrounding neighborhood can be splendid, earning the summit its name.

Far larger is the eponymous North Mountain Park. As with many urban parks in Maricopa County, North Mountain is a mix of burnished hills and scattered scrub, and after an hour of wandering these dirt paths, you may feel like you're part of the Sonoran Desert.

Another popular way to explore this area is the Arizona Canal Path, which parallels this important waterway and cuts across North Mountain Village in an east-west direction. This path is great for cycling and running, and it's longer than it first appears; the full Arizona Canal Path stretches more than 72 miles from end to end, spanning much of the county. For more canal fun, check out the gorgeous hidden waterfall in Phoenix, which is near a bunch of highly rated restaurants.

All these open-air activities should work up an appetite, and you're in luck: Within the corrugated steel walls of Bobby-Q BBQ, you can feast on baby back ribs, wood-fired ribeye steaks, and fried chicken platters, all in a business-casual smokehouse setting. For a taste of Southeast Asia, visit Krachai Thai Kitchen, which features Thai specialties (Pad Thai noodles, Pla Rad Prix fish curry) and fusion favorites (teriyaki chicken). Then there's the North Mountain location of Los Arbolitos de Cajeme, a steakhouse and seafood restaurant that started in the Mexican city of Ciudad de Obregón in 1988 and now serves top-notch fish and shellfish (in the middle of the desert). You're also just 12-or-so miles from Arizona's hands-down best burger, served at this Phoenix restaurant with Chicago vibes.

North Mountain Village is a reasonably affordable place to stay, especially if you want to avoid the more crowded areas of Phoenix. Several chain hotels are lined up near the canal, with prices ranging from double-digits to $200 per night. Most of these hotels are located across the street from Castles N' Coasters, an amusement park with rollercoasters, zip lines, and water activities — just another reason to check out this underrated community.