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Encanto means “charm” in Spanish. So North Encanto is a fitting name for a neighborhood that preserves and celebrates one of the most extensive collections of mid-20th-century transitional and early ranch homes in Arizona.
The meandering palm-tree-lined avenues of this Phoenix neighborhood are simply the icing on the cake. If you are in the market for a mid-century ranch near downtown, be sure to take a spin through the North Encanto Historic District.
The community is just a stone’s throw from downtown Phoenix. In fact, it’s less than 2 miles northwest of Margaret T. Hance Park and the Deck Park Tunnel. That location means that this single-family community maintains an urban vibe with easy access to downtown amenities and transportation.
The community is bounded on the north by Osborn Rd., the south by Thomas Rd., to the east by 15th Ave. and to the west by 18th Ave. The neighborhood is adjacent to Phoenix College and the Encanto Golf Course.
My guest for Episode #15 of The Arizona Report™ is Phoenix Realtor Laura Boyajian. Laura has lived in North Encanto since 2004 and has lived in Phoenix for most of the last 35 years. She is a multi-million dollar real estate producer who specializes in the historic neighborhoods of Phoenix. North Encanto is one of her favorites. She’s also intimately familiar with the types of historic homes available in North Encanto and the advantages to living so close to the heart of the city. Laura’s phone is 602-400-0008. Her real estate website is www.historicphoenixdistricts.com.
Here is what we discussed:
There are only 456 homes in the North Encanto Historic District. It is one of only 35 historic districts in Phoenix. Other mid-century neighborhoods, like nearby Willo and F.Q. Story are larger. However, North Encanto has a following among purists seeking transitional and early ranch floor plans.
The district is approximately one half-mile square.
Typical homes in North Encanto average 1,600 square feet in size. Most are 3 bedrooms, some have four. Exteriors are block, stucco or brick construction with low-pitched roofs. Many of the homes still showcase their original steel-frame windows.
With one exception, North Encanto is comprised entirely of single-story homes.
The earliest examples of home construction in North Encanto are found in the southeast corner of the community. Development pushed in a northwestward direction as construction continued through the 1940s and 1950s.
Famous residents of the North Encanto Historic District include Arizona Supreme Court Justice Levi S. Udall, Tuskeegee Airmen aviator Lincoln J. Ragsdale, and the Goettl family. The Goettl brothers, Adam and Gust, began their Phoenix air conditioning firm in 1939 and at one point became the largest air conditioning contractor in the U.S. in the 1960s. It remains one of the largest HVAC service brands here in the Valley today.
A newer Sprout’s Farmers Market, an organic and natural foods grocer, has recently opened at the corner of 7th Ave. and W. Osborn Rd. It is within a half-mile of North Encanto.
Here is a look at all of the current active real estate listings in the North Encanto Historic District in the Phoenix MLS. Use the arrows to scroll.
[showcaseidx_hotsheet name=”North Encanto”]
Do you live in North Encanto? Please comment below to describe what you like (or would change) about the community to assist that who are considering the neighborhood.
I remember when we used to walk through black neighborhoods right after the war and little kids would run up to us and touch our uniforms, ‘Mister, can you really fly an airplane?’ The Tuskegee airmen gave blacks a reason to be proud.
– Lincoln J. Ragsdale, U.S. Army Air Corps pilot, mortician, leader in the civil rights movement and resident of the North Encanto neighborhood in Phoenix
