Phoenix info needed.

If the job is near Camelback Mtn, you'd probably want to live in Scottsdale or Phoenix.  Right around the Mtn can be pretty pricey, but there are also some places nearby that are reasonable. Plenty of gyms & fitness centers throughout the Valley.

This probably doesn't help you narrow it down much for you, but keep on us and we'll help you find a place.

I just went through a year-long process of buying a place in the Phoenix area (from out of town). My search was not limited to any particular area since I was looking for a second home, so I got to know most of the valley pretty well. I only knew parts of it before my search. I did a lot of research, cruised around when I was in town, and also used GoogleMaps (Street View) to scope out areas. This might be overkill for a rental but here's some insights:

Apart from the really crappy areas (parts of Glendale for sure) and the really fancy areas (most of Scottsdale, except for the far southern end) you can find everything everywhere: My advice would be to get a hotel room and start driving around and then find a rental in the area you like that's also closest to work. Things can change from block to block. Phoenix is very unique in that respect (compared to other big cities I know pretty well: L.A., Boston, Chicago and Indianapolis).

The larger areas (north of downtown) that I'd stay away from are anything west of I-17, especially places with "Maryvale" in the name, Sunnyside, and an area just west of the 51, bordered by Bell Rd/Greenway and N. Cave Creek/32n St. That last area is a prime example for what I said about changes from block to block: all around it is pretty decent and then you have a dump of about a square mile right in the middle.

In real estate ads those areas are usually called "up and coming"... Those are also the areas where you find the most and the cheapest rentals. So, make sure you inspect the whole area first and don't get roped in by images of a nice pool on some property's website.

Good luck!

That is about the priciest area in the whole valley! I don't think there are many rental apartments there. Check all around it in Scottsdale. Paulette (paulettejo) lives there and can give more advice.