Arizona along I-40

[wit-nit]

Flagstaff is a college town and a skiing mecca for Phoenicians that want one day of cold weather to remind them why they live in the lower desert areas.
I have not heard of a water issue.

[TrentBeaver]

The reason I think the Flagstaff area doesn't get any larger is the roads and I truly think anyone who has been there can agree with me on this.

The roads in the town/city limits are terrible if you are on a time frame needing to get somewhere and traffic there is really congested. This is what I think the biggest downfall to Flagstaff is!

-Trent

[mistermix]

It's water.

Flagstaff gets water from two sources:

1) Ground water
2) Snow melt

While that's enough to support its current population, at 500k things would start to get very grim, very quickly. They can't tap into Colorado River water ( its already spoken for by downstream customers) so it would have to overtax its limited supply.

There's also the isolation factor. While Phoenix is relatively close, that's about it. Las Vegas and ABQ are the next closest cities of consequence, meaning that Flagstaff would have be largely self-sufficient with a larger population in an area where self-sufficiency.

[ohazco]

Water is a concern but not what is currently constraining growth. A shortage of land is one big factor. There is very little land available for development as it is mostly government owned. When the federal government releases land it is bought up and developed into dense subdivisions. This and the second home market contribute to the housing prices. The anti-growth sentiment of the city and residents is also a factor to limiting growth.

[mistermix]

Originally Posted by ohazco

Water is a concern but not what is currently constraining growth. A shortage of land is one big factor. There is very little land available for development as it is mostly government owned. When the federal government releases land it is bought up and developed into dense subdivisions. This and the second home market contribute to the housing prices. The anti-growth sentiment of the city and residents is also a factor to limiting growth.

500k worth of people could easily fit into Flagstaff's city limits.
Manhattan is a relatively small area and yet 1.3 million people live there.
Water and the lack of interest by businesses moving there are likely the two key reasons that the population is so small.

[ohazco]

Originally Posted by mistermix

500k worth of people could easily fit into Flagstaff's city limits.
Manhattan is a relatively small area and yet 1.3 million people live there.
Water and the lack of interest by businesses moving there are likely the two key reasons that the population is so small.

Haha apples and oranges and a complete disregard for how people in most of the country want to live... but OK. I was in the development business in flag before the recession, the demand was for single family homes, not for skyscrapers.

[Creature of the Wheel]

Originally Posted by fengxg

Don't people feel the scortching heat in Phoenix uncomfortable?

I'm one of those, even though I live in WA, who enjoys triple digit heat as long as its a dry heat. My friends and I would be those crazy people you'd see at some park or driveway playing basketball all day long in the middle of summer. The heat didn't bother us one bit.

[wit-nit]

Flagstaff water supply and availability.

City of Flagstaff Official Website - Drinking Water

[magnum0417]

I happen to love the Kingman to Flagstaff stretch of I 40 myself. Unfortunately, can't say the same about Winslow and Holbrook. Those two towns are on the Colorado Plateau where you freeze your butt off at night and really don't have much to look at besides dust and sagebrush. Land is cheap in places like Sun Valley Ranch just east of Holbrook for a reason.

Besides water, the cost of living in Flag is not on par with job opportunities. Basically retirees, trustfund brats and those well paid with NAU and Forest Employees can afford Flag. 150K gets you a 700 sq foot condo. No real middle class at all in Flag. Either you are in the penthouse or the outhouse. My issue with Flag is the horrible zoning. You have trashy trailer parks mixed with million dollar homes in close proximity to one another. They call Flag "Poverty with a view" for a reason. One needs to make atleast 80K to have a reasonable home in that town. Otherwise , you are paying $1500 in rent for 1500 sq foot older home in town.

[fengxg]

Originally Posted by magnum0417

I happen to love the Kingman to Flagstaff stretch of I 40 myself. Unfortunately, can't say the same about Winslow and Holbrook. Those two towns are on the Colorado Plateau where you freeze your butt off at night and really don't have much to look at besides dust and sagebrush. Land is cheap in places like Sun Valley Ranch just east of Holbrook for a reason.

Besides water, the cost of living in Flag is not on par with job opportunities. Basically retirees, trustfund brats and those well paid with NAU and Forest Employees can afford Flag. 150K gets you a 700 sq foot condo. No real middle class at all in Flag. Either you are in the penthouse or the outhouse. My issue with Flag is the horrible zoning. You have trashy trailer parks mixed with million dollar homes in close proximity to one another. They call Flag "Poverty with a view" for a reason. One needs to make atleast 80K to have a reasonable home in that town. Otherwise , you are paying $1500 in rent for 1500 sq foot older home in town.

I share pretty much the same impression of Flag as you. Maybe this is the case for a town with good view but few business. My point is a town with such nice natural resource should be more vivid. Flag is just too quiet and lonesome.