We moved here after 4 visits from a small town (7000) from the mid-west. To put it kindly, Its not the billing that is played up to be. AZ drivers are arguably the worst in the country. When you mix a large retired community with 16 yr olds not having drivers ED and a illegal immigrant population of 1 of 3 (police sources), you simply are happy to make it back home without incident. Like most small towns, the police can be a little jerky - cops from other towns from the area, i.e. Clarkdake, make there way here to fill quota's.
Outside of typical Wal-Mart super center, 3 food shopping stores, most other big box stores aren't full -size (JC Penny, Radio Shack). You'll need to go to Prescott (@60 miles 1 way), Flagstaff (@80 miles 1 way) or Sedona (15 miles away & a tourist trap) if you're used to shopping life. Old town Cottonwood is a typical "old town" downtown, most don't go there unless you need to go police station (hopefully for only a traffic ticket). There is a manatory water usage in the summer months.
DON'T come here without have a job first. People from DES (Department of Economic Security) will till you that its very hard to get a job here, let alone make a living. I've been here for almost a year, still no job. I owned 2 business, worked in the Nuclear power industry and still nothing. The only true industry here is health related, or school teacher related.
I have a child in H.S. and Grade School. As far as the kids, there is virtually no employer who will hire anybody under the age of 16 - period. The meth problem here is disproportionatly bigger here than to towns of similiar size (police sources). As far as sports for kids, if you're a transplant - expect to sit the bench. When they say the schools support the local kids, they mean the LOCALE kids. Is it just coincidence that some of the kids and their friends (who have less talent) happen to have their parent as the coach / H.S. teacher, making varsity?
Cottonwood is though, more down-to-earth than Sedona. Its mostly accepted here that people from Sedona are elitests, and Jerome was over-run with hippies.
If I could do it over, I would rethink coming here. The grass is not greener
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Cottonwood
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