Willcox, AZ opinions (Tucson, Safford, Bisbee: for sale, real estate, crime)

[jennyphx]

What are your opinions on Willcox? I have not been to the area. Is it filled with tweakers or illegal immigrants? Are the locals and the police nice to strangers who drive through for a visit?

I am asking because the tv program "arizona highways" has given me the travel bug to see the state beyond the valley.

[LordBalfor]

Originally Posted by jennyphx

What are your opinions on Willcox? I have not been to the area. Is it filled with tweakers or illegal immigrants? Are the locals and the police nice to strangers who drive through for a visit?

I am asking because the tv program "arizona highways" has given me the travel bug to see the state beyond the valley.

Was that the Arizona Highways episode about Stout's Cider Mill? Saw that and made a point to head to Willcox and have some of their pie. The pie was good, but what really blew me away was their fresh cider. Every other cider or apple juice I've ever had PALES in comparison.

Man oh man! That was GOOD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
EXACTLY like biting into a fresh apple.

Ken

PS - Seemed like a nice enough town but we were only there for an hour or so, so my opinion of the town overall is not worth that much.

[Dangerous Dave]

There's really nothing there, but it would make a nice stop on the way to Tombstone/Bisbee if you're coming from the east.

[eddie gein]

I lived there about 20 years ago. I went through there about a year ago and not much had really changed except for some new development around the I-10 exchange. When I lived there it was a cowboy/ranch town that was trying to recover from the crash of the Cotton market and the fact that irrigation was too expense to continue to grow cotton. The apple orchards were just coming in.

The economy was depressed at the time and apparently still is, but there are some fine people there. I enjoyed the fact that it reminded me a little bit of what Arizona used to be like before WWII.

It sits at the base of the Dos Cabeza mountain and in the shadow of Mt Graham. To the west are the Dragoons which are lower but are also interesting. To the south about an hour or so are the Chirricauhaus.

Willcox also is at 4000 feet or so so although there are some nippy days in the winter the summers are pretty nice. What I remember is how much nicer the summer morning and evenings are than they are in Tucson.

All in all, Willcox will remind you a lot of some small town in West Texas except for the milder climate and the proximity to some absolutely stunning mountains.

[BillyBaroo]

Wilcox is famous for the Sandhill Cranes that come there.

Wings Over Willcox

It's also a nice spot for pick your own fruits and vegetables.

Apple Annie's Orchard, Produce, & Pumpkins - Willcox, Arizona

A nice little weekend trip might take you to Wilcox, Bisbee, and Tombstone.

You could see Kartchner Caverns while you're in the neighborhood.

Kartchner Caverns State Park

It's real pretty down there, a lot different from the rest of Arizona.

[danieleric2]

If you like small towns, this is one of the best in Arizona. No Walmart in sight. That is a big plus!!!

The people are nice and the crime is fairly low.

[Americanet]

Does anyone have an opinion on the real estate opportunities down there? I'm currently looking to buy a piece of property, mainly as an investment. What do you think about the development of the area?

[bethmarywhite]

I just saw an episode of "Biography" on TV and Tanya Tucker was raised here (until she was about 12 or 13 I think)

[thegirlinaz]

It is a small town where I believe a lot of border patrol agents live. Like someone mentioned there is no wal-mart or bigger stores like that, so you would go to Safford (about 45 minutes away).

Other than that I don't know much..

[azdr0710]

Willcox is in a bit of a slump now, according to a long-time local I know....I've driven thru the town many times on my way to some weekend adventure and often stop at Rodney's across from the railroad park for a burger or stop in at the espresso place across from the depot.....the town is small and quiet - just another small place bypassed by an interstate....the usual tourist/trucker services out at the interchange and a half-closed "downtown"....

way back more than 50 years ago, it had the rep for being a major cattle shipping town....it has since tried apples, vineyards, museums, sandhill cranes, tourism to build a base....just a difficult thing to do as many small towns are facing today.....

investment?.....probably not a good idea unless you score a great deal....would have to be a very long-term plan....lots of land for sale over there....