Relocating to Red Rock Country? (Phoenix, Flagstaff: fit in, sales, real estate)

[extrablu]

Hello All,
I currently live in NYC and have an opportunity to move to the Sedona/Oak Creek area. Any sense of what real, day-to-day life is like in that area (work, culture, housing)? I'm a single, middle-age male, without the NYC edge.

[Badland wonder]

I have never been to NYC, but have lived in Sedona. Moving to Sedona will be a major change in lifestyle, but that could be good if that is your desire. In Sedona there is not a building big enough to have an elevator. There is a small taxi service. The skyline is red rocks and blue sky. Most work is service oriented. There are lots of art galleries and "fun" shops, B&Bs and motels, real estate and restaurants. Some professional services such as lawyers and doctors. There is no hospital. There is a high school. There is not any industry, but there are a lot of sightseeing tours. If you can fit into one of those niches then there is plenty of work, but do not expect a high salary. Unless, of course you are a lawyer, doctor, etc.
Lots of culture in Sedona. It is primarily an art town, meaning there are a lot of artists. Most sales are to tourists as many locals are retired and have large houses already full of nice artwork. There is a large metaphysical community in Sedona that promotes many things, such as Ram Daas lectures, etc. Living in Sedona is like living in the middle of a National Park...lots of tourists. But there are a lot of things to attract a visitor..beautiful scenery, archaeological findings, hiking, photography and so on.
Housing is not really a problem. Places to rent, places to buy. By Arizona standards it used to be the priciest place to live but has been surpassed by areas around Phoenix and Flagstaff, and possibly even Prescott. Everything has gone up as it has around a lot of places in the United States.
There really isnt any "regular" shopping in Sedona. (Wal Mart, Home Depot, Sears, etc)
You might have to go to Flagstaff, Cottonwood, or Prescott to buy a pair of jeans.
Good luck and enjoy your research.

[allforcats]

Hi, extrablu. What a fascinating idea you have! I grew up in NYC and started my advertising career in the Newsweek building while I lived near Gramercy Park, so I came from the life you are in.

Badland wonder's post is just superb! -- thoughtful, rational, truly informative -- and I second everything in that post. I lived in Flagstaff for a while, and found the Sedona and Oak Creek areas clean and healing in terms of the air, the trees, the earth, and the people whose (generally) genuineness, lack of pretension, honesty, kindness, and openhearted warmth made meeting them and talking with them an experience rather than a mindgame or test of wills. And middle-aged is a fine and normal thing to be there.

You will find a significant difference in climate: infinitely less rain, much longer summers in which the temp can get quite hot (in a "blazing" kind of way that more humid areas don't experience, which is why people die in the deserts all the time), much less humidity (all that "dry heat" we always hear about), scenery that's beyond description, clouds with a beauty you cannot imagine, and lightning and rainbows (even double and triple rainbows) such as you've never seen. Most of the birds are different and most expect to include humans in their lives.

What I want to say to you is this: most of the people in the west are openhearted, tolerant of most lifestyles that aren't actually violent or ostentatious, willing to share, willing to learn, willing to make a space for a similar newcomer. If you do not take this adventure, will you regret that choice? (You know we never regret what we've done; we always regret what we could have done and didn't, right?) And no matter what path you choose, know that Life will always show you the best that path has to offer you.
Have fun deciding!

[extrablu]

If the people in Sedona/VOC are as thoughful and nice as Badland Wonder and AllForCats, my transition from NYC will be a smooth success.
Thank you both for your kind and insightful words.

Extrablu

[ElizaTeal]

Sedona lacks middle-aged single men. If you are sensitive and straight, you'll be a hit with the women. It's a beautiful place. I moved to Sedona in from NY in 96. Have fun!