To respond to smalltownmama's question:
I've lived in Show Low with my husband and kids for 10 years now. And, like any place else, Show Low has it's pros and cons. Show Low has proved a nice place to raise young children. The schools aren't great, but they're pretty good. The water is plentiful, and the air is clean (except during the "controlled burns" which can literally smoke you out if you're downwind -- if anyone in your family has asthma or other respiratory problems beware). We also has a nice public library and an indoor swimming pool.
Show Low is a beautiful, forested area with lots of lakes nearby and snow skiing less about 1 1/2 hours away.
Show Low is known as the "city of four seasons" and that's mostly true. We do have four lovely seasons, but in my opinion, they don't seem to be equally disbursed -- Winter certainly seems the longest. (But, I was raised in the Phoenix area, so I may be a little more sensitive to the cold than others.) I think I'd manage the cold better if it wasn't for the wind -- Show Low can also be VERY WINDY -- miserably so at times. So, between the cold and the wind -- espcially in springtime -- Winter seems to be a very long season. When in finally warms up in June, you get a couple of nice weeks before the mosquitos come and then watch out!
Suffice it to say, I've gone from being an avid outdoors person to a relative shut-in. I just don't enjoy being outside here very often -- it's either too cold and/or too windy, or I'm having the life sucked out of me -- a real shame because it's otherwise an absolutely beautiful area. And, I know these things don't bother everyone, and hopefully they won't bother you.
Unfortunately, the wind, cold and mosquitos aren't the only problems I've encountered here in Show Low. I've lived quite a few places and have always made good, lasting friendships in each location. Naturally, I expected the same here in Show Low. And, at first, the people here seemed very friendly, and I was thrilled. But, it wasn't long before it became apparent that this "friendliness" was mostly superficial. Basically, I've had a very difficult time making friends here (and the friends I have been able to make have mostly moved away). I'm hesitant to say this for fear of offending anyone, but the only reason I can discern for this difficulty is that I'm not of the "right" religion -- in fact, I'm not a church-goer at all, which not only limits my exposure to others but also "separates" me from the "flock" if you know what I mean. Show Low has a very large Mormon population, and they're influence is VERY strong in every aspect of Show Low life. I don't want to say that they're all "holier-than-thou" because I know many very nice people who are Mormon (as well as other faiths) who definitely are not of that mentality. But on the whole, that attitude can definitely be felt (and heard) in this town. I hope I'm not offending anybody who's Mormon. There's certainly no offense intended. I'm just relating my experience here in Show Low because I think it's important for anybody considering this area as a new home to be aware of the social climate. There seems to be a reluctance to become close to people that are not members of their church. It's sad, but that's been my experience.
Unfortunately, it seems that many Mormons resent those who are not of their faith moving into "their" town in general. A couple of years ago during the city elections, the word on the streets was that the Mormons were going to "take back their town" -- their words, not mine. It was almost a battle cry. What can I say...that pretty much describes the social and political climate in Show Low. You learn to live with it.
It's not that bad, but it's effects can be seen, heard and felt.
For the most part, I've enjoyed raising my children in Show Low. Like I said, it's good for raising young children -- but now that they're teenagers we feel it's time to relocate. The reasons are many -- warmer climate for one.
Another reason is because we want to move to a city that has more educational opportunities for our kids -- the only college here is Northand Pioneer College (a 2-yr. junior college) and we want our kids to feel free to live at home while they attend a four-year college if they choose. They can't do that here in Show Low.
There's also not much for teenagers to do here -- which highlights another problem with the area: DRUGS. I've heard this area described as the "methamphetamine capitol of the southwest" and from what I've seen that's probably not too far from the truth. There's a big anti-drug campaign in the schools, which is very much appreciated, but the problem is still ever-present. In fact, someone I know told me that she moved her kids here from southern California thinking this would be a better environment for them, only to have her kids tell her that they have MORE exposure to illegal drugs here in Show Low than they did in CA. That's pretty scary.
One of the reasons there's not much here for teenagers to do here is that they have to compete with illegal aliens for after-school and summer jobs. Some of the fast food restaurants up here on the mountain give you the feeling of being in a foreign country!
No exaggeration. But, then that's pretty much the case wherever you go these days. What can you do? Live and let live.
As far as housing goes, if you look on a realtor website, you will be able to find houses for sale in the Show Low area, and that will give you an idea of how much a decent house will cost you. You can get all kinds of different housing here, and there are lots of single family homes. In my opinion they're a little pricey for the area with it's sluggish economy and lack of good-paying jobs -- especially compared to other areas I've been researching recently -- but they are what they are, and it's a good thing that they're holding their value in the nationwide housing meltdown.
Show Low is growing fast. It seems like the city can't approve new developments fast enough, though where all the people they expect to move here are going to work is a real mystery to everyone I've talked to. Generally, I think that people feel the city government should be concentrating more on maintaining infrastructure than new growth -- but they're not, and driving around town on all the torn up streets can be a real challenge. And, I guess the terrible drivers phenomenon is pretty much nationwide -- I read about it on all the threads, and Show Low is no exception. I've seen people pull some of the most stunning no-brainer automotive moves here in Show Low.
I can't help but hope it's better elsewhere.
But, on the plus side, shopping is improving here. We used to have only Safeway, K-Mart, Wal-Mart, Sears, and JC Penney's in addition to the little family-owned businesses scattered throught the area to round out our shopping choices. But, over the past few years stores like Home Depot, Lowe's, Big Lots, and Stage have opened their doors. We're also getting a better variety of restaurants -- especially in the Pinetop/Lakeside area just south of Show Low.
And, there's also a big, new movie theater in Lakeside.
I hope this gives you somewhat of an idea of what Show Low is like -- at least from my perspective. I hope you get others' perspectives as well. It's good to hear from a wide variety of people so you can form a well-rounded opinion. People's experiences can be so different -- a lot of that depending on who they know. Show Low's a nice little town, and like any other city, it has many pros and cons. I hope if you move here it turns out to be a very positive experience for you and your family. Best wishes to you.
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