Researching Pine-Top/Lakeside for young family (Flagstaff, Sierra Vista: to rent, coop, home)

[crazyme4878]

I'm sorry if I'm repeating threads, but I didn't see anything current on this exact subject...

There is a job opening in Pine-Top/Lakeside that my husband is interested in. Could someone give me information on schools, housing availability, grocery stores, and things to do with young kids (playgrounds, easy hikes, waterplay, etc.).

We have two sons, 5 y.o. and 20 mo. We want to live in a small town (small= less than 7,000) and don't mind the "lack" of amenities. We do want a good school and a community-centered town, preferably the same town my husband works in. We make around $40,000/year. We would be looking to rent first, but possibly buying later.

Also, is there a coop/natural food store in Show Low? How far away is Flagstaff? We currently live in Sierra Vista, but are originally from the northern Midwest, so any possible snow is actually a bonus!

Thank you for your help!

[crazyme4878]

I'm posting one more time to boost this to the top in hopes that someone that can help will see it this time. I've read most of the major threads about Show Low and some on Pinetop, but there doesn't seem to be a lot on Lakeside. One poster did say it had a good school.

If anyone can help, I would really appreciate it.

[w1ngzer0]

sorry i missed your thread, i don't often visit this section, but there seems to be a lot of NE posts recently.

You don't see many posts about lakeside because its in the middle of showlow and pinetop. I'm sure a lot of people, depending how far you are down 260, concider parts of lakeside,pinetop or show low. Lakeside is not very big and is mostly apart of pinetop.

Pinetop is a great place for kids. Blue ridge high school great and they recently built a new jr high off of porter mountain rd. The high school is across the street from the newly built theater. All of my brothers have gone to the school and one of them has graduated. There is a community college in show low.

I have never gone there, but see very positive results from my brothers.

grocery store, you are stuck with super walmart. Safeway or eddy's is nice for starbucks, fruit, and other things, but beyond that walmart is your best bet for prices on food.

Housing ... well there is no short on housing. You kind of need to look around, but it's not hard.

Things to do with kids? everything? lol..... if your a home body you can get pizza, rent a movie from movie gallery and or a video game and have a good cool night. If you want to go out to the movies, its the same.

Hiking, boating, skiiing, sleding, ect. If you are going to live in the mountians expect to do a lot of simple, outdoor things.

There are a few parks you can visit, check the chamber of commerse website.

There is no natural food store in show low because it is too expensive for a small town, but if there is it's very well hidden.

Flagstaff is 2 hrs away from Show Low. Take the highway 77 through snowflake to holbrook. If you need to go to a federal level court, its near holbrook as well. The only reason i know this is because i got my passport from there.

2 warnings about the showlow pinetop area.

Snow birds.

Yes, even the show low pinetop area gets them as well. Imagine a town of 6,000 - 10,000 jumping to 60,000. Thats how bad it is. On a 4 lane highway, the traffic gets old.

For all those people that decide to turn left during the busy season, we hate you.

A cold small town

Most of the time pinetop is very cold at night and the lowest i've been in is 10F. My door was frozen shut and my noise hairs were freezing like icicles. :P Anyway, beyond the really cold winters, most people are very nice and courtious in person. When i was first learning stick shift, a lot of people made sure i was ok and i explained to them my situation and they kinda giggled; while i turn bright red in embaressment. haha.

Depending who you are or who you work for, people will know mostly anything or everything about you. This is a small town and the only thing you can do is embrace it or get over it.

[crazyme4878]

Thank you so much! I'm use to small, tourist towns that swell in the appropriate seasons, and as for cold...well I know I have lived through much, much worse than anything AZ can dish out! Which is why Pinetop/Lakeside sounds appealing--I'm one of those weird people that want winter!

But thank you for the info about the school and grocery stores. I didn't figure there would be a coop around, which is why I asked about Flagstaff. I figured that would be the closest. Although, with gas prices, its probably cheaper for me to order my specialties over the internet.

How far away is Show Low from Pinetop/Lakeside? I wasn't clear on whether the grocery stores were all in Show Low or if they were in Pinetop/Lakeside.

Thanks again!

[w1ngzer0]

It takes about 15 minutes, if your not stuck behind a granny, to get to show low. haha

This is how it works.

Pinetop has Eddy's, Safeway, Dollar General

Show Low border near lakeside has super walmart and is next door to the hospital.

Downtown showlow has safeway and.... i believe thats it.

Sorry about my English in a lot of these writings, i speak normal in real life. I promise.

[kozycabin]

Hi I live in Show Low & it takes less than 10 min to get to Pinetop-Lakeside. Blue Ridge School Dist is great! The area is great for small kids but nothing for teens to do. Be warned, it's the biggest meth area in the state. Lots of lakes, hiking, camping, hunting, festivals & outdoor fun tho. If you like to shop at malls forget it, there are none. Pinetop is more expensive housing than Lakeside, Wagon Wheel & Show Low. The winters are fun with mild snowfall. Sledding, tubing & skiing are only a half hour away with no crowds. The only complaint I have are the terrible winds in late winter & spring. Cold & 50 mph.