Hidden treasure in AZ? (Phoenix, Tucson: rental, university, college)

[hulahulagirl]

My husband are making a 5 year plan to find our Settle Down Place. We currently live in Portland, OR (have for 7 months) and we're both pretty sure we want somewhere warmer and drier, but not too HOT. My parents lived in Flagstaff before I was born and they seemed to like it but that was in the 70s.

Okay, so my point is: what are the best small-medium towns in Arizona? pop. 50,000 or less. We like the arts and outdoors, we're vegan/vegetarian, we have 2 loving pit bulls, we're college educated, we don't have a car (but we could get one).

We like the vibe of Portland, but the rain is bothersome. I'd love to live somewhere where there is little to no snow, so Arizona came to mind. Naturally, Sedona is a place that sounds enticing. Until you start looking at rental $$. So, are there even better places than Sedona that a couple can afford?

Thanks for the input!

[irwin]

Originally Posted by hulahulagirl

My husband are making a 5 year plan to find our Settle Down Place. We currently live in Portland, OR (have for 7 months) and we're both pretty sure we want somewhere warmer and drier, but not too HOT. My parents lived in Flagstaff before I was born and they seemed to like it but that was in the 70s.

Okay, so my point is: what are the best small-medium towns in Arizona? pop. 50,000 or less. We like the arts and outdoors, we're vegan/vegetarian, we have 2 loving pit bulls, we're college educated, we don't have a car (but we could get one).

We like the vibe of Portland, but the rain is bothersome. I'd love to live somewhere where there is little to no snow, so Arizona came to mind. Naturally, Sedona is a place that sounds enticing. Until you start looking at rental $$. So, are there even better places than Sedona that a couple can afford?

Thanks for the input!

Flagstaff is about it. It gets snow but it doesn't stick around that long. It has a great climate actually, in my mind at least.

[Ponderosa]

I don't think there are such places here. If you find one, post it so I can move there too. I'm sure the Prescott people will jump in here soon and Prescott is a decent place to live. But it too is very expensive, has been discovered and, in my opinion, will soon be/look like a Phoenix suburb. Really, AZ is an urban state -big cities, run down company/church towns, and not much in between.

[Gretchen B]

Originally Posted by Ponderosa

I don't think there are such places here. If you find one, post it so I can move there too. I'm sure the Prescott people will jump in here soon and Prescott is a decent place to live. But it too is very expensive, has been discovered and, in my opinion, will soon be/look like a Phoenix suburb. Really, AZ is an urban state -big cities, run down company/church towns, and not much in between.

Yeah, there is Prescott . . . and Payson. Our prices are cheaper than Sedona and Flagstaff, however we do get snow. Maybe Camp Verde might be a consideration (a little cheaper there and close to Sedona/Prescott). I was thinking, too, of maybe Globe or somplace in SE Arizona. I'm not very familiar with those areas or their prices, but I think size and no snow would fit your criteria.

[adelmo]

Originally Posted by Ponderosa

I don't think there are such places here. If you find one, post it so I can move there too. I'm sure the Prescott people will jump in here soon and Prescott is a decent place to live. But it too is very expensive, has been discovered and, in my opinion, will soon be/look like a Phoenix suburb. Really, AZ is an urban state -big cities, run down company/church towns, and not much in between.

As a moderator i think your comments on Prescott becoming a suberb of Phoenix are rediculous. I LOVE!!!! the fact that there are not many towns in between our beautiful vistas. And further more who is going to build the road over black canyon and then the Bradshaw mountains. Do you know what that would take? And if it ever did get that way it would take a very long time.I am such a lover of Arizona i get a little testy when i see short sighted comments. Who cares that there aren't more towns in between towns we like it the way it is. Arizona is for hearty souls not complainers.

[binkylafarle]

You want a cool place? Try Bisbee.

[kawgpz550]

You may also want to check into Show Low Arizona. Nice summers, mild winters. Gets some snow sometimes, but not much and goes away just as fast. Summer temps are not nearly as brutal as Phoenix or Tucson.

[Steve-o]

Its not in AZ, but close, you might want to check out Gallup, NM, sounds like the climate you might be interested in.

[Ponderosa]

Originally Posted by adelmo

As a moderator i think your comments on Prescott becoming a suberb of Phoenix are rediculous. I LOVE!!!! the fact that there are not many towns in between our beautiful vistas. And further more who is going to build the road over black canyon and then the Bradshaw mountains. Do you know what that would take? And if it ever did get that way it would take a very long time.I am such a lover of Arizona i get a little testy when i see short sighted comments. Who cares that there aren't more towns in between towns we like it the way it is. Arizona is for hearty souls not complainers.

There was a front page story in the AZ Republic a few weeks ago where growth gurus were predicting that the area between Phoenix and Prescott would be completely built-out in the next couple of decades. While some may scoff at the idea, I have learned that one never discounts the pace of development around here. The rich ones among us are the ones that invested in what seemed impossibly far in the future just a few years ago. Even if the development doesn't get there, the impacts of growth will (and already have). Prescott is quickly losing it's character as a small town. Our other gem, Sedona, was ruined years ago in my opinion - I won't even go there anymore. It makes me sick to see what they have done there.

[Ponderosa]

Originally Posted by Steve-o

Its not in AZ, but close, you might want to check out Gallup, NM, sounds like the climate you might be interested in.

Gallup would not be on my list, but I agree that NM is a better place to find a nice small town than AZ. Silver City is a hot ticket right now - near perfect climate, 10,000 or so people and even a university town. It has been "discovered" though and you have to go to the back of the line of people from Phoenix and Cali that are moving there. Still it is a nice place.