Flagstaff or Santa Fe - Santa Fe or Flagstaff (Sedona: house, unemployment rate)

[CCCVDUR]

Originally Posted by Miami_Dan

Thanks all. I lived in PHX after college (yes, ASU) for over a decade. Several things I have noticed about Flag have been spoken of, but upon departing town one lasting impression always was the "ranchy-cowboy" type culture. Florida has "swamp billies"; TVA "hillbillies"; CA "hippies"; in AZ "miner/cowboy billies?"

Outside of the liberal vibe maybe downtown, there is always the large truck cowboy hovering around town. Is Santa Fe like that?

That's a good question about Santa Fe. I only was there for 1 month so I'm not sure.

You're correct about Flagstaff changing outside the City Limits, however, places like Mountainnaire and Kachina Village have some liberals and 41% with 4 yr college degrees, the same figures as within the City of Flagstaff (check under City-Data for the percentage with a bachelors for Flag, Kachina, and Mount.).

And, only 4 counties in Arizona voted for Obama in 2008, see this link from CNN:

Local and National Election Results - Election Center 2008 - Elections & Politics from CNN.com

[IwillUNDERSTANDitALL]

maybe people speed in Santa Fe, because it seems if u aspire to the more-money crowd, you are going to be more competitive, with more computers, more black berries, and less chilling, less smoking pot, etc etc. If Sante Fe is really like that... if its really this self-proclaimed art/eco town, but people are speeding in suv's, gawd i'm running from that place. thats exactly the place i absolutely loathe with my entire heart

[CCCVDUR]

Originally Posted by IwillUNDERSTANDitALL

maybe people speed in Santa Fe, because it seems if u aspire to the more-money crowd, you are going to be more competitive, with more computers, more black berries, and less chilling, less smoking pot, etc etc. If Sante Fe is really like that... if its really this self-proclaimed art/eco town, but people are speeding in suv's, gawd i'm running from that place. thats exactly the place i absolutely loathe with my entire heart

Great post. I think you could be correct. People in Santa Fe and all of northern New Mexico do seem elitist and always after more money and huge homes. They seem to look down on people new to town who don't share their wealth. Or, they hire you, and then fire you.

How about Boulder? That's a place I'm thinking about if Flagstaff doesn't work. Do you think it's that way there, too?

I think it's just best to just leave them all alone in Santa Fe / Placitas / Taos with all their artistic and ecological gluttony, although somone once told me that near Carlsbad, NM it's more friendly.

[Miami_Dan]

[quote=Tom Lane;6416567]Great post. I think you could be correct. People in Santa Fe and all of northern New Mexico do seem elitist and always after more money and huge homes. They seem to look down on people new to town who don't share their wealth. Or, they hire you, and then fire you.

How about Boulder? That's a place I'm thinking about if Flagstaff doesn't work. Do you think it's that way there, too?
__________________________________________________ ____________
Hey Tom,

While I was touring Colorado a couple of other cool towns I passed through were:

Salida, Manitou Springs (up the hill West from Colorado Springs), and Glenwood Springs.

Lastly, everyone seems to like Fort Collins.

[adventuregurl]

You couldn't get me to live in Flag for anything, hands down Sante Fe wins

[coffeesally]

Hi,
I would like to add a few or more things....
Lived here in Flag for over 13 years, with a four-year blip in Phoenix when I first started teaching. I am personally liberal, do drive a Subaru because it handles very well in the snow we get (when it decides to snow - it can dump!) and find there is a marginally good bit of culture in our rather smallish city. You'd be interested to know we have the highest percentage of MA degrees per capita of any U.S. city. There are mostly four seasons, bringing with it all the mountain sports a person could want during each one. Everyone eventually knows everyone and people are nice when they drive (locals); if a driver does something stupid, the person usually yells "Sorry" out an open window and the other driver shrugs or gives a little "hello" wave... we can tell folks who aren't local that way. The only crime I've experienced personally in all my years was a 1) a dishonest contractor who stole money while in my home and 2) a group of kids who were breaking into cars and opened my unlocked door one night, only to discover a bag of baby wipes, a stroller and some tic tacs. If a really big crime happens, the whole community grieves and pitches in to help. Murder may be commonplace in Phoenix, but here, we take if to heart. About housing, I think Flag has really painted itself into a corner... housing prices stay high, jobs are scarce unless you like to work as a professor, doctor, hotelier, or in the food industry. Meaning, the middle class is going to disappear here very quickly and already is. Small businesses are mostly disappearing, as are young families. As far as things to do, it's all in knowing people or enjoying the outdoors, not as much in the way of shopping... though that is really changing, and for the better. It just isn't a big city like Phoenix. That is both a pro or con. Not everyone is a hippy, but most people get a little mountain-y after a while, meaning, folks dress down and wear jeans a lot, even in the most expensive restaurants. High heels and moussed hair doesn't last long when the wind/snow is blowing at 40 mph. And, you are just as likely to get into a conversation about existentialism with an employee at Bookmans as you are to discover your dog has been sprayed by yet another skunk.

So...
Maybe that helps?

[poolgirl51]

Originally Posted by coffeesally

Hi,
I would like to add a few or more things....
Lived here in Flag for over 13 years, with a four-year blip in Phoenix when I first started teaching. I am personally liberal, do drive a Subaru because it handles very well in the snow we get (when it decides to snow - it can dump!) and find there is a marginally good bit of culture in our rather smallish city. You'd be interested to know we have the highest percentage of MA degrees per capita of any U.S. city. There are mostly four seasons, bringing with it all the mountain sports a person could want during each one. Everyone eventually knows everyone and people are nice when they drive (locals); if a driver does something stupid, the person usually yells "Sorry" out an open window and the other driver shrugs or gives a little "hello" wave... we can tell folks who aren't local that way. The only crime I've experienced personally in all my years was a 1) a dishonest contractor who stole money while in my home and 2) a group of kids who were breaking into cars and opened my unlocked door one night, only to discover a bag of baby wipes, a stroller and some tic tacs. If a really big crime happens, the whole community grieves and pitches in to help. Murder may be commonplace in Phoenix, but here, we take if to heart. About housing, I think Flag has really painted itself into a corner... housing prices stay high, jobs are scarce unless you like to work as a professor, doctor, hotelier, or in the food industry. Meaning, the middle class is going to disappear here very quickly and already is. Small businesses are mostly disappearing, as are young families. As far as things to do, it's all in knowing people or enjoying the outdoors, not as much in the way of shopping... though that is really changing, and for the better. It just isn't a big city like Phoenix. That is both a pro or con. Not everyone is a hippy, but most people get a little mountain-y after a while, meaning, folks dress down and wear jeans a lot, even in the most expensive restaurants. High heels and moussed hair doesn't last long when the wind/snow is blowing at 40 mph. And, you are just as likely to get into a conversation about existentialism with an employee at Bookmans as you are to discover your dog has been sprayed by yet another skunk.

So...
Maybe that helps?

What a great and well rounded post. You nailed it!!

[borborygmi]

Originally Posted by coffeesally

High heels and moussed hair doesn't last long when the wind/snow is blowing at 40 mph.

Hmm, that doesn't seem to stop people in Chicago from dressing up for a night out... I'd say this phenomen is due mostly to a difference in attitude and the people in general, not the weather.

[nmnita]

Originally Posted by adventuregurl

You couldn't get me to live in Flag for anything, hands down Sante Fe wins

and why is this? Have you lived in both cities???

Nita

[coffeesally]

Originally Posted by borborygmi

Hmm, that doesn't seem to stop people in Chicago from dressing up for a night out... I'd say this phenomen is due mostly to a difference in attitude and the people in general, not the weather.

You could be right... Sure, there are folks who will dress to the nines, but overall, it's nothing like Chicago or Scottsdale... we have a "why fight it" attitude toward the weather, and to be frank, it isn't a super-wealthy community, and hence a difference in attire. Chicago isn't much of a mountain town and the population is 2,896,000 and Flagstaff has 58,000. So, in comparison, we are quite small. It is more rugged here, with volcanic ash-laden soil, cinder-covered snow blustering around, and torrential (yes, TORRENTIAL) rain seasons. But, you gotta love it. All the season are amazing and have strong personalities!