The good and the bad points of Payson (Phoenix, Flagstaff: for sale, house prices)

[joe kalmon]

Looking for any advise and details about the weather, the people and the future of Payson- I am really considering moving and trying this area out. I can only affford to move once any help would be appreciated.

[homesweetazhome]

It depends on your situation. Payson is overwhelmingly senior citizens. Very little cultural types of things to do, very few restaurants, one movie theater, not a whole lot going on. The town center appears to be the Wal Mart where you will meet everyone in town. If you like to be in the high country for hiking, hunting whatever, it's a good spot. I had a home in Payson that I rented out for several years. So, I am familiar with this town.

[DougDolde]

Rednecks and Retirees

[Ponderosa]

Tweekers, Rednecks and Retirees.

Still I like the place. I am thinking of moving there myself.

[BillR1]

I wouldn't mind living there at all. Mild winters, nice scenery, close to good fishing.

[azdr0710]

I've lived in Az since 1975 and have visited Payson many times and looked seriously at homes for sale there about four years ago......

it has grown, not surprisingly, and has lots of retirees and Phx second-homers nowadays....it used to be a sawmill town decades ago...the Beeline Hwy was built in the 1950s from Phx and that started the steady evolution of Payson into primarily a tourist/second-home town.....Star Valley is a growing suburb four miles east and Pine/Strawberry is a small second-home spot 15 miles northwest....homes range from crappy manufactureds to multi-million dollar trophy homes

WalMart, Home Depot, McDonald's, etc. are all represented here.....lots of people doing each other's laundry, as the saying goes, also.....

can be a bit warm in the summer, but cools nicely at night, and that means not horribly frigid in the winter....no nearby major winter recreation - make your own winter fun.....

I actually like the town....not nearly as action-packed as similarly summer-oriented Flagstaff is, but it has a friendly, authentic small-town feel.....gotta entertain yourself to an extent....as in most towns, there is a growing Hispanic population working mostly in the service jobs...some redneck attitudes as is common in non-trendy small towns....fantastic outdoor recreation all around.....

one hour to extreme NE Phx area via the now four-lane divided Beeline Hwy...

[i hate payson]

as far as i`m concern, theres NO good points about Payson. There way too many retirees,no jobs,no affordable housing ( lots of people live in shacks that needed condemed years ago ) or, in camp trailers,R.V`s etc. The cost of living is thru the roof!!! the hospital and schools are a joke, theres too many tweekers,drunks,and kids with nothing to do here. people are extremly rude and nasty and, thats not even mentioning whats to offer in Star Valley....NOTHING!!!!. Star Valley is pretty much in a nutshell 55+ trailer trash drug addicts and, alcoholics. I would reconsider moving here for anything other than to retire, thats all it`s good for. i been here 5 years and, i`m getting the hell out next month thank god....i cant take this dive anymore.

[FiftyFiftyAboutCO]

Originally Posted by Ponderosa

Tweekers, Rednecks and Retirees.

Still I like the place. I am thinking of moving there myself.

Sorry for the ignorance, but what the hay is a "Tweeker"?? I'm a retiree, but not the "shuffleboard/cards/crafts" type, and looking for a good place to live in Arizona if I can drag myself away from Colorado (I'm into the outdoors). An older friend of mine who has a son in Phoenix told me Payson is a nice area. This is my first "delve" into this town. Thanks for any more info you can shed.

[FiftyFiftyAboutCO]

Originally Posted by FiftyFiftyAboutCO

Sorry for the ignorance, but what the hay is a "Tweeker"?? I'm a retiree, but not the "shuffleboard/cards/crafts" type, and looking for a good place to live in Arizona if I can drag myself away from Colorado (I'm into the outdoors). An older friend of mine who has a son in Phoenix told me Payson is a nice area. This is my first "delve" into this town. Thanks for any more info you can shed.

Note to myself and you guys: I just found out what a Tweeker is, so never mind. I've done some more reading up on Payson -- it's not for me -- I need a college, skiing, more retail than a Walmart, and lower house prices than what I've heard is available there. No harm meant to those of you who love the town -- we just all have to do what we have to do. I'll keep looking for my utopia, or as close to it as I can get. Payson's too close to Phoenix for my blood - I despise that city.

[backtochitown]

If you are sick of the heat and endless brown/dead scenery of the Valley Payson is a great place...pretty much almost perfect weather with actual live green plants/trees that don't have to be on drip systems non stop!

It is a smaller town but it is nice to be able to go out and run into people you know all over.

Two great private golf course communities up here also...very scenic courses set in the forest...I live in one of these and really like it.

Most summer days top out in the low 90's with 50's-60's at night for a cool off...coldest winter days usually stay in the high 40's/low 50's...it snows 30-40 inches a winter where I'm at and rains about 25-30 inches a year also...I love the weather...it is nice to have precipitation!