looking for a young/hippie/liberal SW town (Sedona, Bisbee: best town, houses)

[mikereznm]

Have to agree with others. Tucson, mild winters/hot summers. Large biking community. Try 4th. ave./ university area for the feel you're looking for.
Might want to look at Albuquerque as well. Again large biking community,bike paths galore, hiking almost outside your front door, mild winters/ comfortable summers, La Montanita Co-op, good size hippie/eclectic community around UNM-Nob hill area and plenty of live music,local bands,poetry slams etc. Check out the alternative newspapers in both cities online. The "Alibi" in Abq. Sorry can't remember the name of the weekly in Tucson.
But, I as well as others would suggest that you come out and spend a few weeks checking out the areas that interest you.

[Boompa]

Originally Posted by drb85650

Bisbee fits all of your criteria. LIberal, food coop, trails, bikes, scenery, hippies old, really old and ancient, plus newer, younger deadhead styles and newagers. Very, very liberal group of people. Big Pride celebrations every year, active environmental groups, organic garden enthusiast(weekly farmers market in the town park), you name it, they have it. Nestled in the mountains, steep hills with old shacks worth $$$ hanging by a worn thread and hidden away jewels of architecture.
Yet just around the curve you have Warren...sedate, beautiful craftsman homes...inbetween is the old still mostly origional mine company housing. Check out the hidden neighborhood thru the "pipes"....like stepping back into 1968 hippietimes.
Go 30 minutes beyond and you're in Douglas, on the border, another country even on this side.
Head 30 minutes the opposite way and you'll see a military intelligence post with more secrets hidden in plain brown wrappers than Carter has liverpills.
30 minutes south and Naco....a gringo style golfcourse on the edge of a border town.
30 minutes the other way and relive the wild wild west in Tombstone. See totally "normal" people dress, live and act just about every minute of every day as if it was 1870 again and Earp hisself was inhabiting them.
I lived in Flag, went thru Sedona daily and lived on the edge of Tempe. Bisbee beats 'em all for liberal and diverse, equals them in its own way for scenery and offers about anything someone wanting to recreate hippiedom should ever, ever need.
Or you could just go to Taos or Santa Fe if you've money.

I have to agree, Bisbee is your best bet. Might be smaller than you figured on though

[sierraAZ]

You don't say what you plan to do for a living and that's the most important factor. I agree with the rest that Sedona (yes, there's plenty of live music there), Bisbee, perhaps Jerome fit your bill, but it does get cold there and opportunities for employment are slim to none. Sedona is also very expensive.

It sounds like Tucson may be OK for you, but it is a big city. On the other hand, you're likely to find employment if you need it. I don't think we can give you good advice without this crucial piece of info.

[ji603]

Bisbee's it for sure in AZ --- not much of a job market that way though, and the town is really small. Sounds like you want new mexico or california. Blown glass, art studios, gays, and hippies aren't a big part of AZ in general... why are you leaving VT and what about AZ appeals to you?

[LinaJo76]

Flagstaff is the only place I know that is pretty liberal. Try that.

[drb85650]

actually there is a high turnover of service jobs in Bisbee and nearby Tombstone. Always ads in the paper.
Depends upon your lifestyle.

[ZonyPony]

Yep... Sedona... liberal... hippy... plus, they'll throw in a vortex for free!

And, yeah... Bisbee's right up there...

[BillR1]

Originally Posted by LinaJo76

Flagstaff is the only place I know that is pretty liberal. Try that.

Liberal, hippie, young, that decribes Flagstaff really well. I see VERY little about this place that's at all conservative. The town SCREAMS liberal!
In the 2000 election, the county surrounding Flagstaff (Coconino) was the ONLY county in the state to vote for algore. 'Nuff said!

Originally Posted by KarmaPhx

There is no liberal places in AZ really, maybe some small towns that I am not familiar with, but Flagstaff is the closest thing, and even that place is still very conservative.

That sure hasn't been MY experience, and I've lived here 10 years now.

[ihynes]

Sounds to me like you'd enjoy Flagstaff, and being from Vermont, I can't see why a little winter weather would be a big deal to you. The main thing about the "cold" in Flagstaff is it's at 7000 feet elevation, so it's a mountain climate; temps drop up 20 to 40 degrees at night from the daytime high, all year round. But the liberal cool folks there enjoy beautiful scenery, easy access to the Grand Canyon, bookstores and cafes. But the west seems to attract extremists, too. I was amazed to see a guns and ammo drive-through window at the liquor store in Flagstaff years ago; not sure if it's still there. If nothing else, it would be a good place to explore the southwest from, and you could decide if you'd like to stay there longer.

[Farouche]

Hi, Samalauren!
I agree with the others who say that Bisbee might be what you're looking for.
I fell in love with the place.
Check out the posts on Bisbee here and google some photos of the town.
It's a funky little Shangri-la on the other side of a tunnel through the cutest mountains and is the kind of place that will have you pondering (while sipping iced tea and watching hummingbirds darting about the mimosas while the pink sun sinks beyond the horizon) how many things you can sell to get yourself back there for good.
(I don't have enough to sell, unfortunately, and my teenage son likes his girlfriend too much!)
It is a bit small, so eventually you could tire of it, but there is so much nearby to love as well, and Tucson, another great place but a bit bigger than you asked for, is not too far away if you should get bored.
Bisbee is totally unique, and not at all like Taos and Santa Fe, which are both beautiful but have become parodies of themselves.
And expensive ones at that.
I've never been to Sedona; I used to want to go, but New Age commercialism and real estate hucksterism drove me from even checking it out.
I'd say it's probably not what you are looking for, if I had to guess.
If you would trade rainy, not-so-cold winters for snowy ones, I'd say check out Bellingham in the Pacific Northwest, or Port Townsend.
Totally charming and wonderful communities, with tons of beauty surrounding.
Also, and I preface this by saying I have not been to this town, maybe check out Moab, a bike-crazy place, but maybe a bit too touristy and less community-minded than you would like- don't know.
A better bet might be Silver City, New Mexico.
I've heard wonderful things about this little town, and someday I would like to check it out myself.
It sounds a lot like Taos and Santa Fe used to be.