Living in Flagstaff (Phoenix, Sedona, Kachina Village: homes, movie theaters, schools)

[diverdo]

I'm considering moving from Massachusetts to Flagstaff for a potential job. How is it living in Flagstaff with 3 kids? How are the schools? Things to do with kids? Is it more a retirement community or does it have the feel of a suburb? Also what is good and bad about Flagstaff? Any info would be appreciated!

[rich67]

I don't live there, but I spend 2 days there this past May. I'm in Florida now, but I can help shed some light on Flag for ya.
It's beautiful- you have the mountains and plenty of outdoor activities, and Sedona is close by. Flag is a pretty large city- with all the modern conveniences you need. There's malls, movie theaters, plenty of shopping and no shortage of things you need can be found. It's pretty busy, traffic can be heavy along many of the roadways, and the city is laid out pretty typically.
There's an abundant college population there, but the advantage to that are the microbreweries and some of the more "quaint" taverns and eating and drinking places.
I liked it, but for me the place reminded me too much of where I live now in Florida. I am looking for a place with a much smaller population, less traffic and congestion, and not as many younger folk. I'm 42, and will be heading out west when I turn 55. I think by then I will be looking to slow down and just do all the outdoor activities I enjoy. I am looking at northern AZ; I want to be close to Lake Powell and the Grand Canyon areas.
From what I saw of Flag, it's actually pretty nice and the people seemed pretty cool.
If you have kids, get them involved in outdoorsy activities like hiking and mountain biking- they won't be bored.

[ZonyPony]

Flagstaff: at 7000' some of the most unique geology on the planet. Just about every mineral known to man has been found there!

[jdaisymia]

My family has lived in Flag for twelve years. I would advise you to seriously look at the cost of living. It would all depend on the salary of your potential job. The locals refer to Flag as "Poverty with a View." Housing costs are horrendous, utilities aren't too bad, gas is around $2.75/gal right now... pay scale is low because there are so many college kids who will work for low pay.
It is a beautiful place with a lot of outdoor activities, close to Sedona, varied and gorgeous country... liberal college town, lots of people interested in earth-friendly living... great place to raise a family... lots of schooling choices (even homeschooling)... it all depends on whether or not you can afford to live here without tremendous stress and working overtime.
As far as the weather... in a normal year we get quite a bit of snow during the winter but it melts off quickly... it can get down into the single digits at night in the coldest months... spring is beautiful... summer can get very hot but most of the time it is a dry heat... then monsoons hit and it is sunny during the morning with afternoon thunderstorms... fall is also beautiful.
The only water nearby is Oak Creek. Highway 89A that follows Oak Creek between Flagstaff and Sedona is probably the most beautiful drive in the state.

[Girlstupid]

The snow, I am in Phx, so the snow is just a joke. I have friends in Flag. It is a great place to live of coarse it is a college town. Tourist town. I think it is very community driven. Well good luck with your decision.

[las vegas drunk]

Originally Posted by jdaisymia

My family has lived in Flag for twelve years. I would advise you to seriously look at the cost of living. It would all depend on the salary of your potential job. The locals refer to Flag as "Poverty with a View." Housing costs are horrendous, utilities aren't too bad, gas is around $2.75/gal right now... pay scale is low because there are so many college kids who will work for low pay.
It is a beautiful place with a lot of outdoor activities, close to Sedona, varied and gorgeous country... liberal college town, lots of people interested in earth-friendly living... great place to raise a family... lots of schooling choices (even homeschooling)... it all depends on whether or not you can afford to live here without tremendous stress and working overtime.
As far as the weather... in a normal year we get quite a bit of snow during the winter but it melts off quickly... it can get down into the single digits at night in the coldest months... spring is beautiful... summer can get very hot but most of the time it is a dry heat... then monsoons hit and it is sunny during the morning with afternoon thunderstorms... fall is also beautiful.
The only water nearby is Oak Creek. Highway 89A that follows Oak Creek between Flagstaff and Sedona is probably the most beautiful drive in the state.

What a joke of a post. I was born and raised in Phoenix. My grandparents had a cabin in Kachina Village, and I stayed up there in the summers with no air conditioning. I am surprised you can say a place that gets up to 90 degrees with low humidity gets very hot. Even if it gets "warm" during the day, it always cooled off into the 50's to 60's at night. Why don't you come live in Phoenix, or Vegas in which I currently live, and tell me how hot Flagstaff is LOL.

[mrspeedyt]

i lived in flag 21 years... moved to phoenix then kingman following my job... now retired living in california part time. wouldn't mind living in flag if i could afford the housing...

[jdaisymia]

Originally Posted by las vegas drunk

What a joke of a post. I was born and raised in Phoenix. My grandparents had a cabin in Kachina Village, and I stayed up there in the summers with no air conditioning. I am surprised you can say a place that gets up to 90 degrees with low humidity gets very hot. Even if it gets "warm" during the day, it always cooled off into the 50's to 60's at night. Why don't you come live in Phoenix, or Vegas in which I currently live, and tell me how hot Flagstaff is LOL.

Well, aren't you ridiculously rude. It always amazes me how rude some people are while they are hiding behind a fake name on a forum. Really impressive!

It got up around 95 this summer. I know I'm not the only person who thinks temps in the 90's = uncomfortably hot, considering the number of complaints from others I heard all summer. (Including people who moved up from Phoenix.)

[las vegas drunk]

Originally Posted by jdaisymia

Well, aren't you ridiculously rude. It always amazes me how rude some people are while they are hiding behind a fake name on a forum. Really impressive!

It got up around 95 this summer. I know I'm not the only person who thinks temps in the 90's = uncomfortably hot, considering the number of complaints from others I heard all summer. (Including people who moved up from Phoenix.)

Well, I apologize to you if you thought I was being rude, because I did not mean to be. As far as the fake name, I really have no idea what you are talking about? I filled up my profile with lots of my personal information, while yours is completely empty. Back to topic, 95 degrees during the day is not hot, it is warm at best, and definitely not anything to complain about. In Phoenix, it was 106 today, while you guys were at 75 degrees. I hope you get my point.

[Esenjay]

Just because you live in a pizza oven and think 90-95 is "warm" doesn't mean the rest of non-pizza humanity agrees with you. And yeah, you were rude in your response but we can probably attribute that to a lack of grammatical skill.

95 is hot but not too bad if that's the high during the summer. Really depends on the humidity. If it's not humid then 95 seems OK, but on a sticky day it's miserable--especially if you're not used to living in a pizza oven!