29y/o, moving from Chicago to Flagstaff area for school (Tucson: fit in, real estate market)

[sharona2979]

I would love feedback from any locals/ex-locals who may be able to help guide me along the way. I'm a 29 year old, full-time Corporate America employee, giving it all up to go back to school full-time and completely uproot my life! My fiance (33y/o) is moving with me, and he will be supporting us both. What is a good, safe area for older/graduate students? We don't need to be in Flagstaff, but I would like to be close enough to make it to class quickly. Also, he's an attorney, but would like to get into politics - any town come to mind more than others, with regards to him? Thanks in advance for any help you can give!

[bobbilly79]

Avoid Rio Homes, any apartments/condos on University Ave or Forest Meadows/Woodlands Village. Upper Greenlaw, Swiss Manor on the east side of town are good. On the hill north of downtown, close to the hospital are nice. Cheshire on Fort Valley Road is a nice neighborhood as well. As far as towns around Flag, well the closest towns would be Sedona (30-45 min) and Williams (30 min). All other areas are either unincorporated or farther away. We don't have the burbs around us. Let me know if you need more info. Good luck

[observer53]

I think you will like Flagstaff. Local politics there can be fun, too.

[CCCVDUR]

Try Santa Fe Realty (Arlys Dollerschell) and the Ginsberg Group (Allen Ginsberg) for rentals.

I have found that they are the best property managers in a town in terms of price and management.

Many property managers in Flag take advantage of young people / college students, overcharging and failing to correct material defects.

[azdr0710]

politics took a liberal turn in the last election (Nov) if that's what he may want to get into....the housing is a bit pricey and hasn't dropped as much as some Phx and Tuc real estate has....as with all growing towns, there is a mix of the stodgy old-guard and liberal newcomers....WalMart or no WalMart?....cut the trees down or hug them?.....do something about the train noise or leave it like it's been for 125 years?....make snow for the ski area with effluent or respect native rights?....affordable housing or free market?.....blah, blah, blah.....

be ready for high prices, traffic in the summer, cold winters....also be ready for perfect summers, an active year-round outdoor lifestyle, culture of a major university, a decent downtown, and a healthy mix of people and beliefs

[CCCVDUR]

Originally Posted by azdr0710

...and a healthy mix of people and beliefs...

I agree there is a mix of people and beliefs, unfortunately, nobody gets along. Unlike my native Seattle where there's always healthy debate, here in Flagstaff, people are so self-righteous and elite that they form cliques and despise those who disagree with them.

It's impossible to make friends unless you move here and immediately fit into one of the existing categories...i.e. University student, artist, musician, tree-hugger, fitness fanatic, ORV enthusiast, etc. I don't have any idea how to fit in, and the downtown seems cliquish and unfriendly.

I have unused tuition scholarship from Americorps. Maybe then I could then finally fit into the "NAU clique?"

Are Tucson and Sedona this way?

Here are web sites for realtor Eileen Schreiber. Eileen has the most comprehensive real estate web sites that I'm aware of in Flagstaff, including information on the real estate market that may be of help to you:

Affordable properties:

Affordable Flagstaff Real Estate

Main site:

http://theflagstaffwebsite.com/

Golf Properties:

Flagstaffgolfproperty.com

[country pride]

Flagstaff is a good choice. Its a college town and there are many students in that general area. A bit pricey, but at least youre use to the snow in the winter time.

[rjcjmom]

I, too, would like any info, as I am a 40+ potential student hopefully starting in a year or two, going for a second bachelors and maybe a masters.

Tom, I found your comments interesting. I am a native of Bremerton, WA, which you might recall as being close to Seattle; and when the time came for me to go to college for the first round 20 years ago, I decided to go to Pullman, WA, (WSU) for the reason that I felt about Seattle the way you do about Flagstaff! So, at least from my perspective based on your comments here, I would find an environment familiar to me in Flagstaff as compared to what I remember experiencing in Seattle. I have not lived there in over ten years (could not afford to), so I am sure I would find differences now, but am going here based on my memories then of Seattle with what you find Flagstaff to be now.

Also, from reading your comments in other threads, you have given me a clear-cut picture which I appreciate of the need for change by the city government to encourage growth and not drive away shoppers. I watched first-hand growing up in Bremerton how the downtown atrophied and died from discouragement of growth and is now a drive-through to get to other places (although I see now that they are trying to turn things around a bit, 30 years or so late), while Silverdale, 20 minutes north, grew from a country bump in the road in the 70s to a thriving shoppers center paradise today. So I can relate to all that discussion.

Currently, am living three hours south of Chicago, and read with interest about the snow. Illinois has been very educational about snow, however I understand the daytime highs to be fairly high in winter compared to my part of Illinois. I am wondering how much snow melts off regularly and if black ice is a problem because of that. I was wondering, too, if there are frequent power outages in the winter, or if that is relatively uncommon.

Also, I am picking up that it is similar to Pullman where there would be apartments on one side of the road and wheat fields on the other for at least the next 20 miles to the next city or so. Is that a correct idea to be having about the suburbs? (Except in Flagstaff I think it would be nature and not wheat fields.)

Lastly, are there any good coffeeshops around? Surely do miss the access to good coffee, and the one decent one left in town here folded up over a month ago.

[observer53]

Originally Posted by rjcjmom

Lastly, are there any good coffeeshops around? Surely do miss the access to good coffee, and the one decent one left in town here folded up over a month ago.

The ins and outs of Flagstaff city government are not my specialty--- I DO know a little about COFFEE in Flagstaff. My two favorites, Macy's on Beaver Street, a Flagstaff institution. GREAT coffee and coffee beverages(as well as homemade pastries and other breakfast and lunch stuff; and Late for the Train, on San Francisco St. Also great coffee and coffee beverages.

[rjcjmom]

Thanks!