Don't Move To Flagstaff! (Phoenix, Scottsdale: apartments, motels, townhouse)
Flagstaff-SedonaCoconino County
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My husband and I have been dieing to get out of the Seattle, WA area. We've been looking into Flagstaff as it is about half way between my family in the LA and OC area of CA and his mom in Colorado. I have been reading thread after thread of how expensive housing is in Flagstaff. Look at housing here - it is outrageously expensive for what you get. Any house that is listed for $350,000 in Flagstaff could easily be twice that or more here. It's just as crazy as much of southern California!
Housing prices are RELATIVE to where you are coming from and where you are going. Just because a double wide on maybe an acre is $250,000 within minutes of Flagstaff doesn't make it expensive - try a double wide on half an acre that is 1 and a half to 2 hours from Seattle for $300,000. Not to mention that Seattle's traffic is worse than LA's traffic - and YES I've experienced years of both.
I see Flagstaff as a great place to raise our kids - away from many square miles of gang infested cities and people who don't care about anything except for what they drive and what they wear. Flagstaff is in the middle of some of the most gorgeous natural settings with amazing amounts of opportunities for exploration.
Please remember that unlike Seattle; Flag has limited water and gets much colder in the winter as well.
The daytime highs between the two cities in January may be similar: but; Flagstaff avg's 15F for a low vs. Seattle's 36F. The all time lows in each city were about -5F and -22F respectively.
My husband and I have been dieing to get out of the Seattle, WA area. We've been looking into Flagstaff as it is about half way between my family in the LA and OC area of CA and his mom in Colorado. I have been reading thread after thread of how expensive housing is in Flagstaff. Look at housing here - it is outrageously expensive for what you get. Any house that is listed for $350,000 in Flagstaff could easily be twice that or more here. It's just as crazy as much of southern California!
Housing prices are RELATIVE to where you are coming from and where you are going. Just because a double wide on maybe an acre is $250,000 within minutes of Flagstaff doesn't make it expensive - try a double wide on half an acre that is 1 and a half to 2 hours from Seattle for $300,000. Not to mention that Seattle's traffic is worse than LA's traffic - and YES I've experienced years of both.
I see Flagstaff as a great place to raise our kids - away from many square miles of gang infested cities and people who don't care about anything except for what they drive and what they wear. Flagstaff is in the middle of some of the most gorgeous natural settings with amazing amounts of opportunities for exploration.
Yes, of course everything is relative. Relative to the other cities in AZ, Flagstaff is expensive, and has a low job market. If you're coming from Cali, I agree that it will be inexpensive for you, but other than some parts of the NE or NW, what areas are as expensive as Cali?
Yes, if you like nature, I'm sure you'll like Flag.
Please remember that unlike Seattle; Flag has limited water and gets much colder in the winter as well.
The daytime highs between the two cities in January may be similar: but; Flagstaff avg's 15F for a low vs. Seattle's 36F. The all time lows in each city were about -5F and -22F respectively.
I must agree that the weather in WA- IS VERY DEPRESSING. Lived in Bothell and Woodinville for 1 1/2 years and could not wait to leave and move back to AZ.
People in WA are way too into themselves for me- high suicide rate-there is also alot of child abuse and domestic violence. Weather effects people---
I agree that Flagstaff is a great place to raise kids. I also think it's worth the money in many aspects! There are so many times that we watch a storm build over the mountain and then begin to descend down towards the town that we think, "This is one of the most beautiful sights that anyone could ever witness." Or the summer evenings when the sky is bright orange and the mountain looks purple. The charter school choices here are great too, and it has quite a lot of outdoor activities (movies in the square in the summer, the outdoor concert series, etc.) I visited relatives in Texas a month ago, and I just couldn't wait to get home to smell the pine trees again. It might not be for everyone, but we count our blessings on gorgeous fall days like this one.
I agree that Flagstaff is a great place to raise kids. I also think it's worth the money in many aspects! There are so many times that we watch a storm build over the mountain and then begin to descend down towards the town that we think, "This is one of the most beautiful sights that anyone could ever witness." Or the summer evenings when the sky is bright orange and the mountain looks purple. The charter school choices here are great too, and it has quite a lot of outdoor activities (movies in the square in the summer, the outdoor concert series, etc.) I visited relatives in Texas a month ago, and I just couldn't wait to get home to smell the pine trees again. It might not be for everyone, but we count our blessings on gorgeous fall days like this one.
Flagstaff is very pretty------just that the typical income there does not buy the typical home-------unless one wishes to commute an hour each way.
Flagstaff is very pretty------just that the typical income there does not buy the typical home-------unless one wishes to commute an hour each way.
Most people in the Seattle area commute at least that much to get to work - even if it's only 20 miles away When I went to the University of Washington I commuted a total of 5 hours a day!! That was travel (and wait time) on the ferries and on the buses. I had to wake up at 4 am to get be at class at 9 am. I'd be happy to live in Williams on acreage and drive into Flagstaff to go to work. Fortunate enough for us, I've got a degree in Geology and my husband works in the car business so I think we could do just fine out there. We would do at least as well as we do here! Although I am currently a stay at home mom, I can get my MS degree at NAU and/or work for the USGS in Flagstaff.
I can't wait to get out of this aweful place!! It is WAY too much of a rat race here. The people are so rude, they are way too into themselves (as stated before by RAZZEL), and not only do they have a high suicide rate (second to Alaska - per capita) they also have the second highest drinking rate (also second to Alaska) and so many drunk drivers!!! And YES there are a lot of sex offenders and domestic violence. Heck I even had to buy a special "sun" light for the winters here because the lack of sun for so many months really does affect your mood and everyday life. I've lived in the Puget Sound area for the last 14 years and I have never gotten used to the lack of sunlight in the winter (I grew up in sunny San Diego).
It's so refreashing to hear some good comments about Flagstaff, especially when it comes to families. After all, we are only living for what we can do for our children!!
Most people in the Seattle area commute at least that much to get to work - even if it's only 20 miles away When I went to the University of Washington I commuted a total of 5 hours a day!! That was travel (and wait time) on the ferries and on the buses. I had to wake up at 4 am to get be at class at 9 am. I'd be happy to live in Williams on acreage and drive into Flagstaff to go to work. Fortunate enough for us, I've got a degree in Geology and my husband works in the car business so I think we could do just fine out there. We would do at least as well as we do here! Although I am currently a stay at home mom, I can get my MS degree at NAU and/or work for the USGS in Flagstaff.
I can't wait to get out of this aweful place!! It is WAY too much of a rat race here. The people are so rude, they are way too into themselves (as stated before by RAZZEL), and not only do they have a high suicide rate (second to Alaska - per capita) they also have the second highest drinking rate (also second to Alaska) and so many drunk drivers!!! And YES there are a lot of sex offenders and domestic violence. Heck I even had to buy a special "sun" light for the winters here because the lack of sun for so many months really does affect your mood and everyday life. I've lived in the Puget Sound area for the last 14 years and I have never gotten used to the lack of sunlight in the winter (I grew up in sunny San Diego).
It's so refreashing to hear some good comments about Flagstaff, especially when it comes to families. After all, we are only living for what we can do for our children!!
Good luck to you! But, don't forget that Flagstaff is much smaller than Seattle, which is another reason why the job market is not as good.
Well well, what an opionion!! To rather be in Spodunk WA then Flagstaff.
I am Oh so glad I left "SPODUNK" WA years ago. It is the testing ground for many new products because it has the "average American population" there. People in Spokane are so incredibly NOT metropolitan nor worldly it isn't funny. When I lived there people used to ask me in Holland was part of Germany and then they'd be upset if I responded with a "Hitler would have loved you." They'd confuse all the scandinavian countries in Europe. Ignorance is bliss in Spokane.
Spokane had the Spokane rapist Kevin Coe, whos crimes were hardly reported in the local paper because his father worked for it!! Spokane just got rid of a crooked Mayor.
Spokane has a incenerator for their garbage operations that was built too low because of dirty politics, so now all the toxic smog is blowing into the valley.
It is hard to get a job in Spokane if you did not go to high school there!! Sure you can get a cheaper house there, but you get what you pay for: An ulitmate MEDIOCRE Community. Hopefully Spodunk can rise above that in the future with folks from the rest of the world moving there and making cultural events affordable.
Last edited by Neverdull; 10-26-2007 at 09:30 AM..
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Expensive??? Try living in the Seattle area!!!
When I went to the University of Washington I commuted a total of 5 hours a day!! That was travel (and wait time) on the ferries and on the buses. I had to wake up at 4 am to get be at class at 9 am. I'd be happy to live in Williams on acreage and drive into Flagstaff to go to work. Fortunate enough for us, I've got a degree in Geology and my husband works in the car business so I think we could do just fine out there. We would do at least as well as we do here! Although I am currently a stay at home mom, I can get my MS degree at NAU and/or work for the USGS in Flagstaff. 
Spodunk WA
