Is Prescott Right For Us?

[LADY_DI]

i moved to SALEM OR for my son who has AUTISM i lived in prescott az for 15 yrs after leaving az ,i have found out that all states have problem some worse then others next summer im moving back to az; at least my son will have service and respite schools suck for kids with AUTISM but the service are GREAT

[JadedStone]

Originally Posted by LADY_DI

i moved to SALEM OR for my son who has AUTISM i lived in prescott az for 15 yrs after leaving az ,i have found out that all states have problem some worse then others next summer im moving back to az; at least my son will have service and respite schools suck for kids with AUTISM but the service are GREAT

You're right. I have visited several states and in some form or another each
one does have problems. However I'm willing to give AZ a try after all I don't think it gets much worse than SoCal. In case you've never been to Colorado the Colorado public school district has an excellent special needs programs for children with special needs. Most anywhere in Colorado but in particular the Cherry Creek School District and South Denver. Of course there are some private special needs schools too at no cost.

[desertpine1]

Hi there: Your research is on the right track, but the BEST place in the Prescott area to raise kids is Cordes Lakes. It is a former retirement community of 2000, and growing, with lots of young families moving in. Very FRIENDLY community. Beautiful, clean air. Four seasons, without the extreme cold/snow of Prescott. It is 4000 feet up. It is country living with immediate access to the interstate to take you into Prescott in 40 min. Prescott Valley, (pop.20,000) in 30 min. or to the South, a 50 min.ride to Phoenix area. The area is breathtaking, surrounded by mountains. The air is clear. the people are friendly. They have multiple activities/clubs for children as the community grows. They recently built a nice park for kids. I lived there the last 8 years where my husband and I had our home built. Sadly he passed away at a very young age. We planned to spend the rest of our life there, and had just had the house painted inside and out,and papered,decorated. We spent many nights, early am's, on the screened in porch watching the gorgeous crystal clear sky, and mountains around us. The front yard is full of pine trees we planted that now are as tall as the house. The satellite dish is still on the roof. New motion sensor lights all the way around, and fire alarms. The crime is negligable. Maybe two lines in the paper in a month. they have an Awana Club for kids now, and several churches. Most everyone has pets,and you'll see people out walking there dogs daily, and always stop to talk! I worked in Prescott, and still go to the VA in Prescott for health care, but I would NEVER take it over Cordes Lakes, small country living. Plus Prescott does get in the 20's w/lots of snow at times, (elevation 6000 ft.) where Cordes is milder at 4000 ft. Its the perfect soln.

[Clint]

Well, you made me look, however I dunno about Cordes Lakes being ideal to raise kids. The only thing going on seems to be Arcosanti...and of course normal family/neighborhood/church stuff. If the school is great...otherwise homeschool. If there were woods w/ big shade trees, maybe? But the warmer weather likely dictates more of a high desert-cactus environment...So far the PV area still looks more appealing.

[Clint]

BTW, my sympathies for your husband's passing.

[John Flanagan]

I have a question and I wonder if anyone can give a qualified response. I am 63 years old, and my wife is 60. My 87 year old father in law lives with us. He is healthy but has a mild case of emphysema. I am selling my home and will move to Arizona or Las Vegas area in about 6 months God willing. I am very interested in Prescott, Arizona, as well as a few other areas, but was wondering if the high elevation would be a problem for my father in law, or for anyone with mild emphysema. Does anyone out there have a viewpoint on this issue? thanks for any feedback. JF

[Gretchen B]

John - there is a simple blood test that the doctor can run that measures the amount of oxygen in your father-in-law's blood. Some people in poor health do have breathing problems with our higher elevation (generally about 5,000 ft), so it would be good to have him tested before you make the move. I think a lot may depend on what elevation you're at now. If he's already used to a semi high elevation then it may not bother him as much as if you're moving from the coast.

Some other options at a lower elevation (around 2,000 ft) might be Camp Verde or Cottonwood, although the temps are about 7 to 10 degrees hotter in the summer than Prescott.

(btw, I don't know if that blood test needs to be done while he's visiting here, or if it can be done elsewhere and determined how he'd do at 5,000 ft)