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YRMC, the local hospital, has been ranked extremely high in certain categories by Consumer Reports and is now a level 4 trauma center. Yes, there can be problems finding a doctor that you like but all the specialties seem fairly well covered.
Sadly, though, they are not. And the area does not attract the best talent.
People might not realize that until they examine YRMC with an eye towards their own particular chronic condition(s). I strongly urge everyone considering the move to do the research. For most people in good health, YRMC is probably adequate.
Signed yours truly, still torn between living in Prescott and making the 1 hr 40 min drive to the Mayo Clinic in Scottsdale -or- simply buying a home in Scottsdale and a summer cabin somewhere else.
Life in Prescott
Things to consider before moving to Prescott
This information is an accumulation of several years of living in Prescott. To begin, the Prescott area is basically an island separated from other cities. This is a good way to view the quad cities. Your nearest city/town that are of decent size are Sedona, Flagstaff and Phoenix which are within a 100+ mile radius. As such, it makes for a very interesting existence (this includes people who work in the area as well).
My goal is to breakdown important issues that might be of interest to families or individuals who are considering moving to the Prescott area.
First, let’s talk about housing. Basically you have four cities that make up the quad cities (Prescott Valley, Prescott, Chino Valley and Paulden). There are a nice homes in Prescott and the Williamson Valley area. The rest of the quad cities are manufactured homes, mobile home parks, RV parks and quite a few shanties.
The people that reside in the area are mostly retirees from California and the mid-West and this makes for an interesting demographic. When you’re driving you have to watch your ass everywhere you go as you’ll have heavily medicated retirees driving around completely oblivious to their surroundings. Another interesting fact is to watch the local supermarkets on any given Wednesday and the retirees will come out in droves for Senior Wednesday grocery shopping. I got to tell you – when someone gets up there in age they lose a lot of their civility and basically become a “mean old *******”. I’ve seen this time and time again where you just shake your head in disbelief as you watch unbelievable crude manners. I thought this wouldn’t be the case until I moved into Prescott. It was definitely an eye opening experience.
Another very important issue to consider is that Prescott is most likely the “Drug Rehab Capital” of the west coast. I found out the hard way after living here several months and having discussions with local law enforcement who informed me of this horrible situation. I do not know the exact number of rehab homes in the city, but it is a serious issue that affects the entire area . Folks, this is a money making endeavor and it isn’t going to go away. My wife and I used to joke to one another that if we saw a clean cut family or couple walking in the square they could only be tourists. If we saw a sleeve tattooed or disheveled male or female (and yes, there are non-tattooed drug addicts...) walking around the square during business hours they are most likely the rehab participants. There is also a HUGE failure rate and they tend to stick around because their families don’t want them back. It’s a sad cycle.
My wife and I have also noticed the trend for young people that are working in the service industry jobs to start with one tattoo and then end up completely covered in tattoos by the end of the year. I have nothing against tattooing but in my humble opinion it could potentially hold one back from career advancement.
Jobs/Employment: If you are a white collar professional this is definitely not the place for you. Ninety-five percent of the white collar jobs belong to the medical/dental profession who service the needs of the retirees. The majority of the employment is city/county government related and the rest is low paying service industry jobs. This is a town that should be called “God’s Waiting Room” for the retirees and the service people who take care of them. Employment is few and far between unless you want to work in a fast food joint.
And speaking of food, Prescott is not known for anything resembling gourmet food. In the past four years, I’ve witnessed no less than 15 restaurants closing in the quad cities. If you like greasy burgers, fries, cheap Mexican food then this is the town for you. The only place worth mentioning that serves good food is the Prescott Station but the prices are at the Scottsdale level. It’s a sad place if one is used to traveling the world or eating well. But for the retirees, it’s probably heaven.
In regard to work ethics, good luck finding anyone who gives a flying hoot. The service industry in this area definitely takes their sweet time and will charge you high prices and the services are mostly substandard. I could go on about car dealerships, landscaping services, electrical, etc. Definitely read Yelp and or Google reviews before you undertake any project or repair. I can’t stress this enough. In fact I’ve never seen such poor service anywhere and I’ve lived in three other states.
Medical Care: WOW, all I can say, again, is do your due diligence before you have any procedure done other than treating a sprained ankle or the cold/flu. God forbid you have a serious medical issue, you’ll be going to the Phoenix area or a specialist in another state. Another issue to keep in mind is that if one is involved in a serious accident/issue, you’ll be stabilized and flown to either Flagstaff or Phoenix. This bill could easily hit the $60,000 for a single flight. I highly recommend that one purchases the insurance that these medical flight companies offer to protect yourself.
If you are a white collar professional and are still in the working force, do yourself and your family a favor and AVOID the Prescott area (exception, if you’re in the medical field treating the retirees).
A lot of discussion revolves around the hiking in the area. There are some nice areas to go hiking but that is definitely for the tourists and younger crowd. You’ll see very few retirees hiking in the hills. Another issue for those who have allergies/hay fever, the Prescott area is known as one of the worst allergen areas in the country.
If you’re retired or have a government job that is local to the area, you might appreciate Prescott and its offerings…. BUT – If your aspirations in life exceed Senior Wednesday Shopping, Drug Rehab Counseling or to raise your GS scale in your Government job you might wish to look elsewhere.
Hope this information assists in your decision making.
Some people that already live in the quad city area do not want anyone else to move to this lovely area so they will do things to scare people away and try to stop business development as well. Please be advised.
Also this thread is the one and only thread this person has posted messages on so they probably just created this log in profile to trash the quad city area.
Some people cannot read a post and subsequent responses thoroughly...
Again, what is the big deal if this is my first post? We must start at the beginning, right Autism 360?
It also seems that certain members of city data do not like opposing views & opinions about an area that obviously differ from their own (I have already pointed this out a few times previously)...
Finally- my post is not about "trashing" Prescott and the surrounding cities... My post describes some of the more important living experiences/issues that affect the Prescott area which myself and my family (many friends/neighbors as well) experienced quite frequently.
Cheers!
If this guy did not like the Prescott area I have to wonder what he would think of places like Safford, Hereford, Sierra Vista, Benson and Saint David for starters.
AZ is not for everyone. My wife is a native but I am from out of state. I am retired like many in the Prescott area and find everything we need is here. Your needs may be different.
I get a kick out of the OPs housing comment. Anything but Prescott has nothing for housing? Really? I don't know what your tastes are or where you came from but Prescott Valley has some very nice housing areas.
His comments after leaving Prescott lead me to think that he has not found his place just yet in life and is perhaps unhappy with his job and prospects too. And he seems very bitter about the retirement segment of the area that are enjoying life.
Everybody is entitled to their opinion I guess.
I would suggest that any community that you are considering moving to that you visit for a week or two and really get out and look it over, not just play tourist. It could save you a costly move. Not everyone will be happy with every state and community.
Lived in many states and areas thanks to job relocations and my time in the military years and years ago. Having many comparisons in life and having enough money to live pretty much where we want to we still picked the Prescott area to call home.
Ok- I will play in the sandbox with you Keni...
In regard to housing in the quad cities - I stated that the housing is mostly pre-fab, RV parks, and mobile homes with housing developments thrown in. In addition, my post is about Prescott and the three other cities which connect (nothing else about other towns...). Must be hard for you to comprehend the queens english....
When one makes comments about one's job prospects and happiness they are the ones who are usually casting stones at a glass house. Sounds to me you must be miserable - look in the mirror. And yes, I found an extremely nice home and city to reside in. I hope you sleep better at night knowing this.
Nothing wrong with retirement - I look forward to it in a few years myself. Obviously I struck a nerve with you. I must say there are other posters who have agreed on this subject. And WOW, you got to travel the world and reside in other states-welcome to the club...
I guess when one makes truthful comments about Prescott the only way that people like you can reply is to make personal attacks. You are what I call an "internet tough guy"...
I'm out of the sandbox now. Enjoy your retirement in PV.
As stated, I don't know when you left the area, but I live in a very large area of PV that has very nice homes and the area is some 10+ years old and still building. No RV parks that I am aware of exist in PV. There are some mobiles on property here and there and some parks for them of course. Such is AZ.
Jobs, I am retired? So I don't know what the hell you are talking about. Have not worked in many a year since my retirement. Queen's English? Never did care for Brits anyway.
I have traveled the world via the military and I am very aware of the differences.
Internet tough guy?? Try meeting me in person. I just could be the guy your mother warned you about.
I don't believe that the Fairgrounds RV park that you are referencing is within the city limits. Could be but I don't think the city would have allowed horse racing within the city limits while the county fairgrounds could.
It may have a PV address, but that's all.
The other facility is a mobile home park, and they are everywhere in AZ.
But you are never going to be happy regardless of where you are, I can tell.
And one last comment~ gourmet food is OK if you like spending money on it. Personally I don't like that type of crowd.
I would rather eat in a family owned local restaurant any day but then again we don't care about eating out as we do quite well with out own cooking.
Moderator cut: .
I do not live in Prescott, but plan to settle there myself in a few years, most likely (family ties in the area drive it to a degree). I have been to Prescott many times over the years, and have spent my summer vacations there for the last 4 years. I lurk here at the Prescott forum because of this, and read about local residents opinions often.
That all said, I do not think your opinion in your OP was completely off the mark, although a bit over generalized. I certainly wont chastise you here.
I am curious of why you left? It seems you didn't care for it there, but why? The employment opportunities the main factor? Prescott just too slow for you and your wife?
Also, (if you do not mind sharing) what type of city did you move to, and what brought to to your new city?
Last edited by yellowbelle; 10-04-2015 at 10:37 AM..
Reason: orphaned - quoted text has been deleted
One thing to remember for all you young wippersnappers bashing geezers....if you are lucky...you will become one someday.
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