What's not to like about Prescott? (Phoenix, Flagstaff: renting, crime, mobile home)

[desertpine1]

I cant think of anything NOT to love about the area. The only exception is the cost of living is significantly higher there. check out the surrounding "bedroom communities" like Cordes Lakes . Easy commute to Precott w/quick interstate access 2000 people. No traffic. Clear, fresh, crisp air. Four seasons. More affordable housing, like my te built 8 yr old home 3 b.r. 2 baths, 1500 sq. feet, for only 149.9K. You would not get those prices in Prescott~! Family friendly community. Desertpine1

[Dave55]

PRESCOTT is the best just like everyone is saying except for Ponderosa...
You may leave it you want but iI bet you dont!!! Ponderosa
nice place to build a home lots are scarce but still available.

good luck!!! Dave

[blunt]

Originally Posted by OHToAZ?

Are there any nursing jobs in Prescott?

Read the Newspaper

[blunt]

Originally Posted by gptaz

I've been exploring Prescott on-line. I can't find anything bad! That's good!

If anyone can give me more info' (good or bad.) I would appreciate it.

Thanks
gptaz

There is plenty to love about my home town. however, there is plenty more to despise. This town was not built to accomidate the rapid growth we are experiencing. It was a small town, friendly people and such. Now, it is a mid size town with more rude big city folk forgetting that they left the big city behind. They all have decided that they can't live without the big city conveniences and have destroyed a beautiful mountain for a mall. that's right, LEVELED it to build a mall that doesn't have much to offer anyway. I still do my major shopping in Phoenix anyway. Do yourself a favor and if you are looking for a small town to reside in without the hustle and bustle of a big city and still want the small town feel look at South Dakota. That is where we are headed. hopefully we get there before the big city folk ruin that place too.

[Leana76]

The drawbacks of Prescott:

1. Nothing but retirees, "rednecks", and "bikers".

2. The prices of houses are way too high for a small town.

3. Can never find a parking spot, when going out in downtown (Whiskey Row).

4. Getting too crowded.

5. A lot of outdoors stuff to do, but when it's too bad to be outside, then there's not much to do (but go to a bar).

6. The prices at bars/pubs are too high (and if there is a live band playing, they never play on time).

7. Gets too cold...BRRRR!! (I'll be glad when I move).

8. Taxis are too high here.

9. Jobs are real scarce.

[FirebirdJones]

Well despite some of the negative feedback on this thread, we bought a house in Prescott Valley anyway. After many visits in 2 years, talking to people, driving all over the place (putting over 1,000 miles on a rental in 1 week every time we were there) we settled on a house in Prescott Valley.

We like the location, we like the available stores, my wife seems happy with what the malls and shops have to offer, and we both like the mild weather, better for my allergies and more car friendly as well.

The central location is nice. We found that you can be just about anywhere in 1 1/2 hours,,,,Phoenix, Flagstaff, even Sedona was only an hour drive. We went to Lake Havasu for a day trip as well. I am sure there are more places to make a day trip from but point being it just seemed like a great overall location to be and still have a nice climate.

Good paying jobs (to afford the housing) are a little scarce, and thats really the only big drawback that we have found in the last 2 years,,,,but when it happens we are pretty confident we will be very happy with everything.


As far as the meth labs,,,the strange people at town square protesting what ever it is they don't like,,,,etc....well those kinds of people are in every town, it's nothing new. Out here in Ohio (where we are currently) you can just about throw a rock in any direction and hit a meth lab.
I hate to say it but drugs will always be a problem anywhere you live,,,if you look hard enough for it you can find it.
But I don't see it being as much of a problem in Prescott Valley as it is here in Ohio.

Overall we are looking forward to the move. Hope everyone had a happy new year.

[FirebirdJones]

Originally Posted by Leana76

The drawbacks of Prescott:

1. Nothing but retirees, "rednecks", and "bikers".

2. The prices of houses are way too high for a small town.

3. Can never find a parking spot, when going out in downtown (Whiskey Row).

4. Getting too crowded.

5. A lot of outdoors stuff to do, but when it's too bad to be outside, then there's not much to do (but go to a bar).

6. The prices at bars/pubs are too high (and if there is a live band playing, they never play on time).

7. Gets too cold...BRRRR!! (I'll be glad when I move).

8. Taxis are too high here.

9. Jobs are real scarce.

Hmmm that really depends on the type of person you are I think.

Here is my experience/theory to your list

1) Retirees? yes there is, but didn't know this to be any problem. Rednecks?? we currently live in the country now, so we are used to dealing with that. Bikers? I have only seen a few hanging around Whiskey Row,,,and sometimes driving up 69 around the Chino area,,,who cares..I see bikers here in Ohio all the time riding around,,,don't know that it's a crime and they have never bothered me anyway.

2)I agree with this, since we just purchased a rather pricey house, but it keeps the low income people away, by that I mean, mexicans, druggies, mobile homes etc...that would otherwise drive your investment down,,,thats about the only positive I can think of with high prices. I don't like paying this much for a house, but it fit our needs, anything less wouldn't do. So we just deal with it.

3)I agree also,,,although I don't think we will be a frequent Whiskey Row visitor,,,nothing there appeals to us,,,but I find parking pretty much anywhere very tight and difficult to manuver, with concrete islands everywhere, restaurants and small business are very tight to park, and I can't stand DOOR DENTS! So this will be a tough issue for me, and I may relegate to driving my beater around until I get used to the area parking everywhere and find other ways to deal with it.

4)I didn't find anything too crowded anytime we were there,,,and we went to the rodeo when it was in town, and hit a few festivals at town square as well as the 4th of July, and just did Thanksgiving there this past holiday. Honestly we didn't find anything anymore crowded than it gets around here in Cincinnati. Seemed about the same to us.....this overcrowded idea may be coming from someone that was used to it being very rural at one time I guess?

5)We enjoy the outdoors as well,,,and actually get very little of that here in Cincinnati, (you can imagine why) it's either freezing and snowing,,,or in the summer it's raining most of the time. In Prescott we will have more outdoor opportunity than we currently have. I think the Natives have taken all that sunshine for granted out there And if we have to stay in for whatever reason,,,thats great, I have a very involved hobby that keeps me in the garage anyway most of the time. My wife being originally from Sacramento really misses the outdoor stuff, it's nearly non existent to her out here in Ohio.

6) We couldn't care less about bars and price of beer. We don't drink and don't visit any bars at all, just not our atmosphere.

7)Cold? Are you kidding? Coming from Cincinnati where it is currently 9 degrees with a windchill of -15!!!! And it doesn't warm up during the day at all!!!!! The Prescott winter weather will be a welcome for us,,,with your lows in the 20's and daytime highs in the 50's,,,,sheesh you guys/gals have it great,,,,thats damn near shorts weather here in Cinci

8)Taxes? What kind,,,property, sales??? I did notice the sales tax was a little higher than it is here in Ohio,,,,but the property taxes are rather low compared to Ohio. Out here in Cinci, living in the country 40 minutes from town, corn fields all around, compared to our new house in Prescott Valley, twice the size and surrounded by other $500,000 homes,,,,yet our property taxes are virtually the same give our take $20,,,,we are not complaining.

9) Yep jobs are scarce,,,the good paying ones that is. No denying that. We are currently searching for a good salary, but are uncertain what that will hold for us. It may even mean commuting to Phoenix and back if we have to depending on how bad my wife wants to get moving out there, otherwise we are content in waiting a while.

Sure wish I was there now though,,,it's rather cold and snowy here

[Ria Rhodes]

"..the strange people at town square protesting what ever it is they don't like,,,,etc....well those kinds of people are in every town, it's nothing new."

Your mindset is a great match for the Prescott/PV area. Generalizations are easy aren't they?
Mike Huckabee needs your vote to save America from secularism, but let's hope he's not like the preacher who met with President Bush weekly for moral guidance - you know the fellow who was busted for soliciting and engaging in same sex acts with crystal meth on his person.

Some protest for what they honestly believe. Some just complain and do nothing about it.

p.s. Nixon deputized Elvis Presley to fight the drug culture, too bad he was the biggest doper of all, and remember neo-con hero Rush Limbaugh loved his Oxycontin buzz.

[Ria Rhodes]

"we just purchased a rather pricey house, but it keeps the low income people away, by that I mean, Mexicans, druggies, mobile homes etc..."

Really? Maybe where you live, but I've lived around and socialized with multilingual people of Mexican and Central, and South American ancestry who were formally educated, affluent, and (in general) typically more interesting to converse with than the largess of people I've talked with here in Central Arizona. As far as substance abusers, they come in all socioeconomic stripes. I've been in social work group settings with plenty of recovering substance abusers who were from the professional classes, and although there is indeed a preponderance of the addicted in the poorer populations, you will find that addiction indeed cuts through all class distinctions. I suspect if the tables were turned, and the mostly Caucasian, European ancestry, American were emigrant's from poorer countries, that they too would find themselves being scorned by many narrow-minded citizens of their adopted country/state/city/town.

[FirebirdJones]

Originally Posted by Ria Rhodes

"..the strange people at town square protesting what ever it is they don't like,,,,etc....well those kinds of people are in every town, it's nothing new."

Your mindset is a great match for the Prescott/PV area. Generalizations are easy aren't they?
Mike Huckabee needs your vote to save America from secularism, but let's hope he's not like the preacher who met with President Bush weekly for moral guidance - you know the fellow who was busted for soliciting and engaging in same sex acts with crystal meth on his person.

Some protest for what they honestly believe. Some just complain and do nothing about it.

p.s. Nixon deputized Elvis Presley to fight the drug culture, too bad he was the biggest doper of all, and remember neo-con hero Rush Limbaugh loved his Oxycontin buzz.

So whats your point???? Does it bother you that I can find people protesting in other cities as well? Last time I checked this wasn't a crime,,,but a right that all citizens have. It doesn't bother me,,,,but it seemed to bother the person that had a list of things they didn't like about Prescott,,,and as I mentioned,,I think most of this stuff is opinion or depends on a particular person.
I simply showed that it doesn't bother us, and quite frankly I don't see it as a valid reason to avoid Prescott.