Winslow, Arizona - What would it be like living here ? (Tempe: homes, buying)

[Demps]

What would it be like living in Winslow, Arizona ?

[azdr0710]

do you have a job offer to work at a prison there?...

check out these links from previous city-data threads....

//www.city-data.com/forum/arizo...hlight=winslow

//www.city-data.com/forum/arizo...hlight=winslow

//www.city-data.com/forum/arizo...hlight=winslow

//www.city-data.com/forum/arizo...hlight=winslow

//www.city-data.com/forum/arizo...hlight=winslow

//www.city-data.com/forum/arizo...hlight=winslow

[Snort]

Moderator cut: snip

Like death, but still better than Holbrook.

[AksarbeN]

^^ There simply isn't any good reason for living in the area. Unless you have family members living there it's not a place that would attract new residents.

[gettingoutofAZ]

Quiet, boring, ugly, isolated, dingy, dreary and everytime we drive through there we ask each other "what makes someone move to Winslow, AZ???

You asked!!

[magnum0417]

I've gone through that stretch of I 40 for awhile prior to becoming a recent resident. Temperature extremes for one. The lack of vegetation results in a pretty short growing season for such a southern latitude. Page and Payson have much warmer nights. Page due to the "Lake Powell effect." Payson due to vegetation. Winslow's temps run close to Flagstaff lows year around despite having temps 10-15 degrees warmer during the day.

Also, between Holbrook and Arizona you see a very visible sign saying "Blowing Dust Area." That is exactly what you have when winds exceed 20-25 MPH which is very common. When I drove past Winslow in January, the winds were close go 40 MPH. You could see the dust blowing across their HS football field which is right near I 40.

Years ago, I considered buying raw land there. Not worth it even for camping purposes. Nothing but dust and sagebrush. That Sun Valley Ranch is nothing but practically condemned trailers near I 40. Ugly ugly. They still have an outdated sign near there saying $395/acre and to call a #. Certainly didn't bother to write it down either.

[TBCasino]

I've always heard a lot of negative things about Winslow, mostly from co-workers that live there. I gotta admit though, I kinda like the place.

[magnum0417]

Originally Posted by TBCasino

I've always heard a lot of negative things about Winslow, mostly from co-workers that live there. I gotta admit though, I kinda like the place.

I know I came across as negative of Winslow somewhat. However, certainly many worse places to live in. Its location is quite good. 1-2 hours from the most beautiful amenities the state has to offer. Plus, very inexpensive homes if one can find a reasonable job there. I actually think quite a few people who live and work in the overpriced Flagstaff area will commute an hour to Flag and set up shop near Winslow in the future.

To me, it's better than similar small towns of 10000 I drove through in NY and PA.

[hoss73ford]

Winslow is a Route 66 town that was bypassed by I-40 in 1979 and it has never fully recovered. In a span of 155 miles (from east of Flagstaff to the New Mexico line) hundreds of businesses were wiped out by I-40 (though a small few hung in there til the 1990s) By the 1970s, Route 66 was outgrown, especially by the truck traffic. At the time there was at least one or two horrific multiple fatality accidents on the Mother Road often involving a tractor-trailer rig every week. Trucks were slower than cars back then often leading impatient drivers to attempt to pass them---with often fatal results. It was a bloody death trap.
Back to the subject of Winslow, yes it is there and far from a ghost town but there's not a whole lot to do. Kids who get bored often fuel things more serious and adverse. Some years back there was a hazing scandal at the high school that made national headlines. Oh and you're planning to get your kicks on route 66, you only have five miles of it (three miles thru town and two miles east of town) before it dead ends into the desert.
A few have claimed that Winslow is a bad speed trap but in 30+ years I've never encountered such or witnessed it. Some small town cops tend to hang out at the station more than anything else and that might be the case here.

[JPrzybylski07]

The snap fitness there is actually quite nice. I spent 6 months in Arizona this year working and living out of my SUV and definitely didn’t want to stick around Winslow too long. I didn’t feel in danger or anything but the area did feel somewhat depressed. Interesting to read about what I-40 did to many of the small towns that relied on Route 66 traffics. Makes sense.