Late 20s male moving to Kingman (Phoenix, Flagstaff: fit in, casinos, camping)

[jdub29]

I found quite a few other threads but they are either outdated or dont answer my question.

I have a decent job offer in Kingman... 75k range and I know the area is cheap so that should be fine for a single 29 year old male.

My question is this.... What is social life like in Kingman for a 29 year old single male? Im sure there is not much of a nightlife but is theres somewhat of one? How about dating? Can I expect to meet any decent single women in this small town? I believe that a large portion of the population on average is older so that is 1 reason I am asking.

What I am afraid of is ending up in a town with lack of dating options. I am no stranger to small towns and my hometown(east coast) is 1/3 the size of Kingman and just as remote.

Anyway, can anybody tell me what its like for single 20 somethings to earlier 30 somethings? Even if you have little experience you are welcome to share your opinion.

[jdub29]

To add.... I have been learning spanish and am at a conversational level. Is there a decent opportunity to keep practicing my spanish there? I see there is a decent sized hispanic population but how often is spanish spoken?

How do the different races mix? Do they mesh pretty well or not?

[Sharikov]

Read the Kingman Daily Miner online to get the flavor of the town, which is and always has been pretty much of a redneck haven. Skimming the mug shots is one of my hobbies, because Kingman arrestees seem to be in a class of their own (and not a class you'd want to be a member of). But bear in mind that the Colorado River and Laughlin are less than an hour away and Las Vegas is less than 100 miles. Kingman has some nice areas and I actually like it, but I if I were a 29-year-old single male I'd arrive with low expectations for a social life or practicing my Spanish in Kingman itself.

[jdub29]

So you are saying Kingman is low on single women :/

I will check out the newspaper. Thanks!

[Packard fan]

There ain't that many "Hispanics" in the Kingman area and, most of them are def "American" 1st and don't speak much or any Spanish.

75K dollars a year IS a LOT of money in Kingman.

[azdr0710]

gee, for a 75K job in Kingman, I'd tough it out a bit and see what I could make work for me there....during my periodic trips thru Kingman, I've noticed all age levels represented....yes, it definitely has a redneck rep among Arizonans, but, as with most places, there are all types and incomes there.....being on I-40 and on the way to Las Vegas, there are lots of transient-types (not necessarily homeless), truckers, tourists, etc....retirees, a few long-time locals, the usual.....

for dating purposes, do what you did in your smaller, eastern town...meetup.com?, volunteer?, adult sports leagues?, evening classes?, internet dating sites?.....

admittedly, this may be a challenge....don't get too picky, even with a 75K job!!!

[jdub29]

Originally Posted by azdr0710

gee, for a 75K job in Kingman, I'd tough it out a bit and see what I could make work for me there....during my periodic trips thru Kingman, I've noticed all age levels represented....yes, it definitely has a redneck rep among Arizonans, but, as with most places, there are all types and incomes there.....being on I-40 and on the way to Las Vegas, there are lots of transient-types (not necessarily homeless), truckers, tourists, etc....retirees, a few long-time locals, the usual.....

for dating purposes, do what you did in your smaller, eastern town...meetup.com?, volunteer?, adult sports leagues?, evening classes?, internet dating sites?.....

admittedly, this may be a challenge....don't get too picky, even with a 75K job!!!

I grew up in the eastern town so I already knew everyone but I also left at 19 to join the military.... actually I was a bit confused on the population... Kingman has about 30k while my hometown has about 3k... the entire county of my hometown doesnt even have 30k. So maybe Kingman will be decent.

Are there any friendly bars? I dont mean rough types but maybe restaurants that are also treated as the local hangout for middle class people? Maybe more of a bar environment for later at night?

[azdr0710]

there are at least a couple posters here who are/were Kingman residents and I hope they'll help you out with the specifics....

[HTY483]

Originally Posted by jdub29

My question is this.... What is social life like in Kingman for a 29 year old single male? Im sure there is not much of a nightlife but is theres somewhat of one? How about dating? Can I expect to meet any decent single women in this small town? I believe that a large portion of the population on average is older so that is 1 reason I am asking.

I'd imagine its going to be very bleak for you. I've only driven through on my way to Vegas from the Valley but it just looks so....blah. Flag isn't too far if you like to ski or snowboard. Vegas isn't to far either but I'd imagine that life in Kingman consists mainly of watching T.V., going out to eat and camping in that big mountain range that's right next to it.

Originally Posted by azdr0710

..meetup.com?, volunteer?, adult sports leagues?, evening classes?, internet dating sites?..

I'm guessing these are the elements that are lacking but maybe I'm wrong. As much as I despise living in Phoenix, it does have all of the aforementioned and more, not to mention a lot of people in their 20's, 30's and 40's.

As others have mentioned, $75k will take you a long way there. Bank as much of it as you can then move on in a few years.

[Cyber Surfer]

I honestly don't post much here anymore, but I'm close to your age and I'm amazed there is even a job here that pays more than 50k a year unless you're in the medical field or an administrator somewhere, perhaps I've been living under a very big rock.

I've lived in Kingman since 1986, as a child I've watch this town not grow so much, but I think it's actually starting to get better little by little. Please don't take this as negative, but I've seen my fair share of good and bad with this town.

Social life in Kingman? Ehhhhhh.... I'm sorry man, unless you like the bar scene and smoke a lot, Kingman doesn't offer much maybe golfing and recreation at the wellness center if that's more of your thing, but you may be looking for something more.

Sure Kingman has a rich history about route 66 and downtown if you want to visit the museum and park with the old train in it, but it's not always the most active place from what I've seen.

This is a retiree-redneck town. Laughlin is ideal for someone your age if you don't mind driving an hour to the casinos for a healthier nightlife, though as far as I know Riverside is the only place that has places to go besides the casino floor. I don't know what you're really into, you might fit in but keep in mind most guys your age are married (or divorced by now, haha.) Not saying you being single is a bad thing, but here people marry and start families VERY young around here. Chances are you will meet someone on a date who has kids already, or is taking "time off" on their marriage... it's happened to me but it's the gamble with small townies.

As for dating I'd consider focusing on Flagstaff or Havasu if your luck isn't favorable here, steer clear from Bullhead/Ft Mohave.