Cottonwood (Flagstaff, Prescott, Sedona: rent, HOA, crime)

[gripster2]

What is your opinion on Cottonwood and raising a family there? We are considering a move from California to Cottonwood. We have 2- 12 year olds and a 7 year old. I know it is small, but it is beautiful and has great weather. We are a very outdoors family and see many recreational activities for us as well. Any information you can pass on would be greatly appreciated.

[mcbadhair]

Ok i live in cottonwood. It sits in a valley at about 3500ft. You got sedona like 10 or 15 mins drive. You can see sedona from cottonwood. It has super walmart 3 grocery stores. 1 organic food store. It is expanding town. Alot of new homes in the last 5 yrs. Rent is alittle high. Don't live on the north side of cottonwood it is the old area and does look pretty with some crime also. The town has like 15,000 people. In the winter it snow like once or twicw a year. But in sedona they get more snow. In some it can be hot 95 to 105 and sometimes more hot. It nice little town but kinda boring with not alot to do. Its not the prettist but has nice views. There is a community college here a high school and middle and elemetary. NAu is a 40 min drive to flagstaff.
ok great

[twin.spin]

We moved here after 4 visits from a small town (7000) from the mid-west. To put it kindly, Its not the billing that is played up to be. AZ drivers are arguably the worst in the country. When you mix a large retired community with 16 yr olds not having drivers ED and a illegal immigrant population of 1 of 3 (police sources), you simply are happy to make it back home without incident. Like most small towns, the police can be a little jerky - cops from other towns from the area, i.e. Clarkdake, make there way here to fill quota's.
Outside of typical Wal-Mart super center, 3 food shopping stores, most other big box stores aren't full -size (JC Penny, Radio Shack). You'll need to go to Prescott (@60 miles 1 way), Flagstaff (@80 miles 1 way) or Sedona (15 miles away & a tourist trap) if you're used to shopping life. Old town Cottonwood is a typical "old town" downtown, most don't go there unless you need to go police station (hopefully for only a traffic ticket). There is a manatory water usage in the summer months.
DON'T come here without have a job first. People from DES (Department of Economic Security) will till you that its very hard to get a job here, let alone make a living. I've been here for almost a year, still no job. I owned 2 business, worked in the Nuclear power industry and still nothing. The only true industry here is health related, or school teacher related.
I have a child in H.S. and Grade School. As far as the kids, there is virtually no employer who will hire anybody under the age of 16 - period. The meth problem here is disproportionatly bigger here than to towns of similiar size (police sources). As far as sports for kids, if you're a transplant - expect to sit the bench. When they say the schools support the local kids, they mean the LOCALE kids. Is it just coincidence that some of the kids and their friends (who have less talent) happen to have their parent as the coach / H.S. teacher, making varsity?
Cottonwood is though, more down-to-earth than Sedona. Its mostly accepted here that people from Sedona are elitests, and Jerome was over-run with hippies.
If I could do it over, I would rethink coming here. The grass is not greener

[twin.spin]

1 other thing, the water here has (according to Federal levels) high levels of arsenic. So prepare to buy your drinking/food prep water.

[norm]

twin.spin,

Why didn't you check all of those factors before you moved to Cottonwood?

[ElizaTeal]

Twin.spin I hope you find work soon. You are painting the Verde Valley Sedona area with a very broad bush.

[wit-nit]

Originally Posted by norm

twin.spin,

Why didn't you check all of those factors before you moved to Cottonwood?

LMBO, very true.
This is the same issue when people don't read the CC&R's before they move into an HOA community. They wait until there is an issue then they complain. Geeeze.