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Hi,
I would like to add a few or more things....
Lived here in Flag for over 13 years, with a four-year blip in Phoenix when I first started teaching. I am personally liberal, do drive a Subaru because it handles very well in the snow we get (when it decides to snow - it can dump!) and find there is a marginally good bit of culture in our rather smallish city. You'd be interested to know we have the highest percentage of MA degrees per capita of any U.S. city. There are mostly four seasons, bringing with it all the mountain sports a person could want during each one. Everyone eventually knows everyone and people are nice when they drive (locals); if a driver does something stupid, the person usually yells "Sorry" out an open window and the other driver shrugs or gives a little "hello" wave... we can tell folks who aren't local that way. The only crime I've experienced personally in all my years was a 1) a dishonest contractor who stole money while in my home and 2) a group of kids who were breaking into cars and opened my unlocked door one night, only to discover a bag of baby wipes, a stroller and some tic tacs. If a really big crime happens, the whole community grieves and pitches in to help. Murder may be commonplace in Phoenix, but here, we take if to heart. About housing, I think Flag has really painted itself into a corner... housing prices stay high, jobs are scarce unless you like to work as a professor, doctor, hotelier, or in the food industry. Meaning, the middle class is going to disappear here very quickly and already is. Small businesses are mostly disappearing, as are young families. As far as things to do, it's all in knowing people or enjoying the outdoors, not as much in the way of shopping... though that is really changing, and for the better. It just isn't a big city like Phoenix. That is both a pro or con. Not everyone is a hippy, but most people get a little mountain-y after a while, meaning, folks dress down and wear jeans a lot, even in the most expensive restaurants. High heels and moussed hair doesn't last long when the wind/snow is blowing at 40 mph. And, you are just as likely to get into a conversation about existentialism with an employee at Bookmans as you are to discover your dog has been sprayed by yet another skunk.
Hi,
I would like to add a few or more things....
Lived here in Flag for over 13 years, with a four-year blip in Phoenix when I first started teaching. I am personally liberal, do drive a Subaru because it handles very well in the snow we get (when it decides to snow - it can dump!) and find there is a marginally good bit of culture in our rather smallish city. You'd be interested to know we have the highest percentage of MA degrees per capita of any U.S. city. There are mostly four seasons, bringing with it all the mountain sports a person could want during each one. Everyone eventually knows everyone and people are nice when they drive (locals); if a driver does something stupid, the person usually yells "Sorry" out an open window and the other driver shrugs or gives a little "hello" wave... we can tell folks who aren't local that way. The only crime I've experienced personally in all my years was a 1) a dishonest contractor who stole money while in my home and 2) a group of kids who were breaking into cars and opened my unlocked door one night, only to discover a bag of baby wipes, a stroller and some tic tacs. If a really big crime happens, the whole community grieves and pitches in to help. Murder may be commonplace in Phoenix, but here, we take if to heart. About housing, I think Flag has really painted itself into a corner... housing prices stay high, jobs are scarce unless you like to work as a professor, doctor, hotelier, or in the food industry. Meaning, the middle class is going to disappear here very quickly and already is. Small businesses are mostly disappearing, as are young families. As far as things to do, it's all in knowing people or enjoying the outdoors, not as much in the way of shopping... though that is really changing, and for the better. It just isn't a big city like Phoenix. That is both a pro or con. Not everyone is a hippy, but most people get a little mountain-y after a while, meaning, folks dress down and wear jeans a lot, even in the most expensive restaurants. High heels and moussed hair doesn't last long when the wind/snow is blowing at 40 mph. And, you are just as likely to get into a conversation about existentialism with an employee at Bookmans as you are to discover your dog has been sprayed by yet another skunk.
So...
Maybe that helps?
What a great and well rounded post. You nailed it!!
High heels and moussed hair doesn't last long when the wind/snow is blowing at 40 mph.
Hmm, that doesn't seem to stop people in Chicago from dressing up for a night out... I'd say this phenomen is due mostly to a difference in attitude and the people in general, not the weather.
Hmm, that doesn't seem to stop people in Chicago from dressing up for a night out... I'd say this phenomen is due mostly to a difference in attitude and the people in general, not the weather.
You could be right... Sure, there are folks who will dress to the nines, but overall, it's nothing like Chicago or Scottsdale... we have a "why fight it" attitude toward the weather, and to be frank, it isn't a super-wealthy community, and hence a difference in attire. Chicago isn't much of a mountain town and the population is 2,896,000 and Flagstaff has 58,000. So, in comparison, we are quite small. It is more rugged here, with volcanic ash-laden soil, cinder-covered snow blustering around, and torrential (yes, TORRENTIAL) rain seasons. But, you gotta love it. All the season are amazing and have strong personalities!
Why aren't these M.A.'s running for the Flagstaff City Council?
Hi see responses in BOLD:
You'd be interested to know we have the highest percentage of MA degrees per capita of any U.S. city. I've always wondered why these M.A.'s aren't running for the Flagstaff city council in order to fix the problems you mention below:
The only crime I've experienced personally in all my years was a 1) a dishonest contractor who stole money while in my home and 2) a group of kids who were breaking into cars and opened my unlocked door one night, Boulder's copyrighted City-Data crime score is half that of Flagstaff.Crime is way too high for a city of 52,000 and unfortunately the locals don't care and didn't vote Morgan Hagaman into city council - he wanted to increase the police force.
housing prices stay high, jobs are scarce unless you like to work as a professor, doctor, hotelier, or in the food industry. Meaning, the middle class is going to disappear here very quickly and already is. Small businesses are mostly disappearing, as are young families. It's a very sad story and the locals don't vote people into office like Hagaman, who wanted to decrease taxes on new construction and new businesses, reducing unemployment, and increasing the affordabilty of housing. The Flagstaff Chamber of Commerce was against all these fees - the City Council was for it.Our twin city of Boulder only has an unemployment rate of 4%. Here in Flagstaff it's more than double that.
Great post. I think you could be correct. People in Santa Fe and all of northern New Mexico do seem elitist and always after more money and huge homes. They seem to look down on people new to town who don't share their wealth. Or, they hire you, and then fire you.
How about Boulder? That's a place I'm thinking about if Flagstaff doesn't work. Do you think it's that way there, too?
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Hey Tom,
While I was touring Colorado a couple of other cool towns I passed through were:
Salida, Manitou Springs (up the hill West from Colorado Springs), and Glenwood Springs.
Lastly, everyone seems to like Fort Collins.
I know this was not directed at me, but........ My sister has been living in Fort Collins the past 8 years. Having spent a great deal of time in Fort Collins myself, I can definitely say without a doubt it is a great place!!! And yes, the majority of people living in Fort Collins love it!!
I know this was not directed at me, but........ My sister has been living in Fort Collins the past 8 years. Having spent a great deal of time in Fort Collins myself, I can definitely say without a doubt it is a great place!!! And yes, the majority of people living in Fort Collins love it!!
Ft. Collins, CO?
What's not to love? It's WAAAAY nicer than Flagstaff.
No I have visited both places many times (and dated a guy from Flag for a year a while back) and probably wouldn't pick either place to live, but to chose between the two, Sante Fe would be my choice hands down. I live very close to Flag. and I just don't like the vibe there and find that whenever I'm there (which is often, as Sedona doesn't have many shopping opportunities), I just can't wait to get out of town. It feels to me as though there is no sense of community and it feels a little disjointed or something. I can't put my finger on it. By no means am I saying that no one should live there, just not me, EVER.
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Attitudes differ in the southwest?
