Portlanders moving to Flagstaff, questions on neighborhoods etc etc (Phoenix: rentals, big house)

[thewoods']

Hello All,
First we would like to thank you for reading/responding to this message.

We are a family of three (husband, wife and a 4 year old), moving to flagstaff from Portland, Oregon. I've been accepted at NAU for a masters in Climate Science and Solutions. My husband owns a business Moderator cut: no advertising so jobs aren't an issue. We are used to the pricing of the West, and Flagstaff seems fairly equivalent to Portland price wise.

We currently cycle and walk nearly everywhere, and would love to move to a neighborhood where we could do the same, but are also a really outdoorsy family, so have weighed the potential of living farther out, closer to hiking etc.

The education of our four year old is also very important to us and we have looked at various Charter schools (input? or on the arts magnet grade school?). Can any of you recommend neighborhoods to look at? We aren't really into the country club/huge house thing. Also, are there community resources for families etc?

We are very excited about joining you all in Flagstaff. We might even bring a couple of cases of fabulous Oregon Pinot Noir to share

[MikeJune]

I used to live there until about 6 years ago and my father is still there. Unversity Heights is a good area and near the university. Anything in old downtown is really nice if you like old houses and have money. Contenental is nice, as is the Rockridge area and Cheshire.

Stay away from the east side of town, also called "Sunnyside." It's not sunny.

As far as schools go, ask to see their AIMS scores and ask if the school or district has been in school improvement.

[azdr0710]

I think you'll like Flag....though it's a somewhat-hip mountain town, it definitely doesn't have the "style" of a Boulder, Santa Fe, or Park City-like place and many are very happy for that!....popular, in part, with Phoenicians (people from Phoenix) as a summer getaway, it also has hippies, rednecks, some old families, a little bit of ranching, and lots of service jobs.....some down-scale areas in town (sofas on the front porch) mixed in with multi-million dollar trophy homes (behind gates)....major employers are Gore, NAU, and county government.....

Sunnyside, mentioned in another post, is centered a bit on 4th St and Route 66 and N from there for several blocks near Coconino High....though certainly not grinding poverty at all, it's not utterly attractive and has a lot of rentals....has a rep for being the "bad part" of town, but no place in Flag is at all horrible.....

University Heights (and Highlands, I think), also mentioned before, is close to being the typical middle-upper middle class family 'hood in Flag...smallish lots, very safe, convenient, lots of NAU profs.....

areas out highway 180, like Cheshire, Fort Valley, and Baderville, are fine, too, but are a bit out of town feeling....

you may hear of Greenlaw and Upper Greenlaw 'hoods....built mostly in the 1960s, a recent drive thru this fairly large area showed some neglect apparent in some houses....but it's convenient and family-ish.....

out NE a few miles off N 89 is the large Doney Park area with most houses on more than an acre at relatively reasonable prices, but you'll drive a bit, even for a gallon of milk...decent area, spacious, less snow than in town, but windy at times.....

Continental CC is also big and popular with a variety of options for families...though you said you don't like the whole CC thing, it's not at all a pretentious place with big houses....Forest Highlands and Pine Canyon take care of THAT segment!

biking, hiking, skiing and cross-country skiing are all very popular with the locals....lots of bike paths, trails, the whole bit....Coconino Natl Forest is all around and various Natl Park-managed spots, too....you may want to think of the area in the several blocks N of downtown and near the hospital for biking/walking convenience and access to Buffalo Park and the adjacent Natl Forest....

some city roads are very busy at rush hour (Milton, for example)....summer visitors and tourists clog certain areas....lots of chain businesses for them....lots of local biz, too, and various healthy and not-so-healthy restaurants....

know nothing about schools....

[nowannamove]

I used to live in Portland and now live in Flag. Culturally they are similar BUT definitely not the same

Flagstaff Housing is more expensive than Portland Housing
Very few job opportunities in Flagstaff.
Flagstaff does not have the obnoxious sex industry that Portland has.
Flagstaff has it's fair share of tree huggers, but it also has alot of NRA types.
Flagstaff has less schooling options, but there are several charter schools for such a small town.
Flagstaff is much sunnier year around, and much colder in the winter.