Sedona and family life/commute (Phoenix, Flagstaff: real estate, apartment, lease)

[jeahfoo]

Hey everyone. I know that there have been other threads on here that discuss Sedona life etc. I've read through many of them. I would like some updated information for 2017/2018.

I'm considering a move to Sedona for a job in Flagstaff. My wife and I do not want to live in a cold snowy climate at this time (we have lived in Salt Lake area) and feel Sedona would be more mild. She has family in Phoenix. We love the outdoors, and are not really "night life" type of people at this time. We are in our 30's.
We are expecting a child very soon and I have a daughter who is 8 and will be visiting in the summers.

- Would the daily commute from Sedona to Flagstaff and back in winter be feasible?
- Is there a family vibe at all in Sedona? I know it's touristy and a retirement community, but are there enough young families for my kids to play with? Are there organized children's activities in the area or is it all self created in the outdoors?
- How are the schools?
- Is there a sense of "community"? Are people welcoming?

I would have to say the cost of living doesn't frighten me too much. I was raised in Hawaii and it appears you get more bang for your buck in Sedona

Thanks for your replies

[curly5759]

The winter commute will depend entirely on the weather. We are having a pretty dry winter so far, no rain or snow to speak of. Typically, I-17 doesn't get enough snow to cause closures but it does happen occasionally. My concern would be daily traffic. There are only 2 routes to Flag from Sedona, on is up 89a through Oak creek canyon, a narrow twisty 2 lane road very popular with tourists. The other route is 179 to I-17 and up to Flag. Sedona has become very popular these past few years and traffic can be very bad on weekends and days leading up to major holidays. You may find yourself stuck in traffic trying to get home, as in a several mile long backup.

The problem is Sedona has limited space to expand it's roadways so without some kind of major change to the traffic plan, it's only going to get worse.

[rational1]

I hear there ARE people who do it but I wouldn't want to be one of them. Honestly though it is a less daunting commute than the normal day 1 hour commute some people have in NYC or DC or similar.

> There are only 2 routes to Flag from Sedona, on is up 89a through Oak creek canyon, a narrow twisty 2 lane road very popular with tourists. The other route is 179 to I-17 and up to Flag.

For a regular commute to Flagstaff, you do not want to count on the canyon route. If you live in VOC (Village of Oak Creek) the I-17 commute will be shorter.

There will probably be a few days a year where I-17 will be problematic. On any day you must be very alert on the way up for slow-moving trucks and fast-moving pickups.

[azdr0710]

43-year resident of Arizona here....

I'd never live in Sedona with a growing family.....it just doesn't have a family vibe and schools are not a priority for the local taxpayers.....in fact, personal opinion!!, Sedona is little more than a large Disneyland to me....many old-timey Arizonans feel the same way....west Sedona (toward Cottonwood) is a little more community-feeling, but utterly without soul.......

if you'll be making a five-times-a-week commute to Flagstaff, that will get very old very quickly!....honest!.....comments above on the only two routes are correct....neither is appealing at all to do regularly....door-to-door one-hour minimum either way, one-way....the long drag up Oak Creek Canyon on narrow, two-lane 89 is hair-raising with all the tourists and curves, then come the switchbacks and then another 20/25 miles to Flag itself....and the 179 option will have you kicking yourself as you drive away from the direction of Flag before you face 45 miles of interstate to get to Flag after successfully finally driving toward it!

if you must work in Flag, I'd live there itself and suffer (??!!) through the winter.....winter is very often/usually sunny, but cold, and not at all the endless gray winter days of other areas.....snowstorms (cloudy weather) occur only every few weeks and last only a couple or three days at most....summer-like weather (May to October) in Flag is fantastic.....year-round low-humidity helps a ton, too.....afternoon storms in July and August are much anticipated and dramatic....

but does it have to be Flag???!!!

[blindjesse]

I don't know anyone in Flagstaff that has successfully commuted from Sedona for very long.

[mohawkx]

If you really wanted to do it, I'd live in Cottonwood, a few exits south of Sedona but a huge difference in weather and driving conditions. It would only add an extra 10 minutes to your commute but the drop in altitude makes a big difference in the weather between Sedona and Cottonwood. Most people who work in Sedona, live in Cottonwood.
Be warned, the drive to Flag is all uphill, mountain, and the snow line is right at Sedona so there's large amounts of sudden closures from snow dumps along I-17 along the way. Drive down the mountain in winter can become a never to be forgotten experience.
Then again, the drive in winter from Morris County, NJ across the George Washington Bridge into Manhattan is usually a much more grueling experience.
I'd say, after due consideration, that if you want to get as close to what you want, live in Cottonwood and buy a really big SUV for the daily drive up and down the mountain. Sedona is only 20 minutes from Cottonwood, you can go there anytime you want. don't have to live there to enjoy it.

My thoughts.

[jeahfoo]

Thanks for the replies so far. I think the only reason I am considering this job is because it would be somewhat flexible as far as the hours go. If it was a straight 8-5 job I think I would get more frustrated with that Sedona-Flagstaff commute. I think that as far as winter weather goes, Flagstaff wouldn't be so bad. As I said, I lived in the Salt Lake City area and the sunny winter days aren't cloudy and stormy, they can just get cold. My wife really would rather avoid that cold, though.
My wife and I have been to Sedona and just love the hiking and the red rocks and feel that we would prefer not to have it be as cold as Flagstaff, although we know that it is not like Phoenix. I'm not too fond of the roasting summer weather in Phoenix, and so Sedona would be a compromise of sorts.

We were just in Sedona yesterday, in fact. It was absolutely beautiful......except for one glaring issue. The traffic into town was horrible. Is it always like that?

I think my biggest concern for living there is for the family life in Sedona. They have what looks like a nice high school (although that's a ways off for us), but it's hard to tell how many and what kinds of families actually live there. We have one child and hope to have a few more, and want them to feel like they can make some good friends in the area. From one of the posts above, it sounds like it may not be the most family friendly area. I guess the question is: why? Is it because the town is mostly retirees? Is it because there is "nothing to do"? Is it due to lack of amenities? I grew up in a small touristy town so I guess I might have a different perspective.

[mohawkx]

Originally Posted by jeahfoo

Thanks for the replies so far. I think the only reason I am considering this job is because it would be somewhat flexible as far as the hours go. If it was a straight 8-5 job I think I would get more frustrated with that Sedona-Flagstaff commute. I think that as far as winter weather goes, Flagstaff wouldn't be so bad. As I said, I lived in the Salt Lake City area and the sunny winter days aren't cloudy and stormy, they can just get cold. My wife really would rather avoid that cold, though.
My wife and I have been to Sedona and just love the hiking and the red rocks and feel that we would prefer not to have it be as cold as Flagstaff, although we know that it is not like Phoenix. I'm not too fond of the roasting summer weather in Phoenix, and so Sedona would be a compromise of sorts.

We were just in Sedona yesterday, in fact. It was absolutely beautiful......except for one glaring issue. The traffic into town was horrible. Is it always like that?

I think my biggest concern for living there is for the family life in Sedona. They have what looks like a nice high school (although that's a ways off for us), but it's hard to tell how many and what kinds of families actually live there. We have one child and hope to have a few more, and want them to feel like they can make some good friends in the area. From one of the posts above, it sounds like it may not be the most family friendly area. I guess the question is: why? Is it because the town is mostly retirees? Is it because there is "nothing to do"? Is it due to lack of amenities? I grew up in a small touristy town so I guess I might have a different perspective.

As I stated, Cottonwood would probably be a better alternative than Sedona, You can zip into Sedona anytime you choose, very easily.
But it looks like you have your mind set on Sedona. Do what I did.
When my company transferred me to take a position in Sedona back in 1998, I moved to Sedona and took a 6 month lease on an apartment and traveled light, keeping most my stuff in storage. It really paid off. By 3 months, I was yearning to get out of Sedona as far as everyday living was concerned. Driving in and out to work and entertaining relatives when they came to visit was enough Sedona for me. There is so much more besides Sedona going on in the area you won't realize until you've been here a while.
I moved to cottonwood, bought a home, and have never looked back. I go to Sedona at least 2 times a week for business, pleasure and it's never a hassle.
Living there was definitely a hassle. Traffic is ALWAYS a hassle if you live there.
I wrote a review of the entire Verde Valley, including Sedona some years ago. It's on page 13 of the Arizona: City by City forum. It is still relevant today only everything is compounded. IE: more traffic, more stereotypical touristy fakeness, more high priced restaurants, less real community events unless you consider numerous formal dinner/charity auctions held at exclusive ballrooms in overpriced resorts.
The rest of the Verde Valley is progressing nicely with many real family oriented events. Go pick your own corn in Cornville. Buy a sack of pecans from the pecan farms in Camp Verde. Go to Clarkdale's park and Gazebo on a Saturday and listen to free music from a local band, every Saturday. Halloween party in downtown Cottonwood for the kids. Thunder Valley biker rally every year. 2 sons and 2 grand daughters have graduated from Mingus high school and are doing fine. Mingus is a really good school with a great community feel.

Whatever you decide, good luck. Ultimately you'll find your groove. Just don't commit to any one thing when you first get here. Your perception will change.

[azdr0710]

Originally Posted by jeahfoo

From one of the posts above, it sounds like it may not be the most family friendly area. I guess the question is: why? Is it because the town is mostly retirees? Is it because there is "nothing to do"? Is it due to lack of amenities?

a significant reason might be that real estate is too expensive for families with school-age kids.....30/40-something-aged couples with younger kids typically are not yet making enough to be able to live in Sedona......

another reason might be that the established Sedona locals don't see public schools as a priority.....most Sedona workers in the area live in Cottonwood/Clarkdale and commute over to Sedona....so schools may be more important to the more-common families over in Cottonwood.....

I don't think lack of amenities or "nothing to do" are reasons it may not be family-friendly since there are plenty of amenities and things to do......it's just that hard-to-describe vibe that Sedona has always had: a soul-less Disneyland of sorts much oriented toward the tourists, second-home owners, time-share users, and daytrippers......no downtown, no central plaza, no industry.....

but, despite your clarification of work conditions, are you still thinking of making that commute??!!

[gdublya]

We also moved from the Salt Lake area. I don't think I would want to commute from Sedona to Flagstaff. The wear and tear on your car, time spent traveling, and crazy congestion from tourists would get really old, really quick. The winter is much more tolerable in Flagstaff than it is in Salt Lake. Flagstaff is family friendly, has some very good schools, and is a short drive to Sedona or Phoenix when you want to warm up.