Don't Move To Flagstaff! (Phoenix, Kingman: low income, affordable apartments, renting)

[ZhugeLiang]

Originally Posted by SW1

They have awesome restaurants, hiking trails, and geological wonders.


Arizona is one of the fastest growing states in the country. Ten years ago the prices weren't too bad. Now, since everyone from California is moving in, the housing is outrageous and the wages very low (that is what you get for living in a conservative state).

Awesome restaurants? Depends on your standards. Other than Papa Johns pizza or my own cooking, there wasn't a decent meal to be had up there.

What would conservatives have anything to do with lower wages?

Its a matter of growth outpacing everything else combined with real estate speculation, and yes, California refugees driving up the costs.

[ZhugeLiang]

When did it become so cool to rip Flagstaff? It's a great place to live, its just not a place to build a future with the lack of industry, that's the main drawback.

I used to joke that the only reason broadband internet is available up there is because of NAU, probably not far from the truth.

As far as expensive housing, I don't get some of you. I've seen 2,000-3,000 sq. ft. homes in the $200k range. Looks like great deals to me. Look up the foreclosures for a good deal.

[darstar]

Flag , seemed to me as a nice place to get out of the heat. Why anyone would want to live in a desert , down south , is beyond me. I just can't understand the popularity of Scottsdale. Flagstaff was not a show place of a city , as I rectal , but if , I had to live in AZ. somewhere up north would be the place. On second thought , I think I would just move over one state line ......to the east.

[Cat_Person]

Jobs in Flag: http://www.azdailysun.com/hotjobs/

These are the same jobs (fewer of them) as what was there 10 yr. ago. NAU is the only "industry" there, and retail (Flag is a pass thru point to the Grand Canyon). If it were'nt for the Navajo and Hopi (that spend about 50% of the retail dollars in Flag) this town would have dried up a long time ago. Truckers, however will find plenty of jobs there...

[mitabee]

wow, i really had my mind set on picking up my family and moving to flagstaff. Something about those mountains were calling my name. But my husband and i are working class people and i can see that we will not be able to afford it. I better suck it up and stay in houston. thanks everyone for sharing or else i would have been headed for a disaster

[country pride]

Not that Im ever going to move back to Az....ever...but will admit, Flagstaff was very nice, the forest-y lifestyle was so pleasant. But among other things, a job offer down the mountain came my way and at that time, the work offer was a bit more steady.

[CCCVDUR]

Originally Posted by nomore

Your right about Flaggstaff. High price houseing. High cost of living.
No middle class. You have a caste system town. First there is the rich liberals who are with NAU and their lib students. and then there is the rable, the poor whites and hispanics all hped up on meth working their low paying jobs. The liberal city fathers won't even allow a big box store in or around town. The wacky Flagg libs have been fighting better stores and improving the lifestyles of the poor workers for a very long time.

If you want the Arizona Moutains and all that Flaggstaff can off then try Prescott Arizona.

Great post! Absolutely! The so called "liberals" are not liberal. If they were, they would want big box stores to help the poor. This would include a Costco and a Super-Wallmart, and Flagstaff has neither of these. They're not liberals at all, they're regressives. They think pine trees are more important than people. It is time for the, as you write above, the "poor whites and hispanics all hped on meth" to REVOLT against the Mayor and City Council!

Look at Albuquerque! They have 18 Superwallmarts (the latest as of March 2008, a Warehouse Wallmart, if you will, in Bernalillo near the casino, it's incredible) and dozens of Smiths grocery stores, everybody has plenty to eat, and none of the permanent residents complain of high food prices. And, Mayor Martin J. Cha'vez raised the Albuquerque minimum wage! (Santa Fe minimum wage even higher, over $10 an hour by 1/1/2009!)

The true definition of liberal, in an economic sense, is to let the free market reign, WITHOUT government intervention. Albuquerque, Rio Rancho, and Bernalillo, NM let their cities grow, and the economy is booming. Libertarians are both economically liberal, and socially liberal. Look these terms up on google, Flagstaff officials! Fix your city and maybe people will stay longer than six months. So sorry that Realtor Morgan Hagaman did not win for city council, I discussed all this with him and he would have fixed all the problems. The local officials are ignorant of basic economics and politics

[Zonie5]

i live in AshFork and make frequent visits to Flag . you have hit the housing problem square on he head . i too am tired of individuals posting negative stuff about Flag . you sound very much like the agent who sold me my property back n "91" . he worked for Bankers Life in williams .

[_Charles_]

Been to Flag many times. Coconino County and its neighbor Yavapai County are beautiful. And like anywhere Flag has its shortcomings.

Just some food for thought. There is a reason why small towns are small towns - lack of economic opportunity. If there were good jobs in Flag, folks would flock there and fill them. And Flag would explode in size.

Q. Where are the jobs in AZ? A. The Phoenix metro area. Need I say anymore?

[kdog]

Originally Posted by _Charles_

Just some food for thought. There is a reason why small towns are small towns - lack of economic opportunity. If there were good jobs in Flag, folks would flock there and fill them. And Flag would explode in size.

Q. Where are the jobs in AZ? A. The Phoenix metro area. Need I say anymore?

Truth be spoken.