Best neighborhoods in Sedona? I need your advice! (Phoenix, Scottsdale: home, subdivisions)

[Catwoman2]

We live in an area with lots of traffic, so I'm sure we can handle whatever we find in Sedona. I would prefer not to live on a busy street, but don't mind traffic in town or on the highways.

Can anyone recommend any specific subdivisions that are particularly nice? A friend recommended a neighborhood called Northern Shadows, but I don't know anything about it other than the name!

Thanks again for all of your help, everyone -- I really appreciate it!

Cat

[observer53]

I don't know about specific "neighborhoods" in Sedona. I don't think of Sedona as having them, since it isn't prone to having tract homes, etc. In the size home you are looking for, I don't think you need to worry about neighborhood quality. All areas would be fine.

Hook up with a realtor to save time and help you find homes to look at within your parameters... it will save a lot of driving around. And, Sedona is not laid out on a simple grid, so finding your way around is a bit harder for someone who doesn't know the town.

[Catwoman2]

Originally Posted by observer53

And, Sedona is not laid out on a simple grid, so finding your way around is a bit harder for someone who doesn't know the town.

Thanks for the tip!

Cat

[adventuregurl]

[quote=observer53;11591322]Agreed. The key is "for a small town"-- Sedona has a LOT of traffic in the central part of the town, for its size. It's worse on the weekends, I'm sure, but it's there.[quote=observer53;11591322]


We have an estimated 4 million people coming through here each year so we do have that traffic, and it definitely is a tourist town, but I have never had a hard time getting around or to anywhere I want to go, the thing I like is that I can get anywhere I want to go in a short time. For me the negative here is that it's set up for tourists and not as much for residents.

[Catwoman2]

I was wondering about the "touristy" aspect, Adventuregurl. Are most of the shops geared toward the tourists, or are some of the stores more "practical?" (I hope that made sense!)

We would enjoy walking around town and browsing in some shops or galleries, and having coffee or lunch or whatever, but if many of the shops are the "t-shirt and postcards" type, I think that would get old pretty quickly!

Cat

[Greg Rider]

Sedona business is heavily tourist oriented. But all the practical types are there too. I have some friends there in the contracting business. Growth is stymied right now because of recent over building due to speculation. Last I looked there were LOTS of properties for sale. Before 2007 you would be looking a $3million and up for what you describe. Now you can probably write your own deal, but you better be sure it's what you want because you will be stuck with it for a long long time. Lot's of choice, very very nice place. Oak Creek is kind of strange, morphing from retirement village to party town.

[Azalea City Man]

Sedona is an amazing place, but of course keep in mind that I have only been there as a tourist. I'm sure you have done your research, but know that Sedona is small. Very small. However, it is the most beautiful place I have seen on this earth. I don't recall seeing a Walmart or Lowes or any store of that nature.

For shopping (as in malls and such) or socializing every once in awhile, I would just take the short drive to Phoenix/Tempe/Scotsdale.

The main thing that would concern me (and usually does with smaller cities) is no major hospital. But I can be quite the hypochondriac.

[adventuregurl]

Originally Posted by Catwoman2

I was wondering about the "touristy" aspect, Adventuregurl. Are most of the shops geared toward the tourists, or are some of the stores more "practical?" (I hope that made sense!)

We would enjoy walking around town and browsing in some shops or galleries, and having coffee or lunch or whatever, but if many of the shops are the "t-shirt and postcards" type, I think that would get old pretty quickly!

Cat

Catwoman, most of the stores are geared to tourists, you can walk around in uptown, I do sometimes, but they are all pretty much tourist places...there are a few clothes stores, a metaphysical shop etc. and the restaurants in uptown are not the best in my opinion...most of the better restaurants are more places you would drive to. I guess it depends on what kind of places you are used to.

It is beautiful here and I have lived here twice, each time for 2 1/2 years and it gets in your blood, but after a while it just starts to seem small to me. If I get out hiking on a regular basis it becomes more bearable but I do get tired of having to drive so far to get some of the things I need. I am single and from a big city so take that in to consideration when taking advice from me.

I hope that helps.

[MZBEA]

Sedona gets over 3 million tourists through it each year. Now if you divided that number by 365 days, ....thats STILL a LOT of traffic. Don't white-wash it. It's busy, the real estate is pricey for anyone from arizona who really works but for people coming in from the east and california, price doesn't seem to be an issue.

Lovely views, a few very nice restaurants, too many woo woo new agey and business sharks for my taste. Closest hospitals that deal with trauma...Scottsdale and Phoenix....about a 3.5 hour drive.
Oh....and drinking water fron the tap is not a given. Big question mark about water.

[adventuregurl]

Originally Posted by MZBEA

Sedona gets over 3 million tourists through it each year. Now if you divided that number by 365 days, ....thats STILL a LOT of traffic. Don't white-wash it. It's busy, the real estate is pricey for anyone from arizona who really works but for people coming in from the east and california, price doesn't seem to be an issue.

Lovely views, a few very nice restaurants, too many woo woo new agey and business sharks for my taste. Closest hospitals that deal with trauma...Scottsdale and Phoenix....about a 3.5 hour drive.
Oh....and drinking water fron the tap is not a given. Big question mark about water.

I'm not trying to white-wash it, I said above that we get over 4 million tourists a year which is more than you said, and I'm telling Cat that the town is geared to tourists. I personally don't notice a problem with traffic, maybe it's because I live in West Sedona where most things that I need are located (banks, grocery stores, health food stores, hair salons, gym, Walgreens, gas stations etc.). I am entitiled to my opinion and if I had to list the things that I dislike about Sedona, traffic would not even make my top 10 list.... but that's just me. (Cat, many of the 3500 sq. ft. homes are not is West Sedona but some are).

I'm not keen on the restaurants here at all, in my opinion many should be better than they are, and the best ones are very pricey. An average priced meal here is very average or often below average in my standards, compared to Toronto where I'm from, where if a restaurant is to survive it must be excellent. Here, since they depend on tourists, they don't have to be as good.

I miss having more movies to choose from, sometimes weeks go by before there is a movie in the theatre that I want to see. I miss having the things I need readily availalble...thank god we just got a Staples, as I even had to drive to Cottonwood for printer ink and paper!

I don't like having to drive to the Phoenix area for so many things but I don't like Falgstaff at all, and if you're going to bother driving to Prescott, you might as well drive to the valley as far as I'm concerned. (Cat - 'the valley' is 'the valley of the sun' or the Phoenix area). I also don't like the time share vultures at the few shopping places we have, and the fact that most businesses that invest any money here cater to the tourists - jeep tours, horseback riding, rafting - yup, rafting tours...who knows where they go rafting around here !

I go to the valley regularly, Scottsdale to be precise, and it has never taken me 3.5 hours. Going the speed limit it's 2.5 hours in my car and for me it's a tiring drive as you're going over the mountain but it's pretty clear sailing until you get into the hub of the city.

One other thing that I'm not crazy about is how far away we are from other places. We're kinda out in the middle of nowhere so doing day trips for me isn't the best...others will disagree I'm sure.

I don't want to turn you off Cat as Sedona is one of the most beautiful places in the world, it just gets small for some people after a while. I think that it's a must to visit before moving here, and then I will say that living here and visiting are two different propositions. You will LOVE it at first but after a few years you might not be so keen.