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I don't blame them one bit for preserving the small town feel, but if they do, they end up losing highly skilled people that end up moving to bigger cities. Secondly, limited growth will drive up the cost of living. In another older post, the town of Prescott was wanting to raise the taxes another .75% for unfunded liabilities. This is the incorrect way to preserve a small city feel by driving away potential smart economic growth.
What I suggest if Prescott wants to keep the small town feel, be unique, encourage different types of small businesses to setup shop that the bigger cities don't have, without changing the dynamics and demographics of the town. While I like the incubator that ASU would provide, I'm not a fan of public-private partnerships. Will the grant money be enough to cover the costs of $3.5 million?
I just returned to CA after spending several weeks in Prescott. What struck me in my outings both for shopping, dining and in ventures hiking in the beautiful nature spots there, was that Prescottonians are not young. The impression I got was that the area attracts a lot of retirees from other places. Their working days are over, so they aren't looking for jobs. They have money for housing as Prescott is a bargain compared to Southern California or other big cities further afield.
Opportunities for young people seem dim beyond retail or service-sector jobs. What about jobs that support a "graying" population? How viberant are businesses in the sectors of nursing, home-health aids, dial-a-ride and so on?
On another note, now that I'm back and friends find out that for several weeks I was in Prescott, quite a few people have noted to me that they know this or that person who is moving to Prescott, just made an offer on a house in Prescott, or is looking to retire in Prescott. Most of them are either retired or will be so in a few years, but are getting their relocation plans ironed out early.
Last edited by Winston Smith; 02-25-2017 at 09:58 PM..
Prescott's better days are over. We've lived here 22 yrs. and unless you have a really in demand skill you'll find service jobs only at 10$ an hr.
The growth has now taken off and there is a huge subdivision in the works for north willow creek road and pioneer pkwy, that when done will increase the pop. by 20,000, and one or two in Prescott valley that will increase the pop. by another 20,000 all in the next 8-9 yrs.
If you've driven willow creek road now it is far too packed and too many speeding. The price of homes has shot way up so that natives cannot buy a new home in Prescott, and barely in Prescott Vly. or Chino Valley.
If I could talk my wife into it we'd move to a different mountainous city or N.M. The price of my home has
plummeted and scared the hell out of us to now where it has risen to way more than it really is worth. It is still cheaper to buy than build unless you do it yourself and plan on 2 mos. just for permits and 8-9k in impact fees. I favor growth, but when it ruins the quality of a city that for Arizonans was there get away to place, it is sad what is coming. The city fathers pounded in to us about drought and conserve water to my lot is all rock, now they want thousands of new small 8 feet apart houses to be built. I have lost confidence in the city council. More growth WILL ruin Prescott, just look a Flagstaff I went to college there in the 70's and it was paradise, now rte 66 through town is bumper to bumper on weekends, and more homeless than ever. & yrs ago we were in a severe drought here in Prescott and the pines all dried out and got bark beetle, then the rain came finally and everyone thinks the problem is solved, no way. The winters here used to have calm long snow that was light and fluffy, now the winds howl for 7 weeks at a time and snow is 2-3 inches and frozen into slippery ice. Climate change and to many people are a recipe for unhappy people and degeneration of quality, that will be our way here. Don't come unless you can buy a home at 400k, the ones in the 290's go fast and are 50 yrs old with one bath room and three small bedrooms. Rents are crazy too, with no job base. I wish I could set back the clock to 22 yrs ago when Prescott was so nice.
I think you are mainly upset that time marches on, whether or not we want it to. Life is change, no one can deny that. And people of all ages seek change for the better. More growth will not ruin Prescott. But it will change. And climate is not something many of us can do much about. I doubt that new populations moving in are responsible for the pines dying out or the winds howling for 7 weeks. So maybe the snow used to be light and fluffy and now it is different. It's change.
For those seeking a new home here, I can attest that it isn't easy to find affordable. Prescott is very desirable right now. And to me, that's a good change. You don't need 400K in all neighborhoods. You have to be willing to spend some time and you will find your dream in Prescott/PV.
I just returned to CA after spending several weeks in Prescott. What struck me in my outings both for shopping, dining and in ventures hiking in the beautiful nature spots there, was that Prescottonians are not young. The impression I got was that the area attracts a lot of retirees from other places. Their working days are over, so they aren't looking for jobs. They have money for housing as Prescott is a bargain compared to Southern California or other big cities further afield.
Opportunities for young people seem dim beyond retail or service-sector jobs. What about jobs that support a "graying" population? How viberant are businesses in the sectors of nursing, home-health aids, dial-a-ride and so on?
On another note, now that I'm back and friends find out that for several weeks I was in Prescott, quite a few people have noted to me that they know this or that person who is moving to Prescott, just made an offer on a house in Prescott, or is looking to retire in Prescott. Most of them are either retired or will be so in a few years, but are getting their relocation plans ironed out early.
Preach it brother! The grey hordes continue their conquest of Prescott.
The problem with youth opportunities up here supporting the elderly is that youths in the medical field have options. There is such a shortage of medical people right now even low level techs can pick where they want to work. Prescott has great weather and a nice small town feeling but that is about it. Young people can have a good life here but with options limited and housing / rent cost skyrocketing due to competition from relatively deep pocketed retirees greener pastures are generally else where. This will be a problem here going forward. I call it young people's revenge. Sure some will stay here, some will move here, but not in the ways people are thinking or who discount people like me crying about the unbalanced demographics here. Lack of medical and other laborers here will become a bigger issue going forward. And sadly there is a big push to further control and remove the half way houses here. In reality they were only ever a minor problem. A problem mind you with wash outs committing petty crime, but in reality that was about it. And these funneled and continue to funnel younger people into the region. People come here, recover, and then decide they like the area and stay for awhile. This is one of the few pipelines of younger workers into the area. But the half way house industry has problems and they are considered (perhaps rightly so) as "yukky" to have next to your new retiree dream home so there are always people pushing to remove / further regulate the half way housing deal. Careful you might remove your work force by doing so.
I laughed. That monstrosity that they are building off the 69 I thought was going to be low end condos fro young people to move into. I should have known better...350 additional housing units aimed directly at retirees. The powers that be aren't even pretending anymore. Oh and the traffic there across from Trader Joe's I bet will be a pain at times now.
Is what it is. I'm frustrated with the amount of retirees coming but that is just the way it is with demographics and our proximity to a state with high cash out housing values. Most retirees I meet are nice and I'm glad most of the ones moving here have roughly the same outlook on life that I do. I just wish there were just a few tweaks in the Prescott area that would make the demographics even out more. Embry Riddle massively expanding would help, and maybe bigger nursing programs from Yavapai college and more. Up hill battle though. In a few months it will no longer be my problem though, which frustrates me even more. The Prescott area in many respects I really like, but this issue along with a few others is gently pushing my wife and I out the door. We aren't the only ones.
Young people can have a good life here but with options limited and housing / rent cost skyrocketing due to competition from relatively deep pocketed retirees greener pastures are generally else where. This will be a problem here going forward.
This has always been an issue with small towns everywhere. Opportunity is limited. Young adults can't wait to get out. And who can blame them? Even Whole Foods gave up on Prescott.
People with Internet-based jobs can live wherever they like/can afford and those people tend to be youngish. (I'm something of an exception at 63.) Increasingly, they are choosing not to have a fixed base of operations at all. I have an Unlimitedville mobile hotspot in my van so I could be a full-time digital gypsy if I chose.
Preach it brother! The grey hordes continue their conquest of Prescott.
The problem with youth opportunities up here supporting the elderly is that youths in the medical field have options. There is such a shortage of medical people right now even low level techs can pick where they want to work. Prescott has great weather and a nice small town feeling but that is about it. Young people can have a good life here but with options limited and housing / rent cost skyrocketing due to competition from relatively deep pocketed retirees greener pastures are generally else where. This will be a problem here going forward. I call it young people's revenge. Sure some will stay here, some will move here, but not in the ways people are thinking or who discount people like me crying about the unbalanced demographics here. Lack of medical and other laborers here will become a bigger issue going forward. And sadly there is a big push to further control and remove the half way houses here. In reality they were only ever a minor problem. A problem mind you with wash outs committing petty crime, but in reality that was about it. And these funneled and continue to funnel younger people into the region. People come here, recover, and then decide they like the area and stay for awhile. This is one of the few pipelines of younger workers into the area. But the half way house industry has problems and they are considered (perhaps rightly so) as "yukky" to have next to your new retiree dream home so there are always people pushing to remove / further regulate the half way housing deal. Careful you might remove your work force by doing so.
I laughed. That monstrosity that they are building off the 69 I thought was going to be low end condos fro young people to move into. I should have known better...350 additional housing units aimed directly at retirees. The powers that be aren't even pretending anymore. Oh and the traffic there across from Trader Joe's I bet will be a pain at times now.
Is what it is. I'm frustrated with the amount of retirees coming but that is just the way it is with demographics and our proximity to a state with high cash out housing values. Most retirees I meet are nice and I'm glad most of the ones moving here have roughly the same outlook on life that I do. I just wish there were just a few tweaks in the Prescott area that would make the demographics even out more. Embry Riddle massively expanding would help, and maybe bigger nursing programs from Yavapai college and more. Up hill battle though. In a few months it will no longer be my problem though, which frustrates me even more. The Prescott area in many respects I really like, but this issue along with a few others is gently pushing my wife and I out the door. We aren't the only ones.
I will keep pushing to make PV a place for all people, not just tweakers and retirees. We need more younger people here and balanced demographics.
This has always been an issue with small towns everywhere. Opportunity is limited. Young adults can't wait to get out. And who can blame them? Even Whole Foods gave up on Prescott.
The latest issue of Outside Magazine is out with their "Best Towns" to live issue. Bend, Oregon is #1 on the list which isn't necessarily a surprise. Feel free to go to Bend's City-Data site and see what they are complaining about. You'll see complaints about Californian's moving to the area and creating unaffordable real estate, lack of employment opportunities out of the service/tourist industry and complaints about transients (their version of halfway house folks). Sound familiar Infocyde?
As far as Whole Foods, I guess the "California hippie/vegan" market that is dumb enough to pay Whole Foods prices wasn't the group that came to Prescott. Good riddance. That company has been fined more than once for scamming their customers.
This has always been an issue with small towns everywhere. Opportunity is limited. Young adults can't wait to get out. And who can blame them? Even Whole Foods gave up on Prescott.
People with Internet-based jobs can live wherever they like/can afford and those people tend to be youngish. (I'm something of an exception at 63.) Increasingly, they are choosing not to have a fixed base of operations at all. I have an Unlimitedville mobile hotspot in my van so I could be a full-time digital gypsy if I chose.
Wonder why Whole foods didn't compete for the new Sprouts building and why not the former Hastings book store. Young meds from nearby Yavapai Hospital would frequent their buffets.
The latest issue of Outside Magazine is out with their "Best Towns" to live issue. Bend, Oregon is #1 on the list which isn't necessarily a surprise. Feel free to go to Bend's City-Data site and see what they are complaining about. You'll see complaints about Californian's moving to the area and creating unaffordable real estate, lack of employment opportunities out of the service/tourist industry and complaints about transients (their version of halfway house folks). Sound familiar Infocyde?
It does sound familiar, and they are a border state of California so it isn't surprising. Interesting though, the median age in Bend Oregon 37ish. Here in Prescott it is North of 56 due to the influx of retirees. So I'd say we have Bend beat hands down on this issue, though I'm sure the influx of boomer retirees is having a noticeable destabilizing impact on Bend's economy as well (as you noted as being already expressed on their forum page).
It is what it is. Demographics and policy. Prescott is a nice area k2rider. It will have problems when you get here, some of which I outlined, but I think it will still be a very enjoyable area for you. I'm not here to dissuade you or anyone else from coming or forcing anyone to take my evaluations as authoritative. Just pointing out the issues out of frustration as to me the town is changing too much in a direction I didn't sign on for. I've lived in a few dumps and I didn't care about what happened there. Prescott isn't a dump, so I care. Even with the negative changes Prescott is still beautiful, laid back, and a convenient place to live for a medium sized metro area. Enjoy. When I read this forum down the road and hear people complaining about the issues that I brought up that I knew were going to bite Prescott in the arse I will snicker a little though...though no one will hear nor care
Last edited by infocyde; 06-11-2017 at 10:54 PM..
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Prescott
