Prescott- Best town in Arizona? (Phoenix, Flagstaff: best towns, homes, schools)

[Dean Trails]

I read a lot of favorable responses to Prescott and wonder if it is the best little town in Arizona?

It appears to have great weather.
Nice people.
Inexpensive homes.
Good Services
And a nice location close to just about everything in the State????

Any other good things going for it?

[DellNec]

Originally Posted by Dean Trails

It appears to have great weather.

The weather is nice. Summers are not too hot, and the temps cool down at night due to the elevation. It could be 95F in the day, and then 60F by morning.

Winters can get some snow, but it melts fast. It can get somewhat cold (10F-20F) at night, but it warms up to the 50F during the day.

Originally Posted by Dean Trails

Inexpensive homes.

That I disagree with. Depending on where you are coming from. The homes are expensive in Prescott. The cost of living is high and good paying jobs are impossible to find. Prescott Valley is a lot cheaper, but once again, its location, location. Prescott is next to the Ponderosa forest and has better views.

Originally Posted by Dean Trails

Good Services

I disagree again. Services like medical are horrible. One has to wait 6-8 months to find a doctor. Any major surgeries must be done in Phoenix. The trauma center in Prescott/PV are not as well equipped as Phoenix. That is why 100% of all major trauma victims get helicoptered to Phoenix or Flagstaff.

Shopping is limited to Gateway Mall and strip malls. Restaurant selection gets quickly played out within a few months. If you are use to a big city selection, then Prescott will seem limited.

Originally Posted by Dean Trails

And a nice location close to just about everything in the State????

I don't know what you mean by "close". Phoenix is about 100 miles away. A good 1.30 - 2 hour drive, depending on where you are going in Phoenix. Sky Harbor would be 2 hours away. Flagstaff is also about 100 miles away, and it takes a good 1.45 - 2 hours away. Arizona is a large state with a lot of empty space between cities. If you plan on driving to these places a lot during the year, get ready to log 20k - 25k miles a year on your car.

Originally Posted by Dean Trails

Any other good things going for it?

A lot of nature trails, hiking and outdoor stuff. The forest area is beautiful and you can't beat the views.

[ZonyPony]

Originally Posted by Dean Trails

I read a lot of favorable responses to Prescott and wonder if it is the best little town in Arizona?

It appears to have great weather.
Nice people.
Inexpensive homes.
Good Services
And a nice location close to just about everything in the State????

Any other good things going for it?

The Prescott area is one of my top three places to live in Arizona!

[Snort]

I'd say it's easily one of the best towns in all of Arizona. However, if it were located in California, it would hardly get noticed.

[Dean Trails]

Originally Posted by Snort

I'd say it's easily one of the best towns in all of Arizona. However, if it were located in California, it would hardly get noticed.

If you had to compare it to a California town which one would it most resemble?

Stockton?
Fresno?
Monterey?
Mendocino??

[Esenjay]

Originally Posted by Snort

I'd say it's easily one of the best towns in all of Arizona. However, if it were located in California, it would hardly get noticed.

It would certainly get noticed--for the lack of overcrowding, the picturesque and CLEAN environment, the friendly people. Not sure what part of CA you're from but to say Prescott wouldn't get noticed is a fairly large overstatement.

[Snort]

http://www.steveholum.com/files/1050628/28015162_prescott06.jpg (broken link)

One is Prescott. The other is Paso Robles, CA. Prescott is a destination of sorts for AZ, Paso isn't, unless you're doing a wine tour nearby.

[Gandalara]

Ha! Now that I know Thumb Butte, I can tell which is which!

(Aren't there wineries near Prescott also? Probably not as many as Paso Robles but ...)

[az_mom09]

prescott is ok if your rich are old

housing cost too much up here

some people are nice but mostly rude

schools suck dont care much for the kids

summers are getting to hot almost like phoniex

[DellNec]

Bottom line is that Prescott is a wealthy retirement town. You need a lot of $$$$ or a business that will bring in a lot of $$$$. Good paying jobs are next to impossible to find up here.

Sure, there are many people living in Prescott Valley and Chino Valley that are not wealthy, but that is why they are living in those areas and not Prescott. Not only that, but those people are usually working for the wealthy Prescottonians.

Prescott has grown a lot since the 1980's. Many old-time residents feel that it was a true small town, back in those days. Prescott's final glory days were in the early 1990's and it went downhill since then, with the RE boom, uncontrolled growth, and California flight. The Prescott of 1990 and 2009 are two different animals. Back then, you could really leave your door open at night. Today, even when you lock it, some meth head will break down the door to do a home invasion.

IMHO, Payson in the White Mountains, is like the Prescott of the early 1990's. I also believe Payson is a lot nicer in scenery & the city did a better job of designing its town. Payson is also nestled within the largest stand of Ponderosa Pine in the country. Not to mention, it is close to the White Mountains.

I would give it a peak, along with Pinetop/Show Low.