Is Sedona actually a good place to live?

[infocyde]

Originally Posted by GypsyBride

It is true Flagstaff probably is much better for someone in their 20's, however Flagstaff is almost an entirely different climate than Sedona and it is only a 45 minute driveway. It is supposedly the snowiest city in the US and the winter weather is vastly different than still sunny and mild Sedona, so don't kid yourself that moving there is very similar to Sedona, because it really isn't. It is like two completely different worlds. The vibe is very different too, Flagstaff really has this mountain college town vibe that I imagine is akin to being in Colorado, while Sedona has a more upscale, resort vibe. I'm not surprised your friend is happier in Phx even though it isn't that nice, it is true that the young people around here are mostly stoners, hippies or at the worst case scenario meth heads. there aren't really meth heads in Sedona per say at all, but in Verde Valley area it has become an issue. I will say there are vagrants around Sedona and what I personally find troubling on occasions is loose dogs, it is not very often but I encountered some last night in a grocery store parking lot and I can't stand this as I've been attacked by someone's loose dog before although that was in a different state. Point being, some of the vagrancy issues are here. Flagstaff seems similar the many times I've been there and can even have a hobo vibe at times, but with housing costs rivaling Sedona - it is VERY expensive to live there as well.

There are many critiques of Flagstaff, but if was younger and had to be in Northern AZ, I think that is where I would be. I admire those advocating for Prescott Valley, the Prescott area is livable but I think it is a losing battle trying to reclaim the area from being a new Palm Springs or Sun City North. Not for a couple of decades anyway. For those of you over 55 it might be a literal paradise except for the housing prices are creeping up. Other pros and cons can be explored on the Prescott thread.

Back to Sedona. All the critiques seem valid and I don't live there. But if you are willing to cave on being a yuppie and go with a manufactured home or heaven forbid a trailer, there are some spots that are semi-affordable. You would get the great views and quick access to the great outdoors there. Jobs, tourist, all that would still be an issue. Same pricing issue with Flagstaff only worse. You can find manufactured homes (which aren't that great of an investment but might be OK to live in) that are sub 170K in places like Munds Park and areas East of Flagstaff. But even that stuff will be over 200K in a few years. Again you would have to give up on the yuppie type housing many of us were brought up to believe are ours by birthright in order for a lot of us to afford a place in either spots. Agree the vibe is different in Flagstaff. And I can see how it could get old. I think a lot of it would depend on getting established with friends and social activities fairly quickly. Getting into some kind of work / sleep occasional hike rut in Sedona/Flagstaff would have the beauty of the scenery wear off quickly. A lot of surviving in smaller towns (smaller being defined as the people who actually live there not just pass through) is integrating in with the locals and setting up a tribe for lack of a better term. Same rules apply in the big cities it is just there are more distractions and more people so that loneliness can take longer to settle in, and you can hop from tribe to tribe easy. You don't hit your stride in smaller towns in a six months to a year you may never.

And, although as others have mentioned there might be a meth problem (welcome to small town America) the Cotton Valley area is an area worth exploring. It is hot during the summer, but it is close to Sedona, and fairly close to Flagstaff, Prescott, and even Phoenix. The area actually has a pretty cool downtown with some good restaurants and even wine bar type places. Housing is affordable but going up fast. I remember 10 years ago having the Phoenix attitude that Cottonwood and Clarksdale were dirt patch. Not so much anymore.

Just throwing ideas out there.

[Berott]

I have lived in Sedona full-time for over two years, and I really like it. The red rocks have NOT gotten boring for me.
The people are relaxed, and the weather and scenery are great. I really enjoy the outdoors around here.



Admittedly, I work from home for a company that's headquartered 2000 miles away; if I had to make a living here, it wouldn't be good.


Plus, I'm older (63 years old) and fit in well with the folks in my neighborhood age-wise. I'm not interested in a night life and don't even know what that's like around here. If I were younger, I might not be as happy. (However, I have met some young people who profess to being very happy with Sedona.)

[Hschlick84]

The only kind of young people who would be happy in Sedona are these, hipster/western hybrids.