Thanks for your help.
AZ is kinda nice in winter, I will admit. Especially compared to where the Op lives.
We just had freezing rain after a snowstorm. Every thing outside, your car, your sidewalks, coated in a semi impermeable layer. Fun times.
Phoenix is a lot like Houston or LA: a relatively character-free urban sprawl. Which might or might not be the OP’s favorite flavor.
If you want a city, Tucson is an overgrown college town, much less sprawl-ful than Phoenix and cheaper. Actually a better year round climate than Phoenix too. Although if the OP intends to skip the hottest parts of the year that may not matter.
Instead of touristy Sedona you might consider the other towns in the
such as Payson, Show Low, and Pinetop. The summers are actually OK in those places. I also know those towns are significantly more politically conservative than Sedona.
An alternative if quirky small town is your thing is a place like Globe. There are a few others.
My creds: extended family in Phoenix for forever, lived there myself 1 year (did not care for it, and I'm originally from the L.A. area). Wife & her family from Tucson. Know people living in Sedona and in Pinetop now and others who've lived in Globe and other small AZ towns.
Arizona is a big state. It’s farther north-south than the largest dimension in Wisconsin. The highest point is over 12K feet, the lowest is 70 feet. It’s more than desert. There’s Holbrook, Flagstaff (Arizona), don’t forget Winona, Kingman…and Winslow, Tuba City, Kayenta, Bisbee, Ajo, Nogales, Douglas, Benson, Wilcox, Colorado City, St. Johns, Springerville, Florence, Globe, Blythe, Snowflake, Seligman, Page…etc…These places aren’t even close in politics, temperature, temperament, cost of living, language, ethnicity, religion, wildlife, nightlife.
What do you want?
But in general, you don’t want to come here. The desert is a harsh place.
Are you sure that’s the one that’s in Arizona?
According to Bobby Troup
Now you go through St. Louis
Joplin, Missouri
And Oklahoma City looks mighty pretty
You see Amarillo
Gallup, New Mexico
Flagstaff, Arizona
Don’t forget Winona
Kingman, Barstow, San Bernandino
Thanks for all the information. Looks like we need a month long road trip.
Since it was obvious, the poster was clearly already aware of it.
Assuming you are planning on growing old in this house, you need to balance affordability/isolation with access to services, especially medical care.
The Cowboys really hate the rich pilots, I hear. But a motorcyclist’s paradise!
Then one of the places to go is Broadway Rd between Recker and Power in Mesa. It’s next to Leisure World and the hospital in the area I call the “Old People’s Medical Center”. I think they have at least one office for every medical specialty and scan/poke/prod/lab type in existance.
If you like suburbia Gilbert keeps coming up on various best places to live lists.
Tucson is liberal, has a kickass Festival of Books and the Gem and Mineral Show, but it can also be very small town ish; it can be hard to make friends here.
If you like Sedona but want a much cheaper alternative, look about 20 miles west. My wife and I have been to Cottonwood on a couple occasions and we really like the area. My FIL was born and raised in the nearby town of Jerome so my wife has some history in the area. My only issue with anywhere in the state of Arizona is the politics. I prefer mine to be a bit bluer than what you find there.
Tuba City it is for the OP!
I think Tuba City is too “big city”. I think Kayenta is a better fit.
I actually looked that up… and now I can’t get a non-existent commercial out of my head:
“What’s the matter, kids?”
“There’s nuthin’ to do… and all our wind and brass instruments are tooooo smallll…” (sad tuba note)
“Sounds like you two need a shopping trip… in a station wagon big enough for two kids AND… his and hers sousaphones!”
“Golly, do you really mean it?”
“Well, you’ll have to ask your mom.”
“Well, all right, but only if you take me along… to…”
All: “TUBA CITY!”
I’ve never lived in or even visited Arizona but have heard many anecdotes about unreasonable home owners’ associations there. As I understand it, huge portions of the ‘inhabitable suburbs’ are under HOAs with, like any other area, various levels of agressive enforcement.
Most of these stories are in regard to concerns within the amateur radio community but probably something for OP to consider. That hammock you dreamed of napping in on New Years Day might not be allowed.
Yea, HOA are a big no.
I went from a old brick farmhouse with A2 zoning, to a town with all kinds of ordinances.
What do you mean I can’t have a guard goose and shoot guns in backyard?