anyone on from Arizona?

[lw4beau]

Hi everyone. I'm a new member from south Florida. I'm currently a state law enforcement investigator. In 4 years, and uh, 10 months, and....30 days, I'll have my time in and can make them start sending me that retirement check EVERY month. We're exploring our options and looking for someplace without mosquitos, alligators, and hurricanes. We have been visiting the south west last couple vacations and really like it. Since all the northern cops retire here, I think I'm gonna be different and go west. Anyone from Arizona? We really liked Prescott and I'd appreciate any info anyone cares to share. Thanks,

Lisa

[Blonde Heat]

Hi, I live in Az, And we have no hurricanes , no alligators , and very few mosquitos. Its hot 9 months out of the year and not too cold the other 3. Prescott is great. It up into elevation so the weather is good. Rarely hot and you get to see snow occasionally too. Specific questions? Just PM me ok?

[KCinAZ]

Hello Beau

Arizona is a great place to live. You better like the heat. It's a dry heat of course.

Prescott is nice too. Historic note: Prescott is the former territorial capital.

If you like mountains and pinetrees, check out Pinetop in the White Mountains. www.wmonline.com It's further from civilization(3-4 hours east of Phoenix), but it is increadibly beautiful. The White Mountains area is my favorite part of Arizona.

Email if you ever need other info.

[Don]

Hey lw4beau, welcome to the forum!

Don't know exactly what you are looking for in the way of a new place to live. Prescott is a nice historical old town. It does have it's share of problems, with traffic being possibly their worst problem. They have grown so much and they just don't have the street/highway infrastructure to handle it.

They seem to be quite a bit cooler than Phoenix, but not near as cold as Flagstaff. Can't tell you about housing prices there anymore, but they are historically kind of high.

We had a member on this forum who was an officer on Prescott Valley PD. I can't find his information right now, but perhaps he will see this and respond!

[lw4beau]

Thanks Don. Looking at your profile, it looks like you did the same thing as I want to do. The whole world is moving to Fl and Calif, we want to get out. I'm in Naples, and according to the 2000 census, we're the 2nd fastest growing area in the US, after Las Vegas. It's becoming a very expensive zoo. We're looking for someplace where we can live outside of town and have a few acres for our horses, where people don't look at you funny if you wear lace-up ropers and Resistol hats, and the snow is somewhat limited. I don't think I can take 3 or 4 months of knee deep snow in my old age. However, I want to be within reasonable driving distance of shopping (gotta have a Walmart and either a Home Depot or Lowes; I'm a tool and gadget junkie), a decent hospital,and access to a good selection of red wines. I'd like someplace dry, but within close driving distance of trees or forests for when I need time just listening to the quiet in a cool shady place. All on a southern cop's pension. I don't ask much, huh? But that's why we're starting our research now. We're open for suggestions and are using our vacations to check places out.

[Sgt. Slaughter]

Beau,

I used to live in Prescott until August of 2000. Don is correct in stating the worst problem may be the traffic. Prescott was advertised as one of the premium retirement towns several years back. Add that influx of retired people to the area with people wanting to get out of Phoenix and the heat and that adds up to way too many folks. You can honestly be stopped in traffic for close to 30 minutes trying to leave town between 1500-1600. There are lots of other nice places to stay which would still be close if you like the Prescott area. I am currently in Kingman, AZ. Let me know if I can help you get more info.

[lw4beau]

Thanks az,
Traffic is one of the worst things here too. Especially the retirees. Kingman is nice. I like the desert, but for a full time residence, I think I need a little closer access to green things. Not like here where you have to mow, and weed and prune all year, but a little green. I'd be happy to hear any suggestions of communities you might have. We'll still have to work for a few years, so has to be somewhere with jobs too. We'll probably use our next vacation to check out that area. Feel free to PM or e-mail me. I appreciate the help.

[Blonde Heat]

A nice new place is Anthem. Slowly growing but without the huge city life. Little traffic nice homes and a community all its own. But it has the potential to grow larger.
http://www.delwebb.com/countryclub/a...ub/index.shtml

[ 02-11-2002: Message edited by: ftrphxcop ]

[Don]

Sedona is a beautiful area, but cost of living is terribly high there. OTOH it's not too far from Phoenix and close to Flagstaff!

There are so many beautiful places in Arizona that it would be hard to chose.

Another beautiful area is Southern Utah, around St. George. Not too far from Vegas, right at the foot of the mountains and the begining of the desert.

[lw4beau]

Thanks guys.

We spent part of our last trip out in the St. George/ Hurricane area. Also went back to the Zion/Kanab area. I love that part of the world. We got to spend some time with a very nice Kane County Deputy. He, and others we talked to, said the biggest problem is they have very high taxes, and really low wages. That's one reason I like talking to other LEO people, they tell you the truth, not just what the Visitor's Bureau and Chamber of Commerce says. Sedona was very cool too, and I loved Oak Creek Canyon, but unless I hit the Lotto, probably can't afford it. But, I still have a few years to keep looking!

[Krawdaddy]

Well I live in the Snow Bird Capitol of Arizona (Yuma). It's ok here I suppose. The weather is mild to hot all year arround and gets really humid from mid July to end August. I mean swampland humid. We're only 1.5 hrs from the Gulf of Baja Cali and 10 min from Califorina, 5hrs from Vegas, 2.5hrs from PHX, 3hrs from San Diego, 4.5 hrs from L.A., 2hrs from Palm Springs. The only nice thing relly is being centrally located and having to drive away from Yuma to do anything worth while. The desert is a beautiful and amazing place. Sure beats the swamplands of the South.

The Krawdaddy

[lw4beau]

Thanks Krawdaddy. I'm not sure about the snowbirds though, I'm knee deep in them here from Thanksgiving to Easter,,,we call 'em Q-tips,,all you see are the tippy tops of their heads peeping over the steering wheel, driving 20 mph below the speed limit,,,in the left hand lane with their left turn signal on,,,for miles, and miles,,and miles......