SperlingViews - Ajo, Arizona

I lived in Ajo for a year as part of an artist recruitment project. The town is beautiful in it's simplicity and may be a good place for retirement. There is however, negative considerations : the abandoned mine (which may reopen),passing through border patrol to get in or out of town and excessive local police patrol and traffic enforcement. The art project turned out to be HUD housing and residents must qualify with disability checks, section 8 housing or prepay their rent. Had we not prepaid, we would have left after 6 months. We enjoyed the break, but there is very little to do, the library is tiny and ill equiped, and crime is a problem. If you enjoy desert views, barking dogs and limited services....go to Ajo, just don't expect art, fine dining or culture.[read more...]

I lived in Ajo for a year as part of an artist recruitment project. The town is beautiful in it's simplicity and may be a good place for retirement. There is however, negative considerations : the abandoned mine (which may reopen),passing through border patrol to get in or out of town and excessive local police patrol and traffic enforcement. The art project turned out to be HUD housing and residents must qualify with disability checks, section 8 housing or prepay their rent. Had we not prepaid, we would have left after 6 months. We enjoyed the break, but there is very little to do, the library is tiny and ill equiped, and crime is a problem. If you enjoy desert views, barking dogs and limited services....go to Ajo, just don't expect art, fine dining or culture.[read more...]

I happened upon Ajo after a couple trips photographing the city of Phoenix for calendar publisher I work with. Weary of being surrounded by 4,000,000 people, I'd slip away to Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument to regain a sense of peace and tranquility. In March of 2005, on my way back to my California office job, I got "lost" trying to take a short cut around Ajo and got stuck in a residential area of Ajo and wound up looking at all the charming spanish mission styled little homes and got wondering how much they cost. Long story made short, I bought one in August 2005 for just $56,000 and have had the greatest fun doing a light remodeling of it. Now I have a place in teh sun to look forward to that didnt have to make me loose sleep at night. I am actually renting it for $250 per month MORE than the 15 year monthly note on the place. can't do that in California. Thank you, Ajo!!![read more...]