Unique, Scenic & Connected
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10/9/2018
Ajo is a great little place that affords residents access to unsurpassed, pristine desert as the gateway community to Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument and nearby beaches and resort amenities as Arizona’s closest city to the ocean by way of Rocky Point, Mexico. Ajo also has the choice of two big cities with different characters that are not all that far away. Not only can you drive to Phoenix or Tucson for the day, but Ajo enjoys daily, affordable public transportation to both. Architecturally speaking, Ajo is a true gem. It has a national historic district comprising of many mission-style bungalows built around the turn of the 20th century. This is quite rare in Arizona, as only 1.5% of housing in the state is older than 1935. As a result, owners of these homes in Ajo enjoy a deep discount on property taxes as an incentive to maintain and preserve them. Social life in town is homegrown and enhanced by an influx of seasonal visitors who invest time and energy to promote clubs, events and volunteer activities. Local food production is highly valued and is supported by a weekly farmers market. Art and a cultural exchange among the various ethnic communities in the area, including Mexicans and the Tohono O’odham people, are fostered by a local and influential nonprofit called the International Sonoran Desert Alliance, which used its expertise to restore a grand, old school complex in town for artist housing. This complex helps to anchor a picturesque Spanish Colonial plaza with extensive colonnades which serves as the town’s cultural heart. I have lived in Ajo for 15 years and have formed strong relationships with my fantastic neighbors. Like many residents of Ajo, I am a snowbird, but that does not mean that I am not a local. I have read elsewhere in these reviews that some people think otherwise, but I have always felt like I am a part of my community. Ajo’s drawbacks are the same that affect many small communities in the United States. Drugs and petty crime are present. For some reason, the hundreds of high-paying jobs offered by the Border Patrol station nearby have not lead to economic growth for the town like they should have. This surprised me, but I think it has something to do with Ajo not having a city government that can be responsive to the Bureau’s needs for housing and the social/educational services wanted by employees and their families. Government services are provided by Pima County and are based in Tucson, which makes Ajo seem isolated. But Ajo also benefits by having a branch of the Tucson/Pima County library system which means you can request materials from the big city to be delivered to our local branch. In my opinion, the lack of restaurants is the town’s biggest negative. Another reviewer commented on the town’s remaining mining presence. It is true that the company has not closed down though no mining has been conducted here since the 1980s. Per the Clean Air and Clean Water Acts, this means that the company does not have to clean up or remediate its own, fenced-off site. But, the company does ensure clean water for residents as the owner of Ajo’s main utility and it has conducted free soil testing for contamination around town including in my yard. My results were negative. I am not aware of anything so harmful as to require Superfund designation.
Mojave | Butte-Silver Bow, MT