COMMENT BY
COMMENT ABOUT PLACE
COMMENT
Cost of living is outrageous
I've lived here for one year and have to move because the cost to rent here is astronomical. I've been paying $2550/month and now for a comparable home it is $2900 and up (if you can even get one). You basically pay California prices for real estate here. A tiny one-room studio could cost you $1800.
The cost of living in general is high, my water bill is often $180/month because we don't have water here. You have to drive to Sedona to get in Oak Creek if you want to go swimming, as Flagstaff HAS NO WATER. Food is also expensive, plus it's hard to find good restaurants. If you come here to visit, definitely eat at Karma, that is the best sushi I've ever had which is weird to say while living in the desert. Also, the food trucks at the farmers' market are decent. And definitely get some chocolate from Chocolita, she's cool.
The air here is so dry in May and June that your skin will literally fall off. Monsoon season is cool because you get relief from the fires and the dry air, but then it dries out again. So you get fire season and then flood season, a dry fall, and a measly amount of snow in the winter. It's not that cool. Plus, their are fox tails everywhere and my dog is really good at snorting them up her nose which is dangerous and a huge pain in the ass.
The scenery is beautiful, but the downtown is tiny and basically not that exciting. Culturally you have a strange mix of "back the blue" conservatives and Agenda 2030 liberals. It is fun to drive out to Mormon Lake shooting range and there you have a free, outdoor shooting range, so the gun culture is great. Other than that and the beautiful hiking, it's not worth the cost of living here.
The dryness, the blah-ness, and the cost of living make this a no-go.