Reviews & Comments
Show Low, AZ
re: Scary - 12/13/2008 -
12/9/2010Born in Show Low, AZ and have lived here on two separate occasions for a total of 12 plus years. The town is small, know this first before considering moving here. There is low income housing and there are higher rents as well. The houses are overpriced, compared to other areas and states. The cost of living is on a higher scale, thanks to tourism and mass exodus of people from CA. Yes, a lot of one time CA residents are moving this way.
There is skiing, hiking and wildlife, but you "DO NOT" see them on the side of the road on a daily basis, as one poster claimed. You do however have a good chance of hitting an elk or deer with your car on some of the more rural roads.
There is only "one" main road, named the Deuce of Clubs. The main employers are Wal-Mart and yes, the hospital. Some of the other employers are fast food chains, of which you have..1 burger king, 1 taco bell, 1 Denny's, 1 pizza hut, 1 dominoes, 1 Arby's and 1 Jack in the box. There may be a couple more I am not listing. There is one very small, theater,Safeway grocery and a small Kmart. You will not find a mall here.
Yes, the town has a large Mormon population and a few other religious branches as well. There is also a small Pagan population, mostly all in the closet, so to speak.
There is a huge problem with Meth. Do not believe anyone trying to tell you otherwise. Very small police force,and drugs are not on the top of their list. The schools are not the best in the state, keep that in mind.
Vandalism has increased greatly also, from car vandalism to graffiti. There have been homicides, including one at our local Wal-Mart.
Is education going to help you with a job? In some small way, if you choose nursing, but regardless the cost of living for food and other stuffs, is outrageous.
Your electric service choices are Navapache and APS. APS is outrageous and charges delivery service fees that fluctuate from 50.00 in the summer all the way up 108.00 in the winter. NOTE: that is not your electric use, but an additional charge to your 'real' bill on each monthly charge. APS services the apartments in Show Low, having won some bid for them.
All in all, if you love small town living, you may enjoy Show Low for it's rural feel and options to fish and ski nearby.
But, the population has changed a great deal over the years and the traffic is steady and congested for such a small town. I often wonder where all these people are supposedly working???
Ah, your closest cities to shop at are Phoenix and Flagstaff. Both are a good distance away. 3 to 3 1/2 hour drives.
As with any town you are considering moving to, do 'a lot' of research and be leery of 'overly positive' reviews. Most often, that is a city council member. ;)
On a scale of 1 to 10, ten being the best score. Show Low, AZ gets a 4 as it is no longer the small town, family friendly place, it used to be and the crime rate is too high in comparison to the population.
Are the locals friendly? The original locals are usually a warm crowd.
Is there a mixed culture. There is a mix of Caucasian, Hispanic and Native Americans. A small number of Asians, Hindi and African-American.
Pinetop-Lakeside, AZ
Life in Pinetop-Lakeside -
5/19/2007For any interested in moving or visiting this area here are the basics of it.
It is a small community that is growing from people trying to escape the city life. Actually it is growing too fast for its current job and living market. The job market consists of mostly motels and retail. The largest shopping center in the area for a few hundred miles is Wal-Mart. There is one main theater with six screens and a small one in Show-Low with two. There is a small community college as well. Cultural events consist of a yearly car show a very small rodeo and occasional pow wow events for tourists held by the local native tribe. It also sports one casino run by the Apache tribe on the reservation. The cost of living here is high while the job market offers little pay. Most often minimum wage. In another ten years this town should be around the size of Flagstaff and by chance may even get a mall by then.
If you want to walk scenic trails through the woods this is the place. Camping and light fishing also available. During the summer months the weather is 80-95 degrees on average. Light humidity can occur. Great place to get away and do the tourist thing.
While great for tourists, this would not be a place I would suggest to anyone interested in moving to a small town. The population growth is not being supported properly. One main road runs through the town and traffic is very congested. You will find drug use at a high among adults and teens. Theft and murder/suicide are not unusual. The cost of buying a home is higher than you should find in a town of this size. Your paying for the view of the woods. With a tiny job market and high expenses as your option..find another town. I know I am. And for anyone who likes this town.. I have little appology I was born here. I have lived several places all over the united states and this would be one of the worst on my list.