Prescott and Prescott Valley AZ: What do you guys think of these cities as a place to live out the latter part of life? I've been contemplating moving to Prescott or Prescott Valley...

jeep_daddy Loc: Prescott AZ

What do you guys think of these cities as a place to live out the latter part of life? I've been contemplating moving to Prescott or Prescott Valley AZ. They seem to have mild weather there, (unlike Phoenix) a city with fair medical care and VA Healthcare, mountains, desert, lakes, and closer to Grand Canyon etc. They don't have any big malls or museums etc, but I can live without that. They may not have a wild night life there either but I'm not looking for that either.

Any of you guy live there or been there for a while?

DWU2 Loc: Phoenix Arizona area

jeep_daddy wrote:

What do you guys think of these cities as a place ... (show quote)

We visited there last winter. Great place! Loved the downtown. It'd be a fine place to live.

rmalarz Loc: Tempe, Arizona

jeep_daddy wrote:

What do you guys think of these cities as a place ... (show quote)

It's quite nice there, both places. I've several friends who have retired and live there full time now.

Photographically, it's a great area.
--Bob

jimmya Loc: Phoenix

jeep_daddy wrote:

What do you guys think of these cities as a place ... (show quote)

I've been there several times, a very nice, beautiful area. Because of the altitude they do have real winter there, if that's your taste - not mine and that's why we live in the valley.

Phoenix though is home to what's touted as the best VA hospital in the country with clinics around the valley. I've VA and have pretty good care from these folks.

Good luck.

rmalarz Loc: Tempe, Arizona

jimmya wrote:

I've been there several times, a very nice, beautiful area. Because of the altitude they do have real winter there, if that's your taste - not mine and that's why we live in the valley.

Phoenix though is home to what's touted as the best VA hospital in the country with clinics around the valley. I've VA and have pretty good care from these folks.

Good luck.

The Phoenix VA has also made the news for quite the opposite. It's also inspired John McCain to seek a means that our veterans can go to other than VA doctors should the wait time be too long.
--Bob

jimmya Loc: Phoenix

rmalarz wrote:

The Phoenix VA has also made the news for quite the opposite. It's also inspired John McCain to seek a means that our veterans can go to other than VA doctors should the wait time be too long.
--Bob

I do understand that... yes they've had their problems.
I can't quote the number but there's hundreds of thousands of vets living here in the Phoenix metro and I also understand how difficult that must be for those folks. There's two sides to every story. Mine is that I've had good care both at Hayden and from the clinic that I go to.
I guess it depends on your perspective and your experience.

Black Bart Loc: Indiana

I'm retired now but for 42 years I was a long distance trucker been through there many times.
Nothing to see but cactus plants jackrabbits and sand blowing in your face.
Unbearable heat they could not pay me to live there.
If you enjoy sweating you may like it.
It would be better than southern AZ but still hot.

rmalarz Loc: Tempe, Arizona

jimmya wrote:

I do understand that... yes they've had their problems.
I can't quote the number but there's hundreds of thousands of vets living here in the Phoenix metro and I also understand how difficult that must be for those folks. There's two sides to every story. Mine is that I've had good care both at Hayden and from the clinic that I go to.
I guess it depends on your perspective and your experience.

Jimmy, an acquaintance of mine works there. His suggestion was to get rid of all the upper management. The staff and supervisors know how to do their assignments, and do a great job of taking care of the patients. He also said they don't need upper management to tell them what to do. They already know what to do. Just think of the money that would save, that could be put to good use directly toward taking care of the patients.
--Bob

jeep_daddy Loc: Prescott AZ

jimmya wrote:

I've been there several times, a very nice, beautiful area. Because of the altitude they do have real winter there, if that's your taste - not mine and that's why we live in the valley.

Phoenix though is home to what's touted as the best VA hospital in the country with clinics around the valley. I've VA and have pretty good care from these folks.

Good luck.

I hear that they do get a little snow in the winter, but it doesn't stick long. I can live with that as long as I'm not shoveling snow day after day. I have a four wheel drive Jeep so I think I can get around ok even if the roads don't get plowed right away.

As far as the VA Healthcare goes, I'm counting on it. I won't move somewhere that doesn't have it close by. There is a VA hospital in Prescott, but the website doesn't really tell me what clinics they do and don't have. I'm used to the VA hospital here in Long Beach California. They are excellent. They have every clinic I've needed. Ear, nose, throat, physical therapy, orthopedics, ophthalmology, podiatry, dietitian, radiation, MRI, Liver clinic, primary care, emergency, and cardiology. About the only thing they don't have is transplant. I think most vets would have to go to Oregon for transplant on the west coast. (from what I hear)

AzShooter1 Loc: Surprise, Az.

I think you will love Prescott and Prescott Valley. They have a very good VA hospital there. The weather is much milder than Phoenix. If you like photographing the outdoors it's beautiful. Also a lot of wildlife.

An hour away and your are in Sedona the Red Rock area with lots of mountain scenery.

Jerome, an artist colony is only an hour away. If I could I'd be there instead of in the desert.

Good luck with your move.

Infinite Imager Loc: California

I've been there a few times and you can't go wrong there. The best weather and air quality combined. Far enough from the big city and more than enough to keep you occupied. I also liked it up at Show Low, which is cooler in the summer and has a wee bit of a winter. I liked driving along the pine lined streets and seeing a theatre or restaurant through the trees. There's a pond or lake at the end of almost any side street. Nice golf course and a good Indian Casino there also.

sb Loc: Florida's East Coast

It has been a few years since I was there - a nice place, and it consistently ranks in the top 10 places to retire in the US. And you are within a 3 hour's drive from some other spectacular areas - Arizona has great places to explore! Be sure to let us know how it is!

sb Loc: Florida's East Coast

Black Bart wrote:

I'm retired now but for 42 years I was a long distance trucker been through there many times.
Nothing to see but cactus plants jackrabbits and sand blowing in your face.
Unbearable heat they could not pay me to live there.
If you enjoy sweating you may like it.
It would be better than southern AZ but still hot.

I would find it hard to believe that a long-distance trucker ever drove through Prescott on their route, since as I recall there are no through highways and just a 2-lane winding highway going there. And it is definitely not desert. I think you are associating it with much of Arizona, to which your description applies!

DavidPhares Loc: Chandler, Arizona

Actually, there is divided highway all the way from I-17, the freeway which connects Phoenix and Flagstaff, right into Prescott. And Prescott Valley is right on the way.

I am driving up there today (1 hour and 45 minutes from our home in Chandler, which is actually South-East of Phoenix) to visit my sister-in-law, who lives in Prescott Valley. She recently moved down there from north of Ft. Collin's, CO to get out of the heavy snows. They do get a little, but nothing like Colorado.

It is beautiful up there with lots to do in Prescott Valley. They even have a very well supported minor league ice hockey team. The summers are nice, and you are only 15 minutes from Prescott, where they have all kinds of events going on all year. Lots of wildlife. I have seen pronghorn antelope right in the town of Prescott Valley!

Great place to retire. I have lived in the Phoenix area for over 65 years, and the Prescott/Prescott Valley area has always been a favorite.

Go for it, you'll love it up there. Take all your camera equipment with you! You'll need it.

Croce Loc: Earth

Black Bart wrote:

I'm retired now but for 42 years I was a long distance trucker been through there many times.
Nothing to see but cactus plants jackrabbits and sand blowing in your face.
Unbearable heat they could not pay me to live there.
If you enjoy sweating you may like it.
It would be better than southern AZ but still hot.

You are off your rocker. Please see a cognition specialist.