Are you looking for a real estate agent to help you in Cottonwood, AZ? YAY! Call me. I lived here for 10 years. I know Cottonwood!
Cottonwood is the best of all worlds.
Located smack-dab in the center of Arizona, our climate is way cooler than Phoenix or Tucson.
(What I was hoping that you would do at this point is start at the image of Old Town Cottonwood, above, and then go to the picture of Phoenix, below, and then go up again to the photo of Cottonwood. No more words needed because there's no comparison, right?)
Without the slush and snow and cold of Flagstaff.
The snow is certainly pretty, but I'd rather visit it than live in it, and it's only an hour away. Of course, if you want a little extra culture or shopping in Phoenix or Flag or Prescott, they're all within an easy hour or two drive.
See? The best of all worlds.
We're still a small town. I don't pull the keys from my ignition unless I'm at Wal-Mart, and I haven't seen my house keys for years. Seriously. I know that this habit is going to bite me someday and I don't care - it's worth it.
People are friendly (mostly) and neighbors are welcoming without being intrusive.
Our combined population (Cottonwood and the neighboring unincorporated Verde Villages) is about 22,000. That 22,000 is spread out over a lot of square miles.
Cottonwood was named after, well, the cottonwood trees.
Does that seem silly? You've got to put yourself in the original settler's shoes. To go anyplace away from home took a long time by mule or horse or wagon - it was a major expedition to travel to Prescott, the County Seat. Even after they got the old Model A's and Model T's it was a long hard bumpy journey.
On the way home you would finally top out over the last big hill and see that bright green ribbon of cottonwoods bordering the Verde River, the lifeblood of the Verde Valley. You could see the cottonwoods before you could see the town or the water - the cottonwoods meant that you were close to home.
I still feel that way when I come over Mingus and see the cottonwoods from the top of Mingus Mountain. I'm home, I'm safe, and I'm glad.
I've mentioned our near-perfect climate. Yes, it does get hot here in the Summer, (We are in Arizona, after all.) but we're predictably 10 to 20 degrees cooler than Phoenix. And yes, it does get cold here in the Winter. It even frosts and once in a while it snows! That's exciting, and they let the kids out of school to make footprints in the snow before it melts. Coats and jackets are fun fashion accessories most of the time.
I've alluded to our low crime rates and nice neighborhoods. Cottonwood is, very simply, just a nice place to live.
So what will you do once you live here? Let's start with one of my favorite subjects; eating and drinking. We have tons of great restaurants, from down home to upscale.
We have to start at Maynard Keenan's Osteria. Tim White's wine is SO GOOD, and the names are a hoot. The food is locally sourced, organic, and delicious. I recommend the Merkin Mac 'N Cheese. It's pink, but don't let that throw you - that's beet powder. The daily blackboard salad is a sure winner, too.
Next, The Red Rooster in Old Town. The Rooster is rapidly becoming famous state-wide for its abundant organic and natural menu, fantastic atmosphere, and friendly people.
Just in Old Town we've got Crema for designer coffee and gelato, plus great quiche and salads and a good quiet beer. Ask for the Mustache Waiter - that's my son. He's a riot!
Down the Street is the Main Street Cafe. The Svedish Gurls make pastries, Italian fizzes, any kind of decadent coffee that you can stand, and the salads are out of this world - I recommend the ravioli salad unreservedly.
Need something beefy? Bing's Burgers, the 50's diner in the old gas station, makes the best burgers and fries andmilkshakes!
I can't forget one of my favorite places in all of the world - the Thai Palace. They make the best Thai food in the world. My friend Mary's friend Doug says that their green curry is the best he's ever eaten, and from looking at Doug I believe that he has eaten a lot of curry and knows what he's talking about.
And then there's Adriana's Mexican Food.
Her cream and jalapeno sauce is the best. Seriously, I crave that sauce. Adriana's used to be "The Peacock Restaurant" because the wild peacocks chose to strut around on the outside patio and grace the diners with their magnificence. I guess that the connotation of The Peacock Restsurant caused confusion since they don't serve peacock meat, so they changed the name to Adriana's. The peacocks didn't mind, and they still show up.
Ooh! Ooh!~ Bocci is open! Now I'm addicted to Bocci pizza and ravioli salad. It is fabulous.
Do you notice that I've told you about lots of restaurants, and they're all in Old Town, within a block of each other? Once you get into actual Cottonwood, of course there's Wal-Mart and Home Depot and JC Penney's and Safeway and Fry's and Food City, the Big Box chains. Meh.
For recreation, hike, bike, swim, walk the Old Jail Trail (Old Town again) and shop to your heart's content. You can fish and play in the water at Dead Horse State Park (remind me to tell you how Dead Horse got the name - I know the story from the horse's mouth, so to speak.)
no company name available
Carol Anne Teague
Realty ONE Group Mountain Desert, Sedona
(928) 300-9031
