By Bear Howard
You all know Bear Howard loves meeting tourists, but let’s be honest—getting to my favorite drinking spots early in the evening during tourist season is essential!
If you arrive before five and snag a parking spot, congratulations—you’ve hit the jackpot! Score two adjacent seats at the bar, and I call it “Sedona Musical Chairs!” When we visit our local restaurants and bars, I can’t help but notice two distinct types of drinkers: the bar stool folks—the talkers and storytellers—and the table munchers, who are much more focused on their food and occasional small talk. I proudly belong to the former.
Last week, my wife and I secured our favorite bar stools, and the bartender delivered our regular drinks. What better way to unwind after a long workday? Dining at the bar has its perks: we don’t need to chat with each other—we have fellow drinkers on either side to entertain us. Don’t get me wrong—I love my wife, but we’ve covered almost every topic under the sun. However, we do have boundaries: family matters and work gossip are strictly off-limits.
One night last week, we sat next to a young couple. The young man asked, “Are you a local?”
“Yes,” I replied. “Do I look like a local?”
“Yeah,” he laughed, “you do.”
He went on to say, “This town is beautiful. We’d love to move here someday! Is there any affordable housing or apartments in Sedona?”
“Not really,” I quickly replied. “You see, Sedona is primarily for the older Boomers. To afford a home here, you had to either be the second person hired by Steve Jobs at early Apple or belong to the ‘lucky sperm club.’ (That’s the folks who inherited a pot of gold, were sent to the right preparatory schools, or had influential family connections).
“Or maybe they recently sold a 2,000-square-foot, three-bedroom house in California for a cool $3 million and brought their “unearned” wealth with them. Some locals retired from big corporations with hefty pensions, and others built their own fortunes through entrepreneurship. Being in the right place at the right time often feels like a lucky draw in life—not the result of sheer initiative or “bootstrapping.” We don’t get to choose our parents or how we were raised.”
“Just kidding,” I added, “but Sedona is a very costly place to buy a home.”
“Really?” my bar-stool neighbor exclaimed, wide-eyed.
“Yes! The town boasts no Bitcoin millionaires—just some fortunate aging Boomers who think they earned their way to Sedona.”
Most of us are just lucky post-WWII babies!
“So, where do young people live?” he asked, scratching his head.
“Young people? We hardly have any!”
No one knows where young professionals like firefighters, police officers, city workers, gardeners, and plumbers come from. They seem to emerge from a mythical place west of Sedona, where legend has it there’s even a Walmart! Of course, some of these workers are lucky too and bought homes before prices doubled or tripled in value.
Locals firmly believe you have to earn your way to homeownership in Sedona.
“What about apartments?” he pressed.
“Nope! Locals won’t allow those because they might attract ‘those kinds of people’—undesirables like teachers, firefighters, nurses, and even practicing doctors. Remember, Sedona is not for everyone!”
“You’re kidding, right?” he asked, half-laughing.
“No, I’m serious,” I said. “Earlier this month, residents voted down a two-year, state-funded program for local workers living in their cars or motorhomes to park overnight. The temporary project was meant to provide a safe place to sleep until affordable housing became available. But in Sedona, you can’t outwardly help people under the guise of helping them!”
Funny enough, Sedona residents once thought differently. Many old-timers and workers were forced out years ago by AirBnB conversions into for-profit homes and hotel rooms. It became a gold rush for realtors, outside investors, and local property owners, who made good money while inadvertently destroying cohesive neighborhoods—except in gated, private subdivisions.
“Sedona is unofficially a 55+ community with no kids,” I said. “And there are plenty of residents who hate tourists so much they’d be happy if Sedona became Sun City North.”
“Is that a local ordinance?” the tourist at the bar asked, wide-eyed.
“Nope,” I said. “It’s just that most residents are well past their breeding years. We’ve become a town dominated by residents with no kids.”
Dinner arrived, and we wrapped up my chat with the young couple by saying, “Don’t get me wrong—Sedona’s gorgeous, but it carries an air of entitled self-importance.”
“Those red rocks you love and think are sacred or magical are, in the end, just rocks!”
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11 Comments
I have been around long enough when the Sedona mentality at the time didnt want ADUs. So they controlled how many the city would allow.. We didnt allow short term rentals in city limits.
Now we have the worst Air B&B laws in the country, the fabric of community is dying fast. Now we have Corporations, and privet equity firms not only buying the homes, but jacking up the prices.
If you dont have your foot in the door already, I see no way how a young couple can live and raise their children here.
Really, Sedona only became ‘this way’ since the RE bubble crash of ‘08-‘09,, n the subsequent explosion of outside investment market-mostly from California n PHX, with associated destruction of the normal rental market, caused by the State legislature ( led by GOPers Toma n Peterson) sell out to the STR industry. Even back when our youngest graduated from RRHS, 8-9 years ago, it wasn’t like it is now:(
How very white and Boomer of you, “Bear”.
Obviously never been to a festival or school event in Sedona and seen the hundreds of kids and families who live here.
But go ahead and tell strangers we don’t exist.
I’d expect no less from a newly-immigrated Sedona retiree.
Think you misread the post. It points out the views generally held by long term residents anywhere who think their town should remain 1920’s white, wealthy and free of change or progression. The writer points out the absurdity of that mentality and the need for Sedona to do more for young families (especially those employed here) desiring to live and have their children attend school here but cannot find affordable housing. Not for Sedona to remain a 55 and over white persons stolen secret land.
I could be wrong though?
So sedona school district didn’t close ione elementary school? Sedona schools come from cottonwood , And the enrollment is down considerably since 2008.
I think enrollment is and has been down nationally for a few years now. Many parents have chosen the anti social path of homeschooling their children so they don’t have to attend public schools with “other” kids. Pretty soon our schools will be Evangelical Sunday schools in violation of the sacred Constitution of Convenience used by MAGA drones when it supports their grip on power like when they misconstrue the 2nd Amendment to suit their agenda. Otherwise they want to abolish our Constitution when it doesn’t serve their needs such as the 1st Amendment and the right to free speech. They want to say whatever they want but want all others silenced or prosecuted.
I sent my kid to attend public schools just as I did, my parents did, their parents did and their parents before them. But had my child been enrolled in a school that started posting the 10 Commandments or teaching from the Bible I would have zero choice but to seek out a normal legal school or consider home schooling. I can’t afford one of those fancy expensive Trump bibles after all.
And to anyone whose business it is none of, has to know. My name is Timothy James Hall but I go by TJ. It is irrelevant to anything but some cry babies have made the non issue and issue.
It’s too bad this young couple ran into you. There are few less-inviting things than a self-righteous, dim boomer who thinks they are smarter than everyone else. Barf. Reading about this conversation makes me want to move.
If you’re curious why so many people are angry and turning hard against traditional institutions, get a mirror.
As a not young, but younger professional I’m here by choice and several of the people in my social circle have small children. No Bitcoin millionaires and no one named Fauntleroy. Though anecdotal, you seem way out of touch with many of us.
And it seems that every solution to every problem from the know-it-all class is limitless growth, unchecked by residents who should stop collaborating and “Get off of Next Door.”
But if you are truly concerned about finding ways to increase the population, consider this: next time drink at home.
Arizona leaders announce apprenticeship programs for semiconductor industry https://www.azfamily.com/2024/11/19/arizona-leaders-announce-apprenticeship-programs-semiconductor-industry/
The Governor gets it. Unfortunately one would have to live in or near Phoenix and that’s the last place I’d want to live after Vegas. Still, if I was young again I might consider it just to get the training and experience.
Thanks for passing that along, TJ.
Mother of 4.
It is nice to see someone who is pulling off the Sedona dream. Do you own? Rent? Are you the only one working?
See we know how hard it is for young people to work and live here. So it would be nice to hear more about your success story. I didnt take anything negative out of the article, and I have had the same conversations with tourists myself. I agree whole hardily with his opinion! I have friends that have left, cant afford rent, and sure cant buy a home here.
Just remember, just because you can pull it off, there are many less fortunate!
It’s interesting to think about Sedona being compared to Sun City. While Sedona has its unique charm with those stunning red rocks, I think Sun City stands out as a haven for retirees who love community-driven activities and amenities. 🏜️ Do you think the comparison is fair? I wonder if Sedona could develop similar recreational programs or clubs to match Sun City’s variety. What do you think would make Sedona more appealing to retirees, or does Sun City still hold the crown? This comparison really got me thinking about what makes our area so special.