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Airport Mesa ~ Neighborhood Profile
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Geologically, Airport Mesa is a part of the Colorado Plateau that has not eroded away. It is centrally located between West Sedona, Uptown Sedona, Red Rock Loop and the Chapel area of Sedona. The Sedona Municipal Airport is located on top.
Most of the residential subdivisions are on sloped terrain leading from the "valley floor" to the top of the mesa. Many of the homes in the Airport Mesa area have great Red Rock views. There are residential areas on all sides of the Airport Mesa. The principal commercial development in the area is the Tlaquepaque Shopping Center and the Los Abrigados Resort.
There is a hiking trail that circles the Airport Mesa just below it's eroded edge. The principal trailhead is on Airport Road. Here you will commonly find a tour Jeep or two parked. This is also the location of the "Airport Vortex".
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Chapel Of The Cross ~ Neighborhood Profile
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This area takes it's name from the Chapel Of The Cross church constructed in 1956 through the generous inspiration of Marquerite Bruswig Staude . The church has been maintained by the Diocise of Phoenix since 1969.
The Chapel area is nestled against the Mogollon Rim and bordered by Hwy 89A. The Broken Arrow trail system is located in this area along with other-worldly red rock formations. This residential area primarily consists of older subdivisions on above average sized lots. The views are outstanding.
Along Hwy 89A you will find art galleries, lodging and restaurants catering to the tourists. The deeper your travel into the Chapel area, the closer you are to the Mogollon Rim and the quieter your solitude. It is easy to spend the day at home in the Chapel area.
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Dry Creek Road ~ Neighborhood Profile
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At the west end of Sedona, Dry Creek Road heads towards the Mogollon Rim in the distance. At some point along this road you leave Sedona's city limits. You will find gated residential subdivisions as well as free-standing homes and mini-ranches along Dry Creek Road. Many of the residential developments that exist along Dry Creek Road are surrounded by National Forest adding to their prestige.
An unpaved road off of Dry Creek Road leads to numerous trailheads. You will find tour jeeps and mountain bikers sharing this unpaved road with you.
Upon arriving at the end of Dry Creek Road, you have a choice of direction. Turning left will lead you to the Enchantment Resort and eventually the Palatki and Honanki Native American ruins. Traveling right leads to the Seven Canyons Golf Resort. There are numerous trailheads in either direction.
At one time, this area was consider remote to Sedona, now the Dry Creek residential subdivisions are considered exclusive. The scenery in this area is spectacular!
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Oak Creek Canyon ~ Neighborhood Profile
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As you leave Sedona north on Hwy 89A you enter Oak Creek Canyon. The drive is considered among the most scenic in the United States. The road follows Oak Creek for much of the journey through the Canyon.
Sedona is at an elevation of approximately 4,500-feet. The top of the Mogollon Rim is approximately 6,500-feet. As you drive up the Canyon you will notice climatic and accompanying botanical changes -- tall pine trees and cooler temperatures. You are leaving the high desert of Sedona.
You will pass small residential subdivisions, individual homes, lodging businesses with restaurants, a Sedona fire station, a trout farm, Slide Rock State Park, a public water spring and numerous campgrounds and trailheads.
Living in the Canyon means that you are not alone. With it's babbling Oak Creek, towering Red Rock cliffs and scented pine forest, the Canyon is meant to be shared.
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Red Rock Loop Road ~ Neighborhood Profile
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The Red Rock Loop Road begins in the west end of Sedona by the Sedona High School and forms a large loop returning to Hwy 89A just west of the City. The name of the road is not only descriptive of it's shape, but of the scenery through which it passes.
In 1930 a low water road crossing of Oak Creek was established connecting the area now known as the Village of Oak Creek and the west end of Sedona. In 1978, unprecedented rains caused widespread flooding of Oak Creek and washed out Red Rock Crossing after continous use of almost 50-years. The crossing was never rebuilt. In 1986, the land surrounding the former Red Rock Crossing was acquired by the State of Arizona and opened as a park.
As you travel down Red Rock Loop Road you are mostly passing through National Forest lands. You will see the occassional residential subdivision and individual homes. Fascinating is the street named Disney Lane -- locals will tell you it does relate to the famous Disney family. Catherdal Rock, the most famous of Sedona formations, is most often photographed from the Red Rock Crossing vantage.
If you continue with the entire Red Rock Loop you will travel on unpaved road for short distance -- all part of the adventure. This area is a quick 10-minutes from Sedona, but the tranquility is worth the drive for many. Among the most stunning views in all of Sedona!
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Uptown Sedona ~ Neighborhood Profile
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The earliest pioneers that settled Sedona resided in Uptown close to the life-supporting waters of Oak Creek. Sedona Schnebly planted her famous apple orchard in Uptown. In the heat of the summer, many early pioneers also tended plantings up Oak Creek Canyon at Indian Gardens. Evidence exists that Native Americans cultivated in the area hence the name Indian Gardens.
Uptown is where the merchants first set-up shop. When Sedona's primary industry turned to tourism, the legion of merchants and innkeepers expanded to meet the growing crowds. As an Arizona attraction, Sedona is second only to the Grand Canyon. You will see an endless stream of tourist buses parked in Uptown for a few hours every day of the year. There are residential subdivision in Uptown that span every decade. The views are spectacular and the access to Uptown is convenient.
In the past ten-years, the City of Sedona with the cooperation of the Uptown merchants implemented a new design for the Uptown merchant area that incorporates public art, shuttle service, parking solutions and an improved pedestrian experience. When guests visit you, you will undoubtedly take them to Uptown at least once.
It is fun to sit on a bench in Uptown and watch the people. There is not a single visitor that does not find themselves staring at the amazing Red Rocks of Sedona.
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Village Of Oak Creek ~ Neighborhood Profile
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The only exit sign marked "Sedona" on Interstate 17 is for Hwy 173 which passes through the Village of Oak Creek. Although a municipality under separate governing, VOC commonly shares the Sedona mailing address as well as the school district.
For many, include oursleves, the first glimpse of Red Rocks were of Bell Rock and Courthouse Butte in the photo above. The side of the highway is usually lined with cars with their occupants standing outside, cameras in-hand, pointing to the horizon. Bell Rock is considered an Energy Vortex. When we first saw it, we certainly felt something!
Housing in the Village of Oak Creek is slightly more affordable than comparable housing in Sedona. For many locations within VOC, the views are equally awesome. With fewer land constraints than in Sedona, VOC is home to two golf courses and an Outlet Mall. While there are some tourist-oriented businesses, many merchants surrport the local residents. You will find a Hilton Hotel, a few privately-owned B & B's and a number of restaurants.
Affordable views, fewer tourists and golf are a few reasons to consider the Village of Oak Creek.
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West Sedona ~ Neighborhood Profile
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When the Uptown merchant turns-off the light and locks-up, where does she or he go? West Sedona most likely.
West Sedona is home to the three large-format grocers, the movie theater, the public schools, two City Parks, the Teen Center, most of the banks, the auto parts store, the tire store, the community swimming pool, the doctors, the dentists, the car wash, the police department, the fire department, the auto body shop, etc.. West Sedona has the highest concentration of families although not to the exclusion of retirees.
As Uptown commercial rents escalated, some tourist-oriented merchants headed west. You will find many new age retailers located in West Sedona since their clientele will find them. The same is true for alternative restaurants that serve primarily vegetarian food. Mountain Bike Heaven and Canyon Outfitter are also examples of businesses that cater to tourists as well as locales and need not be located Uptown.
The residential subdivisions in West Sedona are many and varied. They span every decade starting in the 1950's. Hwy 89A splits through the middle of West Sedona. As a general rule, the closer that you are to the Red Rocks, the more expensive the real estate.
Even though the business of life may seem as any other small community in the United States, it's those Red Rocks they don't have!
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