Visit Prescott AZ and Become An Expert On Whiskey Row

Many developed towns have a "whiskey row" district, a strip of bars and taverns from the early days of settlement. Dublin, Ohio certainly had one - the whole town comprised a Wild West business strip in the 1800s, filled with bars and brawls that spilled out into the dirt street.. Bay City, Michigan has such a district called Hell's Half Mile. It is half-mile long business strip east of the Saginaw River in the Historic Downtown District. During the Lumber Baron Era in the 1800s, shipping crews patronized the strip and its taverns.Today, the several blocks make up a retail, dining, and theater district that is home to the Hell's Half Mile Independent Film Festival each October.

Whiskey Row in Prescott, Arizona is an upscale version of these tavern districts and began as a single block in the young town, crammed with 40 bars. When the wooden structures burned down together, they were replaced by brick and mortar in the early 1900s. Oddly, in May of 2012, three businesses there burned to the ground, but were soon under reconstruction.

Prescott has been named the 4th Best Place to Retire by TopRetirements.com and Number Six on the list of Emerging Metropolitan Areas in the US by Sperling's Best Places.

Whiskey Row is primarily the 100 block of Montezuma Street in Downtown Prescott across from Courthouse Square. This district maintains interesting dining places, coffee shops, historic hotels, 10 saloons in a row, boutiques, gift shops, art galleries, and several Native American shops that sell handcrafted clothing, accessories, and other cultural items. There is even a Harley Davidson store!

The Row is home to several Downtown Area events all year long as well --

4th Friday Art Walks - Gallery hops from 5:00 PM - onward, around the square to visit the fie arts galleries. Music, entertainment, and great food.

Prescott Frontier Days® - World's Oldest Rodeo®, annually since 1888, with many events and a section for Cowboy Poetry celebration. The event is held the first week of July every year a little off Whiskey Row at the Prescott Rodeo Grounds. The Frontier Days office is located at 848 Rodeo Drive. Both are just north of the Prescott National Forest and a mile west of Whiskey Row.

Whiskey Row Marathon - Every May. Proceeds from this well attended event go to the scholarship fund at the Prescott YMCA. The fund helps local families in need and provides exercise and sports to the community. This Y turns no one away for lack of funds: 750 Whipple Street.

Annual Folk Music Festival - Held every mid-July every year at the Sharlot Hall Museum.

Prescott Christmas Parade - First Saturday in December, around Courthouse Square.

Hotel Vendome - The 12 Beers of Christmas Beer Tasting, during the weekend before Christmas.

Weekly Concerts - Various museums in Prescott.

The Lifelong Learning Program at Yavapia College provides services to over 5,000 adults each year, including Seniors. Many have enjoyed related educational travel projects, dace classes,and lectures on history, languages, and local culture. Its Center for Successful Aging offers its own television broadcasts and gerontology classes that lead to certification.

The Retiree Connection helps to include Senior Citizens in local community events. In addition, the college library contains at least 80,000 books, while the senior citizens' institute operates a book club, wine tastings, chess club, Mah Jongg, gardening, and several other activities.

Yavapai College: 1100 East Sheldon Street, Prescott, Arizona 86301. The Prescott Campus is just 1.5 miles northeast of Whiskey Row. Of several additional campus locations, one more is located just to the east in the Prescott Valley suburb and another is a technical campus in Prescott that offers courses in technologies such as mining technology and gunsmithing. The school is heavily connected in the community and always involved. It;s part of what makes Prescott a good retirement location.

Some sources translate "Yavapia" as "Crooked Mouthed People" and go on to explain that while not Apache themselves, the Yavapai intermarried with the Apache Nation. The local college and the largest medical center in the area are named after the Yavapai, who lived on a large kand area before confinement to a reservation.

The Yavapai foundation story indicates that the people spring from a maize plant near Montezuma Castle National Monument in Yavapai County AZ. A National Historic Landmark since 1906, it is one of the first four such landmarks designated as such by President Theodore Roosevelt. Named after Montezuma, its namesake did not live until 100 years later.

During Indian removal in the USA, the Yavapai were marched by force to the San Carlos Reservation during the winter of 1875. Unfortunately, some sources say that this forced march was caused by the people becoming too self-sufficient in building irrigation systems and producing their own food - i.e., government contractors selling such supplies could not make enough money from the original reservation. Finally, the Yavapai Reservation opened in 1935 for the Yavapai-Prescott Nation: http://www.ypit.com/.

Today, this nation resides on about 1,400 acres and operates several lucrative businesses, including resort hotels, a shopping mall, and a large business park, among others. They also work on fire management, erosion control, and wetlands rehabilitation.

Over 70% of homes in Prescott are valued at $100K - $300K. Listings on Trulia real estate website included 920 single-family homes. condos, townhouses, or similar in a price rage of $54, 000 to $14 Million, with a median of $325,000.

The median age of residents is 54 years and the area is popular for retirees, including those who continue to work.

Senior Living Communities

Hassayama Village - Located right on the east edge of the Prescott National Forest. 317 Hassayampa Village Lane; Prescott AZ 86303. Single family and condo homes from the high $100Ks– $5 Million.

The Gardens at Willow Creek - 1171 Lilac Way, Prescott AZ 86305.Single family attached homes. Prices from the high $100Ks – $200Ks.

Prescott Lakes - 1690 Constable St.;Prescott AZ 86301. Single family homes and condos from the low $100Ks–high $700Ks. No Age Restriction.

Retirement Homes and Centers

The Arizona Pioneers’ Home is a continuum-of-care state-funded retirement center. Located in southwest Prescott, it is home to both men and women and can accommodate 150 residents. Over 50 different activities available keep many residents entertained, while Independent Living residents come and go as they please, participating in activities as they wish.. Located at 300 S. McCormick St., Prescott, Arizona 86303.

Granite Gate Senior Center - 3850 North US Highway 89 in the Granite Dells of Prescott AZ. Special Events include holiday open houses. This center includes a large library, fitness center, free laundry, beauty salon, billiards, shopping and recreation trips, and a covered parking area.

Good Samaritan Society – Prescott Village - This village has an 11-acre campus and many activities for residents. One of their mottoes is "You're only old once." Located at 1030 Scott Drive; Prescott AZ 86301.

The healthcare options of a city are important to retirees and families as well. The major medical centers and hospitals in Prescott include:

• Yavapai Regional Medical Center: 1003 Willow Creek Road, Prescott AZ
• Yavapai Regional Med Center-East: 7700 E Florentine Rd, Prescott Valley AZ
• Hospital and the Northern AZ Healthcare System: 500 Highway 89N, Prescott AZ
• Mountain Valley Regional Rehabilitation Hospital: 3700 North Windsong Dr., Prescott Valley AZ

Some retirees need or want to continue working or to start a new career. Here are some employers that may have interesting for for them:

1. Yavapai County Government
2. Yavapai Regional Medical Center
3. Veterans Administration Medical Center
4. Prescott Unified School District
5. Humboldt Unified School District
6. City of Prescott Government
7. Yavapai College
8. Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University
9. Lockheed Martin - Aerospace and Defense
10. Yavapai Gaming
11. Sturm Ruger & Co - Firearms
12. Fann Contracting - Highway and Heavy Construction
13. Cobham Aerospace
14. Fortner - Aerospace Manufacturing

The highest demand jobs in Prescott during 4th QTR 2012 have been Engineers, Physical and Occupational Therapists, RN Nurse (especially Travel Nurses), Retail Managers, and Physicians.