Flagstaff’s original “suburb” is now almost “downtown Flagstaff”
The Coconino Estates neighborhood on Flagstaff’s west side is a collection of Flagstaff subdivisions that were developed as the city (then a small town) expanded in the 1950s and 1960s. The area to the west from the intersection at Ft. Valley Road and Humphrey’s Street to the Grand Canyon Trust building is commonly referred to by locals as “Coconino Estates.” The area is primarily residential with the exception of a few scattered commercial properties (a gas station, a coffee shop) along Ft. Valley Road, and a small strip mall at the intersection of Ft. Valley and Humphrey’s itself.
Also, along Fort Valley Road in Flagstaff, you’ll find a number of Flagstaff’s active nonprofit organizations, in addition to the headquarters of the Grand Canyon Trust. At the far northern end, you’ll find the Museum of Northern Arizona, where you will find outstanding collections related to the people and geology of the Colorado Plateau. The museum is an extremely active Flagstaff location with displays and events all year round.
Also along Ft.Valley Road, you’ll find the Pioneer Museum, sponsored and maintained by the Arizona Historical Society. Built in 1908, the building that houses the museum was originally the Coconino County Hospital and some antique medical equipment makes for some of the interesting displays. In front of the museum, you’ll see a 1929 Baldwin articulated locomotive and a Santa Fe Railroad caboose. North of the Pioneer Museum, is the Coconino Center for the Arts, home of Flagstaff Cultural Partners. The 4000 sq. ft. gallery and 200-seat auditorium are the site of many diverse exhibits and cultural events for the Flagstaff community, and all of Northern Arizona. The Coconino Center of the Arts is also available for rent for private events. Tucked back in the pine trees off of Ft. Valley road, you’ll find The Peaks Senior Living Center. The Peaks offers independent living for senior citizens as well as a full-continuum of care for those in later life.
Next to The Peaks Senior Living Center is the Flagstaff Arts and Leadership Academy, a charter school for Flagstaff citizens at the other end of life. This school is about to move a bit further north into new buildings under construction in the Cheshire neighborhood. But FALA is not the only school in the Coconino Estates neighborhood. Flagstaff High, Flagstaff’s first public high school is grouped at the south end of Coconino Estates with Flagstaff Middle Schooland Marshall Magnet Elementary School. Along Ft. Valley Road, you’ll also find Sechrist Elementary School. Coconino Estates is a great neighborhood for children to walk and bike to school from home!
The Flagstaff Urban Trail System passes through Coconino Estates near the Rio de Flag and the city playing fields and Thorpe Park. One of the highlights of the south end of the area is the Frances Short Pond (aka in the neighborhood as “The Duck Pond”). Check out the full gallery of pictures from the neighborhood by clicking here.
Each year at the holidays, the Coconino Estates neighbors place luminaria and invite all comers to walk and drive the neighborhood for this traditional celebration.
In addition to the older, original homes, the Coconino Estates neighborhood of Flagstaff includes some newer homes on the western-most area along Rockridge Road. There are also a few newer homes scattered in the older sections, where the original homes have been gutted and new homes built in their places. Many of the older homes have been updated, remodeled, expanded and generally spiffed to improve their value without being completely torn down. And, since many of the original homes were block construction, they are solidly built.
This is a popular Flagstaff neighborhood for residence and investment so there is often little on the market – people who buy, stay. If you’d like to search for a Flagstaff home in the Coconino Estates neighborhood of Flagstaff, use the “Search MLS” connection from our Flagstaff real estate website and search for “Region 10” “Area 125.” Or, if you’d like a full-featured list of Coconino Estates homes for sale, contact us for Client Portal Access to MLS.