Bisbee is considered the quirkiest town in Arizona
Bisbee’s home market was the driving force in its transition from a booming copper mining town to a quirky hub for creatives. The area boomed in the 1870s when copper stores were discovered in the canyon. A century later, in the 1970s, the mines were closed. Workers left, leaving entire neighborhoods of empty homes. Young people flocked to Bisbee and swept up the advantageously priced homes, giving the town its hippie culture that still thrives today. “Bisbee is just this small little town, but it has got an amazing culture,” says Realtor Michelle Hagele with Long Realty, a long-time resident of Cochise County. “There’s a strong LGBTQ+ community, a strong biker culture, lots of quirky, artistic people, and they all get along. It’s an amazing place.” This artistic, foodie town is complete with a backdrop of the scenic Mule Mountains at an elevation that maintains cooler temperatures than Arizona’s lower deserts.
Live at the base of the canyon or climb to the top
The city of Bisbee consists of three main areas: Old Bisbee, Warren and San Jose. The overall median home price is about $240,000, but it’s more useful to look at each area individually. First is Old Bisbee, the historic, main part of town built in Tombstone Canyon. Old Bisbee’s cottages, adobe-style and wood-facade homes are typical of the Old West, but their expressive color schemes are unique. Prices range from under $150,000 to over $600,000. The long staircases that lead to homes up the canyon walls are a defining feature of Old Bisbee. The typical rule of thumb is “the more stairs, the lower the price,” while large homes around downtown Old Bisbee are on the higher end of the range. On the south side of the copper mines, homes in Warren and Lowell also range from under $150,000 to over $600,000 for eclectic 1910s mansions. San Jose is to the southwest, built around the Cochise County offices. Its homes can cost $120,000 to $375,000.
Downtown Old Bisbee’s foodie culture
Bisbee’s vibrant artistic and culinary culture radiates from downtown. Some streets may look like a forgotten saloon town, but almost every building is home to a restaurant, bar, boutique, art studio or event space. “Old Bisbee is the cool part of town. It has a real foodie culture,” Hagele says. “Within a small area, you can walk to all these boutiques and restaurants.” In the heart of downtown, around the historic Copper Queen Hotel, there are dive bars like St. Elmo and spots like Bisbee Coffee Company roasting select beans, while Café Roka offers traditional fine dining. The winding streets extend west to more eateries like High Desert Market. Local art is guaranteed to be found on the walls of these establishments. There’s a Safeway in Huachuca Terrace for essentials, about 10 miles south of downtown Bisbee.
Community art installations and stair climbing events
The people of Bisbee make everything community centric. Local art is displayed all over town and on landmark locations like the Art Wall, an ever-changing collective mural between two downtown buildings. Local artists hang their recent canvas paintings and drawings on the wall, reflecting the town’s dynamic art scene. The community gathers for events throughout the year, but none are bigger than the Bisbee 1000 — also called The Great Stair Climb. This unique race celebrates Bisbee’s bounty of stairs. The course takes participants over 4 miles through town, climbing nine staircases that total over 1000 steps.
Colorful park spaces and hiking in the Mule Mountains
Bisbee is dotted with small park spaces. They’re usually equipped with a playground, a bit of grass and some locally painted decorations. These include quirky historical murals and human-sized checkerboards at City Park, cartoon paintings of desert animals at Garfield Park and abstract sculptures at Grassy Park. The surrounding canyon and Mule Mountains provide miles of hiking trails. People can even hike around the old Queen Copper Mine and the Lavender Pit Mine. Cooler temperatures at this elevation allow for comfortable year-round hiking. The mountains become greener during Southeast Arizona's monsoon season. The region receives most of its annual rainfall in these summer months. Warm winds bring these heavy fronts from the West Coast, awakening plant life across the landscape.
The oldest high school football rivalry in Arizona
The Bisbee Unified School District serves local students and earns a C-plus grade from Niche. Kids begin at Greenway Primary School and continue at Lowell Junior High, which both earn a C-plus. All finish at Bisbee High, rated a B-minus. Bisbee High’s baseball team plays at Warren Ballpark. Built in 1909, it’s almost five years older than Chicago’s Wrigley Field. Bisbee’s football rivalry with Douglas High is even older. It’s the oldest rivalry game in Arizona, first played in 1906. The winner gets the Copper Pick Trophy, which has been fought over since being cast in 1944.
The seat of Cochise County
Bisbee has a few larger employers like Copper Queen Community Hospital. It’s also the seat of Cochise County, and the Cochise County offices are in the San Jose community. With the Mexican border just over 10 miles south, many locals work for U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Naco is the nearest crossing, but because Border Patrol agents aren’t allowed to live near the station where they work, most typically commute to the Douglas crossing, less than 30 miles east. Sierra Vista, Cochise County’s most populous city, is 25 miles northwest. It’s home to Fort Huachuca, a prominent U.S. Army base. Tucson is the closest major city, almost 100 miles northwest. Tucson International Airport is the closest major airport.
Photography Contributed By
Piter Beyt
