Holbrook, Arizona

Life in Holbrook, Arizona, explained by people who’ve lived in Holbrook:

*Response format = Answer (Your name, How long you’ve lived in Holbrook)

Holbrook Favorites

What’s your favorite thing about living in Holbrook?

Small community that cares, your actions make big waves. (Colleen, 2 years)
The culture. (Shyann, 2 years)
El Rancho Restaurant and Wonderful people and friends. (Charlotte, 6 years)
At the time I was growing up their kids felt safe to be out with their friends at night walking around town. (DiAnne, 7 years)
The people. (Sheri, 7 years)
The people. (Sue, 7 years)
No traffic. (Tom, 7 years)
It has train tracks and trains. (Aden, 9 years)
Small town, playing outside. (Ann, 12 years)
The people, and sense of community. I love being a Roadrunner. (Kathi, 21 years)
I like the small-town feel. (Anonymous, 23 years)
Don’t live there now. (Lisa, 23 years)
How neighbors will reach out to help each other if you ever need it. (Albert, 25 years)
Knowing everybody. (Anonymous, 30 years)
The people. (Connie, 35 years)
People. (Mike, 35 years)
Love the community always looking out for each other. (Amanda, 37 years)
Friends. (Anonymous, 60 years)
Family. (Anadee, 65 years)

Holbrook Least Favorites

What’s your least favorite thing about living in Holbrook?

Lack of amenities and medical facilities/specialists. (Colleen, 2 years)
The heat. (Shyann, 2 years)
Wind. (Charlotte, 6 years)
There was not a lot to do there. (DiAnne, 7 years)
Not enough shopping. (Sheri, 7 years)
Homeowners/renters who don’t take care of their property. (Tom, 7 years)
It’s old. (Aden, 9 years)
No Costco. (Ann, 12 years)
That it’s dying. (Kathi, 21 years)
The people in charge trying to keep new business from coming in. (Anonymous, 23 years)
No commerce. (Lisa, 23 years)
There is nothing to do for pre- teens or teenagers entertainment is very limited. (Albert, 25 years)
Clicks. Everybody knows what you do. (Anonymous, 30 years)
Buildings are run down. (Connie, 35 years)
Wind. (Mike, 35 years)
The lack of employment and lack of retail business including grocery stores. (Amanda, 37 years)
People who don’t maintain their property. Trash everywhere. (Anonymous, 60 years)
Pot holes. (Anadee, 65 years)

Holbrook Things To Do

What are fun things to do in Holbrook?

Eat out at the restaurants, see movies at the Roxy, watch the sunset, play bunco with friends, go walking in the dunes. (Colleen, 2 years)
Too many to count. (Shyann, 2 years)
Eat at El Rancho. (Charlotte, 6 years)
I may not be right for this survey. I lived there a long time ago. (DiAnne, 7 years)
Community events. (Sheri, 7 years)
Taking laps. (Sue, 7 years)
Golf course is a good place. Navajo County museum. (Tom, 7 years)
Go to the court house museum, going to the pool. (Aden, 9 years)
Finding arrowheads, playing outside, climbing the rocks. (Ann, 12 years)
As a teenager we would take laps. We played a lot of kick the can. I like the county Fair. (Kathi, 21 years)
There really isn’t a lot but it’s a good central location for everything else. (Anonymous, 23 years)
Not really sure. Oh, fishing and hunting. (Albert, 25 years)
Rodeo time. (Anonymous, 30 years)
School events, Bucket of Blood Run, Oktoberfest, our Christmas events. (Connie, 35 years)
Target shooting High School Sports. (Mike, 35 years)
Summer: swim. Winter: stay warm. (Amanda, 37 years)
Coffee. (Anonymous, 60 years)
Nothing back then but now they have better activities. (Anadee, 65 years)

Holbrook’s Reputation

What’s Holbrook known for?

Route 66! Historic courthouse, bucket of blood saloon, gateway to Petrified Forest, cute/kitschy dinosaur sculptures, painted desert views. We also have annual special events like the Navajo County Rodeo, Route 66 Festival and Car Show, Hashknife Pony Express, the Festival of Trees and Parade of Lights. (Colleen, 2 years)
Route 66. (Shyann, 2 years)
Tee Pee Motel. (Charlotte, 6 years)
It was an old west horse trading town with saloons. (DiAnne, 7 years)
Route 66. (Sheri, 7 years)
Navajo County and Hashknives. (Sue, 7 years)
Being run down and dirty per people I have talked to in surrounding towns. (Tom, 7 years)
Route 66. (Aden, 9 years)
Being next to the Petrified Forest. (Ann, 12 years)
The teepee, the good people that live there. (Kathi, 21 years)
The old west. (Anonymous, 23 years)
Route 66. (Lisa, 23 years)
Route 66 and the movie Cars, Pony Express and I’m sure many other things. (Albert, 25 years)
Wind. (Anonymous, 30 years)
Bucket of Blood, Geronimo, APS, great schools. (Connie, 35 years)
Wonderful people. (Mike, 35 years)
Petrified forest and the painted desert. (Amanda, 37 years)
Being a “dirty” town with trash blowing around. Windy town. (Anonymous, 60 years)
Not having enough stores. (Anadee, 65 years)

Holbrook Crime

What’s the crime like in Holbrook? (hot spot areas, etc.)

We’re pretty isolated from it where we live in government housing, but we’ve had a few things stolen from porches and garages. (Colleen, 2 years)
Lots of drunks and homeless people. (Shyann, 2 years)
Didn’t experience crime when I live there. (Charlotte, 6 years)
I don’t know this. My mom still lives there and swears the crime is bad. (DiAnne, 7 years)
Average- lots of drunks. (Sheri, 7 years)
None. Maybe my parents poolhall. (Sue, 7 years)
Moderate. Drunks in alleys, dogs running loose, lack of traffic enforcement by police, people running stop signs and driving too fast. (Tom, 7 years)
Small. (Aden, 9 years)
Horrible at hunt Park but not too bad anywhere else. (Anonymous, 23 years)
I really haven’t lived there for years but I know keeping up with family still living there they say drugs are running ramped at this time. (Albert, 25 years)
Very little. (Connie, 35 years)
Very little. (Mike, 35 years)
Not too bad but keep an eye out because someone is always drunk or high. (Amanda, 37 years)
Fairly good crime rate thanks to the HPD. (Anonymous, 60 years)
Drugs. (Anadee, 65 years)

Holbrook Advice

Any advice for people moving to Holbrook?

Embrace the small-town life. The grocery store is one of the great “watering holes” so plan for your grocery trips to take 2-3x longer than normal because you’ll run into all your neighbors and friends. My suggestion is to find a place to get involved and outdoors. We have awesome parks, lots of churches and community service groups, a no-kill animal shelter, girl scouts and boy scouts, 4H, Kiwanis. We are a community that cares, and you can make big waves with your actions here. (Colleen, 2 years)
It’s not a great place to raise kids anymore. (DiAnne, 7 years)
Get involved with the community. (Sheri, 7 years)
Get to know the people. (Sue, 7 years)
Only move here if you really have to. (Tom, 7 years)
There a lot of stray cats. (Aden, 9 years)
Get involved with the community and learn to love the people. (Ann, 12 years)
Get involved in the community. (Kathi, 21 years)
When you think of Mayberry you think of Holbrook. Slower pace, good neighbors, you know everyone, and everyone knows you. (Albert, 25 years)
No place to really shop. Online or drive somewhere else. (Anonymous, 30 years)
Get to know the people. (Connie, 35 years)
Join a church. (Mike, 35 years)
Get to know your neighbors they will be your biggest advocates and watch out for your family and property. (Amanda, 37 years)
Keep your property clean please. (Anonymous, 60 years)
Good luck. (Anadee, 65 years)

Holbrook Stories

Share an experience you’ve had in Holbrook (fun, crazy, dangerous, etc.).

My favorite memories of Holbrook so far are the times spent outdoors and with the community at town festivals. One of the best evenings in the last two years was the live music show in front of the courthouse. That, and walking around the fair booths and carnival rides with my family and friends at the county fair. (Colleen, 2 years)
Loved teaching at Jr High School and my students. (Charlotte, 6 years)
I liked running behind the mosquito truck. (DiAnne, 7 years)
Love the summer festivals. (Sheri, 7 years)
HHS football games wrestling. The Dairy queen. September fair. Horse races. (Sue, 7 years)
Christmas parades are nice, July 4th fireworks are great. (Tom, 7 years)
Meeting friends. The people are friendly. (Aden, 9 years)
My parents built a motel in Holbrook and I used to find petrified wood in the alleys. I would then wash them up and sell them to the hotel visitors. (Ann, 12 years)
Growing up in Holbrook the 70s was great. (Lisa, 23 years)
I met the love of my life there 48 years ago and we are still going strong. (Albert, 25 years)
Draggin’ from Dairy Queen to Wayside, turning around and do it again. In the 50’s. (Anonymous, 30 years)
The community is quick to stand up for each other. (Connie, 35 years)
Christmas Parades. Old West Days. (Mike, 35 years)
Born and raised. No longer there. (Anadee, 65 years)

Holbrook’s Future

How do you think Holbrook will change over the next 10 years?

Holbrook will grow in the next 10 years. New businesses are opening right and left. We have a bunch of beautiful and funky historic buildings that are cheap to buy and renovate. This DIY, Fixer-upper surge will really help restore the glory of Route 66 in our town. New leadership in the city will mean more creative approaches to today’s challenges. (Colleen, 2 years)
It appears to be going downhill. Just the old people are staying (my mom). (DiAnne, 7 years)
Hopefully new businesses will come in. (Sheri, 7 years)
I hope it grows. (Sue, 7 years)
it probably won’t. neighborhood will continue to deteriorate. (Tom, 7 years)
If it stays the way, it is then it isn’t looking good I see it declining. (Anonymous, 23 years)
I’m hoping that people living there will realize what a gem of a town they can have if they modernize the way it looks and clean up the town. (Albert, 25 years)
Stay the same. (Anonymous, 30 years)
Holbrook never changes. (Connie, 35 years)
Grow smaller as APS leaves. (Mike, 35 years)
I doubt it will unfortunately. (Amanda, 37 years)
Smaller, more trash. Schools going downhill. (Anonymous, 60 years)
It’ll change for the good. (Anadee, 65 years)

Holbrook Facts

Any other interesting facts about Holbrook?

The old courthouse is pretty interesting. (DiAnne, 7 years)
It’s the gateway to the petrified forest. (Sheri, 7 years)
Old West History. (Tom, 7 years)
Lots of deep roots in that town. (Ann, 12 years)
Route 66. (Lisa, 23 years)
The fact that it does run through Route 66, the painted desert, the petrified forest. (Albert, 25 years)
Young people just want out. (Anonymous, 30 years)
30 minutes from the pines, next to the Petrified Forest, cost of living is low and affordable. (Connie, 35 years)
Holbrook and its people are tenacious, and they will endure. (Mike, 35 years)