Sedona, AZ

God may have created the Grand Canyon, a local once said, but he moved south to Sedona, Ariz., to live. And if that’s the case, the pace of change in Sedona must keep him hopping.

From a fledgling farming community in the 1950s, Sedona has emerged as a magnet for tourists and artists that some say is rapidly becoming a high-desert version of Aspen.

Ironically, what draws growth to Sedona also limits it. The city is landlocked, not only by buttes and, to the north, the chasm of Oak Creek Canyon, but also by the Coconino National Forest. Public land surrounds Sedona and accounts for about half of its 19 incorporated square miles. By some estimates, around 70 percent of available land has been developed. A population that has doubled to 10,300 in the last 20 years figures to reach saturation at 15,000 in the next 20 years.

“I think there’s a recognition that we’re stewards of a great treasure,” says Michael Raber, the city’s long-range planner. “Our economy emphasizes keeping the natural environment the way it is as much as possible, because that’s the reason people come here.”

City ordinances work to that end. An absence of neighborhood streetlighting helps keep the night sky as pristine as possible. Stipulations govern not only the height of buildings but also whether their appearance blends with the natural background.

For an introduction to the area, it’s hard to beat the meandering ride down Oak Creek Canyon. From a scenic lookout at its northern end to the city itself, this cleft along a geological fault line drops from 6,500 feet to 4,200 feet. The world’s largest stand of ponderosa pine gives way to lush vegetation along the gurgling waters. Nine species of oak grow here, and each season paints a distinct picture: an occasional carpet of snow in winter, brilliant leaves in the fall, and an explosion of birds and flowers through much of the year.

No wonder this was a haven for Yavapai and Apache Indians before they were replaced in the 1870s by some of the area’s first American settlers. Around the turn of the century, a Pennsylvania couple settled at the mouth of the canyon. Carl Schnebly gave his name to a scenic dirt road, while his wife, Sedona, went one better and gave hers to the town.

For more proof of growth and its rapid pace, there is the Sedona Arts Center. Six years after building a visitors center uptown, the board of directors is looking for bigger premises.

“We fill a nice niche between the gift shops and high-end galleries,” says the center’s administrative director, Debbie Winslow, observing that business has gone from seasonal to year-round. “We have the emerging artists.”

The crown jewel of a shopping experience that ranges from outlet stores and gift shops to exclusive art galleries is Tlaquepaque, an assembly of businesses with a Mexican architectural influence.

“Sedona’s art market is much more varied now,” says Don Pierson, president of El Prado Galleries in Tlaquepaque. “It used to be all Indians and cowboys. I would say that 90 percent of everything we sell goes out of state. It isn’t just visitors. It’s national.”

Adding to Sedona’s reputation are its so-called vortexes—areas believed by some to emit spiritual energy. Exponents focus on four vortex sites—at Bell Rock, Boynton Canyon, Airport Mesa, and Red Rock Crossing/Cathedral Rock.

To realtor Wendy Jacobsen, however, it’s quite clear what draws people to the area: the wondrous red rock formations, plus an increasingly sophisticated cultural life—the latter recently enhanced by a new performing arts park.

After moving from Chicago three years ago, Jacobsen professes to be “ga-ga about the place” and lauds the friendliness and ease of getting around and parking.

“It’s like a college town for adults,” she adds. “Everyone around here is playful and lighthearted. It attracts adventurous people.”

Andrew Means is a freelance writer from Phoenix, Ariz.

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