Patagonia, Arizona
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Patagonia is a town in Santa Cruz County, Arizona, United States. According to 2006 Census Bureau estimates,
the population of the town is 825. Patagonia was formerly a supply center for nearby mines and ranches.
Currently, it is a tourist destination, retirement community and arts & crafts center. The Nature Conservancy's
Patagonia-Sonoita Creek Preserve is adjacent to the town.
As of the census of 2000, there were 881 people, 404 households, and 239 families residing in the town. The population density was 738.7 people per square mile (285.8/km²). There were 498 housing units at an average density of 417.5/sq mi (161.6/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 86.49% White, 0.91% Native American, 0.45% Asian, 10.56% from other races, and 1.59% from two or more races. 39.50% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There were 404 households out of which 22.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 47.0% were married couples living together, 8.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 40.8% were non-families. 35.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 15.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.18 and the average family size was 2.85.
In the town the population was spread out with 20.9% under the age of 18, 5.3% from 18 to 24, 20.3% from 25 to 44, 32.1% from 45 to 64, and 21.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 47 years. For every 100 females there were 87.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 85.9 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $25,795, and the median income for a family was $31,000. Males had a median income of $25,625 versus $24,844 for females. The per capita income for the town was $15,325. About 18.0% of families and 25.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 36.1% of those under age 18 and 17.2% of those age 65 or over.
Now, that said, let's talk about what to do for lunch or dinner in Patagonia.
what would you call a pizza parlor with an eclectic decor that specializes in healthy food choices and whose red sauces originated in Brooklyn, New York, and is run by a very attractive women named Cecilia who hails from Ecuador and who intentionally chose to live in this town of 800+ people?
You would name it the "Velvet Elvis" of course!
From Cecilia's Velvet Elvis website: "Our desire is to respectfully introduce our customers to delicious and healthy dining alternatives, particularly with our homemade vegetarian soups, organic salads and juice bar. We do not compromise our creativity, quality and hard work for the sake of profits because we love what we do (except peeling peppers and shucking garlic)."
So when was the last time you were "respectfully introduced" to a pizza?
OK... I'm sure you failed on your opportunity to guess the name of the pizza parlor, so would you like a chance at redemption?
What prestigious newspaper wrote a feature piece on this sleepy little town? As a bonus question, what was the subject matter? Here's a clue: "Jeff Larkin, a 43-year-old postman in Ireland, spends $10,000 a year in his quest to see...."
That's right! Mr. Larking spends that money to see BIRDS!
Some call Patagonia, Arizona the bird watching capital of the world, and if the prestigious Wall Street Journal adds its two cents, it must be so. So, if your inventory of birds seen is missing that rare white-eared hummingbird, it's time to plan your trip to Patagonia. Here's the complete story: Wild West is Now For the Birds.
And that's it for me. The white-eared Velvet Elvis has left the building.
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