If You Don’t Like Bisbee’s Weirdness, You’re Missing Its Best Feature
I love Bisbee. Maybe it's the steep, are-these-really-to-code staircases, the real or imagined ghosts, the old mining shacks clinging precariously to hillsides, or perhaps the motley collection of characters who call it home.
I recently read that someone had the audacity—nay, the hubris—to give Bisbee a one-star review, and I found myself giving the reviewer a one-star review right back.
Reddit is, after all, the wild-wild West of rogue opinions.
One Star For Being Shocked That Bisbee Is Bisbee
One reviewer on Niche said he couldn't wait to leave town. He had the audacity to describe the residents as “mean,” and claimed the “place lacked acceptance.” Did this guy even get out of his car, or did he just drive up Main Street??
Another complained about the town's drama and eccentric personalities. I mean, yeah, but this is part of the charm, in my never-so-humble opinion.
My review of those reviewers?
⭐☆☆☆☆
“Visited one of Arizona's most famously quirky towns and was disappointed to discover quirky people.” Expectations may have been set incorrectly. I reject your opinion and substitute my own.
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One Star For Complaining About Characters
Anyone who spends more than ten minutes in Bisbee knows the town runs almost entirely on artists, musicians, buskers, storytellers, retirees, dreamers, and people who look like they walked out of a vintage postcard and a second-hand shop at the same time.
Visitors on Reddit regularly describe the town as eccentric, scenic, fun, and full of unusual personalities. Don’t threaten me with a good time. This all goes into my “plus” column.
Complaining about that is like reviewing a cactus and being upset it's pointy.
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One Star For Missing The Point
Fine, I’ll grant you this: Bisbee isn't for everyone. It's old. It's weird. The houses are funky. The streets are narrow. The conversations can run right off the rails.
Visitors like to mention the quirky nightlife, offbeat vibe, and collection of unique characters.
That's not a bug. That's the feature.
READ: The History of Copper in Bisbee
Five Stars From Me
You can get “normal” anywhere. I love Bisbee because it refuses to be normal.
The people are awesomely memorable, the stories are bizarre, and every visit feels like I’ve tumbled down the rabbit hole into someone’s wonderfully weird dream.
It occurs to me that the mere fact that I’m lauding the virtues of Bisbee’s weird and wonderful might underscore that I, in fact, fit in perfectly. Honestly, I'm probably earning my own one-star review right now, and I'm strangely proud of it.
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