By 1950, boom times were over and the population of the City of Bisbee had dropped to less than 6,000, but the introduction of strip mining and continued underground work would see the town escape the fate of many of its early contemporaries. However, in 1974-1975, the Phelps Dodge Corporation finally halted mining operations in its massive Bisbee mine, the Lavender Pit.
The resulting exodus of mine employees might have been the end of the town. Still, as the county seat, the city's economy soldiered on. The sudden flood of real estate onto the market and crash in housing prices, coupled with an atractive climate and picturesque scenery, led to Bisbee's subsequent rebirth as an artists' colony. The rediscovery of Bisbee by baby boomers in the 1990s saw it develop a more polished look, complete with coffee shops and live theater. Many of the old houses have been renovated, and property values in Bisbee now greatly exceed those of other Southeastern Arizona cities.
Today, the original city of Bisbee is known as "Old Bisbee," and is home to a thriving downtown cultural scene. Old Bisbee is also noted for its architecture, including its Victorian houses and elegant Art Deco courthouse. The town's hilly terrain is exemplified by the old four-story high school: each floor has a ground-level entrance.
The "City of Bisbee" now includes the historic downtown Bisbee, as well as the geographically spaced but administratively combined satellite towns. Warren's small downtown is economically depressed, but its residential district houses a significant portion of the population and it boasts ownership of many public services including City Hall and the elementary and high schools. San Jose, on the southern side of the Mule Mountains, has seen the most new growth in the last two decades, as it is not restricted by mountains. It hosts many newer county government buildings and a large shopping center.
