Tucson or phoenix for a single 22 year old male? (Mesa: apartment, rent)

[travelingman89]

I have a job that allows me to work at home so where i live does not matter and could move frequently as i want to. Im 22 years old and been living in the dallas metroplex for most of my life and want to move somewhere far and start a new life. I was orginally thinking of moving to phoenix but the apartment that I wanted to didnt have any spaces. I was thinking about moving to Tucson first for 6 months and see how i like it and if i didn't would move to phoenix.

Main thing im looking for these cities are how conducive they are in meeting new people, such as attractions, activities, nightlife, and places to hang out. Reason why i chose the Arizona area is because the rent is reasonable, and I didn't want to move to the midwest. I made my mind up about going to Tucson first, because i want to experience living in different places, instead of going to phoenix and getting a different apartment, plus I found a really good apartment in Tucson.

[azdr0710]

since Phx has 4.5 million people in the metro area and Tucson has 1 million in the metro, I can somewhat seriously say that there will be 4.5 times more of what you want in Phx than in Tucson....

there are many, many early-20-somethings in both areas....ASU is in Phx and the UA is in Tucson....check meetup.com if you don't know it already for groups with similar interests....Tucson is slower-paced and not as action-packed-feeling as Phx, but many like it that way...Phx is very spread-out and a car is king there...some feel Tucson is older and a bit crappier....Tucson is a little cooler in the summer, but colder in the winter....many pros and cons to each place

if you can manage, try staying in each place for a week or two at some "extended-stay"-style motel and explore both areas extensively....walk the popular pedestrian areas, go for a hike, check out neighborhoods at night and on weekends for any noise or similar issues....

lots of things to consider....check out the other threads here

[crazyme4878]

I always liked Tucson better--it always seemed that there were more 20-somethings out and about, more of a scene. However, that said, I utilize Phoenix differently than I did Tucson (I live outside both areas, but would/do travel there to get out, go shopping, etc.). In Tucson, I would always try to make it to 4th Street (or is it Avenue? I can never keep it straight) for lunch/coffee and some local shopping. Sometimes I could make it to a festival. I got the college/post-college feel. I don't know where that is in the Phoenix area. There is Mill Avenue, but it doesn't have the same hip-feel to me as 4th Street. (Key word here is "to me.") I mostly go to the malls in the Tempe and Mesa area, Trader Joes, etc., then try to find some unique ethnic restuarant to eat at.

I hear that clubbing is really big in the Phoenix area, especially around Scottsdale. The feel I get around Tucson is more of the coffee shop vibe, if you know what I mean. If you can easily put yourself in one or the other catergory, then I be more inclined to use that as a guideline.

[SluggoF16]

Originally Posted by crazyme4878

I always liked Tucson better--it always seemed that there were more 20-somethings out and about, more of a scene. However, that said, I utilize Phoenix differently than I did Tucson (I live outside both areas, but would/do travel there to get out, go shopping, etc.). In Tucson, I would always try to make it to 4th Street (or is it Avenue? I can never keep it straight) for lunch/coffee and some local shopping. Sometimes I could make it to a festival. I got the college/post-college feel. I don't know where that is in the Phoenix area. There is Mill Avenue, but it doesn't have the same hip-feel to me as 4th Street. (Key word here is "to me.") I mostly go to the malls in the Tempe and Mesa area, Trader Joes, etc., then try to find some unique ethnic restuarant to eat at.

I hear that clubbing is really big in the Phoenix area, especially around Scottsdale. The feel I get around Tucson is more of the coffee shop vibe, if you know what I mean. If you can easily put yourself in one or the other catergory, then I be more inclined to use that as a guideline.

4th Avenue. Hip and trendy.

In the early 80s I was a 22 year old in Phoenix, and life was good. As a 23 year old I was sent to Tucson for a while courtesy of the USAF. The vibe in Tucson at the time was "sleepier", more laid back. When I moved to Tucson a few years later I would go to Phoenix regularly (my mom still lives there) and the scene was changing rapidly. Scottsdale, my hometown, has changed significantly. Since the OP is from the Metroplex, he'd likely feel more "at home" in Phoenix than Tucson. Other threads have stated that the comparison between Phoenix and Tucson is like Dallas and Fort Worth, with Mesa doubling for Arlington and Scottsdale subbing for the northern suburbs of Grapevine, Bedford, Flower Mound and Westlake/SouthLake/Trophy Club. (I was just at Fort Worth this past week, go there regularly, my boss is at NAS JRB)

For my money, I'd opt for Phoenix. I spent more of my adult life in Tucson than Phoenix but when I visit them, and last year it was over a week in each, it seems that The Valley offers more than The Old Pueblo, unless you factor in Mexican food, and then the gold medal goes to Tucson.

[GSXRScott]

Originally Posted by travelingman89

Im 22 years old and been living in the dallas metroplex for most of my life and want to move somewhere far and start a new life.

Ahh to be young again with ones whole life ahead of them. Your at a good age to do this kind of thing. Live in Phoenix for a couple of years then move to San Francisco for a few years then move to New York for a few years.

Phoenix has all the night life you'd ever want. Ill wager that Phoenix has more bars and restaurants per square mile than just about any other major city in the nation. It'll be really easy to meet people too since just about everyone in Phoenix is from somewhere else. Good luck and safe travels.

[wenchingyu0612]

The feel I get around Tucson is more of the coffee shop vibe, if you know what I mean. If you can easily put yourself in one or the other catergory, then I be more inclined to use that as a guideline.