moving.where to go phoenix or tucson (Scottsdale, Chandler: environment, showing)

[Clnconcpts]

My wife and i are moving to arizona.Where should we go phoenix or tucson?

what areas do you recommend in those two cities?

[tucsondesertdweller]

Without knowing what you are looking for or your circumstances, etc, hard to give you an opinion.
Career or job wise I would say go to the Phoenix area.

[Clnconcpts]

Originally Posted by tucsondesertdweller

Without knowing what you are looking for or your circumstances, etc, hard to give you an opinion.
Career or job wise I would say go to the Phoenix area.

We are looking for the "best area".example lowest crime.Is phoenix a better area or is tucson?
Nicest community.

[Calinative]

It depends on where you live in either area, as every city has good/bad areas. Phoenix does have a lot of crime and I am not certain, but would venture to say that Tucson has it's fair share - all relative, as Phoenix has a larger population. Tucson is greener and said to be about 10 degrees cooler (little higher elevation). The Ahwatukee Foothills in Phoenix is a really nice master-plan community - would recommend that. Also the Phoenix (East Valley) suburbs of Chandler & Gilbert are great communities... don't have any info on Tucson areas.

[Ponderosa]

It would still be helpful to know how you define "better". I lived in Tucson and now live in Phoenix area. To me, Tucson advantages are the smaller population and the nicer desert areas. Otherwise, for most people, Phoenix is the city of choice and the population trends reflect that. Phoenix has a much better job market, better pay, looks nicer because Phx has ample water for landscaping where Tucson has water problems. Phoenix traffic bad as it is, is much better than Tucson because there are no cross-town freeways in the Tucson area despite the population size. Tucson and Pima county are dominated by liberal, pro-immigrant councils where Phoenix is more conservative. Tax rates reflect those attitudes. Gas is cheaper in Tucson, water is cheaper in Phoenix. Tucson has the UofA which is highly respected. Phoenix has ASU which used to have good sports teams and now doesn't have much academically or athletically (I am a Uofa alum so some bias may be showing there). Outdoor activities are better in Phoenix as it has nearby reservoirs and is closer to Arizona's central mountains and pines. Tucson has better air quality but both places have serious particulate pollution problems. Crime is about the same on average and the patterns are the same. Violent crime is very low in affluent areas, high in the barrios. Non-violent crime is relatively high in both places - lots of car thefts and home burglaries. Phoenix has much better shopping if you are willing to drive to it. Both Tucson and Phoenix have symphonies, opera, theatre, museums and art. Everything in Tucson, it seems, has to have a Spanish name - Phoenix is getting that way.

If you need a job, like to go to the lakes and mountains on weekends, want some water-loving plants or grass in your yard, and like shopping in upscale stores and malls, then pick Phoenix. If you like your air a little cleaner, your landscape a little more like the desert it is, want your friends to think you live in the "old west", like Mexican food, don't mind lots of traffic signals, and want a better "quality of life" without the rat-race feel of a major city, then Tucson is your town.

[Clnconcpts]

Originally Posted by Ponderosa

It would still be helpful to know how you define "better".

How do you want me to describe as in better.
We want a more upscale area.Dont want to be near the slum"ghetto" what areas in phoenix and tucson are the nicer areas to live in?Give me some ideas of how you want me to answer your question?

[tucsondesertdweller]

Well for me, better meant not as big as Phoenix, better meant the Tucson area at least in the past, tried to embrace the desert environment, etc, not so anymore.
Each area I am sure nicer area's and nicer developments.
Give us a hint as to what you are looking for, be more specific.'
Why not spend a little time visiting each area, the Phoenix area and the Tucson area, then narrow it down.
If you are looking for a bigger city and more career job opportunities, go to the Phoenix area.

[Clnconcpts]

Originally Posted by tucsondesertdweller

Well for me, better meant not as big as Phoenix, better meant the Tucson area at least in the past, tried to embrace the desert environment, etc, not so anymore.
Each area I am sure nicer area's and nicer developments.
Give us a hint as to what you are looking for, be more specific.'
Why not spend a little time visiting each area, the Phoenix area and the Tucson area, then narrow it down.
If you are looking for a bigger city and more career job opportunities, go to the Phoenix area.

we are leaving cali.To me it doesnt matter if I live in a bigger city as phoenix or the more rural tuscon.I Dont want to make a mistake and buy in an area that is flooded by hoodlums.Let me ask like this.
What areas are more considered like beverly hills in ca?More middle to upper class.
We are looking in the mls for homes and dont want to pick an area close to the slums.I understand the whole area has bad crime,but there has to be areas with very little crime.
Im not asking if phoenix is better then tucson.Im asking what are the better areas in phoenix and what are the better areas in tucson?

[Ponderosa]

Well first of all, Tucson is not "rural". It is urban sprawl just like Phoenix. There is just not as much of it. Secondly, the crime is not bad in the entire area. There are bad parts of town and the vast majority of violent crime is confined to those areas. There are too many good parts free of hoodlums in either city to start enumerating them. Just spend $400k or more for your house. You will be in a nice area with low crime. It's as simple as that. Generally speaking, North Scottsdale is the wealthiest part of Phoenix metro (and Arizona). You'll need $600K or more - maybe much more - to get into that area. Chump change by Cali standards.

[eddie gein]

When I moved to Arizona I had to make the same choice. I chose Tucson.

Tucson has more of an Arizona/sw feel than Phoenix which seems more like a Cali town. Tucson sits right at the base of four mountain ranges and is full of rugged desert terrain and the saguaro cacti. Phoenix sits in the middle of a lot larger valley and it is flatter. Phoenix is much greener because of irrigation. Phoenix is also much hotter and more humid.

In a nutshell, Phoenix is more cosmopolitan while Tucson still remains a college town albeit a very large one. When you visit you will see the difference between the two. As far as the parts of town that are desirable, I would say that in Phoenix it is east and southeast (although there are some nice places north and west) while Tucson is nicest north/northwes toward the Catalina foothills and east toward the Rincon mountains.

I think most of the information on this thread has been good and accurate.