Need info on this area... (Tucson, Parks: wood floors, rental, crime rate)

[famlife]

Hello, could you tell me anything about the area between the university of arizona and i10? north of 6th street, south of speedway. i have a family with small children and was wondering about moving to this neighborhood.

[M.A.]

I would personally never want to live in that area, but everyone is different. It certainly isn't the greatest area in town. Kind of dumpy, but there might be small pockets of decent communities. I'm guessing the crime rate is probably high in that area, but I'm not sure.

[famlife]

Ok.. Just checking! Where would be closeby nice areas I could consider? We are looking at renting for under 1600$/mo

[Bummer]

Originally Posted by famlife

Ok.. Just checking! Where would be closeby nice areas I could consider? We are looking at renting for under 1600$/mo

I'm with M.A. on this one, Famlife . . . you can do better. For $1600 a month, you definitely can do lots better.

Exactly what are you looking for . . . must haves, etc?

[famlife]

Well, I'd like to be within 15 minutes or so from the area I described, but I need it to be safe and clean. We are not opposed to residential suites. Ideally, I'd like to find a small, safe pocket of town with a community feel. Any ideas? I'm not sure if Tucson has exactly what I'm looking for. If not, any suggestions are appreciated. I'd prefer not to live in suburbia if there are reasonable areas in town.

[lorieintucson]

Generally, West and South of the University is where the students rent, and East and North is where the professors live. I wouldn't go North if it were south of Campbell ( i had a friend recently move from there due to two break ins in a year).

You should look at the Sam Hughes or Blenman neighborhood and the surrounding areas to the east and north of the UA (East of Campbell, North of Broadway, South of Glenn, and West of Country Club). You will find a nice park and library with programs at Himmel Park, and there are some very good community schools and Parks and Rec activities in and around this central area of town that will keep the kids busy. There is a lot more diversity (in shopping, schools, restaurants, art & culture, architecture, events) living in the central parts of town, and despite the higher density leading to more chance for crime, i find it preferable to living in a sea of stucco boxes in the master planned communities.

with a rental budget of $1600, you can find a nice home most likely with wood floors, historic details, mature vegetation and plenty of room for your family. Good Luck!

[famlife]

Thanks so much! I'll definitely take a look on google maps and in person when we come out. It may be in just a couple weeks, or it could take till the end of September. The homes you describe sound right up our alley.. Hopefully we can find a nice home that's been kept up with and updated. I have nothing against the newer homes, I actually prefer them most the time but I just am not crazy about being stuck out in box store land.

[Tashinamu8]

I lived in the Sam Hughes neighborhood and as a single middle-aged person decided I was looking for a different experience. I am with Lorieintucson who gave you excellent advice. Also, contact the Ward6 office which is the Councilperson's office for that area. They will be coy about advising you on choices, but can give you some excellent advice on resources. Another good place to start is a local organization called Pro-Neighborhoods. It is a non-profit that provides funding to all the various neighborhoods pretty much within Mid-town to keep healthy, safe, neighborhoods for everyone as these neighborhoods define themselves. If you understand their definitions, then life will be great, if not, I found myself somewhat out-of-sync with the area. I am accustomed to more privacy than I found there. So, if you are very much into being social within your neighborhood, there are many options.

Be safe and well.