Tucson: The Ugliest City in The West? (Phoenix, Yuma: crime rates, mobile home)

[irwin]

Originally Posted by mortimer

irwin mused:

> Too bad they built the major cities in Arizona in ugly, brown,
> ungodly hot places.

Do you mean Phoenix and Tucson?

Sorry, those places were *not* "ugly, brown" back in those days. Phoenix had the Salt River flowing through it 24x7x365 surrounded by a river bosque and nearby there was the Gila River doing the same thing. Those rivers were dammed/diverted and the bosque shriveled up and died.

The same goes for Tucson:
Tucson Weekly : Currents : A River Ran Through It

For clues as to what it used to look like go see Albuquerque as it exists today.

Also, without the massive amount of irrigation and influx of population, the natural desert environment was not as opressively hot and cooled off at night every night.

I'm not making judgements about good/bad here, only saying that the location picked was not as harsh as it is today.

Also, not everyone thinks that the desert is ugly as so many who curiously move to Phoenix and Tucson (and Albuquerque) seem to think. Life is too short to live in a place you find nasty. People should move somewhere more to their liking.

I already left. But I do see why some people move to the desert of Arizona. It is an interesting place and strangely appealing at first. But after about 6 months the whole novelty of the place wears off.

Perhaps the area in and around central and southern Arizona was pretty back in the day. From the pictures I have seen, it was still pretty brown and lacking in trees. Even in uninhabited undeveloped places outside of the metro areas it is pretty much the same.

I understand some people like the desert. Some people like the Sahara as well but most like green and trees. I think even in places like Phoenix people deep down really like the green grass and trees, since so many people out there plant grass in their yards and bring in trees, all at a VERY high cost in water.

[azhiker]

Originally Posted by irwin

I already left. But I do see why some people move to the desert of Arizona. It is an interesting place and strangely appealing at first. But after about 6 months the whole novelty of the place wears off.

Perhaps the area in and around central and southern Arizona was pretty back in the day. From the pictures I have seen, it was still pretty brown and lacking in trees. Even in uninhabited undeveloped places outside of the metro areas it is pretty much the same.

I understand some people like the desert. Some people like the Sahara as well but most like green and trees. I think even in places like Phoenix people deep down really like the green grass and trees, since so many people out there plant grass in their yards and bring in trees, all at a VERY high cost in water.

If you are entirely leaving out the mountains, (the sky islands), then I might be inclined to agree that just the flat desert landscape would be pretty bleak, but having lived there (for more than 6 months without the charm wearing off), it's NOT all flat, and the closer you get to the mountains, the greener the terrain. There are the beautiful Catalinas, the Rincons, the Chiricahuas, and a good number of other mountain ranges as well. Clearly, it's not your cup of tea, but I thought it was beautiful. Loved the dry weather, the beautiful mountains, the magnificent sunsets, the wide open spaces.

The Sonoran desert is a much different landscape than the Sahara, or even the desert around Vegas, which more closely resembles the lunar landscape.

This really is a to each his own sort of thing. It's good that you've moved on since you didn't like it. I've lived all up and down the east coast, and I'd take Tucson any day of the week. Different strokes.

And a little tangential comment on the "good" areas of Tucson. For me it's not a class sort of thing. It's about proximity to the mountains, and for me, the closer it is to the mountains the nicer Tucson looks, so yeah, we're talking Foothills and NE, and Oro Valley, in my humble opinion.

In fact, when I used to live right up at Kolb and Sunrise, sometimes just coming out of the Basha's up there near the hour of sunset, and to see the mountains so close and beautiful made me really feel privilaged to live there.

But the desert ain't for everybody.

[irwin]

Originally Posted by azhiker

If you are entirely leaving out the mountains, (the sky islands), then I might be inclined to agree that just the flat desert landscape would be pretty bleak, but having lived there (for more than 6 months without the charm wearing off), it's NOT all flat, and the closer you get to the mountains, the greener the terrain. There are the beautiful Catalinas, the Rincons, the Chiricahuas, and a good number of other mountain ranges as well. Clearly, it's not your cup of tea, but I thought it was beautiful. Loved the dry weather, the beautiful mountains, the magnificent sunsets, the wide open spaces.

The Sonoran desert is a much different landscape than the Sahara, or even the desert around Vegas, which more closely resembles the lunar landscape.

This really is a to each his own sort of thing. It's good that you've moved on since you didn't like it. I've lived all up and down the east coast, and I'd take Tucson any day of the week. Different strokes.

And a little tangential comment on the "good" areas of Tucson. For me it's not a class sort of thing. It's about proximity to the mountains, and for me, the closer it is to the mountains the nicer Tucson looks, so yeah, we're talking Foothills and NE, and Oro Valley, in my humble opinion.

In fact, when I used to live right up at Kolb and Sunrise, sometimes just coming out of the Basha's up there near the hour of sunset, and to see the mountains so close and beautiful made me really feel privilaged to live there.

But the desert ain't for everybody.

I did say most of the area is generally pretty bland and ugly. Some of the mountains, those around Tuscon more than those around Phoenix, are nice at the top. Again, those areas are green and have trees.

Sadly though, most of the major cities are located in the flat valleys and even the suburbs that run up along the mountain are still pretty squarely situated in the desert ecosystem.

Anyway, to each his own but given the number of people who continue to attempt to plant green grass and non-desert trees, I think that most people like green and more of an alpine "look" if not the alpine "climate."

[mysticaltyger]

Originally Posted by Steve-o

I think Phoenix is far uglier than Tucson, setting wise, but Tucson is uglier in regards to man-made things. Tucson was unimpressive to the utmost extreme, but I dont think its the ugliest in the west. Id say that honor goes to Nogales, AZ or Gallup, NM.

I used to live in Tucson from 1988-1994. The natural setting is gorgeous. I never got over that. But the man made stuff is awful. Few sidewalks. Cinderblock houses (UGGH. HOW DREADFUL!). People parking in their front yards (which consisted of gray gravel or bare dirt--yuck!). And how about all those above ground utility poles (ick!)

I've been back a few times and it hasn't changed much except that it's gotten bigger and the beautiful foothills area is now tragically overbuilt.

[Synopsis]

Originally Posted by eric351982

I am a native Californian who grew up in Portland, Oregon. I've been in Tucson for a year so my partner can earn his masters degree at the U of A. I grew up lower middle class and don't have an ounce of snobbery in me, but I just can't swallow the sprawling nothingness of Tucson. The sprawl is sprawling away from nothing, just sprawling further (or nearer?) to the next Walgreens or Frys? My only frame of reference for a city like this is Bakersfield, CA or Fresno, CA. If they held a contest for the ugliest, worst planned city in the country, my vote would go for my temporary home of Tucson, Arizona.

I've never been to Tucson but I just pulled these images off the Internet at random. It looks pretty to me. I couldn't stand the weather, but love desert scenery.

[Steve-o]

Originally Posted by Synopsis

I've never been to Tucson but I just pulled these images off the Internet at random. It looks pretty to me. I couldn't stand the weather, but love desert scenery.

Like I stated earlier, the mountains are nice (especially when covered in snow), but the manmade stuff is hideously ugly. The downtown is ugly, the old homes are putrid, etc. Its a shame that Tucson couldnt have been like North Scottsdale, in touch with the desert, not destroying it. But I will say that Tucson doesnt destroy as much desert as Phoenix, thats just a crime!

[Synopsis]

I've always enjoyed desert scenery. I guess it has something to do with the sunshine and rocks. I love that first pic with the setting sun hitting the mountainside - it's just beautiful.

[Steve-o]

Originally Posted by Synopsis

I've always enjoyed desert scenery

Me too, immensely. It just royally sucks to stare at it in awe, then turn around and see a smog-covered city sitting in the middle of it, with bulldozers plowing down Saguaros, yuccas, prickly pear, creosote, etc, to make room for more ugly homes that will only create more smog and traffic and waste more precious water. Ugh. Mankind is retarded sometimes.

[mdtoaz]

They definitely like their house farms around here. One thing that totally bugs me is the amount of shopping carts I see randomly strewn everywhere. That, and the graffiti.

[sierraAZ]

Originally Posted by Steve-o

Me too, immensely. It just royally sucks to stare at it in awe, then turn around and see a smog-covered city sitting in the middle of it, with bulldozers plowing down Saguaros, yuccas, prickly pear, creosote, etc, to make room for more ugly homes that will only create more smog and traffic and waste more precious water. Ugh. Mankind is retarded sometimes.

I don't think smog is any issue in Tucson... surprised you do...