Maybe moving from memphis to tucson (Catalina Foothills, Oro Valley: crime rate, loans, houses)

[Memphis Mom of three]

Does anyone have any advice for me and my family ( I'm married with 3 children 6,5, and 18 months). We may have an opportunity to move to Tucson from Memphis. This will be an absolute culture shock for us, as we have not lived anywhere but the south. How are schools? What about crime? Good neighborhoods? Activities for children. Any advice would help.

[sierraAZ]

Originally Posted by Memphis Mom of three

Any advice would help.

Yep! Read the forum. All of these general topics have been discussed many times.

[michael krotchie]

Some Tucson Attractions, malls, and school info

Crime statistics website link

[ecloebl]

As others have noted, the answers to your specific questions are all over this forum. Just let me say that we moved to Tucson from Little Rock, just down the road from Memphis. Needless to say, we have never regretted making this move. Escaping from the bible belt was the smartest thing we have ever done.

[jjbradleynyc]

Where you live in Tucson, will depend on your budget, of course. If you are looking to buy, you can purchase a home with as little as $100,000--but the neighborhood may not be what you are looking for in terms of quality. Tucson is a sprawling city with a beautifully gorgeous backdrop of stunning mountains and desert life. You'll be shocked at the wide, open skies, the clear days (avg of about 330 sunny days per year), the gorgeous sunsets, and the laid-back lifestyle. As compared to the south, the humidity is mostly gone (except for the Jul/Aug "monsoon" season), the in-your-face religion is gone, and the southwestern and Mexican food in Tucson is absolutely delicious.
I lived in Tucson for almost 8 years--from 1990 until 1998. I still would love to retire there.

[jenml]

Don't move to the area if it is considered the South, Southwest, or Central part of town. The schools are bad and crime is higher in those areas.

Stick with North (Oro Valley), Northwest, Northeast (Foothills), East, and Southeast (Vail/Rita Ranch) sides of town. West parts are pretty nice (not my first choice though) too as long as you stay more North.

I personnally grew up in SW and NW. I was basically tortured as a kid on SW side of town but when we moved to NW side of town life was sooo much better for me! Houses are much cheaper on South side, but you will not be happy or feel totally safe.

I love the NW side of town! We actually live in Marana which is nice out here too, but we are in a part where we are at least 10-15 minutes from everything. I'd reccommend NW but not as far out as actual Marana. I've also lived on the East side, lots of people LOVE It over there! It just doesnt feel like "home" to me cause I never lived there as a kid.


Great Great school districts ~ Catalina Foothills & Vail
Good school districts ~ Most of Marana and some of Amphi (like Oro Valley Schools in fact some of those I'd consider great schools in Oro Valley)
Stay away from ~ Sunnyside, TUSD and some Amphi schools(more centrally located schools no good)

Flowing Wells School district I only am aware of Flowing Wells High School being known for a pretty good school. As far as the rest of the FW district I dont know too much.

[sierraAZ]

Originally Posted by jenml

Don't move to the area if it is considered the South, Southwest, or Central part of town. The schools are bad and crime is higher in those areas.

I pretty much second that. Some parts of Central are very nice (and very expensive), though. There are also many Central areas that are very peaceful, safe, with big yards, and lots of mature vegetation. It's kinda iffy - definitely stay away from Grant & Alvernon. I personally don't like most of the old houses and they don't usually have garages. Since car theft is common in Tucson, I'd rather have a garage.

I've also lived on the East side, lots of people LOVE It over there! It just doesnt feel like "home" to me cause I never lived there as a kid.

I'm one of those people. Same to me. There are other nice areas in town, but I'm just not used to them since I've always lived and worked on the East side.

In short, if you see a high concentration of payday loans, checks cashed, Western Union offices around, you probably don't wanna live there if you don't have to.

[Memphis Mom of three]

Thanks for the advice. It is so nice to get an insiders point of view. Schools are a main priority for us. Being from Memphis we are well aware of "bad areas" and not so good schools.

[seeking mom]

Hello,
We are also thinking about relocating to the Tucson area, specifically the Catalina foothills area.Can you tell me more about that specific area? Is it mostly retired individuals? is the crime high in that area? Also, does the crime rate in the Tucson area spill into the Catalina area? I don't know how to access the forum yet but Im learning so any information would be great!
thanks again!

[psulions2007]

I live in the Catalina Foothills and it is a great area. It's a quiet suburbia with a lot of amenities....snuggled against a gorgeous mountain and city skyline view.

CFHS I know is one of the best....if not the best...high schools in the state of Arizona. There are a lot of retired individuals but there are also a lot of families. Crime is very low here compared to the rest of Tucson...in fact, the vast majority of places north of the river are great.