Relocating young family to Tucson (crimes, houses, neighborhoods)

[Harrisonmmom]

Hi,
We are your basic all-American suburbia family, 2 boys 5 & 2. We are seriously considering moving to Tucson. We are attracted to the sunshine, & the mid-size, growing city.
Are there many other families there like our demographic, or mainly snowbirds/retirees?
Someone said in an earlier post there's not enough outdoor activities for kids. Do others with kids agree??? Coming from the Seattle area where we are cooped up indoors due to rain, it seems like the sky would be the limit for outdoor activities, except during hot summer months. Are there neighborhoods with community pools / tot lots / club houses, etc?
How about kids activities in general? I searched for a Children's Museum in Tucson and didn't come up with one, but the T-Rex Museum looks neat.
We love good shopping and restaurants with patio seating... think Tucson is the place for us????
Appreciate any thoughts,

[swusresident13yrs]

First, the mexican food doesn't come close to what it should be. Anyone from Mexico, New Mexico, or Texas will tell you this. The locals who know real mexican food don't at most of the "mexican food restaurants". Your only hope for something decent is in the south side (try Mi Nidito's).

Yes it's true that the south side is mostly safe, depending on who you are and what time of day it is. If you are from the south side, then yes. If you are an anglo not familiar with the area, better not go there past dark.

The economy is average, the summers are very hot (be sure to be near a pool) and the traffic in the winter is really bad (snowbirds) Tucson is a town for the older, ready to retire. I wouldn't raise children in Tucson. There isn't much for them to do until they are over 21. Hard crimes aren't that bad,(though it is on the rise) but petty crimes are 70% higher than the avg. city (car theft, break-ins, etc.) Teen pregnancy is one of the highest in the nation, high school drop-out rate is very high, meth use is amongst the highest in the nation, and you've got heavy drug trafficking due to it's proximity to the border.

The fall, spring, and fall are pleasant compared to the winters of north and there are some very nice sunsets and lightning displays during monsoon season. The foothills offer some nice hiking and a few small waterfalls to look at. Mount Lemon is about 45min -1 hour from downtown, and there are some small lakes about 1.5 hours south. There really isn't much else though, and one could do just about all there is to do in the area in just a couple of weeks. All in all, I think Tucson is a nice place to visit, retire, or attend college, but not a great place to raise a family.