Family of 3 (soon to be 4!) + dog moving to Tucson. Advice on housing? (Casas Adobes: apartment)

[lmason1554]

My husband accepted a job at UA in Tucson, starting August 1st of this year. We are a couple in our early 30s, with a two-year old and another due in November, plus a 50-lb dog.

We are trying to figure out a suitable place to live and would appreciate any advice for locations. We are looking for a 2-bedroom house (or townhouse/duplex/in-law house, but must have at least a small fenced yard) (looking in the $800-$1,100/mo price range). We have two basic lifestyles that appeal to us:

1) Live "walking distance" to the university (or maybe near Reid Park?)

2) Live further from university (up to 10 miles) but walking distance (or short drive) to state park / nature scene. In this scenario I would love to be able to walk out my door and be blocks from an area where we can hike with our dog off-leash in a scenic / natural area (not a neighborhood).

I would appreciate any advice/opinions about living in either scenario (considering our demographic and family/dog situation), and recommendations for good neighborhoods / areas that might suit our needs.

Thanks in advance for the help!

UPDATE: I'm also discovering Sahuarita, AZ now, so opinions about the town would be great too!

[beTucsonan]

1. Please don't hike with your 50-pound dog (or any size dog) off-leash. I'm pretty sure it's not allowed in any of the area parks or state parks outside of specified dog runs, but that doesn't stop some inconsiderate folks from doing it anyhow.

2. What appeals to you about being walking distance to the UA? If it is actually the University, then the neighborhoods just to the East and Northeast (Sam Hughes, etc.) are very desirable. If it is access the the shops, dining, music and other culture, then you want to look West of Campus ... like the West University neighborhood or Dunbar Springs.

3. As for living away from the University but near to nature your best bets are West, at the base of the Tucson Mountains, Starr Pass, etc., and North in the Catalina Foothills.

That should be enough to get you started in your search for now!

[mr.drama]

Regarding your dog:a fenced yard is a great idea.The area presents some peculiar issues as far as animal welfare.The good:The people are generally VERY dog-friendly,and most commmercial establishments think nothing of you bringing your pup inside.No one expects you leave your dog in a hot automobile.My dog wants to go in every store he's become so spoiled by the attention and treats.The not so good:.Even if if it was allowed,off lead roaming in the desert is not a good idea-cactus,cholla,coyotes,and snakes(in season)are all real issues,especially with hunting -or just plain curious- dogs.Mine sees a rabbit and would like to pull my arm out it's socket.Off-lead there's no way he would return unscathed.Full disclosureur place is in the foothills of the Tucsons where the wildlife and vegetation is plentiful.You take the good with the bad.You don't want your pup to learn his lessons the hard way.(The snake avoidance training is not a bad idea,especially if you choose live away from downtown) P.S.You may also want to look into the various dog-parks' locations as you scout around.The one I use in Marana is nice and there are several around the city.Good luck!

[lmason1554]

Thanks for the insight so far!

beTucsonian: We are interested in being within a mile of the university because my husband will be working there, so for convenience reasons (and the ability to remain a single-car household). Thanks for the advice on the E/NE vs W.

mr. drama: Thanks for the dog advice- we are definitely looking for a large fenced yard. I am originally from the southwest (El Paso, TX - Las Cruces, NM) and always heard stories about wildlife-dogs interactions, but never actually experienced (or had friends/family experience) any interactions with snakes, coyotes or cacti... yes, many "stickers" in paws, but that's the extent of it. Do you think Tucson is particularly worse than other desert southwest areas? The snake avoidance training is a great idea - thanks!


We are flying out for a housing search in the next couple months- thanks again for the opinions so far.

Anyone have any thoughts on Sahaurita vs Oro Valley or the Catalina Foothills?

[Raven_on_a_Coyote]

I am a big fan of the Catalina Foothills vs Oro Valley. Most of these photographs I took a mile away from my apartment just north of River Road and 1st Ave. It is close to town but I do not feel like I am in it.

https://www.icloud.com/sharedalbum/#B0d5oqs3quyVlne

I have never been to Sahaurita but it is quite far from U of A. You will not want to be a single car household here I feel. I usually do not own transportation but I know the heat in the summer here will be brutal without it so I am getting a motorcycle. even when it is 70 degrees here the sun is strong.

[beTucsonan]

Originally Posted by lmason1554

Anyone have any thoughts on Sahaurita vs Oro Valley or the Catalina Foothills?

Sahuarita is a small but growing residential community about 20-30 minutes South of town dominated by homes constructed in the last decade or so. It is a bedroom community with not much to offer outside of the homes and the community rec centers/town lake. If you wanted to go to a nice dinner, for example, you would likely find yourself driving into Tucson more often than not.

Oro Valley is traditionally Tucson's favorite suburb which is starting to morph into a place with it's own personality, being more upscale than Tucson in general, but not overwhelmingly so. There are more and more places opening up in the area all the time - generally things that seem custom tailored for middle to upper middle class folks with families who like the idea of living in Tucson but not the reality of it.

The Catalina Foothills neighborhoods are the traditional upper class neighborhoods in Tucson, but the prices don't necessarily demand that you be upper class. There is a mix of older and newer homes, but the older homes are sometimes real and true gems and some of them of architectural import. There are many established and plenty of newer Tucson businesses in the area, such that many people who live up there are satisfied to stay there more often despite the really easy trip down to the University/Downtown areas.

Since you mention walking in your original post I feel it's worth noting that none of these three places offer a business district that you would likely find yourself walking around. For example, a night out for dinner, a show, maybe some drinks, etc. would require driving to each individual location in any of these three places (unless you count a mall, or a strip mall - I don't). The only place that this really exists in the Tucson area is downtown and the University area.

[Jukesgrrl]

Please allow me to repeat. Do not hike with your dog unless it's on a leash. Someone was on here the other day terrified of getting Valley Fever if they move to Tucson. I've been here ten years and I don't personally know a single human with a physician-confirmed case of Valley Fever. But I do know THREE dogs who have had it.

It's a very long-lasting, difficult illness for a dog. Some people go to Mexico to buy the medication because it's so expensive. Untreated (and initial symptoms are often not noticeable in dogs) it can lead to lameness, seizures, and even death. It's a fungal infection that attacks the lungs and dogs get it when they dig in the dirt. And owing to the lack of grass in Tucson, there's a lot of exposed, old desert dirt for them to dig in. If you take dogs hiking they chase prairie dogs or rabbits, those little animals dive underground where they live, and the dog digs for them.

PS: Outside of El Centro, I wouldn't live anywhere in Pima County all day, every day without a car. And a commute from Sahaurita to the U of A will quickly get to be a pain. I know someone who commutes between Casas Adobes and Green Valley every day and he hates it. If this wasn't his dream job, he would have quit ages ago just because of the commute. I don't know where you're moving here from, but always remember that Pima County is the same size as the ENTIRE STATE of New Jersey.

[jlawrence01]

Originally Posted by Jukesgrrl

PS: Outside of El Centro, I wouldn't live anywhere in Pima County all day, every day without a car. And a commute from Sahaurita to the U of A will quickly get to be a pain. I know someone who commutes between Casas Adobes and Green Valley every day and he hates it. If this wasn't his dream job, he would have quit ages ago just because of the commute. I don't know where you're moving here from, but always remember that Pima County is the same size as the ENTIRE STATE of New Jersey.

Two points.

Relying on public transportation in the Tucson area is iffy at best even in the central corridor. There is a bus that runs between Sahuarita Town Center (and the Fry's Store) into Downtown Tucson where you can catch the streetcar or a bus to the University. I do it by bus once or twice a week. It is a pretty UNPLEASANT ride that you will grow tired of ... but it is cheaper than driving and hoping you have parking near the University.

There are three reasons that make riding the bus unpleasant from Sahuarita. Instead of using standard buses, Sun Shuttle uses pretty much the same bus as airport shuttles. We call them "rattle buses" as you are rattled the entire trip. We thought the new ones would be better but they are not. Second, while most of the people on the bus (wither SunTrans or SunShuttle", there are about 10% that make every commute fairly miserable. The bus drivers will ignore it as opposed to addressing it. I do not blame them as driver assaults have been a serious problem and was a major factor in labor negotiations last year. Finally, the last buses out of DT Tucson is at 5:40 pm. Miss that bus and you will need to get someone to pick you up or you will have to hop on one of the shuttles to Nogales (6th Ave.) who will drop you off at Sahuarita.

As for the commute BY CAR, there are millions of Americans who would kill for an easy commute. There is rarely any weather, not a lot of traffic and all freeway. I could make it to the University from The town center in 20-25 minutes 95% of the time.

[Miss Liberty]

I thought I'd jump in and let you know that if you move near Oro Valley, or the Catalina Foothills, I prefer the Foothills, just know that those areas are very nice, but also pretty expensive. Both locations are also a pretty good distance away from UofA. Not too far for driving of course, but definitely too far in regards to walking distance. You may be pretty happy living near the University though.