Tucson versus Albuquerque

[csmda]

Ahh hatch has great burritos because they have great chilli!

Here's my strongest memory of ABQ and mexican food. I had a cricket in my rice. Nice eh?
2nd strongest memory, every time I ate a 'super nacho' in NM I wished I could go back to AZ and have a real super nacho.

[catman]

As a outsider, I would like to say that I'm somewhat surprised at how even this discussion is in choice of one or the other, since it's on the AZ forum. I like Albuquerque, but I've never been to Tucson. It sounds like climatically, it amounts to a choice between tolerating Tucson's summers versus Albuquerque's winters. I'm interested in moving to NM from here in Ft Worth, TX, but I might consider AZ too. I just want to be where it's not humid for a change!

[csmda]

I loved Albuquerque winters. They actually get snow! And it's not too much snow like PA or any other NE area. It's just the right amount. I really miss that.
I actually broke my tail bone on an iced slide at the park. Fun times!

[szupergipsy]

In Albuquerque, you'll never have 95 degrees at 6AM, like in Tucson. Coming from North you might think its awesome to walk outside 6 in the morning and get hit with 95 F, but believe me, it gets boring after a while. Right now (September) finally we get something like 85 in the mornings, and that is really nice. However, between May and August it will always be crazy hot.

[azhiker]

I have never in my life seen it 95 degrees at 6AM in Tucson. Does. Not. Happen.

FWIW, here are the daily average highs and lows for September in Tucson:

Daily Averages for Tucson, AZ (85737) - weather.com

As to weather in general, it really is a matter of personal choice as to whether you want to deal with winters that are colder and longer than you'd like, or summers that are hotter and longer than you'd like. I handle heat a lot better than I do cold, so I much prefer Tucson's weather.

[ZonyPony]

Originally Posted by catman

As a outsider, I would like to say that I'm somewhat surprised at how even this discussion is in choice of one or the other, since it's on the AZ forum. I like Albuquerque, but I've never been to Tucson. It sounds like climatically, it amounts to a choice between tolerating Tucson's summers versus Albuquerque's winters. I'm interested in moving to NM from here in Ft Worth, TX, but I might consider AZ too. I just want to be where it's not humid for a change!

Hey, Catman... nobody's an outsider, really. You're a contributing member of City Data, so you're one of the family... and always welcome!

[szupergipsy]

OK, 90 then, sorry...

[moved]

I lived in Tucson from 01/1988 - 10/1989, and loved it. But my job ran out, and I couldn't get another one that paid decently. I moved there from the DC area, and it was between Tucson and Albuquerque. I think the reason that I picked Tucson, was the lack of snow and cold weather. I'm a snow hater, and I like it warm! The first summer that it went up to 116, I thought was wonderful with the low humidity. But you do need to have A/C. I left Tucson and moved to Sacramento for a job, but I missed it.

I stayed there seven years. I had to get out of the cold and humidity. So I moved to San Diego, where it's sunny year round, but not as hot unless you live inland where it goes up over 100 in the summer.

[Jimrob1]

Originally Posted by moved

I lived in Tucson from 01/1988 - 10/1989, and loved it. But my job ran out, and I couldn't get another one that paid decently. I moved there from the DC area, and it was between Tucson and Albuquerque. I think the reason that I picked Tucson, was the lack of snow and cold weather. I'm a snow hater, and I like it warm! The first summer that it went up to 116, I thought was wonderful with the low humidity. But you do need to have A/C. I left Tucson and moved to Sacramento for a job, but I missed it.

I stayed there seven years. I had to get out of the cold and humidity. So I moved to San Diego, where it's sunny year round, but not as hot unless you live inland where it goes up over 100 in the summer.

So what area/city would you prefer out of the several you have lived in?
I lived in North Park in the late 70's early 80's. I lived just a couple of blocks from where a PSA airliner crashed in Sept 78. I visited SD a few years ago. Naturally the neighborhood is all rebuilt. I imagine now no one even knows, unless someone tells them about what happened that horrible day.

Yes the weather in SD can't be beat, but get into La Mesa and especially El Cajon and the heat and smog is way up there.

[moved]

Originally Posted by Jimrob1

So what area/city would you prefer out of the several you have lived in?
I lived in North Park in the late 70's early 80's. I lived just a couple of blocks from where a PSA airliner crashed in Sept 78. I visited SD a few years ago. Naturally the neighborhood is all rebuilt. I imagine now no one even knows, unless someone tells them about what happened that horrible day.

Yes the weather in SD can't be beat, but get into La Mesa and especially El Cajon and the heat and smog is way up there.

I don't live too far from where the crash happened. I'm on the North Park/City Heights border with Normal Heights across the street (Pep Boys). I call it the "ghetto" side. I'm between I-805 and the I-15, and it's very convenient, but I would like to move to a different part of North Park, or possibly Lemon Grove, where it looks a lot nicer. Where I live, no one keeps up their yards, and that includes the owner/manager of where I live.

The weather here uptown is nice, we just got over a heat wave, and it was in the upper mid-90's and muggy. Now it's back to normal, it's now back in the mid-upper 70's coastal. La Mesa and Lemon Grove aren't too bad with the heat, but the farther inland you get (El Cajon, Santee, Lakeside), it really is hot. I lived in Spring Valley for three weeks when I first moved here, and it was hot! I live in a cottage, and my neighbors on either side of me have window A/C units. I think it's funny, because my box fan is fine for me. I also have ceiling fans in the living room, bedroom, and kitchen.

I didn't mind the hot summers in Tucson, because the humidty was so low. I thought it was funny when the humidity was 20% and people complained about it. If could have gotten another decent paying job, I may have stayed in Tucson. I would never go back to Sacramento, though. (I also lived in Chico, but that's another story that I'd like to forget!). It has it's good points, but my choices would San Diego, Tucson, and possibly Albuquerque, in that order. Albquerque doesn't get as much snow as the east coast, so it would be possible. But technically, whenever winter arrives, no matter where I live, I get sick.