I can no longer say I enjoy living here (Tucson: transplants, neighborhood)

[tablemtn]

I think Arizona actually suffered from an "oil wealth" effect for a while, when it came to primary education. Let me explain that -

For a long time, primary education (or even secondary education) simply wasn't that important in any real sense, because Arizona attracted so many migrants and out-of-state grads that job needs could be filled without relying on Arizona's own education system. This is similar to countries where a sudden burst of oil wealth makes it possible to paper over serious social problems, and delay the day of reckoning as long as the money pours in.

Well, Arizona now has to reckon, since the migrant flow has slowed down so much. The quality of the educational system will now actually begin to matter.

[dintymoore]

I live in Hawaii, and have lived in Tucson. To me Tucson is just as beautiful. It's always amazed me how much the mountains around Tucson look like Molokai. Hawaii and Arizona are both incredibly diverse too. I could take a dozen pictures of Hawaii that it would be hard to believe they were from the same place, and the same goes for Arizona.
What I'd like to say is that reading through this thread it could all be about Hawaii. A lot of what everybody's saying isn't at all exclusive to Tucson - education system broken, terrible traffic, and the crime for instance. Lots of people here in Hawaii are having a really hard time. Everything is a rip-off. A transmission job you could get in AZ for $1000 is $3000 here. There's like a "paradise fee" added on to everything. Few houses under $500K. Not to say it isn't beautiful here.
I remember on the way to Gates Pass looking back at Tucson thinking that when it was filled with ocean it must have looked very much like the Hawaiian Islands.
It depends on the person if they end up feeling a connection with a place or not.
But most of what people are saying is the way it is right now in most places, I'm afraid.

[GinnyFavers]

Originally Posted by dintymoore

But most of what people are saying is the way it is right now in most places, I'm afraid.

I think that's true. We moved into a condo subdivision in January 2006 in Belcamp, MD to be near my huband's job. We never saw or heard about any crime, not even any vandalism. Then, last summer there were two armed muggings one ending in injury in the parking lot right outside our building and across the road, a fatal shooting in the parking lot of the shopping center up the hill, and a weird guy prowling around our building knocking on doors casing the place.

Why all of a sudden, who knows? But we moved farther away from the interstate, and it's peaceful up here.

Now we're looking at possible move to Tucson, and while I won't live somewhere that's obviously crime ridden, our place in Belcamp didn't "look" bad, either. We're actually pretty much decided to buy a mobile home with a big lot either in Vail, Sahuarita or Green Valley (yes they have non-55+ places in Green Valley). I'm fairly sure those areas won't be terribly crime-prone, but I am not going to ever let my guard down anywhere again.

[sierraAZ]

Originally Posted by GinnyFavers

But we moved farther away from the interstate, and it's peaceful up here.

No neighborhoods around freeways are good in any city.

[kdog]

Originally Posted by psulions2007

It was inappropriate language.

That wasn't an answer. You claimed that was an email sent by a student, and yet it was edited to say "inaudible", which would indicate that it's a transcript of spoken text. You either don't know the meaning of the word 'inaudible", or you lied about the source of text.

[GinnyFavers]

Originally Posted by sierraAZ

No neighborhoods around freeways are good in any city.

That must not go for I-19 around Green Valley and Rancho Sahuarita, at least for now. Or Vail off I-10.

[ihatetucson]

Originally Posted by sierraAZ

No neighborhoods around freeways are good in any city.

Or neighborhoods in the "Oracle Corridor" from Prince to Drachman.

[sierraAZ]

Originally Posted by GinnyFavers

That must not go for I-19 around Green Valley and Rancho Sahuarita, at least for now. Or Vail off I-10.

I meant within city limits for the most part, even though city limits in Tucson are weird. No, these three are fine.

[actinic]

Originally Posted by GinnyFavers

That must not go for I-19 around Green Valley and Rancho Sahuarita, at least for now. Or Vail off I-10.

Just get ready to pick up lots of freeway litter during strong winds. The amount of trash on I-19 between Tucson & Green Valley is repulsive.

[scottrc5391]

sooo, the original post was just a lie? In addition to inconsistencies already pointed out, U of A looks like the typical state-college to me. ACT/SAT stats are comparable to those at other colleges. And besides, it must have something else going for it or you would not have gone to a state you hated in order to work there. Sounds to me like backwards reasoning: I hate Tucson, therefore the people are rude, obnoxious, and stupid. People will find a way to justify and rationalize their preconceived notions and deep-rooted beliefs. Case closed.