Don't Believe the Hype : Tucson, Arizona (Phoenix, Tempe: high school, living, restaurant)

[AZLiam]

Originally Posted by Subie

Ahaha, I deliver there almost every day Monday through Friday.

(Jason's deli)

Small world!

what's your name?

[Subie]

Michelle I deliver to D&B on the 4th floor a lot.

[haaamean]

Originally Posted by Eggcom

I just moved to Tucson from Miami, FL, and some of your comments hit home--especially the need to be bilingual in order to get employment. If you think Tucson is bad, check out Miami, where 80% of the people speak Spanish, many don't even speak English, and you definitely need to be bilingual to work. Be careful, Arizona--if you don't encourage integration of immigrants, you'll end up like Miami, and believe me, you won't like it one bit! It's like being in a foreign (third world) country there. The difference is that Tucson is still quite affordable, while Miami is not. I've observed that Hispanics here are very good about learning English and most insist upon speaking English, even though they're bilingual. By contrast, in Miami, nearly everyone speaks Spanish and resents having to use English. So those of you who complain about immigrants, just remember, the situation could be a lot worse. You could be in Miami!

I moved here in 04 from Central FL. I'm originally from FL and there's alot more to complain about there. Crime for one, violent crime. It's always on your mind in some parts of Florida. Traffic, alot worse in FL, and people are also alot more rude in general. Here in Tucson, I live on the southside, in a newer neighborhood. I don't know where these people get their sentiments about the southside being dirty/violent, but all I see is a vibrant community. Sure it isn't as rich as other areas in Tucson, but do yourselves a favor and check the crime statistics in this city. There are other areas that are worse in crime by far. In Tucson, the worse crime to worry about is having your car broken into/stolen. I'll take that over rape/murder any day. But forget about the crime, because Tucson is a beautiful place with great natural resources and history. I feel like we've been on vacation since we moved here with all the places we've seen. Most people here are very friendly, but by the looks of this thread there seems to be more and more complainers than people actually happy to be here. I for one, am proud to be a part of this city.

[ArizonaBear]

Originally Posted by azbec

I have lived here all my life and five years ago I would have defended Tucson, not anymore. All the negative things that have been listed are true. As for the person walking around Alvernon/Grant area be forwarned, that is one of the biggest meth areas in Tucson, just watch the local news.

I tried living in Tucson twice--------suffice to say that I am back in (relatively speaking) safe and sane Phoenix.

Sad because I probably would have loved Tucson 25 years ago.

[ArizonaBear]

Originally Posted by RCL

Geez, it sounds like Tucson is becoming a mini-version of the Bay Area. Yuck. What a shame. I visited in 1995 and loved it. But now after reading so much here, and elsewhere, I think I'll avoid it. Same with Kingman, which I hear is even worse with drugs and ghetto mentality.

I respectfully disagree about Kingman vs. Tucson.

The wages are comparable between the two communities but the cost of housing is about 20-30% lower in Kingman.

And too one may have the 'PWT' problem in Kingman but 'Hispanics' are relatively rare there------and, the majority of the Latinos are decent, law abiding individuals

Note that there does seem to be a big difference between the City of Kingman and the county areas that use the same town name; the latter can be quite 'ghetto' here and there.

[Tappahana]

As far a school systems what area is highly rated in Tucson? As far as neighborhoods, how south is ok for Tucon?

[sierraAZ]

Originally Posted by Tappahana

As far a school systems what area is highly rated in Tucson? As far as neighborhoods, how south is ok for Tucon?

Well, when we say South it doesn't include the entire south side of Tucson. Southeast is fine - say East of Kolb. There are still some less desirable pockets here and there, but generally it's OK.

The best school districts have been discussed a lot in other threads.

[nikkj123]

When I was a kid growing up in northern Wisconsin I have been in cold weather...sometimes 30-40 below zero...thats not good. When I hear people talk about Southern Az. its always the same stuff, crime/traffic/schools. The fact is that Tucson is a big city with big city problems. One thing I would like to mention is Southern Az. has some of the best hiking in the country, the canyons and mountains are absolutely beautiful...so get out and enjoy. If you just drive around town and never get out to one of the twelve mountain ranges in the Tucson area you are really missing out on what Arizona is. There is alot of history and exciting things to learn about this part of the country. Its not just about Tucson, its about the whole area.

[wildcat2004]

As a Tucson native of more than 25 years, I can tell you that many of the negative comments made in this section are true, others not so much.

I haven't seen much of the gang violence some forum members have mentioned (at least not in the past 10 years), but I can assure you that racism and hostility toward Latinos and Mexican immigrants is still pretty much alive and well. It's not widespread, but you will encounter it from time to time. If you want a good example, go to the Arizona Daily Star or Tucson Citizen website, look for a story related to immigration, open the comment section, and spend some time reading the posts. People write some ugly things.

I also understand the gripes about traffic problems. It's not like L.A., New York, or Boston, but commutes do seem to take longer than they did a decade ago. The local population has grown without expansion of roads, a decent public transportation plan, or a freeway system. Drivers seem rude and stressed out and will tail you incessantly if you follow the speed limit.

Affordable housing is a joke if you're a young professional. Baby Boomers who bought their houses in the mid-90s for $150,000 have jacked up the price to twice that much, which means you have to make at least $60K a year if you want to have any hope of ownership, and an income like that is hard to come by in Tucson unless you have an advanced degree or a spouse. There was an article in the Tucson Citizen a while back that said home ownership is unlikely for local firefighters, teachers, and police officers on their own because they simply don't make enough money to stay afloat. I'm going to have a graduate degree soon, and I would barely be above the threshhold for buying my first home.

Personally, I've come to the realization that beyond all those problems, I'm simply bored with the place. After two and a half decades, I've pretty much been to every restaurant, shopping mall, and sports venue. Even the natural landscapes have lost their charms because I've hardly any place new to hike.

Don't get me wrong, I won't go all Linda Ronstadt on you and say Tucson is awful, because after all it is my hometown and I will always love it. However, I'm just ready for new horizons and a change of pace.

If you are considering relocation, I would say choose wisely.

[haaamean]

Originally Posted by wildcat2004

As a Tucson native of more than 25 years, I can tell you that many of the negative comments made in this section are true, others not so much.

I haven't seen much of the gang violence some forum members have mentioned (at least not in the past 10 years), but I can assure you that racism and hostility toward Latinos and Mexican immigrants is still pretty much alive and well. It's not widespread, but you will encounter it from time to time. If you want a good example, go to the Arizona Daily Star or Tucson Citizen website, look for a story related to immigration, open the comment section, and spend some time reading the posts. People write some ugly things.

I also understand the gripes about traffic problems. It's not like L.A., New York, or Boston, but commutes do seem to take longer than they did a decade ago. The local population has grown without expansion of roads, a decent public transportation plan, or a freeway system. Drivers seem rude and stressed out and will tail you incessantly if you follow the speed limit.

Affordable housing is a joke if you're a young professional. Baby Boomers who bought their houses in the mid-90s for $150,000 have jacked up the price to twice that much, which means you have to make at least $60K a year if you want to have any hope of ownership, and an income like that is hard to come by in Tucson unless you have an advanced degree or a spouse. There was an article in the Tucson Citizen a while back that said home ownership is unlikely for local firefighters, teachers, and police officers on their own because they simply don't make enough money to stay afloat. I'm going to have a graduate degree soon, and I would barely be above the threshhold for buying my first home.

Personally, I've come to the realization that beyond all those problems, I'm simply bored with the place. After two and a half decades, I've pretty much been to every restaurant, shopping mall, and sports venue. Even the natural landscapes have lost their charms because I've hardly any place new to hike.

Don't get me wrong, I won't go all Linda Ronstadt on you and say Tucson is awful, because after all it is my hometown and I will always love it. However, I'm just ready for new horizons and a change of pace.

If you are considering relocation, I would say choose wisely.

I think this is pretty valuable insight, especially the part about housing. The generation you mentioned holds all the cards and demands their price, but I'm sure you know it's not just happening in Tucson.
I guess my running definition of the "complainers" I mentioned earlier, are the people who move here and expect it to be exactly like the place they left. I'm very happy we chose to relocate to Tucson, but not sure if it's where I'll always live. Speaking from experience, new horizons and a change of pace can be very good for you. Everything in Tucson and Southern AZ is new to us and it has been exciting these last few years, so maybe that's the difference between your outlook and mine. After all, everyone always says "Why would you move from FL to here?".