Don't Believe the Hype : Tucson, Arizona (Phoenix, South Tucson: motel, work, housing)

[Sandoval]

Tucson is not the city that it is cracked up to be. The only thing this city really has going for it in U of A. Most of Tucson is GHETTO. The only nice places to live in Tucson are in The North and NW part of town.

So much of Tucson is tagged up by the gangs. Tucson is basically Gangland Graffitiville. The city looks real nice when you are driving by on Interstate 10. In fact it looks actually beautiful with the mountain backdrops. The problem starts when you start trying to get around Tucson.

Tucson has no freeway sysytem. It takes forever to get anywhere in this city. There is so much start and stop driving in Tucson. It also is expensive driving anywhere in Tucson because you will spend alot in gas driving in Tucson.

[Steve97415]

Actually the great thing about Tucson is that it ISN'T carved up a freeway system like Phoenix is. Tucson's great strength is that it is one of America's great bicycle-friendly cities. That may not be much of a consolation to motorheads, but with peak petroleum being only about a decade away, the future of transportation will be very, very different. The gang problem is really just a manifestation of the fact that Tucson is one of the few sunbelt cities that still has relatively affordable housing. It is certainly disingenuous to claim that "most of Tucson is ghetto". Even if one accepts the assertion that "the only nice places to live in Tucson are in the North and NW part of town", that takes in more than a third of the city.
Tucson has some problems and hard-core motorheads will be frustrated by the lack of inner city freeways, but it is still offers a higher quality of life than any other city in the southwest.

[Sandoval]

Your calling Tucson a bicycle friendly city. You have people getting run over all the time at city intersections in Tucson. Pedestrians run a serious risk of getting hit by a car whether on bicycle or on foot in Tucson, Arizona.

Tucson is primarily a GHETTO city and that is fact. Yes there are some nice areas in the North and Northwest of Tucson. Maybe if you grew up in Tucson and you went to a TUSD or Sunnyside USD School or Schools you would not see Tucson as a GHETTO city.

Alot of you people in Tucson are flat out in Denial. Your city has been all tagged up by the gangsters. You also have gangsters who have taken over much of the city. The Tucson Police Department and the other forms of government cannot control the gangs in Tucson.

Tucson has outgrown itself. Tucson is slowly becoming like alot of those really bad cities in New Mexico like Albq, Hobbs, Roswell ,Las Vegas, Espanola,Deming, Artesia,Gallup, Grants and the list goes on .

Lets hope than the respectful citizens of Tucson take back there city from the Gangs and the other hoodlums running amuck in Tucson.

[ohnonothimagain]

A lot of what's been said here is true-gangs and crime is horrendous in some parts of Tucson. For the most part-I felt safe walking after dark in mid-town area(Grant/Alvernon) never had any problems or issues. BUT-as in any town, you've got to use common sense and stay out of areas known to be gang ridden and crime ridden. Yes-it's MUCH worse than it ever was-and police have got their hands full with the ganstas and the bloods and the crips, and I think even the MS-13's..... and the "rich" areas have crime and issues too. But that's gotten to be the same just about anywhere anymore-there's crime and gangs and problems even in the rich neighborhoods. But there's other issues to consider about Tucson-most people cannot afford to live there anymore-it's just gotten too expensive to live with the salaries being so cruddy..

[lndcrz47]

There are other nice areas in Tucson,Indian Ridge for one and they are building lots of nice houses so east area,gangs are everywhere in the country as are related problems,look around your town with the eye of a visitor,may not like what you see,l can't breathe in Tucson or Phoenix,but Mammoth rocks !!!

[Nicole]

Originally Posted by lndcrz47

There are other nice areas in Tucson,Indian Ridge for one and they are building lots of nice houses so east area,gangs are everywhere in the country as are related problems,look around your town with the eye of a visitor,may not like what you see,l can't breathe in Tucson or Phoenix,but Mammoth rocks !!!

Mammoth huh? Is that where you live now?

[Malsytalsy]

Originally Posted by Sandoval

Tucson is slowly becoming like alot of those really bad cities in New Mexico like Albq, Hobbs, Roswell ,Las Vegas, Espanola,Deming, Artesia,Gallup, Grants and the list goes on .

Sorry - I'm from out of state and may not know the area, but it was my understanding Las Vegas was in Nevada.....??

[Lehi]

Originally Posted by Malsytalsy

Sorry - I'm from out of state and may not know the area, but it was my understanding Las Vegas was in Nevada.....??

There's also a Las Vegas in New Mexico. I didn't know that either until I came to this forum and then I looked it up on the map.

[azg20p11]

Tucson is a great town to grow up in, and work in. It is outgrowing itself, but thats a given in any city with a good economy, decent cost of living, and below average crime. Yes I said it... below average crime. If you are afraid to walk the streets of Tucson at night, I recommend you walk nowhere at night. Lock the doors, and batton down the hatches the neigbor kids may be skateboarding, or smoking pot... Thats scary stuff, im afraid for my life. The air quality is great here. Have you ever been to Phoenix, San Diego, LA, Denver, any large neighboring city? Compare our polution, and you will find it quite amazing.

Before you trash my beloved home town of Tucson, I have a tip for you. When you come to visit, dont drive in circles around South Tucson, and then rest your head at the hooker motel around the corner. And those gang members were walking home from elementary school, dont let the baggy jeans scare you off.

[azloafer]

Originally Posted by azg20p11

Tucson is a great town to grow up in, and work in. It is outgrowing itself, but thats a given in any city with a good economy, decent cost of living, and below average crime. Yes I said it... below average crime. If you are afraid to walk the streets of Tucson at night, I recommend you walk nowhere at night. Lock the doors, and batton down the hatches the neigbor kids may be skateboarding, or smoking pot... Thats scary stuff, im afraid for my life. The air quality is great here. Have you ever been to Phoenix, San Diego, LA, Denver, any large neighboring city? Compare our polution, and you will find it quite amazing.

Before you trash my beloved home town of Tucson, I have a tip for you. When you come to visit, dont drive in circles around South Tucson, and then rest your head at the hooker motel around the corner. And those gang members were walking home from elementary school, dont let the baggy jeans scare you off.

National Crime Statistics:
Overall Tucson Crime
2004 Total: per 100,000 people
9936.5

National: Total per 100,000 people
3982.6

Tucson doesn't look so good compared to the entire US.
I live 25 miles from Tucson and would never walk anywhere at night in Tucson!