10 Reasons Not To Move To Tucson (Phoenix, Scottsdale: unemployment, gangs, garden)

[sierraAZ]

Originally Posted by ArizonaHeat

Mine are the ...49, ...42 and ...18 areas.

Anyone else?

50, 49, 48, 47, 15, 18... of course there are plenty nice pockets in others as well (like 10, 12, 4) I'm not very familiar with the W and NW side.

[Mi_Mom]

Originally Posted by sierraAZ

50, 49, 48, 47, 15, 18... of course there are plenty nice pockets in others as well (like 10, 12, 4) I'm not very familiar with the W and NW side.

LOL I only know my own zip code. Nothing else around the Tucson area.

[azhiker]

Well, I live in 85737 (Oro Valley at Pusch View Ln and Oracle). I don't have a map of which zips are where, but I'd say pretty much anywhere N or River is nice. I used to live at Kolb and Snyder (right up by Sunrise). Can't remember the zip, but it's very nice up there.

While the Oro Valley side of the mountains is very nice, it is not quite as pretty as on the Tucson side (different vibe, too). What I like about the view from the Tucson side is the way the mountains are physically situated, you get a lot more shadow on the mountains in the afternoon, and it just gives it a prettier appearance. To me, looking at the mountains every afternoon in Tucson is gorgeous.

I really like the far East side of town too. Out Tanque Verde, or way, way out Speedway. Seems like they have a little microclimate of their own out there, because it's just a bit greener and more trees where the Catalinas meet the Rincons.

I've lived in LA, Denver, Houston, Miami, etc, etc. Obviously any big city is going to have bad neighborhoods. You know where they are; you don't go there. It's pretty simple. In my view, most of Tucson is really nice. I'm very happy I moved back here. When my lease is up, I might move from Oro Valley to the East side. I have near a year to make up my mind. Moving is such a massive hassle.

And about the weather. At least 8 months a year are splendid. Even now in these hot months, the humidity is so low that I hike practically daily. I wait until around an hour and a half before sunset, and I go out, and it's not even uncomfortable, plus there's a lot of shade at that point of the day.

As to restaurants, I've found a lot that I like. I love Indian food (one place I liked when I still lived here 10 years ago, is still around on Campbell, and a new one just opened near Oracle and Magee. I've had decent Vietnamese here. There are, of course, good steak houses. I'm fond of good ol Sweet Tomatoes, too. I know about great hole in the wall places for Mexican, Pat's for chili dogs. I need to go out and find a good middle eastern place (I've seen a couple,one i think on Campbell). I've found the best pizza I've had in ages at (formerly Sasso's, now Angelina's), in Rancho Vistoso.

I don't see the lack of good restaurants at all.

So far, Tucson has been great for me (just as it was 10 years ago), and I arrived at what would be regarded as the craapiest time of the year.

And though it has really heated up in the daytime, the night time cooling is significant. I sleep with the all the windows open and it's plenty comfortable.

It's a to each his own thing. If you don't like Tucson, and focus (or can see) only on the negative, then this place isn't for you, and you should move. I lived in Miami, and didn't much care for it at all. My question for those of you that hate Tucson so much is why are you still here? Surely there is somewhere else where you'd be happier.

[actinic]

5 day weather forcast tells it all.

For those younger viewers out there what healthy outdoor afternoon activities
other than swimming are you doing?

[azhiker]

Yeah, we're having a heat wave these next few days. I went to Mt Lemmon today (one hour drive from Tucson for you out of towners), a good 25 degrees cooler up there. So nice.

Most Tuesday and Thursday afternoons I go to a park for some training, and it's been fine. Today it would have flat out been too hot (but Mt Lemmon sure was nice).

[Phoenix lady]

Originally Posted by sickofIL

Temperatures...
Brazil constant 95 deg. and 75-85% humidity. Nothing like Tucson I would much rather have 110 degrees and low humidity. You you are sweating before you dry off from a shower in Brazil.

Crime?? In Brazil You cannot walk at night anywhere except to and from your car. When we visited Tucson I didn't feel threatoned anywhere we were. In Brazil you feel threatened everywhere anytime.

Traffic? Rush hour in brazil lasts from about 8AM to 7 PM. At it's worst you have bumper to bumper cars not moving with motorcycles speeding all around you. The people do not follow ANY traffic laws.

Brazil temps depend on where you go. Its' a biggggggg country! Northeast temps differ from Southern, which differ from central and so on. Wide variances.The Southern part can get downright cold (Curituba).
One day we were in Sao Paulo (it was cold), went to Brasilia and within 3 hours, it was pleasantly warm. Humid in summers, esp. in the Northeast (I hear from others).

As far as crime, we go to Central Brasil and the crime is very low. Esp. in rural areas. Sao Paulo is a large city, over 11 million (or more) and it has crime. Rio has alot of crime ingeneral-but depends, again, on where you go. Brasilia, I always feel safe there, middle class, nice. The cities on the water in the NE, Jao Pessoa I hear many ex-pats live there and love it.
You can't generalize the whole country as far as crime. If you feel unsafe in Brasil everywhere and all the time... whew. Never heard such a thing.

The driving is bad in big cities, but not so in smaller ones.

The country is enormous with soooo much beauty;has it's weaknesses, but alot of strengths. And, the people, in general, are so wonderfully open and kind and giving.

[sickofIL]

Brazil temps depend on where you go.

You're correct. I should have been speciffic. My inlaws are from Fortaleza. (northeast coast) Yes the south has cold weather. I was just generalizing about the weather where I have spent most of my time as compared to Tucson.

As far as crime, we go to Central Brasil and the crime is very low. Esp. in rural areas.

As far as my in-laws and my whfe's relitives and friends say, it's bad everywhere but worse in the cities. We were in the country earlier this year (Sao Miguel during Carnival) and they have the same bars on all of the windows and 8" tall fences surrounding all of the houses.

This is what they say. I have never actually seen any crime though and I have been there quite a few times for extended periods.

The driving is bad in big cities, but not so in smaller ones.

The driving is bad everywhere I have been in Brazil. I should define that better. Crazy; nuts; bordering on insane on the highways. The people there are crazy as far as driving. I saw no difference in the city as compared to the country. They have no regard for traffic laws and some gave me a very hard time because I didn't take my life into my hands driving on the highway. I've been in Fortaleza, Sao Paulo, Salvador, Manaus, Teresina and Sao Meguel. (I drove from Trersina to Sao Meguel) Yes the cities are more crouded and have constant traffic. I haven't experienced the traffic in the country, just the driving.

I never said that I disliked it though. Brazil is beautiful and yes, the people are very friendly. I enjoy my visits there very much (except for highway driving and the humidity) The point was the temperature and humidity in Nordeste (northeast) as opposed to Tucson.

[horatiodreamt]

The city's name isn't pronounced the way it's spelled. It should be pronounced "Tuck-son", but it's not. I won't live in a city that can't properly pronounce its own name.

[sierraAZ]

Originally Posted by horatiodreamt

The city's name isn't pronounced the way it's spelled. It should be pronounced "Tuck-son", but it's not. I won't live in a city that can't properly pronounce its own name.

And how many words in the English language are pronounced as spelled I'd like to know...?

[LordBalfor]

Originally Posted by horatiodreamt

The city's name isn't pronounced the way it's spelled. It should be pronounced "Tuck-son", but it's not. I won't live in a city that can't properly pronounce its own name.

Hmmm....

That sounds like a sensible way to choose where to live.

Thanks for the laugh.


Ken