10 Reasons Not To Move To Tucson (Phoenix, Nogales: car insurance, condo, loans)

[Marka]

Stick to the local issues, please. Otherwise this thread will be moved somewhere to General Topics.

[Ozark Nana]

Ok, these are MY 10 reasons!!

1. Over 300 days of sunshine each year...

2. Sunsets that can cause accidents if your driving because they are so beautiful...

3. Learning the hard way that you DON'T touch those "fuzzy" cactus...

4. Twisting your ankle hiking through the beautiful mountains because you were looking at the view instead of the trail...

5. There are enough of us here already, please, don't come here...we don't share well here...

6. Rush hour can be a real trip, especially during the winter when the snowbirds are here...but we love them anyway...

7. Having to watch for Mountain lions while hiking in Sabino canyon...(but realizing how lucky you are if you DO see one)...

8. Trying to take in all the diversity in culture, food and art here can be a killer if you try to do it all in one weekend....

9. Eating just ONE Native American fry bread out at San Xavier...

10. Trying to get a seat at the Easter Morning services at San Xavier...

Ozark Nana

[LordBalfor]

Nana -

Cute.
Have to say that I have personal experience with #3. Certainly found out why they are called "Leaping Cholla". I swear I never got close enough to touch that sucker, but it ended up embedded in my foot anyway.

OUCH!

Ken

[sierraAZ]

Originally Posted by Ozark Nana

9. Eating just ONE Native American fry bread out at San Xavier...

He-he, since there's always a choice of people to buy it from, I choose the fattest seller!

[pomegranate]

I think if you're a nature lover and expect to hike every weekend, or if you're an anthropologist type or an astronomer, then Tucson will be great. However, there really aren't a huge variety of activities, no matter how you slice it. My father has lived there for 40 years, and he spends a LOT of time going on vacation somewhere else. The schools ARE terrible, except for a few private schools. You must LOVE the heat, not just be willing to endure it. I don't care how dry it is -- when it's over 100 for extended periods of time, and the rays bounce up from the sidewalk and your car registers melting temperatures when you get back in it from the grocery store, it's HOT. The heat, the distance from larger cities, the property crime and the desert are inescapable. You have to really ask yourself if those are things you can handle.

[Ozark Nana]

Originally Posted by pomegranate

However, there really aren't a huge variety of activities, no matter how you slice it. My father has lived there for 40 years, and he spends a LOT of time going on vacation somewhere else. The schools ARE terrible, except for a few private schools. You must LOVE the heat, not just be willing to endure it. I don't care how dry it is -- when it's over 100 for extended periods of time, and the rays bounce up from the sidewalk and your car registers melting temperatures when you get back in it from the grocery store, it's HOT. The heat, the distance from larger cities, the property crime and the desert are inescapable. You have to really ask yourself if those are things you can handle.

Wow, spoken from someone that doesn't live here...I hate to say it, but when "others and outsiders" comment it's hard for us that live here to sit by and let it slide.....so here goes! Nothing personal either, just my opinion....I'm entitled to mine and your entitled to yours

* Most people, irregardless of where they live, "go on vacation somewhere else". I don't know of many people anywhere that "vacation" at home.

* There are good school districts as well as the bad, you need to do your homework if your moving here with children to be sure you purchase in a "good" school district. And even in the "bad" districts there are "good" schools if you look.

* I don't think you need to LOVE the heat, endure it yes....I don't LOVE the heat, but I tolerate it pretty well. It's been tiresome this year, to hot, to soon and hot to long! There is a long line of people standing behind me on this one!

* As far as your car being "melting hot", that's why we have air conditioning in them and you learn to put a towel over the steering wheel, look for the lone tree in the parking lot no matter how far it is from the door and do your errands early in the day or late at night so you don't HAVE to deal with the high temps mid-day.

* Distance from other Cities? We love it that Phoenix and all it's ills are 2 hours away!! Phoenix to me is someplace to drive THROUGH to get to Laughlin or Vegas!

* Property crime you'll find ANYWHERE in America now days, if your an informed buyer, you'll check the local police departments "crime stats" to see which area's you might want to avoid...you'll hang out in the neighborhood where your thinking of buying all hours of the day and night and SEE first hand what is lurking, walking, driving by as well as the neighbors. Are they quiet, parties, people driving in and out all hours.....people tend to buy what's "cute" and "cheap" and not do their homework thus ending up in a neighborhood they will be unhappy in.

* "inescapable desert"....uh, this IS THE SONORAN DESERT....if you move into it your really INTO IT. If you don't want to live in the desert, don't buy a home here....desert is all we've got!!

Ozark Nana

[BillyBaroo]

Originally Posted by Ozark Nana

* There are good school districts as well as the bad, you need to do your homework if your moving here with children to be sure you purchase in a "good" school district. And even in the "bad" districts there are "good" schools if you look.

Thank you. My wife is a teacher and she works very hard. It's easy to look at a few statistics and test results and then state that all the schools in Arizona are terrible. I also have three children attending TUSD schools. I've been very happy with their teachers and the instruction they receive.

Are there problems with the educational system in Arizona? Yes. Money is a problem. There's problems with the lack of funding and there are problems with where the money is going.

But I can tell you where the biggest problem is, it's in the homes where the students are coming from. Some parents are lazy and they won't get involved in their children's education. There's also a lot of kids that come from homes where English is the second language and some homes where it isn't used at all.

[Ozark Nana]

Originally Posted by BillyBaroo

Thank you. My wife is a teacher and she works very hard. It's easy to look at a few statistics and test results and then state that all the schools in Arizona are terrible. I also have three children attending TUSD schools. I've been very happy with their teachers and the instruction they receive.

Are there problems with the educational system in Arizona? Yes. Money is a problem. There's problems with the lack of funding and there are problems with where the money is going.

But I can tell you where the biggest problem is, it's in the homes where the students are coming from. Some parents are lazy and they won't get involved in their children's education. There's also a lot of kids that come from homes where English is the second language and some homes where it isn't used at all.

I agree with you 100% Billy, I have 2 grandkids in TUSD and they have received an excellent education. Their parents also spend LOTS of time every evening working with them as well. The kids teachers have been just great! TUSD has it's Admin. problems, but there are still many dedicated teachers working hard to provide the best education for these kids that they can.... P.S.-they should of gotten a bigger pay raise!!

O.Nana

[pomegranate]

Well, I grew up in Tucson, so I DID live there, for quite a while, and I visit there frequently, so I feel my opinions are pretty well founded in experience. Just putting in my two cents. The original question posted was why NOT to live there. I just think it's a pretty intense place to live for various reasons. I have also been a public school teacher myself, I know other school teachers in Tucson and am very aware of the factors that go into an education, many of which teachers cannot control. That being said, I went to St. Michael's school for middle school and found that the education and quality of the other students was much better than in the public schools. If someone were to place their child(ren) in school there, they'd probably get a fabulous education. I wish the responders had replied in a more measured way to my posting.

[sierraAZ]

Originally Posted by pomegranate

and am very aware of the factors that go into an education, many of which teachers cannot control

if they can control any...