Tucson, Casa Grande area (Phoenix, Tempe: neighborhood, theater, university)

[Fearringtonflash]

I am considering a sabbatical at Univ of Arizona and am also looking at smaller towns in the area. Are places like Casa Grande within easy reach (distance) of Tucson? Is there perhaps more of a feel of the 'Old Arizona' in such towns? I drove through Casa Grande years ago, and it struck me as a pleasant place with market square, active local culture, etc., yet also close to Tucson and Phoenix/Tempe. Thoughts?






Neenan

[tommylaw]

If you make the drive from Case Grande to Tucson more than once/week you'll hate it. I don't knw the exact distance without looking it up but it is too far of a drive on a daily basis.

[afvet]

Neenan,

I work at the UofA and live in the town of Oro Valley right outside of Tucson. My commute to work is about 40 minutes even though I'm less than 15 miles away, but it does put me closer to Phoenix. It doesn't offer much in the way of culture and nightlife, though. The university has a good theater that puts on several plays a semester and an art museum. The downtown area seems to offer some culture, but I don't have any first hand experience.

I highly recommend that you get a place close to the university to save yourself the headaches of Tucson traffic. Tucson has a lot of bicyclists, so if you like to bike you may want to chose a place close enough to ride into work to avoid traffic and parking challenges at the university (hard to find and expensive).

[Idaho]

If in your budget range, the Sam Hughes Historic Neighborhood right next to the U of A might be just the ticket for you,
if you're looking for a piece of the old pueblo. Afvet has said it well. If you're looking for sort of a laid-back way to enjoy your sabbatical
at the U of A, taking advantage of the bicycle-friendly aspect of our city may be nice for you. Welcome to Tucson.

[Quag7]

Oracle, a little north of Oro Valley, should probably have the small desert town feeling you're looking for without being too far out of the area.

Alternately, look at Picture Rocks and Avra Valley "behind" the Tucson mountains, as well as some of the more outlying parts of Marana.

[Latitudes]

Originally Posted by Fearringtonflash

I am considering a sabbatical at Univ of Arizona and am also looking at smaller towns in the area. Are places like Casa Grande within easy reach (distance) of Tucson? Is there perhaps more of a feel of the 'Old Arizona' in such towns? I drove through Casa Grande years ago, and it struck me as a pleasant place with market square, active local culture, etc., yet also close to Tucson and Phoenix/Tempe. Thoughts? Neenan

Casa Grande - not so much a "small town" these days. It's an agricultural area that's on its way to merging with the Phoenix metro area. It's also gone through some "revitalization" so the homey local infrastructure you recall may be gone. You probably can't beat The Old Pueblo (Tucson) for the 'Old Arizona' feeling. Tucson and Prescott are two of the few places in the state where historical roots are valued. The Sam Hughes neighborhood is a good suggestion. I also would support the idea of relying on an automobile the absolute minimum possible. I lived in Tucson for seven years without a car and went everywhere on bike: Sabino Canyon, Oro Valley, Old Tucson, Avra Valley -- some of the best years of my life.