Tucson, AZ (Phoenix, Marana, Vail: movie theaters, school district, colleges)

[Tiger Beer]

Whats the feel for the city?

Also.. the colorful stucco buildings.. seem a few pics here and there.. is that commonplace? colorful? or more brownish desertish? or?

how does the city compare with say albuquerque? as i've heard them commonly compared.. but not sure the commonalities and differences..

what are average housing prices there? are they going up quite a bit?

people that live there.. where do they usually want to go if they could go anywhere? (funny question.. but when I lived in NYC.. people that would want to move.. always mentioned SF).. its always somewhere..

I'll think of more questions later..

[Roam-n-Red]

So ya wana know what up in Tucson? How about the temp. Didn't get much of a winter this year. This is going to drive the wildlife right up into our backyards. Snake population going to be BIG this year. The NIGHTLIFE is just as hot. Try BOONDOCKS on a Friday night for some good African Beats. If this ain't your bag try one of the Casinos for live concerts monthly. Lots of shopping on 4th Ave. and good eats at a number of 5 star eateries. And just incase you want to do some fishing there are a number of graet spots less than 100 miles outside of town...I LUV this place myself !!! Roam-n-Red

[Phxdude89]

Yeah Tucson really is an up and coming city. If you want good nightlife, try downtown. If you want great shopping, there's the Tucson mall.

Tucson has a very desert atmosphere, whereas Phoenix looks more like Los Angeles than anything in the desert.

[rrandi]

Tucson is a pretty good place to live. There is plenty of desert scenery and animals (and temperatures), and there is a lot to do. Speedway is covered in night clubs on the south/southeast side, and down town has tons of clubs and bars and whatnot for nightlife. One of my favorite things is the Deanza Drive in Movie Theater. Day life is pretty good too. There are several malls, Tucson Mall being the most massive, movie theaters, bowling alleys, mini golf lol, hiking, camping, and whatnot. We have some good schools and good colleges, and such. I like it here, but then again, I've never lived anywhere else!

--Randi--

[swusresident13yrs]

Originally Posted by rrandi

... We have some good schools and good colleges, and such. I like it here, but then again, I've never lived anywhere else!

--Randi--

Grade schools in Arizona state consistently rank 2nd or 3rd worst in the nation year after year. The colleges (UofA/Pima) aren't bad, however, Pima fairs better for class size and tuition (undergrads). Given the choice, I would have my children in private school or move to Marana or Vail (nearby subburbs) vs. attending TUSD (Tucson Unified School District)

IMO, SantaFe/Albequerque or Las Cruces/El Paso offers better grade schools, more things to do for families, and cooler weather in the summer.