where can I live in AZ? (Phoenix, Tucson: apartment, rental, construction)

[KurtAZ]

Originally Posted by ayoitzrimz

Thanks for the information everyone- we’ll check out Prescott and the Phoenix area. We will likely make two trips - one in February and one in July.

Nobody has mentioned Tucson - what about it? Would it be a good fit and if not why not ?

Actually I did...Northern Tucson in the foot hills has some nice neighborhoods.

[Canine*Castle]

Originally Posted by Deelighted

If you do head towards Tucson, head a bit farther to the southeast and also visit Sierra Vista which is a little over an hour from Tucson. I think that you'll find this area checks most, if not all, of your items off your list. No problems with pools freezing down here

I'm looking at Sierra Vista for possible retirement and also Green Valley and Sahuarita. I like the aspect that SV is elevated and therefore, the summers are hot but not quite as hot as GV, Sahuarita, or even Tucson.

Do you think SV is a pretty good and safe place for a single lady who will be 70+ when she's able to make the move?

Thanks.

[Satya777]

I LOVE Tucson for the city itself, the heat was unbearable for me so I left but the Catalina foothills/oracle areas are nice and so is green valley, Sierra vista south. I actually really liked Tubac too but might be too remote for you.

[Deelighted]

Originally Posted by Canine*Castle

I'm looking at Sierra Vista for possible retirement and also Green Valley and Sahuarita. I like the aspect that SV is elevated and therefore, the summers are hot but not quite as hot as GV, Sahuarita, or even Tucson.

Do you think SV is a pretty good and safe place for a single lady who will be 70+ when she's able to make the move?

Thanks.

I live in a small town outside of SV. From the information on City-Data the crime rate in SV is lower than the national average. The increase in the number of border patrol in this area reduced the crime statistics for both 2015 and 2016.

I think if you locate within the city limits and don't choose a place in "Fry Town" you should be safe. Yes it's definitely cooler in the summer here than the places you mentioned

[Prickly Pear]

Tucson is the price of dirt. One of the most affordable cities in the country. Main reason? Job situation there is poor. But that doesn't concern you, since you telecommute.

[ayoitzrimz]

Originally Posted by Prickly Pear

Tucson is the price of dirt. One of the most affordable cities in the country. Main reason? Job situation there is poor. But that doesn't concern you, since you telecommute.

What sort of jobs are there in Tucson (for people who live and work locally)? I imagine the university is a large employer and there are small businesses but aside from that what sort of jobs are there in Tucson?

[man4857]

Originally Posted by ayoitzrimz

Thanks for the information everyone- we’ll check out Prescott and the Phoenix area. We will likely make two trips - one in February and one in July.

Nobody has mentioned Tucson - what about it? Would it be a good fit and if not why not ?

Tucson generally has a depressed economy. So depending on your line of work, it may or may not work out.

The only good paying jobs in Tucson are if you are working in government (directly or indirectly), engineering, healthcare, or education. Other than that, I don't see any other line of work that will pay well enough.

[Prickly Pear]

Originally Posted by ayoitzrimz

What sort of jobs are there in Tucson (for people who live and work locally)? I imagine the university is a large employer and there are small businesses but aside from that what sort of jobs are there in Tucson?

As the poster above me said, aerospace industry is HUGE in Tucson. There is also healthcare, the university of course, military. Government in general with the Tohono O'odham reservation to the West (think of all the agencies that work with the Indian Tribes), being near the border so border patrol, national parks, etc.

That isn't to say there aren't jobs in other fields or administrative jobs to support those... of course a 1 million metro isn't going to compare to a 5 million metro, right?

One of my good friends who lives in Tucson works for Microsoft. It would be worth checking out indeed for jobs in Tucson and see if they line up with your skills if that's something you wonder about. I can't help you there unless you tell me what you do for a living.

Tucson is a different flavor than Phoenix. Very different. I liked how Tucson was different back when I was living there... I moved back to Phoenix now and I wish Phoenix had some of Tucson's "quirks". I feel like Phoenix is a lot more comparable to other US cities, but Tucson is more comparable to other local SW towns, that retain more of its Southwestern history and attitudes that aren't reflected in transplant-heavy Phoenix. Like El Paso and Albuquerque. Many prefer places "like home" when they move, which may mean an inclination for Phoenix off the bat.

Tucson is dirt cheap in the Basin (south of River, east of the I-10, west of Houghton).

Because Tucson is so different than Phoenix which is more comparable to places like Dallas and such, it's hard to say if you'd like it. You have to visit it (not just drive by it on the I-10, many people do that and see how it looks like a dump from the freeway and say they "visited" it and how dumpy it was. Of course it was dumpy there, no one wants to live next to an interstate) in person.

[Canine*Castle]

Originally Posted by Satya777

I LOVE Tucson for the city itself, the heat was unbearable for me so I left but the Catalina foothills/oracle areas are nice and so is green valley, Sierra vista south. I actually really liked Tubac too but might be too remote for you.

Thank you. Yes, I thought about Tubac as well, but too remote, I think.

[Canine*Castle]

Originally Posted by Deelighted

I live in a small town outside of SV. From the information on City-Data the crime rate in SV is lower than the national average. The increase in the number of border patrol in this area reduced the crime statistics for both 2015 and 2016.

I think if you locate within the city limits and don't choose a place in "Fry Town" you should be safe. Yes it's definitely cooler in the summer here than the places you mentioned

I just looked up Sierra Vista's "Fry Town" and no thank you. Thank you for your comments.