Potential Relocation to Tucson (Catalina Foothills, Catalina: apartment, rentals, condo)

[thebugandi]

Hi everyone!

My husband is considering a potential job opportunity at the University of Arizona (along with positions in other parts of the country which is why you may see me post similar threads elsewhere!) and we would be moving from Northern California. We're both excited at the possibility of moving, and Tucson is particularly enticing as we both hate winter (even the rain in CA is more than we prefer) and we would remain close to our families in CA. We don't know anyone who lives there, so any insight would be particularly helpful!

His position would be on campus, so relative proximity to the university would be ideal. Even better if the neighborhood was a bikeable distance from the school. I used to work in the nonprofit space, but I'm currently staying at home with our toddler, and I'm pregnant with #2, though I plan on going back to work once they both start school.

We're looking for an area with good/great schools (the ratings for Tucson public schools are a bit alarming, I must admit!), activities for little ones, lots of parks, and that lend themselves to an active lifestyle (we both love to swim, he bikes, I run). I'm pretty liberal but my husband is about as moderate/centrist as they come, so as long as we're not in a far-right neighborhood, I think we'll be ok. We have a black lab that requires lots of exercise, so apartment living won't work for us. We both love good food and drink, but after living in a small town for the past few years, we're pretty flexible if the local scene leaves something to be desired.

Does such a place exist for $2.5k/month ($3k/month max) for a 3-4bedroom rental?

Thanks in advance!

[remco67]

You have a lot of criteria but also a very good budget for Tucson, you can afford to rent just about anywhere. Close to the University most of the properties are more student oriented and not very family friendly. The notable exception to this is the Sam Hughes area which is considered one of Tucson's best with a large presence of University faculty and staff and includes Himmel Park and the Rincon Market, both which are very nice. I didn't look at all the properties but did a quick search on rentals in Sam Hughes and came up with this. As you can see the properties are older which is the case of anything around the University. The blenman elm area which you can see on the map right above Sam Hughes is also a very nice area.

https://www.zillow.com/sam-hughes-tu...z/rent-houses/

[thebugandi]

Originally Posted by remco67

You have a lot of criteria but also a very good budget for Tucson, you can afford to rent just about anywhere. Close to the University most of the properties are more student oriented and not very family friendly. The notable exception to this is the Sam Hughes area which is considered one of Tucson's best with a large presence of University faculty and staff and includes Himmel Park and the Rincon Market, both which are very nice. I didn't look at all the properties but did a quick search on rentals in Sam Hughes and came up with this. As you can see the properties are older which is the case of anything around the University. The blenman elm area which you can see on the map right above Sam Hughes is also a very nice area.

https://www.zillow.com/sam-hughes-tu...z/rent-houses/

Ha! Yes, I posted my ideal criteria but understand we won't be able to find everything. We live in a college town so we're familiar with that lifestyle and are ok with students to an extent. How bike-friendly is Sam Hughes? I've been looking into getting a wheelbarrow/cargo bike since they're popular where we currently live, but I understand they might not make sense everywhere.

Also, it looks like the elementary school in Sam Hughes is excellent, but that the middle and high schools are lacking. Do most kids in that neighborhood wind up going to private school?

[remco67]

Unfortunately, I can't help you with the questions about middle and high schools in Sam Hughes, hopefully others have personal experience with that. As for biking Tucson is a very bike friendly city and even more so around the UofA. Its not uncommon to people to bike to the University from the surrounding areas including Sam Hughes or just bike around for exercise/fun. And Although i haven't been to the Rincon Market in a few years it was not uncommon to see people shopping there using their bikes.

[thebugandi]

Originally Posted by remco67

Unfortunately, I can't help you with the questions about middle and high schools in Sam Hughes, hopefully others have personal experience with that. As for biking Tucson is a very bike friendly city and even more so around the UofA. Its not uncommon to people to bike to the University from the surrounding areas including Sam Hughes or just bike around for exercise/fun. And Although i haven't been to the Rincon Market in a few years it was not uncommon to see people shopping there using their bikes.

Awesome! How bike-friendly is bike-friendly? For example, in my current town, we have bike paths that run parallel to most major streets, and our light signals include special lights for bicyclists.

[Saguarogirl507]

I don't really know about around the University area. It may very well be that it is nice and bike friendly there. But as for the rest of Tucson, I just don't see it. I would never ride on those roads. It looks too scary for me. Just my opinion.

[beTucsonan]

Originally Posted by thebugandi

Awesome! How bike-friendly is bike-friendly? For example, in my current town, we have bike paths that run parallel to most major streets, and our light signals include special lights for bicyclists.

I see Tucson as among the best of the "old-school" bike-friendly cities. In the 90's especially, the city really concentrated on things like bike lanes, starting The Loop, etc.. Then, lately, it's sort of dropped the ball and hasn't done much in the way of implementing the "new-school" of bike safety features. There is only one protected bike lane in town, that I can think of, for example, and it only last about a third of a mile. They have been being pro-active about traffic HAWK installation for pedestrians and cyclists to get across busy streets safely, but 1) I see way to many people blow right through these to feel safe while using them and 2) they don't really fit well into a bike commuting plan in most cases anyhow.

Generally speaking though, you can get from anywhere to anywhere by bike, and using bike lanes. Will traffic respect your space? Generally, yes. I use my bike to commute as much as I can and I'm happy to say (knock on wood) that I haven't had any issues. But others have had issues, so it isn't paradise, obviously. Be safe, be aware, don't break rules you can break in your hometown on a bike because people here just won't expect it or appreciate it, etc..

[thebugandi]

Originally Posted by beTucsonan

I see Tucson as among the best of the "old-school" bike-friendly cities. In the 90's especially, the city really concentrated on things like bike lanes, starting The Loop, etc.. Then, lately, it's sort of dropped the ball and hasn't done much in the way of implementing the "new-school" of bike safety features. There is only one protected bike lane in town, that I can think of, for example, and it only last about a third of a mile. They have been being pro-active about traffic HAWK installation for pedestrians and cyclists to get across busy streets safely, but 1) I see way to many people blow right through these to feel safe while using them and 2) they don't really fit well into a bike commuting plan in most cases anyhow.

Generally speaking though, you can get from anywhere to anywhere by bike, and using bike lanes. Will traffic respect your space? Generally, yes. I use my bike to commute as much as I can and I'm happy to say (knock on wood) that I haven't had any issues. But others have had issues, so it isn't paradise, obviously. Be safe, be aware, don't break rules you can break in your hometown on a bike because people here just won't expect it or appreciate it, etc..

Hm good to know. I had hoped to buy a cargo bike if/when we move to Tucson because I had heard it was bike-friendly, but now I'll have to wait and see.

Also, does anyone have any input on Catalina Foothills vs. Sam Hughes? Those are the two areas that we've been pointed to by friends and internet recommenders.

[beTucsonan]

Originally Posted by thebugandi

I had hoped to buy a cargo bike if/when we move to Tucson because I had heard it was bike-friendly, but now I'll have to wait and see.

No shortage of cargo bikes happily trucking around the downtown and University areas. I hope I didn't mislead you with my earlier statement, but I don't see any reason to avoid a cargo bike. Maybe call and talk to the folks at Transit Cycles (Transit Cycles) who specialize in commuters and cargo bikes.

Originally Posted by thebugandi

Also, does anyone have any input on Catalina Foothills vs. Sam Hughes? Those are the two areas that we've been pointed to by friends and internet recommenders.

They are both older, established, high-end neighborhoods. They both represent a vision of "Classic Tucson."

Sam Hughes is a somewhat bucolic little slice of mid-town Tucson with many fantastically maintained historic homes, interesting architecture, as much shadetree coverage as can be had in the middle of the desert, etc. It is literally across the street from the University. It borders a number of other great areas and if you like access to things it is perfectly situated. I often walk through the neighborhood on my lunch break and it's pretty fantastic. Also see Blenman Elm (just North of Sam Hughes).

The Catalina Foothills are about 6 miles up the road, due North on Campbell Blvd. The homes there tend to be larger and on larger lots. It's historically the "rich" neighborhood in town, though it's been overtaken by some other areas further away from the city by now. You can see the good and the bad side of this history in the properties there - many of them were once fabulous, and many of them still are, but over time some of the properties have fallen into a state of neglect. You can buy new construction in the area as well. There are resorts, luxury condo and apartment communities, bike paths everywhere, shopping and dining, and you really are a pretty quick shot from the University and downtown. It's a very good mix of feeling like you've moved to the desert, but also being near to the city's amenities.

Biking to/from the Foothills is what you make it. Often the most obvious routes (shooting straight down Campbell, or 1st, for example) are the least desirable, but if you mix it up by hopping on the river trail and then linking up with Mountain Avenue (a noted bicycling corridor), for example, it can be pretty great. You will have some hills to contend with, and some of them are not small - back in the early 2000's I bike commuted 25 miles each way and coming up Swan to Sunrise after a full day of work and with my panniers on was not always my favorite thing to do. Of course in the mornings it's a blast to come down the hills!

[thebugandi]

Thanks everyone! My husband got the job and it looks like we're going to focus on the Catalina Foothills area to rent.

Does anyone have recs on best ob/gyns? Best pediatricians? Best preschools? Those are at the top of my to-do list right now.