Overcast-weary Portlanders thinking about moving to Tucson. (Phoenix, Sierra Vista: rental, HOA)

[Colt AZ]

Arizona is what it is. I've lived here all my life, and someone just mentioned that what the OP did was open herself up for critique. Plenty of answers were given one way or the other depending how people received what she was stating.

That's what an internet forum is, and how it develops - and in this case it did not "devolve" into anything other than responses to what the OP touched on. If you think carefully about how your original posts (and your responses) are written, the responses will come accordingly.

Some of you seem to have no problem attacking Arizonans who look like "cowboys" or how they act/speak, or about the fact that they carry openly. Arizona is where we live and is who we are. Some of you apparently reserve the right to pontificate about what/how you think about others. How about some of you "carry" yourselves in a better light on this or any other forum?

[mr.drama]

Lifelong Eagles fan and have no problem with cowboys other than the Dallas ones Seriously: didn’t mean to use that description in a pejorative way(or that it bothered me that he was armed)Sorry if it was taken as criticism.I like it here,and don’t mind a variety of viewpoints.Only thought that basically telling someone curious to stay in OR was not very welcoming -would the response been the same if she had different leanings politically.?If the answer is yes then we all need to do some soul searching

[SWbound14]

Originally Posted by BIG CATS

Tucson is only a few degrees cooler than PHX. Its still hot.


If you don't like guns, low taxes, etc, stay in liberal Portland. Don't move here and change AZ to OR.

Oregon sucks if you want my honest to god opinion especially Porkland the most. I didnt like it there very much at all. They have probably the fewest cigar stores per capita, close to Mass in that regard and maybe VT regarding tobacco laws and I recall in Portland even, they tended to hide some of the alcohol stores where you wouldn't easily find them. I was amazed sometimes, For a craft beer town, I laughed so frikken hard to myself how I lived in SE Portland and only at Fred Meyer was I finding the beer. The other stores had a lousy beer selection. And gun laws are tighter there, I'd imagine more now too.. Maybe its just a little looser than Boston area but not by much. For Californias restrictions, its more to do with the high crime rate but honestly seems like otherwise, more Californians per capita do like their guns. Of course the country Oregonians do but on average, seems like CA is more conservative generally even.

[SWbound14]

Originally Posted by 509

Both Washington and Oregon have open carry laws that are just like those in Arizona. In fact, I see as many people openly carrying in Washington and Oregon as in Arizona.

Portland isn't very diverse and really sheltered from most of America. Tucson is a lot more diverse than Portland and I can see where it would be uncomfortable for people that have lived in Portland. Portland is a nice town, Tucson is a gritty town.

For people that have lived sheltered lifestyles the gated communities in Arizona are very popular for that reason. That way folks don't have to deal with people NOT like them.

Of course, for me that is the charm of Arizona and Tucson. But if all you want out of Arizona is sunny skies, a gated community is perfect for you.

PS...Bookmans does not even come close to Powell's. Powell's is the best thing about Portland.

Tucson already looks more appealing. I dont need a town to be hot on the brew scene. Been there done that. I dont need a city to be just like Portland either or Boston for that matter.

[SWbound14]

Originally Posted by rah62

This.

I grew up there and spent 35 years there. They pride themselves on their "diversity", but take one step outside the accepted PC line and you're shouted down. For decades, Portland was the whitest big city in the nation. It may still be - and possibly even worse now that gentrification has forced longtime residents of the Alberta/Mississippi neighborhoods out of town.

Tucson may not have a Left-handed Leather Lesbians of Color parade, but it's a thousand times more diverse than Portland. That's why I'm here and not there.

Sounds like my kinda city.. diverse but leans conservative, feels vibrant all the same. A place doesnt need the lib'rul agenda to feel with it or lively. Theres many pockets of my blue home area that absolutely stink or dont feel vibrant at all, even if there is marriage equality and all that. In fact I dare to say as backwards as a lot of the south is perceived to be.

[Sorel36]

Originally Posted by sueisme

Yeah, OR is open carry, but Multnomah County (Portland and surroundings) isn't.

Open carry is legal there with a CHL.

[Adamson520]

Originally Posted by SWbound14

Sounds like my kinda city.. diverse but leans conservative, feels vibrant all the same. A place doesnt need the lib'rul agenda to feel with it or lively. Theres many pockets of my blue home area that absolutely stink or dont feel vibrant at all, even if there is marriage equality and all that. In fact I dare to say as backwards as a lot of the south is perceived to be.

You haven't been there, have you? Portland hasn't "leaned conservative" for a century at least.

[SWbound14]

Originally Posted by rah62

You haven't been there, have you? Portland hasn't "leaned conservative" for a century at least.

I didn't 100% clarify maybe but I was referring to Tucson. I been to Portland and if you weren't liberal or didnt live in the prime spots, it was pretty much a big trash heap.

[RetiredTherapist]

Originally Posted by LaylaM

Two years ago we were facing the exact choice that you are. Though we were in the Seattle area - same issues, basically. Also, our oldest daughter and her husband live in Portland so we well understand all of the amenities you're looking for. Our criteria was the same, with the exception of housing price range.

Initially, Tucson was near the top of our list. We love so many things about that city and it is a little blue dot in a red state. Plenty of like-minded people and a live and let live attitude from people with differing views. There is also a very prevalent libertarian vibe which we have no problem with.

Pros for us were:

* COL much lower than the PNW
* Incredible weather in the winter, early spring and late fall
* Whole Foods and TJ's are there
* Housing is still, relatively, reasonable
* Plenty of retail and other basic resources for a decent lifestyle
* Saguaro National Park is a wonderful place for hiking https://www.nps.gov/sagu/index.htm
* One of the best bookstores anywhere called Bookmans. Bookmans East | Bookmans Entertainment Exchange
* Southwest art and architecture is awesome
* Plenty of restaurants and cafes to choose from. Good Sonoran-style Mexican food

Cons for us:

* We visited throughout the year but ,once late spring rolled around, it was just too intensely hot for us. We know plenty of people who feel differently and others who sunbird elsewhere during the summer months.
* After all of our years in the PNW we had difficulty with the extremely dry climate
* We have dogs and decided that they were too old to adapt to the dusty, dry terrain
* The open carry gun law, which we do respect as a constitutional right, was just too foreign to us
* The crime rate is rather high and, if I was alone, wasn't sure I'd feel safe

Please keep in mind this is an 'outsider' point of view and, surely, others may have a very different perspective. And BTW, I agree with other posters that you will not find too much difference in temperature between Phoenix and Tucson - we considered both areas.

I am curious what lication you chose instead? We sre in the same position.

[bkolodzi]

As a person who relocated to Green Valley, AZ (25 miles south of Tucson) from the Portland/Salem/Eugene area of Oregon, I have to jump in here. Let me first say that there are parts of Portland that are plenty gritty, and the big cities in the Willamette Valley I previously mentioned are very liberal while the rest of the state is more conservative, much like California where the coast is liberal and most of the rest of the state is conservative with the exception of Sacramento. My experience so far here in Green Valley (been here 4+ years now) has been wonderful. I am in love with where I live, and my wife who lived in the Portland area for 45 years also loves where we live. She does miss the tall trees occasionally, but absolutely loves waking up to sunshine most days of the year. We are now thankful to see some rain instead of hating it like we did in Oregon. I am not one for larger towns such as Portland or Tucson, so I am quite happy in Green Valley where the peak population is between 25k and 30k during the winter months and drops to 12k to 15k during the summer/monsoon season. I do appreciate the proximity of Tucson in the few cases where I cannot get what I want or need here in GV or Sahuarita. My wife likes the bigger city vibe, so she also appreciates the proximity to stores and medical services in Tucson. In my opinion, Tucson is the Portland of the southwest. The next place the OP might want to look at is Austin, TX, but I guarantee you that the weather there is not near as sunny and hot as southeastern AZ. If you are more in to the 4 seasons type of weather (with some wicked thunderstorms and tornadoes) in a liberal town, Austin might be just what you are looking for.