Live in J-Six, commute to Tucson? (Phoenix, South Tucson: houses, buying, best school)

[FeFiFoMo]

Hello! We are looking at a number of properties in the East Tucson, Vail, and Benson areas. While I would prefer to be closer to Tucson, my husband really likes a property near J 6 Ranch Road.

Does anyone live in that area and commute to South Tucson? (I'm going to be working near Valencia, if that helps--looks like about a 40-minute commute.)

While I've been in Tucson and part of Vail quite often, I haven't really explored Benson (aside from the yucky Cenex station off the Interstate and J 6 Ranch Road. Are there food stores close by? What about medical treatment?

I realize I'll have to explore a bit more before we make a final decision, but I'm just trying to get a feel from folks who live there, first.

Thanks all!

[recycled]

I would avoid the north side of I-10 where J6 becomes Mescal Rd. The main east-west rail tracks cross Mescal Rd 1 mile north of I-10 at grade level, and the train horns blast 60+ times a day, maybe more. I am not a fan of loud train noise. I hope you have a fuel efficient commute car, because your daily commute miles will pile up fast.

[gemstone1]

Mescal Rd to the Tucson VA Hospital exit is 36 miles, that's not a bad commute. I-10 is not heavily traveled, a good road, sun will be at your back both directions. Granted, the hospital is not downtown, so some miles would be added to reach there.
My wife commuted from Benson for months, then we moved on...her commutes were 50-60 miles after Tucson.....for years.
Life is about about choices, and a willingness to compromise.

Regards
Gemstone1

[LordBalfor]

As mentioned, J-Six (ie the south side of I-10) is preferable to Mescal. It tends to be a bit nicer/upscale with generally larger lots and a bit nicer homes. It is also further from the Mescal Rd train crossing. From our place on the J-Six side we can sometimes here the train horns - but just barely and way off in the distance. Most of the time we can't hear them at all. Same thing with the traffic noise.

LOTS of wildlife in the area. We've had up to 30 big healthy deer on our J-Six acre at one time. That is an extreme case, but seeing half a dozen or so happens a LOT - sometimes on a daily basis. It means you have to drive the areas' streets very carefully - especially morning and evening/night, but really any time of the day. They also tend to eat nearly anything, so it means we have to fence many of our plants, but it's still pretty cool to have so many wild animals living in the area, It really makes you feel like you are out in the country.

The climate is a bit cooler than in Tucson - especially the winter overnight lows - but the payoff is that the summer highs are a LOT easier to take. June/July/August average highs in my area are 93/91/88 and we typically edge (just slightly) above 100 only a few times a year. Winter tends to give us highs in the low/mid 60's and lows in the mid/upper 30's.

A few years back I wrote a rather lengthy and detailed post about Benson in the "Arizona city by city" thread which is still pretty accurate today.

Commute time to downtown Tucson is generally about 40/45 minutes most of the time. Going back home can take a bit longer during rush hour due to back ups from the Rita Rd exit. The Rita back ups problem is a relatively new issue that seems to be getting worse as that area is more and more developed.

Overall, we LOVE J-Six - GREAT views, GREAT weather, GREAT location, LOW cost of living. Be aware however that there are not a lot of kids in the area if you have children.

Ken

[FeFiFoMo]

Wow! Thank you all for this valuable info. I really appreciate it!

The property is on the south side of town, but I'm going to double check on how far from the tracks it is--just to be safe. And Ken, I'll be sure to check that older post out!

Thanks again, everyone!

[LordBalfor]

Originally Posted by FeFiFoMo

Wow! Thank you all for this valuable info. I really appreciate it!

The property is on the south side of town, but I'm going to double check on how far from the tracks it is--just to be safe. And Ken, I'll be sure to check that older post out!

Thanks again, everyone!

You're welcome. Be aware that even though train noise isn't much of an issue in J-Six, freeway noise from I-10 can be a problem if your property is close to the interstate. J-Six property further from I-10 doesn't have that problem.

Any other questions, feel free to ask.

Ken

[dodlake24]

LordBalfor - you mentioned there's not a lot of kids in that area? Are there some areas around there that have a lot of kids?
We have two elementary school kids and we have a possible opportunity in that area. Thanks

[LordBalfor]

Originally Posted by dodlake24

LordBalfor - you mentioned there's not a lot of kids in that area? Are there some areas around there that have a lot of kids?
We have two elementary school kids and we have a possible opportunity in that area. Thanks

No, J-Six doesn't have that many kids. Mescal may have a bit more - but still not a huge amount. Vail has tons of kids and there's quite a few in the town of Benson itself (though parts of the town are not that nice) as well (with a terrific school district in Benson). If you are thinking of buying in Benson though, I'd avoid houses down in the valley in Benson because there's a LOT of structural settling that occurs down there. Up above the escarpment (J-Six/Mescal for example) it's not a problem.

Vail itself would probably be a good choice. Plenty of kids there and what is generally considered to be the best school district in Arizona.

Ken

[dodlake24]

LordBalfor - Thank you for your answer. I'm coming from the outskirts of the Phoenix area, is there any significant temperature difference between here and Vail?

[LordBalfor]

Originally Posted by dodlake24

LordBalfor - Thank you for your answer. I'm coming from the outskirts of the Phoenix area, is there any significant temperature difference between here and Vail?

Yeah, Vail will be a few degrees cooler than Phoenix and several degrees warmer than J-Six.
Take a look at Vail's averages:

https://weather.com/weather/monthly/l/USAZ0251:1:US

Ken