Raising a family here/ Growing up here (Phoenix, Tucson: HOA, house)

[desert19dweller]

Hello- I am 27, and I am thinking of purchasing a home here in Tucson (oro valley) - I am originally from the East Coast.. My question is - Are you happy with raising your kids here? or have fond memories growing up here? I love the outdoorsy, safe aspect of it here and want to raise my kid (only 1 year old) in that kind of environment. however, the summer has been hard for me (first summer) I grew up with oceans near by so its just a little different for me..I get nervous my kid will be so bored during his time off during his summer breaks.. Anywho.. i hope this message finds you well. I am just trying to make the best decision for my family...or wondering if its a better idea to come back when i want to retire like a lot of people tend to do in Oro Valley.. let me know your honest thoughts

[grmi66]

My adult children have spent the bulk of their life living in Arizona, as have my stepchildren. Like living anywhere else, it's what you do to keep them busy over the summer that matters. You can be bored over the summer living anywhere. Plus in my experience, if you grow up in the heat, it doesn't seem to bother you as much. My children when they were school age would run around outside and ride bikes on and off outside all day if you let them.

Of the five adult children and stepchildren I have (all in their 20's), only one has left Arizona. Have another that is heading off to Officer's Candidate school in August after graduating from college in May. Both will probably move back to Arizona in the next 5-10 years. Part of it is due to the weather, the other part is all of their extended family lives here.

[City-Strong]

I also have a one-year old and we're putting down roots in Tucson. We've been in our house for a few years already and so far so good. @grmi66 definitely agree about growing up in the heat. We found enough things to do in the summer as kids. We were crazy when we'd walk barefoot to and from the public pool several blocks away from where we grew up.

I definitely think the area has a lot to offer for young people and young adults - I guess depending on what you like to do. If you like hiking, lots of diversity in restaurants and enjoy the desert it's a great place.

We live closer to the college and have met a lot of our friends through our church - even though many of them are only here for the time they're going through grad school. It's hard to see them move on sometimes but we enjoy getting to know them and they've helped us appreciate a lot of different fields of study and work. In Oro Valley there may not be as many young families but they probably wouldn't be moving in and out as fast.

One thing I would say is be mindful about whether or not you want to live in a community with an HOA and do a bit of research on it if it does have one to make sure it's worth it to you. That is one topic that I've heard complaints from people that live in Oro Valley - but I'm sure that even good HOA's have people that complain.

[Maroon197]

IMO Tucson/OV is a much better retirement town than it is a family town. There just aren’t a lot of activities, especially during the summer when the heat limits your outdoor options. For younger kids there are a few okay indoor options, but once they hit the tween and teen years there is next to nothing going on in Tucson. It’s rough, to say the least. Phoenix isn’t as beautiful as OV, but it has infinitely more and better options for activities and family amenities. And if you want anything resembling a classic east coast summer for your family, you’d be better off outside of az altogether.