help? (Tucson, South Tucson: crime, home, job market)

[Karianne215]

Okay before you guys fume about newcomers...I was actually born in TUCSON at UMC! But we moved away when I was very young...

anyway.

My husband, my baby daughter and I are interested in Tucson because frankly we are done with Denver. My husband is from Albuquerque and we were looking at moving somewhere similar but with alittle more population and well a little more growing room.

I will be graduating soon with my B.S. in Criminal Justice so I will be looking for positions in that field, my husband has a ways to go with his schooling so he would be looking for part time working with substance abusers or at risk youth.

I have been really looking into Tucson but I had some concerns, about job availability in public service and well the schools. My daughter has quite a few years before she attends school but the budget cuts concern me. And well even on your local agency websites there isn't much open.

I didn't know if this was typical of the area or just the economy woes hitting very hard?

We really like it there but I have to make sure its a good fit?

No disrespect meant if I offended anyone.

But recruiters won't give me honest answers!
I could really use locals advice.

[Spot]

Don't move to Tucson. The job scene here is terrible. The schools are even worse. Arizona is now ranked 50th for per-pupil education funding in the US. The city of Tucson is really poor and getting poorer. The average family income in Tucson is $28k, about $30k lower than where you live right now. There are entire sections of Tucson that look like the third-world. Dirty, dusty, unfinished buildings, no sidewalks, no street lights, no infrastructure in general, potholes in every road, trash laying all over the place, etc... The downtown renovation project just announced that it was getting canceled because the idiots in the city government couldn't come up with a plan (in 10 years).

The people here are very poorly educated in general. They are also some of the most unsophisticated people on Earth. In large part that's because there are almost no young professionals in this city, outside of the university area. If you want to make friends with people under the age of 60 who are college educated you can forget about it. They don't exist here.

The crime is the highest it has ever been. We had over 40 murders last year. We lead the nation in property crime. We lead the nation in meth abuse. The crime isn't regional either, it happens in every part of the city. Etc...

If you are looking for a good community to raise your children in, I definitely wouldn't recommend Tucson. My wife and I are moving out of AZ precisely because we don't want to put our daughter into terrible schools when she starts in a couple of years. I'm a Tucson native, but have lived in other parts of the country and I can think of several places that are far, far better. I only came back here temporarily for grad school. This place is a pit now. If you are actually unhappy in Denver, you will be taking anti-depressants when you start living in this place. Denver is about 200 times better than Tucson in every way.

[Karianne215]

wow, I appreciate the honesty.

[Spot]

No problem. Good luck with your search! I hope you guys find a place that works for your family!

[michael krotchie]

Originally Posted by Spot

Don't move to Tucson. The job scene here is terrible. The schools are even worse. Arizona is now ranked 50th for per-pupil education funding in the US. The city of Tucson is really poor and getting poorer. The average family income in Tucson is $28k, about $30k lower than where you live right now. There are entire sections of Tucson that look like the third-world. Dirty, dusty, unfinished buildings, no sidewalks, no street lights, no infrastructure in general, potholes in every road, trash laying all over the place, etc... The downtown renovation project just announced that it was getting canceled because the idiots in the city government couldn't come up with a plan (in 10 years).

Job market downturn is a nationwide issue, Arizona is actually ranked 29th highest in unemployment.. vs. 23rd for Colorado.

Unemployment rates - Unemployment rates by state from CNNMoney

Cost of living calculator suggests Tucson is a bit more affordable than Denver. Cost of living: Compare prices in two cities - CNNMoney.com

And I'm not sure where you got you income figures from, but here is a link to the city-data.com info.

Estimated median household income in 2007: $36,096 (it was $30,981 in 2000)
Tucson: $36,096
Arizona: $49,889

//www.city-data.com/city/Tucson-Arizona.html

Originally Posted by Spot

The people here are very poorly educated in general. They are also some of the most unsophisticated people on Earth. In large part that's because there are almost no young professionals in this city, outside of the university area. If you want to make friends with people under the age of 60 who are college educated you can forget about it. They don't exist here.

Doesn't seem worthwhile to change your mind since you seem so convinced. Obviously you aren't aware of such companies as IBM, Raytheon, Honeywell, Intuit, or any of the hospitals in town.. believe it or not, a lot of college educated people live in Tucson.

Originally Posted by Spot

The crime is the highest it has ever been. We had over 40 murders last year. We lead the nation in property crime. We lead the nation in meth abuse. The crime isn't regional either, it happens in every part of the city. Etc...

Where did you see that Tucson leads the nation in property crime and meth abuse? And the statement about crime not being regional is completely incorrect.

Karianne215, I'm not a die-hard Tucson advocate but it turns me off to see a blanket response like the above being the only answer you get.

Crime is an issue here but you don't see masked gunmen roaming the streets pillaging and plundering. Of course there are less desirable places than others.

Public education is definitely lacking but there are plenty of higher performing schools as well as private school options. If you are looking for public service jobs you should have many options here.

[ZonyPony]

Karianne, whatever you do in life , I wish you the very best, but NEVER take the advice of only ONE negative, pessimistic poster. Be sure to read several other threads here before you make up your mind, as there are certainly several people in Tucson who will give you more positive and optimistic feedback. I've lived here all my life and I'm very happy, and believe that as long as you search it out and do your homework, you will at the very least make a more informed decision.




As for Spot: I say again... See Spot RUN...

[Spot]

Originally Posted by ZonyPony

Karianne, whatever you do in life , I wish you the very best, but NEVER take the advice of only ONE negative, pessimistic poster. Be sure to read several other threads here before you make up your mind, as there are certainly several people in Tucson who will give you more positive and optimistic feedback. I've lived here all my life and I'm very happy, and believe that as long as you search it out and do your homework, you will at the very least make a more informed decision.

Karianne,

ZonyPony is right about not taking one persons advice. He is a strong advocate for Tucson and it sounds like he has been able to build a good life for himself here. For that reason, it's worthwhile to listen to his point of view and others that are more "pro-Tucson." Not everyone will come to the same conclusions, presented with essentially the same data. For example, I love Denver and you mentioned that you are sick of it.

My views on Tucson are what they are and I certainly wouldn't claim to be completely objective on the matter. I can't move out of here fast enough! That being said, do your homework carefully before you make the decision.

Good luck with your decision. I do hope you find what you are looking for.

[Marcy1210]

I'm interested in why you're done with Denver. Besides some great Universities like DU, CU-Denver, Regis, Metro, CCD, and others, plus LoDo, Invesco Field at Mile Hi, Pepsi Center, Coors Field, Elitches, The Museum of Nature and Science, Denver Zoo, and some really great neighborhoods from Littleton to Thornton, all of JeffCo, Golden, Green Mountain, some of Aurora, why you'd want to give that up for Tucson which has maybe 1/2 of all that. You've got a fabulous view of the front range, are just up the highway from Colorado Springs and the bazillions of things it has to offer, so it surprises me you'd give all that up. I have a home in Divide, west of Colorado Springs that I use from June-August, but I'm mostly here, not necessarily for the amenities, but mostly for the weather. Like I said, I'd be really interested as to why your're tired of Denver? If I had a young child, I'd embrace Denver like there was no tomorrow. But, that's just my opinion.

[sickofIL]

We lead the nation in property crime. We lead the nation in meth abuse.

Funny, I can't seem to find anything that supports this. Tucson isn't even in the top 10. Check the FBI stats. Looks like Pheonix is more than double alone. (ratio for population)

Tucson doesn't even rank in the top 100 Least Safe Cities on City-Data. South Tucson does however.

//www.city-data.com/top27.html

[Karianne215]

Originally Posted by Marcy1210

I'm interested in why you're done with Denver. Besides some great Universities like DU, CU-Denver, Regis, Metro, CCD, and others, plus LoDo, Invesco Field at Mile Hi, Pepsi Center, Coors Field, Elitches, The Museum of Nature and Science, Denver Zoo, and some really great neighborhoods from Littleton to Thornton, all of JeffCo, Golden, Green Mountain, some of Aurora, why you'd want to give that up for Tucson which has maybe 1/2 of all that. You've got a fabulous view of the front range, are just up the highway from Colorado Springs and the bazillions of things it has to offer, so it surprises me you'd give all that up. I have a home in Divide, west of Colorado Springs that I use from June-August, but I'm mostly here, not necessarily for the amenities, but mostly for the weather. Like I said, I'd be really interested as to why your're tired of Denver? If I had a young child, I'd embrace Denver like there was no tomorrow. But, that's just my opinion.

It's horrible for a young family unless you have AMPLE and I mean AMPLE means. I attended 2-9th grade here in Aurora and I came back for my four years of college and it has totally changed to a place I don't recognize. Its terribly unfriendly and people are so shallow and cold. And well sorry to offend but "yuppy-isque". Which doesn't fit my husband and I's life style. Also we are a young family my husband and I are 22, perfectly happy and capable but good luck finding someone near our age who isn't clinging so tightly to adolescence. And honestly, education and sophistication don't always go hand and hand. I'd rather take a kind considerate person than an arrogant academic any day. Everyone here is trying SO HARD to keep up with the Jones' that they have no family or community values or culture. Aside from cultural opportunities which quite costly, the job market here is a nightmare, a college degree because of the prevalence of educated people is the equivalent of a high school diploma anywhere else in the country. Not to mention the food sucks and so does the customer service and common courtesy.