10 Reasons Not To Move To Tucson (Phoenix, Oro Valley: transplants, crime rate, homes)

[heatheryork]

OhioTim-
A majority of the people that I have met here, that moved here from somewhere else, just ended up here on vacation, fell in love with the area and stayed, or planned to move here someday after visiting. You won't truly know until you've been here how wonderfully different it is, especially in winter. There is sunshine, and people smile and look you in the eye, you'll be amazed!

[Eggcom]

I couldn't come up with 10, but here's a few. For the most part, Tucson is a great place to live and be!

1. Hot summer weather
2. 75% of jobs are $10 an hour, no health benefits
3. Only one main interstate, so lots of stop and go traffic
4. Housing prices have increased greatly in the past few years
5. Some crime problems, like most 1 million+ cities

[OHIOTIM]

Ok As Far As I Can See It Is No Different Than Any Other Large City

The Better Weather,the Outside Feeling,and Overall Good Attitude Of The People Have Convinced Us...we Are Coming...

Have Looked At Homes In The Northwest And Will Probably Be Settling There ...........any Words Of Advice For A Newcomer ???

[peterpan]

I moved to Tucson about 5 months ago from a very good Oakland County suburb of Detroit area. I currently live in the Oro Valley area.

Tucson would be a good place for someone who is retired, does not have kids, and is not seeking a very high standard of education. It could also be a decent place for someone who is making a lot of money and their spouses can chauffeur the kids to some of the good private or charter schools. The city of course has lots of sunshine, and one can play outdoor sports every day.

On the flip side, the salaries here in Tucson are 30% lower (for engineers and IT professionals), the homes cost twice of what they cost in a good suburb of Detroit. The schools (we are in amphi district) are sub standard. Even though some get rated "Excelling", they do not meet my standards of excellence. If your kid fits in a box and is somewhere in the middle you would be OK, but not if you believe that each child should have the opportunity to excel. The schools are not even able to make Adequate Yearly Progress, and they have failed the NCLB standards. They then blame it on the students and the population. The real problem here is with the quality and attitude of the administration and leadership of the district. There is only one school in all of amphi that is good in my opinion and that is because the principal of that school provides great leadership. The shopping and theatres are not that great either. I have to drive much further to get what I need. The cost of sunshine is really high for someone moving from a great metropolitan suburb in the midwest.

Everything in life is relative. The decision to move or not to move really depends on your current situation.

[OHIOTIM]

PETERPAN,

Thank you for your input, fortunately I do not have school age children

I will be moving,also from a suburb, with my son whose was in the Marines,got injured and is now paralyzed from the neck down.

The constantly changing and cold temperatures here do not sit well with his condition

We are basically coming out for the warmth he needs.
My only fear is the crime I have read about and the critters

Being invaded by Mexico concerns me also ( ha ha) just kidding....

So I imagine it will be more of a retirement for both of us

[Tiffany J Johnson]

If you don't enjoy sunshine 330 days a year or if you'll miss tornado season.

If you don't like seeing coyotes, hawks, owls, javelinas and bobcats in the area. It's their home, too.

If you don't mind seeing a rare person here with a six-gun strapped to a belt. That's still legal.

You'll be in conversation about what to do with the illegal immigrant issue all the time. Chances are, you'll meet some illegal Mexicans face-to-face and have to deal with some you really like, and some you don't.

You'll have to adapt to the plants that grow well here with little water vs those you're used to in the garden. (But I grow GREAT tomatoes, green peppers and herbs on my patio!)

If you're scared of lightening, steer clear of here in July/August. That's when we get about 50% of our rain. Monsoons can flood underpasses, dips in roads and make traffic come to a near halt for a few minutes in the afternoons. It can be quite interesting. We have a "stupid" law. If you go into one of these low spots that has a warning sign, you can be fined $500 and have to pay for your own emergency rescue if your vehicle gets swept off in a flash flood. The up side to this is seeing these lightening displays across the valley at night. It's worth climbing your roof for.

Seasons are much more subtle. It snows rarely. The aspens up high, the cottonwoods and mulberry trees do show color, though.

The only river float trips are inner-tubing on the Salt River East of Phoenix and, of course, the "big ditch" as in the Grand canyon.

Big BUMMER is in the summer having to get in your car after you've been shopping and it's about 180 from sitting in the parking lot in the sun. It's like an oven blast. That's about as bad as it gets, unless you have to pave parking lots or are in roofing construction.

If you're considering moving here, keep in mind that it may take your bodies awhile to get used to the heat. I moved here for the 1st time in '68 and it was about 1-1/2 years before I could perform athletically in the heat of summer as well as I was used to in cooler climates (Iowa & California).

Although the metro area is about a million now, in some ways this is still a small town as far as who you know. Networking really pays off.

Hope this helps and feel free to reply.

[s35flyer]

Ohiotim, Please do not move to Tucson. We close our new home there in Saddlebrook 2 weeks from now. We found a piece of paradise, now dont want others crowding us in! hehe

[OHIOTIM]

[quote=s35flyer;760742]Ohiotim, Please do not move to Tucson. We close our new home there in Saddlebrook 2 weeks from now. We found a piece of paradise, now dont want others crowding us in! hehe[/QUOTE


SORRY.... We have made a final decision and we are coming.
SELLING our house here in Ohio is the only thing holding us back.
I am sure there is enough PARADISE that we can share.

[RKessler]

Originally Posted by OHIOTIM

To Everyone Who Has Written In

Has Not Been Enough To Make A Decision
Still 50/50 On Whether Or Not We Really Want To Come To Tucson

I Need Something To Put Me Over The Line One Way Or Another

Come and visit for a couple weeks. Our son took 7 years to make the decision (7 years of our grandson's life we kind of missed) and now says, once settled, it is the best decision he ever made. He has never moved away from his birthtown in Ohio. (I am only 40) so it is not like I am so old fogie)
Wild-West cowboy town - YES I wish is woul stay that way! There are few and far between where, in some smaller out skirt towns, (Amado, Marana, etc) a hand shake and a tip of the hat still mean something!
The outskirt towns are something to look into. Still quick drive to Tucson for work. I drive 45 miles one way and wouldn't change it for anything!

[Steve-o]

Originally Posted by Tiffany J Johnson

If you don't enjoy sunshine 330 days a year or if you'll miss tornado season.

If you don't like seeing coyotes, hawks, owls, javelinas and bobcats in the area. It's their home, too.

If you don't mind seeing a rare person here with a six-gun strapped to a belt. That's still legal.

You'll be in conversation about what to do with the illegal immigrant issue all the time. Chances are, you'll meet some illegal Mexicans face-to-face and have to deal with some you really like, and some you don't.

You'll have to adapt to the plants that grow well here with little water vs those you're used to in the garden. (But I grow GREAT tomatoes, green peppers and herbs on my patio!)

If you're scared of lightening, steer clear of here in July/August. That's when we get about 50% of our rain. Monsoons can flood underpasses, dips in roads and make traffic come to a near halt for a few minutes in the afternoons. It can be quite interesting. We have a "stupid" law. If you go into one of these low spots that has a warning sign, you can be fined $500 and have to pay for your own emergency rescue if your vehicle gets swept off in a flash flood. The up side to this is seeing these lightening displays across the valley at night. It's worth climbing your roof for.

Seasons are much more subtle. It snows rarely. The aspens up high, the cottonwoods and mulberry trees do show color, though.

The only river float trips are inner-tubing on the Salt River East of Phoenix and, of course, the "big ditch" as in the Grand canyon.

Big BUMMER is in the summer having to get in your car after you've been shopping and it's about 180 from sitting in the parking lot in the sun. It's like an oven blast. That's about as bad as it gets, unless you have to pave parking lots or are in roofing construction.

If you're considering moving here, keep in mind that it may take your bodies awhile to get used to the heat. I moved here for the 1st time in '68 and it was about 1-1/2 years before I could perform athletically in the heat of summer as well as I was used to in cooler climates (Iowa & California).

Although the metro area is about a million now, in some ways this is still a small town as far as who you know. Networking really pays off.

Hope this helps and feel free to reply.

Did you just say you climb your roof in a lightning storm? Theres proof right there that the heat is getting to you. j/k