New job offer? What to do

[Nea1]

Actually the job fell through but he got another one up in Phoenix, but I did like Tucson./

[Ponderosa]

Tucson is a dirtier, drier, smaller version of Phoenix. Tucson people always say they don't want to be another Phoenix. And they aren't. Tucson lacks even the limited amount of culture and entertainment that Phoenix has. Most areas look run down because water rates are so high people can't even afford to have desert vegetation. Traffic is terrible, pollution is worse, they have severe water problems - so bad that is it ranked right there with New Orleans as cities that are environmentally unsustainable, and the violent crime rate is nearly 50% higher than Phoenix. Many neighborhoods have neither sidewalks nor street lights. They've allowed subdivisions to be built in the floodplains and homes wash away when it rains. They have no storm sewers, the streets are inverted crowns that carry runoff, so they run like rivers after the summer storms. They have consistently resisted building freeways (don't want to be like Phoenix) so there is but one, inadequate, freeway that is located away from where most people live. The city stretches west to east across the desert and if you have to travel that way you can expect more traffic lights than you could ever imagine.

On the other hand, it has one of the best public universities in the US, and a more open-minded, liberal, attitude than most of AZ. Of course that liberal attitude translates into welcoming arms for the horde of immigrants crossing the nearby border and Tucson shows the effects of that as well.

[Jshank88]

I wouldn't agree with Ponderosa. I lived in Tucson for 10 years, and loved it. It's far prettier than Phoenix, with cleaner air (no smog like Phx) mountains all around, and no huge freeways running throughout the city. Its also slightly cooler (but to be honest when its that hot it doesnt really matter) I've always found people to be nicer in Tucson and to be honest I think it has a nicer downtown than Phoenix too. And yes, Tucson is more liberal than Phx...

I lived on the east side, which in my opinion is the nicest part of town....but Oro Valley (NW) is really nice too.

Just my two cents.

[tinatee]

I just moved to AZ from Los Angeles. We looked all over the place for the best commute for my husband, who works at Raytheon, and good school districts, as well as good neighborhood. We live in Corona de Tucson, which is wedged in between Vail and Sahuarita...both of which are nice too. I'm glad we avoided Vail because of the tracks and some of the traffic congestion on Colossal Cave road, as well as the upcoming road work. Sahuarita is nice and close to the 19 fwy, but the houses are really close together and the yards are small. Good for low maintenance though and seems to be a nice community feeling. We opted for land. And thats what many of the new homesites in Corona offer....but there are some lower priced new homes off of Harrison/Houghton that are being built and the area is just beautiful, with the backdrop of the Santa Ritas.

[Idaho]

Population growth recently changed the postal zoning in the northwest Tucson area. Canyon Del Oro High School is now considered to be part of Oro Valley, zip code 85704. Catalina students are bussed to Canyon Del Oro.

Oro Valley, Catalina, Marana, Tortolita, Casa Adobes - all pretty good northwest locations. Good luck.

[tucsondesertdweller]

To Ponderosa. Respectfully disagree with some of your opinions. Tucson is prettier or should I say more scenic the Phoenix. Every area of Tucson has a mountain view. Before moving here My husband and I were lookin in the Phoenix burbs, a friend told me to check out the Tucson area, sure glad she did, once we saw the scenery and natural desert here, Phoenix held no appeal. I will say Phoenix has the upper hand with jobs, Tucson is still a low wage town. Tucson embrances its desert environment, while Phoenix rejects its desert, Tucson is surrounded by desert. You say water rates are so high here that people can't afford desert vegetation, not sure where that is but in my development and subdivision most of us have desert vegetation and it does well. We are not allowed to have grass out in the front and in general most don't want grass, we did not as we try to respect our environment, and we all know there are no natural green grass in the desert. The roads are fine for us and we know who is behind the push for more and better(bigger) roads, the growth industry/lobby. I tell you we drove on some of those super highways up in the Phoenix area, where they have the roads that look like round bridges(sorry forgot the term), I tell you that is just ugly and scary, well for me anyway, the whole drive thru was terrible for me.
Sadly, the Tucson area I moved to is becoming a mini version of the big city to the north! Hey the developers or cement heads are pleased, most of us regular people are not.

[Ladywithafan]

[quote=Jshank88;127164]I wouldn't agree with Ponderosa. I lived in Tucson for 10 years, and loved it. It's far prettier than Phoenix, with cleaner air (no smog like Phx) mountains all around, and no huge freeways running throughout the city. Its also slightly cooler (but to be honest when its that hot it doesnt really matter) I've always found people to be nicer in Tucson and to be honest I think it has a nicer downtown than Phoenix too. And yes, Tucson is more liberal than Phx...

I lived on the east side, which in my opinion is the nicest part of town....but Oro Valley (NW) is really nice too.


My children live in the Oro Valley, and for my XH to move there, it must be nice as he craves water (we've been on an island off west coast of Florida since 1991)......my kids love it there, but do miss the Gulf of Mexico....I hope to relocate as well to AZ, miss the kids, but I might do Phoenix as I don't want to be on top of my X....

[tucsondesertdweller]

ladywithafan, if you want to move here, just move here regardless of the ex, you would never run into him unless you wanted to! We notice that most people stay in the area that they live in, say east, west, southwet, northwest, etc. If you don't want to be in Oro Valley, Marana has some really nice places also. We are sort of sorry we did not move to Dove Mt, because they are only building 1story houses there. Oh well. Good Luck

[Ladywithafan]

Originally Posted by tucsondesertdweller

ladywithafan, if you want to move here, just move here regardless of the ex, you would never run into him unless you wanted to! We notice that most people stay in the area that they live in, say east, west, southwet, northwest, etc. If you don't want to be in Oro Valley, Marana has some really nice places also. We are sort of sorry we did not move to Dove Mt, because they are only building 1story houses there. Oh well. Good Luck

As I've mentioned in a few other relocation posts, I work in property management for a commercial property management/tennis association/condo presently and so I can go basically anywhere that has the best property management job...been throught the state about twelve years ago, before kids & loved it....but that's knowing that I was returning to the Gulf of Mexico....just as relocating to a vacation/tourist trap like FL is an adjustment, so will it be without the Gulf of Mexico a block away......but I'm trying to do a lot of job research prior to possible moving...which would be after June 2007