Tucson, AZ Reviews

Gridlock and Heat Matter - 3/18/2024
I was reading the reviews for Tucson, and after living there for 6 years, I feel the need to weigh in.

There are many pros in Tucson: access to recreational areas, college town opportunities, free (or nearly free) activities, diverse shopping, outdoor activities (winter), and reasonable cost of living.

There are also cons in Tucson: the very hot summers (that keep you locked up after 9:30 a.m.), the very poor road conditions in many areas of town, the overabundance of roads with lights (that make any commuting unpleasantly slow unless you are on the 1 interstate, the dust, no neighborhood cohesiveness.

I would highly recommend outdoor places like Sabino Canyon, Saguaro NP (East and West), various hikes in and around town, and The Loop recreational trail (it's paved, and great for walking and biking). But I would only recommend these places on winter days, or on summer days only before 9:30 a.m.; otherwise, it's just too hot, and maybe Read More

No Longer a Nice Little Town - 2/1/2024
I spend considerable time in and around Tucson, and I've see it rapidly going "downhill" since 2020. It's definitely not the nice town I remember from when I was a Univ. of Arizona student in the very early '70's. The big negatives: an increasing crime rate and how "the city" is doing a poor job handling the homeless population. I persuaded my girlfriend who lives on the east side to sell her home and move with me to Sierra Vista. Property crime is now through the roof, and together with violent crime, is rapidly going eastward; east of Kolb Rd. and now Pantano. The city wants to keep "free" bus transportation in place, but all that does is give some of the homeless the freedom to shoplift around town, and to scare the low- income elderly away from using the buses. And Tucson drivers have to be the worst in the nation; there are way too many car crashes for a town of half a million people. Red-light running is epidemic, and those intersections with double left-turn Read More

Surprisingly racist for such a "liberal" town... - 6/27/2023
Almost eight years and this place still hasn't grown on me. Or my spouse. The summers are oppressive, and the winters (thanks, climate change!) are now wet even though they're typically dry.

Our allergies (we're coastals) are on high alert here - year-round. In the past, doctors recommended people move TO the desert to escape seasonal allergies. Nope, not here!

The city (and I use the term loosely) is a strange mélange of trying-to-be-a-hip-college-town-with-snowbirds but fails miserably. Near the university, there's a pathetic attempt at life: 4th Avenue, University & Downtown. Merchants here treat you differently than other places because they're chasing the almighty dollar. But that's it. If you're a traditionally-aged college student, you might enjoy it. Otherwise...

...there are endless rows of strip malls. Smoke shops. Massage parlors suspiciously open at night with curtains drawn shut (can you say "human trafficking?"). And seedy bars Read More

MUGGY SUMMERS WITH RAIN 90% OF THE DAYS / EVENINGS - 8/31/2022
This is my 2nd summer living south of Tucson, after living in Metro Phoenix for 8 years. During the Tucson area summers--I feel that I am in Houston, TX or Jacksonville, FL because of the muggy / humid monsoon days. My Dehumidifier never stops running! I will be leaving this area within the next 12 months to find a more "comfortable" Read More

1 star for Tucson - 11/15/2021
I've been living out in Tucson since the end of Summer August of 2005. At first i thought Tucson was great. I think that was the "honey moon phase" where everything here is fun, new and exciting. That lasted a year or two before i started to see how Tucson really is. Seems most positive reviews for Tucson are from people vacationing or visiting here as one reviewer "A" mentioned and did a great job explaining. Tucson itself is okay but more leaning towards bad then good. I lived over on or by Sabino Canyon, Fairfield on the foothills, across from the loft movie theater on Speedway in the neighborhood behind book-mans and Zia records, and downtown. The people over on Sabino Canyon, downtown, and foothills kinda came across as stuck up, dumb and judgemental. Be prepared to be judged based off what you look like and what you have. I say hi to people as i leave my apartment most won't even say hello back and just look at you. It's a very awkward interaction when you say hi and they don't Read More

Unsafe high crime area - 11/11/2021
This is a sanctuary city. Quality of life has gone down substantially. This is due to open borders with high crime and gangs. Read More

A Decent Mid-Sized City with Plenty of Sunshine - 11/9/2021
I have lived in Tucson for 15 years, and my parents have lived here since 1985, so I've seen Tucson double in size over that 35-year period. I think many of the reviews I have read on this site are exaggerations that contain some truth but are too extreme. The growth has had positive and negative effects.

Tucson is a decent mid-sized city with a large public research university, a very affordable and extensive community college, several large hospitals, an Air Force base, and a very large military contractor. After that, you have many small businesses, retail centers, and warehouses. Tucson is considered an inland port city. If you are in health care or work in a field that caters to wealthy senior citizens, there are many jobs here. Tucson is a college town, a military town, and a retirement community. It's a place full of contradictions. It has a thriving multi-cultural scene (Western America, Native America, and Mexican) of writers, visual artists, and musicians. We Read More

High crime, dangerous - 8/11/2021
Very high crime, and American citizens are second class now.Read More

Retirement dream - 8/1/2021
I've lived here for over 30 years. If you're near retirement age or retiring this is the place for you. Beautifully 55 + communities with fantastic curb appeal and landscape. Pensions, SSI aren't taxed for the most part. Cheap places for downsizing. Great place to bring grandkids to see cactus and javalinas. Never gets very cold and it's a dry heat. Another nice thing is that there's no natural disasters you have to worry about. No tornadoes, no fires or floods, no hurricanes. If your pool is heated you could swim 8 months out of the year. 6-8 hours from Vegas. 45 minutes from Mexico. Lots of trails. Very bike friendly but a couple die every year from being hit by drivers. College basketball and football games at the U of A. Tour de Tucson.
If you're anyone else then you're treated like garbage second class citizens. Lots of poverty. There's a new homeless person at the street corner every day. Most of the city lives in poverty. K-12 Schools are terrible. They can't find enough Read More

Tucson is under rated but it is a beauty : - 5/19/2021
I have been living in Arizona almost half my life, with 13 years in the Phoenix Area, and 10 years in the Tucson area. Tucson has been under rated for too long.
I didn't gave it a 5stars because, I strongly think, there is no 5 stars rated big city in this world. Everywhere has its Pros and cons. So is Tucson.

The Pros :
1. Naturally beautiful Desert, Savanah and Forest Metro
(A) The high desert at elevation 2,100 feet to 2,500 feet.
( B) The Savanah at 2,600 feet to 5,000 feet elevation
( C) Pine Forest above 5,000 feet.

2. A flourishing Performing Art Industry

3. A leader in Scientific research
4. Less expensive to Live in many areas.
5. More friendly inhabitants
6. A growing Engineering Industry
7. Gastronomy Capital of UNESCO
8. A Big city with a small town feel
9. A college Town
10. A Vibrant Aerospace Industry
11. Down Town Night life especially in the Read More