What BestPlaces Users Say about Tucson
Tucson, Arizona is a city located in the southern region of the state, known for its vibrant arts and culture scene, beautiful desert landscapes, and warm weather. It is also home to the University of Arizona and has a growing economy. With its unique characteristics, many people have chosen to call Tucson their home. To gain a better understanding of what it's like to live in Tucson, we will summarize and include excerpts from various user reviews on BestPlaces.net.
According to user "Rachel O.", who has lived in Tucson for 6 years, "Living in Tucson is like living in a colorful and diverse community. The people are friendly and welcoming, and there's always something to do, whether it's exploring the downtown area or hiking in the nearby mountains." This sentiment is echoed by user "Sammy G.", who has been a resident for 10 years, stating that "Tucson has a small-town feel with all the amenities of a big city. It's a great place to raise a family with plenty of parks and family-friendly events."
While many enjoy the vibrant atmosphere of Tucson, there are also some challenges that come with living in the desert. As user "Mark T." shares, "The summers can be brutal with temperatures well over 100 degrees, but the rest of the year is pleasant. Just be prepared for monsoon season and dust storms." Similarly, user "Maria D." adds, "The cost of living is also on the rise in Tucson, and it can be challenging to find affordable housing options."
Despite these challenges, many still find Tucson to be a great place to call home. As user "Liz W." describes, "Tucson has a unique charm and character that you won't find in other cities. The food scene is amazing, and there are so many outdoor activities to enjoy. Plus, the sunsets are simply breathtaking." From its welcoming community to its diverse amenities, Tucson has left a positive impression on many of its residents.
based on 287 ReviewsGet to know Tucson with the latest comments and reviews from people who live in or have visited Tucson
Tucson no longer worth the effort - 6/27/2024
My wife and I characterize ourselves as a young couple, well educated, with decent positions and we’re Tucson natives. We’ve observed our quality of life from both a daily living perspective and our plan for the next few years erode to the point our best option is to leave . The explosive growth of Tucson from the mass exodus of Californians and a few from the Northeast and Midwest has resulted in Tucson becoming one of the most unaffordable housing markets in the U.S. thanks to spiraling prices and bidding wars (3 different publications place Tucson squarely in the top 10 given the well below national average pay scale here in most occupations), very high prices at the pump, grocery stores, and many other good and services, the heavy congestion and very real traffic, overcrowding, increasing property and violent crime, horrendous driving practices, and increasingly notable arrogance, rudeness and entitlement we and other family members have witnessed first hand. The quality of health
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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
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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
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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
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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"
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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
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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.
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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
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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
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