I just hit my one year mark here too. I moved here last May from Illinois and going from a Chicago winter right into Arizona summer was brutal. However, now that I know how great winter is here it’s all worth it.
I can tolerate the dry heat. There’s plenty of things to do here to beat the heat. But mid October through Mid May is very very nice. So just push through!
Appreciate your non bias honest review. Realtor reviews are always motivated by money. Would love to hear more about the Oro Valley area on over to Marana. I'm retired and moving from Chicago, but I promise to stay out of the left lane .
Haha I don’t mind the retirees. Oro Valley and Marana are both nice but I would far choose Oro Valley. North Marana is mostly neighborhoods and you’re a bit farther from things. Oro valley is barely outside Tucson so you have all the resources without the crime and other issues! Good luck!
I know the area well, feel free to ask any questions. Oro Valley is A LOT more expensive, both have about the same access to hospitals, health care, shopping, and food. Marana is MUCH faster for getting to Phoenix, downtown and so on. Oro Valley is nicer for sure but they're both fairly safe and a little outside of the hustle. Tucson has a lot of issues but having grown up in Milwaukee and spent a lot of time in Chicago you will love it here.
I work at a brewery and I hate and love the snowbirds because they bring lots of business to us and surrounding businesses but they are also lots of rude old people but they spend money and that means I get to brew more beer and keep making money and helps make up for the slow season
I know this is a couple months old but I just came upon your videos. We just hit the one mark here as well. We came from Oahu Hawaii but we’re military and have lived all over. We live in Vail and I absolutely love it! The wildlife, the monsoons, the dry air, the people are friendly and the food is incredible. However, this is the first place I’ve lived where people routinely drive UNDER the speed limit! It’s not just the older generation. I pass many young people. It drives me crazy!!! Also it’s not the best place for dogs. We have two and they get bored, especially in the summer. We don’t have grass so they can’t really run around and they only get one walk in the morning before it gets hot. In Hawaii, I would take them roller blading for a couples miles so they could run. Afternoon walk and at night they would play with all the neighborhood dogs at the dog park that was right next to us. Anyway, other than those two, I do love it.
Welcome to Southern Arizona! I haven’t explored Vail yet but it’s on the list. Been to Maui quite a few times, but only that island. Took my wife there in January and she loves the green and ocean (she’s from Florida) but I love the cactus and desert. So we’ll see how long we’re in Arizona. 😃
@travelswithtravis0117 I also love the cactus and I'm obsessed with the saguaros. They're so cool when you read about them. We have two framing our driveway and many more on our property. They're very special. Hawaii is amazing bit ironically I love it here more. Aside from my dogs of course but I love it. Come over here to Vail! It feels like another world. We love it. We live in Coyote creek in case you want to venture up here. It's only a mile or two from Colossal cave.
Thank you for the content! Moved to Tucson area (Corona de Tucson) from Indiana in April '24. This whole experience has obviously required acclimating to the many differences (especially the intense monsoon storms) but I'm truly enjoying this beautiful area, nevertheless. 😊❤🌵
I lived in Tucson from 2001 - 2013. It was much more affordable back then than it is today. I would say that I suffered through summers for the amazing winters. :) Eventually that wasn’t enough lol it did make me appreciate seasons much more. I had a great time living there, loved the hiking and desert. If you have not checked out Chiricahua National Monument, it’s a great place to hike and amazing views!
We have a lot still to check out. It’s only been a little over a year. I think lack of seasons will wear on us be we have so much to see and do before we’re ready to leave 😎🌵
18 years in Tucson, never experienced a haboob. They don’t happen in the Tucson valley unless you are referring to the snowbirds. So much noise and full of hot air.
Surprised no one ever mentions the mosquitoes on the cons list. Just know that if you live anywhere near a wash, you will have a mosquito explosion during monsoon.
I never really have issues with mosquitos until around monsoon. I kinda forget about them. Being from Texas they’re always around. But I heard someone say to use vanilla extract as a repellant and it works the best 🤷🏻♂️ haven’t tried it yet
Mt Lemmon is pretty unique it’s like a 40min drive and you’re 8000 ft up in a woodland area. Job market though idk most young people buying houses here work for Raytheon 😅.
@@travelswithtravis0117 Don't miss the Boneyard which is down the street from Pima Air and Space. World's largest military aircraft storage. (Google AMARG)
Just wondering what your average electricity bill is during the hottest months? What about water quality compared to dfw & roswell? Thx for your video!
The electric is too much lol. When I was in Roswell summer max was like 90$. Here it’s between 150-200$. That’s in a 600 square ft apartment which is ridiculous. Now we do live in an old unit with not summer proof windows, and construction. Plus the AC is probably old and inefficient. Water is okay here. Texas was awful. Roswell was not great, very hard. We always use filtered water for everything.
Moved here from NYC in 2001. It was a quiet small town for about 6 months then development everywhere. Got crowded and expensive quick. City provides nothing for kids compared to another city this size (ie: San Diego). That said - safest city I’ve ever lived in (including Dallas).
Don’t feel unsafe at all, though I generally keep my business to the Cathills and Oro Valley. Talked to a few people about what it was like before all the development. Wish I could have seen it before the population shot up 😎🌵
LOL...... @14:10 $500 a month rent in tucson..... damn ...........i used to live at grant and alvernon and my rent was $525 a month including utilities for a 1 bedroom then covid happened and my rent went upto $990 a month plus $200 for utilities...... now im lucky and i bought a 33foot class a motorhome now all i pay is about $200 a month for utilities.... staying on a friend propertry :-)
You gotta do what you gotta do. There’s still some low rents around but seems like you have to put up with some sketch. But compared to other cities it’s not super terrible here. Still wish there was lower rents like back in the day!
I grew up in Tucson I do believe your thoughts are correct. Tucson is beautiful, very cultural and it was a great place to be raised. I live in Colorado now and I love it but I'm getting close to the snowbird phase in my life so I'm going to sell my house in Colorado (in the next 5-10 years) buy a condo here and a condo in Tucson. I'm so excited Tucson will always have my heart & soul. Great vlog. Thanks
You were talking about old tucson. You would love going during Halloween. Also look up tarantula hawks. I see them more than i see tarantulas and they are very interesting.
I love them both but Arizona is gonna take win. As far as economy and resources Arizona is superior. I love the landscapes of the Sonoran desert, flagstaff and Monument Valley. New Mexico suffers from a lot of poverty. But I really love Santa Fe. Roswell had a lot of charm for me, but it’s not for everyone. I love ABQ too but the crime is out of control. I used to ideally want a home in the desert of Santa Fe. I like the Pueblo architecture and the ideal weather year round. But I would probably choose living in southern Arizona. The only big downside here is the brutal summers.
I arrived in Tucson in December 2022. I'm in the Flowing Wells area which is considered a bad area. However, I moved from West Philly, PA, so this area isn't bad to me at all. However, I plan to move to the suburbs eventually because I want to own land. I love Tucson!
I've lived in Tucson for 30+ years. Cons - Summer heat Fall/Spring Traffic (Snowbirds and UofA are here/in session) Big/Little Bugs. Snakes centipedes Scorpions tarantulas wild animals with mange Crime (In the past 5 years, crime has become worse than ever before. The South side and far west side (as mentioned in video) are the areas to be very aware of. The central side isn't great, but not horrible. Homelessness Street racing Gangs Not a lot of jobs available, unless you want to make minimum wage. The sunrises and sunsets Plus……. Pros - Winter Weather Summer Traffic (snowbirds and UofA students leave) All the activities that are available to do. - Unless you're section 8, I haven't seen $500 rent since the mid-90s. - Old Tucson hasn't been the same since the big fire that took all of the good stuff away. (star boardwalk, pictures, etc.) The foothills are is a higher class and more expensive.
I've lived here 30+ years too. I've rarely encountered any of the wild life, like scorpions, tarantulas, or snakes, aside from some wild bore, coyotes, hares, strays, atc. I've actually never encountered any violent crime either, and I live near the central part. My rent is currently 829 bucks, and that's near the Wilmot and 22nd area.
I live in an older apt in the foothills. I generally avoid anything south of River Road and conduct most business in Oro Valley if possible. But the nature and sunsets and desert landscape and Mount Lemmon are great things to enjoy 🌵 But with school back in I can tell the traffic is way worse
It’s better in Tucson because we have a higher overall elevation. Some days we are 5-10 degrees cooler. Some days we are the same temp as Phoenix. But we have a lower max temp. To see it above 111 here is extremely rare unlike Phx which can hit 117-120
The West side isn't even really that bad! 😂 Central and South Tucson are worse! Also Valley Fever can be serious. It almost killed me at 17. Look up Disseminated Valley Fever.
lol the west side isn’t the worst, but I saw some stuff over there at night. Sorry about the valley fever! Gotta do more research on it and try and stay clear!
I have lived in Tucson Arizona for 12 years now I live in the middle of the desert I have coyotes I have javelina I have bobcats I have mountain lions snakes scorpions spiders down right nasty cockroaches this town is disgusting and unsafe I don't recommend it for anybody if you don't like wildlife
I can handle the wildlife as long as they aren’t in my house 😂 the only one I cannot stand is the big ass roaches. But I pretty much stay away from inner Tucson. I do my shopping and such in Oro Valley and the CatHills. It’s pretty sketchy in most of the city limits
Tucson is the best place on the planet. When do not need transplants. OH! And look at the shadow and tell me that Travis is not an Alien. or a cockroach. Just messing with you man. Welcome to the desert southwest.
lol some parts of PHX are very nice, some aren’t. But Tucson has issues in certain areas more than others. I avoid those areas and stick to the Catalina Foothills and Oro Valley when going out.
We live in Oro Valley and see lots of tarantulas, scorpions, etc…. Usually when out walking or biking. They are really fun to see. Yes, the sunsets are spectacular. My photos are about 50 percent sunsets and clouds. 😂. Thanks for posting. Enjoyed the discussion.
