Looking like Tucson this summer...some more questions (Douglas, Bisbee: transplants, rent)

[MDCB]

Originally Posted by Jukesgrrl

For heaven's sake, you say you've been to Tucson, then you talk about it like you think it's Death Valley! Yes, we have trees. And air conditioning to a fault. You'll be wearing those sweaters indoors in August some places. Most Tucsonans have covered patios in their homes. If you're doing a medical residency, you'll probably live in one of the many swimming pool-equipped condominium complexes in the River Road area with hundreds of other medical people, many of whom will be single. We also have Google so you can find all the coffee houses, waterparks, nightclubs, and casinos you'll have time to visit.

As for the people, I'm sure you'll find at least a couple of "nice, progressive, intelligent young professionals" among the many mean, conservative, stupid, old lay-abouts.

Didn't mean to make you folks angry! Yes I do know what I am getting into...kinda...but I have been to Tucson in the summer and it was brutal...very hot...but my friends car did not have AC and I believe his house did not have an AC either....I definitely will want to live somewhere with a nice efficient AC...I have read about the swamp coolers...but AC feels better right?

Also, thank you so much for the info to the above poster!
Lake Roosevelt seems like something I could get into if I was really craving the camping scene! It seems like a 3 hour ride from Tucson?

I am very excited to hit up Puerto Penasco also! That seems like a nice vacation! Especially if family/friends come into town. Any links to the logistics of driving down there? Seems like a scary time right now....with the border violence and such. How much are beach houses there? ha!
I am sure I can find some nice quick flights to SD also...

The rotations that I set up with the hospital I may try to set up around the summers also...if I can set up an international rotation in one of the summers, perhaps I could skip out on the most brutal month of summer?

How long does it take to get up to Mt. Lemmon? I think my friend took me there once...it was about an hour ride up to the top on the curvy roads?

I am sitting with a snow storm outside my window...it looks beautiful, but will not be fun to go outside and drive in this weather....
I am just pumping myself up to these scenes here in the midwest.....when it is just blasting hit down on me in the summer and I walk into the hospital drenched with sweat, I want to remember the crazy snow storms in the midwest that I am trying to avoid.

I looked at river rd. on the map...it is pretty north of town...and I thought perhaps around the University would provide the most culture and fun things to do on my few nights off of work?
Wouldn't living in river rd. be a pain to get to work everyday at the university medical center and going to the VA hospital??? I will be working a lot at the VA also...I will have rotations to fulfill there also. Wouldn't it be better to live between the two hospitals so I can get to work faster?

I am very excited that when I was interviewing at the VA, they said they would be providing us with covered parking!!! and more exciting is the fact that they are putting solar panels on top of all the covered parking....I wanna see AZ push aside the racial tensions in the state and build an incredible solar power park that competes with china and germany!!!

[MDCB]

p.s. thanks for all the friendly welcomes!!!! I haven't moved to Tucson yet...but there is a very high probability that I will be moving there!

I will also be making about....$48K in salary when I move to Tucson. Is this a decent salary for a single 27 year old male to have a "yuppie"-esque...already have a car, but want a nice apartment complex with pool/bbq grills/nice maintenance, nice stores (banana republic, gap is sufficient for me), etc?

My other options for moving include SF, Portland, or Tampa....any comments there would be appreciated also.

[mir86]

48k is more than enough in Tucson for a single your age!

And Tucson's shopping isn't that great, but it has definitely gotten better (we might even be getting a Nordstrom Rack in 2012 which I'm so excited for!). Banana and Gap have been here for years!

Also if you can move to SF, I would pick SF. I love the bay area and would kill for a chance to live there! Plus summers there are much milder than here, it just rains a lot in CA over the winter time.

Tampa, I don't know much about but I've been to many places in Florida, many times and Busch Gardens is in Tampa (sooo fun!). Its a fun place to visit, I just don't think I'd want to live there.

[mir86]

Oh and for yuppieness..there's La Encantada mall. High end stores and equally high end dining there. My favorite restaurants there is Armitage which is a wine bistro and they have amazing wine and happy hours along with beautiful decor. If you like sushi, Ra is also at Encantada, looks very expensive but its really not.

[Subie2]

SF is nice, but he said he wants to live the "yuppie" life, which I can't see if he's going to be making medical residency pay and trying to live in super expensive SF. He'll get more for his money here.

[~PaperMoon~]

Originally Posted by MDCB

- How am I going to make it through the heat of the summer? What if I only left work around 5 or 6? Would that help avoid the brutal sun? And how long will this brutality last? I mean...here in KY it is 35 degrees right now...your 75 degree day sounds great.

Summer time in Tucson is not that bad as long as you use common sense. Just wear light clothing and stay out of direct sun etc. Unless you have a job where you stand outside in the hot sun all day, there's nothing to worry about. Just like how you would not go coatless and wear shorts in the middle of winter in a cold place with snow, in the same way you use common sense and dress light on the hot days. You would not stay outside in the freezing cold and exposure to cold temperatures for long periods of time, so in the same way you don't stay outside exposed to the hot sun for long periods of time. As long as you stay inside with air conditioning, and AC in your car and work, and limit your time out in the hot sun, I think anyone can survive the 100+ degrees. I start work in the early morning before the hottest part of the day and get off after the sun has started to set some so the heat didn't really bother me. If you want to run or exercise, just go out in the early morning when it's still a comfortable temp or do it in the evening just before the sunsets when things start to cool down some. So it's not that bad at all. Just use common sense. They also have sunblock with SPF as high as you want, I've seen some as high as SPF of 90. So there's nothing to worry about.

[MDCB]

Thanks to the PaperMoon! I am somewhat less worried about dealing with the heat now.

Lake Roosevelt seems like something I could get into if I was really craving the camping scene! It seems like a 3 hour ride from Tucson?

I am very excited to hit up Puerto Penasco also! That seems like a nice vacation! Especially if family/friends come into town. Any links to the logistics of driving down there? Seems like a scary time right now....with the border violence and such. How much are beach houses there? ha!

How long does it take to get up to Mt. Lemmon? I think my friend took me there once...it was about an hour ride up to the top on the curvy roads?

I looked at river rd. on the map...it is pretty north of town...and I thought perhaps around the University would provide the most culture and fun things to do on my few nights off of work?
Wouldn't living in river rd. be a pain to get to work everyday at the university medical center and going to the VA hospital??? I will be working a lot at the VA also...I will have rotations to fulfill there also. Wouldn't it be better to live between the two hospitals so I can get to work faster?

[sierraAZ]

https://www.city-data.com/forum/phoen...cky-point.html

https://www.city-data.com/forum/phoen...cky-point.html

https://www.city-data.com/forum/tucso...-kino-bay.html

https://www.city-data.com/forum/tucso...o-penasco.html

https://www.city-data.com/forum/tucso...o-penasco.html

Search is your friend.

[Bummer]

Originally Posted by mir86

Also if you can move to SF, I would pick SF. I love the bay area and would kill for a chance to live there! Plus summers there are much milder than here, it just rains a lot in CA over the winter time.

Comparing San Francisco to Tucson is absolutely impossible, mir.

Having Lived and Worked in both cities . . . Tucson has my vote and the only way I would return to San Francisco is in a Pine Box.

As for Summers in San Francisco . . . they are MISERABLE. Spring, Autumn and Winters are ok, however, Tucson's weather is far superior.

MY TWO CENTS WORTH

[mir86]

Originally Posted by Bummer

Comparing San Francisco to Tucson is absolutely impossible, mir.

Having Lived and Worked in both cities . . . Tucson has my vote and the only way I would return to San Francisco is in a Pine Box.

As for Summers in San Francisco . . . they are MISERABLE. Spring, Autumn and Winters are ok, however, Tucson's weather is far superior.

MY TWO CENTS WORTH

I see what you mean! I was referring to the areas outside of SF proper, but I was in Marin/Sonoma most of the time I was there with only a little bit of time spent in downtown SF and I fell in love everywhere we went!