I m Thinking of maybe moving to Tucson for college , what is it like? (Phoenix: crime)

[7stringguitarguy]

I have heard that it's really hot.. And that Tucson suffers from mad urban sprawl like Phoenix and people from California are moving there in droves.. Which can be a good thing and bad thing at the same time. I heard negative and positive things about the young culture college of Tucson typically of white Frat and Sihority culture, and thats the desert is beautiful.. Im a music major so im not really the Greek type.. im not a hipster type either.. im just in between.. Im worried though , that University and the town might not be for me though..

[azdr0710]

most Western cities have experienced urban sprawl as there has always been a lot of land to spread out on and it's cheaper to build out than up.....your LA is the classic example, of course....but Tucson sprawl is not as bad as Phx since Phx metro has 4.5 times as many people as Tucson metro....

the UA is highly rated and has about 40K students....the Greek scene is present, but you won't feel overwhelmed by them....all types here at the U and in Tucson, which is considered more liberal than most other areas of the state.....4th Avenue is our local artsy/hippy area - google that for a view of this small area of only a few blocks....

yes, the desert is great here once you get out of town into it.....lots of hiking options.....Saguaro National Park is on BOTH sides of town!!.....

check the music dept here at the U and see if it's good for you.....

[visitor21]

Tucson isn't the 'wild west' . It's generally more down to earth. Stay away from the frat parties and drug culture you'll be fine. It's not a prerequisite in your 'college course or life' . That said, if you move here, buy yourself a nice high quality feather duster.

[tom4416]

I don't think people from la-la land are flocking anywhere in droves - the freeways are too congested for them to ever leave LA . Tucson is a series of small towns bonded together by common geographical limits and zip codes. Downtown has a few hi rise office buildings (six maybe?), everything else is very low key. I don't know anything about college lifestyle but have taught college long enough to tell you that any university experience is what you make of it. Even the diehard party animals flunk out the first or second semester, come back in a year or two as completely different students. Most just go through a year of living wild, realize that was fun while it lasted and turn into serious students. Plus, mom and dad and all scholarships aren't wild about paying for a .9 GPA.

[7stringguitarguy]

is there a lot a of crime in Tucson , i saw some pictures of some historic districts and they looked interesting , like the barrio historic district,with all the colorful old adobe houses i would like to visit that. I can see that there is Mexican influence in Tucson in the buildings and probably in the food. I bet the food in Arizona is good. Yeah i think i m going to check Tucson out. Thanks for the info..