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Hi
I'm a 56 year old currently single lady, looking to relocate in a warmer climate..I live in Madison, WI now..a great city. Trying to decide between Tucson, Albuquerque and the Phoenix area. I love live music events (Latin, Afro Cuban, jazz, world music, neighborhood festivals and fresh produce markets. I don't want a bumper to bumper long commute and hope to find a place that's culturally diverse. Also hope to find a place with an active social scene for singles..Any advice?
Hi
I'm a 56 year old currently single lady, looking to relocate in a warmer climate..I live in Madison, WI now..a great city. Trying to decide between Tucson, Albuquerque and the Phoenix area. I love live music events (Latin, Afro Cuban, jazz, world music, neighborhood festivals and fresh produce markets. I don't want a bumper to bumper long commute and hope to find a place that's culturally diverse. Also hope to find a place with an active social scene for singles..Any advice?
Hmmmmmmm, rebabeso . . . definitely a tough one.
Let's go one at a time here:
To avoid "bumper to bumper" traffic you need to rule out both Albuquerque and Phoenix.
For the "warmer climate" you need to rule out Albuquerque because it gets kinda cold there in the Winter. Maybe not as cold and miserable as Madison, but cold nonetheless.
Hey, this was fairly easy . . . I guess that leaves Tucson.
I'm definitely leaning towards a move to Tucson, even though I haven't visited there yet. How would you describe the cultural scene there..general atmosphere of the city? Are the summers ungodly hot?
I'm definitely leaning towards a move to Tucson, even though I haven't visited there yet. How would you describe the cultural scene there..general atmosphere of the city? Are the summers ungodly hot?
Another "toughee" for me, rebabeso!
Culture is definitely a "relative" term. Your perception may be totally different from mine.
Tucson is not what I would call "high culture" as there is more of a "cowboy" mentality here, however, if more culture is needed a quick drive to Phoenix is not out of the question.
As for the Summer weather in Tucson . . . "UNGODLY HOT" is a good descriptive term but definitely less so than either Phoenix (mainly due to higher elevation) or Albuquerque. In fact, I'm not so sure it is any worse than what you endure in Madison and we don't have those mosquitoes the size of small cats. ! ! ! !
I know that most cities in the Southwest can have that "cowboy" feel..It's just a little foreign to me, not necessarily a bad thing..and my sister lives in Scottsdale, so the more urban locale is not that far. Madison, for a city it's size is pretty worldly, so I'm a little spoiled. You're right..Its all relative..an individual preference, but I think I'm ready to take the plunge and schedule a visit to Tucson. No lie about those mosquitos here!! Thanks so much ..very helpful information!
I know that most cities in the Southwest can have that "cowboy" feel..It's just a little foreign to me, not necessarily a bad thing..and my sister lives in Scottsdale, so the more urban locale is not that far. Madison, for a city it's size is pretty worldly, so I'm a little spoiled. You're right..Its all relative..an individual preference, but I think I'm ready to take the plunge and schedule a visit to Tucson. No lie about those mosquitos here!! Thanks so much ..very helpful information!
You are most welcome, rebabeso
As for scheduling a visit . . . NOW IS THE TIME. You'll look long and hard for better weather than what we're having now.
I know that most cities in the Southwest can have that "cowboy" feel..It's just a little foreign to me, not necessarily a bad thing..and my sister lives in Scottsdale, so the more urban locale is not that far. Madison, for a city it's size is pretty worldly, so I'm a little spoiled. You're right..Its all relative..an individual preference, but I think I'm ready to take the plunge and schedule a visit to Tucson. No lie about those mosquitos here!! Thanks so much ..very helpful information!
Well, I'm one of those people who love the weather ... The surrounding mountains are pretty, too. As far as "city," there is no city. Picture enormous suburban sprawl. That's what Tucson looks like. There's no lively downtown. Actually, the "downtown" area is not that bad - it's just dead. It's not to everybody's taste. Then again, art Tucson Museum of Art and Historic Block, symphony orchestra Tucson Symphony Orchestra - Home, opera Arizona Opera can be found, as well as various festivals, arts and crafts events, etc. There's also an independent movie theater: Loft Cinema | Tucson, AZ . U of A hosts cultural events, too.
Tucson appeals more to the hiking, biking, jogging crowd.
I'm like Sierra, I love the weather in Tucson. I used to live in Phoenix and I think it's a lot better in Tucson. It cools down at night more. Also, the air is much cleaner.
Here's how I would break down the year. Of course this is my opinion and others feel differently. May and June start the summer hot and dry. High temperatures are usually around 100 degrees, lows in the 70's, and humidity less than 10%. Every summer is different, but this is the time of year when we can get some VERY hot temperatures. We can have days where the high gets up to 110 degrees. That can be dangerous if your out in the afternoon sun. It usually stays that way into the first part of July. I actually enjoy this time of year with the hot and dry weather. Mornings and evenings are very nice, many people avoid being in the sun during the afternoon but it's not bad in the shade because the humidity is so low. Drink lots of water, it's easy to get dehydrated.
During July the humidity starts to rise as moisture starts working it's way up from Mexico. Most people refer to this as the Monsoon season. We can get some incredible thunderstorms in the afternoon, that's both good and bad. It cools everything down dramatically, temperatures can drop 30 degrees in just an hour. It's also very beautiful to see these storms form and the lightning displays they produce. They're also very spotty, the storms can be concentrated into areas as small as just a single neighborhood. I've been standing in my yard dry as a bone watching it rain across the street. But the storms can also be very dangerous and cause a lot of property damage with winds 50-70 miles an hour. Flash floods are prevalent and care must always be taken around flowing water. The day after a storm can be oppressive with humidity up around 60% and temperatures near 100 degrees. Air-conditioning never felt so good. August is my favorite month to take a couple weeks vacation and head to the mountains or San Diego.
In September the air starts getting drier and the temperatures rise again. Even the most hardcore desert rats start to get worn down by the constant heat of the summer. But evenings and mornings start to get nice again and you know beautiful weather is just around the corner. Weekend drives in the mountains or cooler parts of the state are a terrific retreat. October starts with more of the same but now we can start to have some really nice days when the temperatures cool while still enjoying the deep warmth of the sun. Every year is different but some of the most beautiful days are in October.
November, December, January, February and March are the big payoff! Some of the best weather you can imagine. We do get some cold weather though. A front can come through and we'll get some rain and some nights during the winter we have freezing temperatures. But most days it always warms up when the sun comes up.
April is the box of chocolates month, you never know what you're going to get. It's usually warm and dry though. So that's half of the year with warm to hot temperatures. That's what I enjoy, other people hate it though. I grew up in Illinois and the hot humid summers back there wear me down more than anything, plus the freezing cold winters are just painful for me. Everyone is different, but you do need to trend toward an affection for heat if you're going to live in Arizona. You'll read a lot of posts from people that can't handle it just like I can't handle cold.
I'm like Sierra, I love the weather in Tucson. I used to live in Phoenix and I think it's a lot better in Tucson. It cools down at night more. Also, the air is much cleaner.
Here's how I would break down the year. Of course this is my opinion and others feel differently. May and June start the summer hot and dry. High temperatures are usually around 100 degrees, lows in the 70's, and humidity less than 10%. Every summer is different, but this is the time of year when we can get some VERY hot temperatures. We can have days where the high gets up to 110 degrees. That can be dangerous if your out in the afternoon sun. It usually stays that way into the first part of July. I actually enjoy this time of year with the hot and dry weather. Mornings and evenings are very nice, many people avoid being in the sun during the afternoon but it's not bad in the shade because the humidity is so low. Drink lots of water, it's easy to get dehydrated.
During July the humidity starts to rise as moisture starts working it's way up from Mexico. Most people refer to this as the Monsoon season. We can get some incredible thunderstorms in the afternoon, that's both good and bad. It cools everything down dramatically, temperatures can drop 30 degrees in just an hour. It's also very beautiful to see these storms form and the lightning displays they produce. They're also very spotty, the storms can be concentrated into areas as small as just a single neighborhood. I've been standing in my yard dry as a bone watching it rain across the street. But the storms can also be very dangerous and cause a lot of property damage with winds 50-70 miles an hour. Flash floods are prevalent and care must always be taken around flowing water. The day after a storm can be oppressive with humidity up around 60% and temperatures near 100 degrees. Air-conditioning never felt so good. August is my favorite month to take a couple weeks vacation and head to the mountains or San Diego.
In September the air starts getting drier and the temperatures rise again. Even the most hardcore desert rats start to get worn down by the constant heat of the summer. But evenings and mornings start to get nice again and you know beautiful weather is just around the corner. Weekend drives in the mountains or cooler parts of the state are a terrific retreat. October starts with more of the same but now we can start to have some really nice days when the temperatures cool while still enjoying the deep warmth of the sun. Every year is different but some of the most beautiful days are in October.
November, December, January, February and March are the big payoff! Some of the best weather you can imagine. We do get some cold weather though. A front can come through and we'll get some rain and some nights during the winter we have freezing temperatures. But most days it always warms up when the sun comes up.
April is the box of chocolates month, you never know what you're going to get. It's usually warm and dry though. So that's half of the year with warm to hot temperatures. That's what I enjoy, other people hate it though. I grew up in Illinois and the hot humid summers back there wear me down more than anything, plus the freezing cold winters are just painful for me. Everyone is different, but you do need to trend toward an affection for heat if you're going to live in Arizona. You'll read a lot of posts from people that can't handle it just like I can't handle cold.
Yep, Billy's right. Everybody's different, even those who do like the weather. I can easily live without Dec, Jan, and Feb. February to me is the worst winter month - not only it's cold (well, by our standards), but it usually rains. Of course, nothing is really wrong with Dec and Jan. Just spoiled desert rat. I've been living here for almost 11 years. I grew up with sort of a Mediterranean climate - 4 seasons, but with mild winters. Have lived for 4 years in a place with a harsher winter, but still don't think it compares to anything in the cold states here. As much as I enjoy fun cities and urban environments (the lack of which is my major gripe with Tucson), probably wouldn't wanna be there in the winter. I was shivering in Chicago on Memorial day when the locals were sporting shorts and flip-flops...
Out of the other months I hate July and August. Will take May and June any time over them (these 2 months you can picture by setting your hair dryer on high ). That cliche "dry heat" is true. And it's not even the humidity in Jul and Aug that bothers me that much. Can't stand the downpours, lightning, etc. so many here are in love with. Besides, the streets in Tucson are not designed to take that rain and get flooded and very annoying to navigate.
What an awesome site this is! I'm so glad I found it. Muchas gracias to Bummer, Billy and Sierra for all this wonderful information. I'm sure I'll have lots more questions as I consider this huge adventure. Any info on cost of living and utility bills appreciated..like do you run air conditioning all year round?
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southwest relocation
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I can easily live without Dec, Jan, and Feb.
February to me is the worst winter month - not only it's cold (well, by our standards), but it usually rains. Of course, nothing is really wrong with Dec and Jan. Just spoiled desert rat. 
