Rancho Sahuarita to Basis Tucson (Catalina: sale, affordable apartments, rental)
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1) East 6th street: how busy is rush hour, and how long does rush hour last?
2) Would you buy a home on East 6th?
3) Evaporative cooling systems: my realtor said they are a bit "muggy". Are they good? A natural humidifier? Are they popular in Tucson? My realtor says they're cheaper.
4) Is the parking area beside the alley part of the home's "lot"? Google map shows that some people seem to have that area enclosed .... and others don't. Is it the home-owner's choice to have more "yard" or more "parking"?
5) Is off-street parking an issue in Sam Hughes (ie: if we have a lot of guests, will they easily find parking... especially if the easement at the front is removed in order to add an extra lane?).
6) Why do so many homes have tiny homes behind them? (Rental income? Guests? Kids that get on your nerves?... LOL.)
7) Some bypasses have bike lanes with what looks like a barrier wall for protection. Is this safety feature common, and is this part of a "bicycle boulevard"? I assume bicycle boulevards are the safest form of bike path? (they had 3-4 kinds listed on a general info website for Tucson)
7) 6th seems to be a distinguishing road (ie: east/south/north/west). Any info regarding how this came to be? It's really interesting.
8) Is it possible to cycle safely to work on 6th (westward on 6th for about 10 minutes, then south on 6th for about 10 minutes)? Or is there a safer route?
9) Are there any women/moms posting to my thread? I would love to have a chat over the phone at some point. I would also love to eventually have a family we can meet with while we're there. We may have more questions after spending a few days looking around. Anyway... would appreciate hearing from some women.... (mom or not). Thanks. )
10) Is it difficult to get jobs? My hubby will try for a job transfer, but ultimately is willing to change careers if a transfer won't work. He has considered applying for a teaching position (math/science) with a school that doesn't need certification.
11) What are the best jobs for an Engineer (Civil/Environmental) to switch over to? (ie: a career change) We may need to keep some of these in mind as well.
12) Anyone who hasn't weighed in yet.... what would you pay for 2728 East 6th Street (if you wanted to buy it). And if you simply don't like it at all, why?
Thanks in advance to anyone willing to dive into these questions. ) And I hope to hear from a few women/moms as well. Thanks again ~ Moving To Tucson.
1. 6th St. is pretty popular during rush hour as it's an alternative to busy Speedway and Broadway and is a feeder into/out of the U....and rush hour out here is from about 6am to 9am and 3pm to 7pm, with, of course, peaks in the middle of those hours....
2. no, too busy and noisy....but if I must live in Sam Hughes, I'd go to one of the interior streets....I did live in Sam Hughes many years ago during college and it was healthy mix of resident demographics....
3. your realtor is mostly correct....I don't like them because it makes the house too humid....many like them for cheap electric cost and the humidity...they are very uncomfortable/ineffective, though, during our rainy season in July and August unless working very, very well....yes, very popular out here in older houses
4. I believe you own the area that isn't part of the alley itself....neighborhood restrictions may dictate exactly what you can do and that may vary from 'hood to 'hood....your realtor can help you with that
5. there are restrictions on parking in Sam Hughes and other 'hoods....residents only, in general, though this may not be enforced during non-school/work hours....realtor!!
6. those are what we call "guest houses".....often rented out to students now, but were formerly for guests many decades ago, traditionally....or you can just use them as storage, extra family bedroom, what have you
7. all kinds of "bike lanes" in Tucson, ranging from a dedicated separate sidewalk to just a painted off portion of the main road to just a sign saying it's a bike route (with no evidence of bike accommodation)...Tucson is well-known as a bike-friendly town with efforts to accommodate bikers when roads are built or widened.....
(I don't know what a "distinguishing road" is!!)
8. yes, possible...your tolerance for biking out here will need to be determined later!!
9. N/A
10. as in any city, some jobs are easier to get than others....experience, need, etc. will determine it....Tucson is traditionally a low-paying city with a low cost-of-living....but the biggest private employer is Raytheon with traditionally high-paying jobs, then Walmart, I think (low paying!)....the biggest public employers are the usual city, county, and state government outlets, the UA, and the AFB....
11. might need to check local want-ads or online job sites for that...don't move here if a steady job is going to be a big concern!.....
12. you'll need to check very recent sales comps in that neighborhood to determine its value....I drive by that place nearly daily and don't like the dated style, to be honest....the front wall is unattractive (though I know it's needed, of course) and it appears to be a little staged inside and may possibly be a flip by a too-optimistic flipper....it's a bit small for a family like yours, maybe??....also, I'd hate being walled in like that and living on noisy/busy 6th St.....anything on 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th. 7th, 8th, 9th, or 10th??!!!
1) East 6th street: how busy is rush hour, and how long does rush hour last?
Not terrible - actually I often use it since it is less busy than Speedway or Broadway. It gets busiest around 7:30-8:30 or so, and then 4:30-6:00, but it really doesn't get too packed.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Moving To Tucson
3) Evaporative cooling systems: my realtor said they are a bit "muggy". Are they good? A natural humidifier? Are they popular in Tucson? My realtor says they're cheaper.
When it's dry out (which is most of the time) "swamp" coolers are great. You can run them constantly for very little money and they do the job. I've never thought they made the house feel humid, but some folks are more sensitive to that than I am. If it gets humid, though, they are rendered useless. This basically applies to the monsoon season, during which time you may wish you had actual AC. In my decades in Tucson I have had actual AC for about 3 of those years ... it was nice, but expensive and not worth the cost to me.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Moving To Tucson
7) Some bypasses have bike lanes with what looks like a barrier wall for protection. Is this safety feature common, and is this part of a "bicycle boulevard"? I assume bicycle boulevards are the safest form of bike path? (they had 3-4 kinds listed on a general info website for Tucson)
The bicycle boulevards are pretty safe, yes. As is cycling in Tucson in general if you are attentive and learn/follow the rules of the road. The barriers are not too common, and that's okay with me as a regular cyclist since I prefer to have the ability to move around more if need be. We may start to see more of these as they seem to be a popular trend for city bicycling planners.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Moving To Tucson
8) Is it possible to cycle safely to work on 6th (westward on 6th for about 10 minutes, then south on 6th for about 10 minutes)? Or is there a safer route?
Possible, yes, but not recommended until it gets widened and bike lanes are (hopefully) added. There are a lot of good options nearby, though. If it was me I would go South through the neighborhood to Broadway and take that into downtown and then 6th South. You could also take residential streets, like 9th into downtown. In the past I would have said taking the University through would be good as well, but I don't like riding University Avenue any longer with the street car in place ... it gets too close for my tastes.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Moving To Tucson
10) Is it difficult to get jobs? My hubby will try for a job transfer, but ultimately is willing to change careers if a transfer won't work. He has considered applying for a teaching position (math/science) with a school that doesn't need certification.
Tucson's economy is not good right now, so getting a job may prove more difficult than in other cities depending on his qualifications, experience, etc.. Definitely have your ducks in a row, job-wise, before heading out here.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Moving To Tucson
11) What are the best jobs for an Engineer (Civil/Environmental) to switch over to? (ie: a career change) We may need to keep some of these in mind as well.
I don't know how much interest there is in this, but I always like to recommend software QA to people looking to switch careers. Many times it's an easy thing to get an entry-level position for, and there are plentiful jobs in this area. With a little experience the pay can become very good, and can lead to other career paths, like project management, software development, IT administration, etc.. It can also be a pretty engaging job - people tend to like it.
Not sure if you intended to be funny, but I found your post to be frank and funny. Very enjoyable reading. )
Thank you for taking the time to comment so thoroughly regarding my questions. It really helps. I feel a little more "like I know what I'm doing" when I read posts like yours.
With regard to your answers (and one question):
7) (the second 7 ) I call North/South 6th and East/West 6th "distinguishing roads" because they seem to divide central Tucson into quadrants. If I were driving and saw two streets with South or East in their name, I would know that I was in the South/East quadrant created by these two intersecting roads. At least this is what the map seemed to say......
12) SO SAD to realize this home may not be "perfect" for us. ) The size is fine, believe it or not.... but bad traffic is not. I heard that traffic pollution is especially bad for kids under 10. My hubby said I can actually research the number of cars that pass along a specific street..... so I will do that. I know "NJ traffic".... but not "6th traffic". I assume you mean "bumper to bumper" or "a continual stream of cars" when you say "traffic"?
Anyway, I really appreciate your post. ) Thanks again.
Sincerely,
Moving To Tucson
Last edited by Moving To Tucson; 10-05-2014 at 06:58 PM..
Doesn't Software QA require an IT person? I don't know what software QA is, even though I just looked it up online.... but it seems very computer-focused (programs... etc). My hubby is on a computer all day, but I assume he'd need to be re-educated for the job. Just my uneducated guess.... )
I will research the traffic density of 6th online. My hubby told me today that there are such sites. I can compare it to what we have here in Jersey. That should do the trick...
As always... thanks for posting and have a great weekend. )
Not sure if you intended to be funny, but I found your post to be frank and funny. Very enjoyable reading. )
Thank you for taking the time to comment so thoroughly regarding my questions. It really helps. I feel a little more "like I know what I'm doing" when I read posts like yours.
With regard to your answers (and one question):
7) (the second 7 ) I call North/South 6th and East/West 6th "distinguishing roads" because they seem to divide central Tucson into quadrants. If I were driving and saw two streets with South or East in their name, I would know that I was in the South/East quadrant created by these two intersecting roads. At least this is what the map seemed to say......
12) SO SAD to realize this home may not be "perfect" for us. ) The size is fine, believe it or not.... but bad traffic is not. I heard that traffic pollution is especially bad for kids under 10. My hubby said I can actually research the number of cars that pass along a specific street..... so I will do that. I know "NJ traffic".... but not "6th traffic". I assume you mean "bumper to bumper" or "a continual stream of cars" when you say "traffic"?
Anyway, I really appreciate your post. ) Thanks again.
Sincerely,
Moving To Tucson
glad I could help out....I also like to get the low-down, honest, to-the-point view on things....my answers were fairly serious, though!....
actually, the dividing roads for Tucson E/N/S/W addresses are Broadway and Stone (downtown intersection)....unlike most areas back east, roads in the west are very much on a grid system with major arteries every mile and "collector" streets (like 6th St) every half-mile between those arteries....you'll see this on a map...by the way, 6th St is not as busy as I may've made it sound (it's never bumper-to-bumper at all), but it is much busier than a typical residential street.....also, most major streets out here are more than just one lane in each direction...I know back east, many "major" roads are still one lane in each direction because they were built before cars existed....
The site above doesn't give street by street density. Not sure how to get that info... (without having to pay for it)
If anyone is on East/West 6th in Sam Hughes during rush-hour and can count the number of cars that pass within "30 second / 1 minute", I'd greatly appreciate it. I can then do the same for 2 or so local roads here and compare.
I just heard that the home I like will be back on the market soon due to the bank refusing an offer.
Thanks to all who are posting to my thread. Looking forward to eventually getting things sorted out.
I noticed that our humidity levels (Tucson and NJ) are about the same today (45/46%). Is today "humid" or "muggy" for Tucsonans?
Don't take it from me - I just moved back from Pittsburgh and was pretty accustomed to truly humid conditions, so - no - this doesn't feel humid at all to me. That being said, I never felt that Tucson was ever really "muggy" even when I'd lived there for many consecutive years. I spent a summer in Cape May, NJ when I was 20 and that's where I first discovered what people meant by unbearable humidity.
I think people like to complain about weather, it's an easy and harmless target, even in a place where the weather is often perfect.
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