tucson: I have never been to Tucson and don't know anyone living there so I really don't know what to expect. I am looking to rent a house and am still job hunting online but am not having much luck with either. I would greatly appreciate anything anyone can tell me about Tucson, the good and the bad.|||I live in Tucson and moved here from Chicago 3 years ago. Cost of living is alot cheaper than what I had been used to but, so is the pay. ( it evens itself out ). I love living here because of the weather and scenery. Lots of decent apartments complexes and alot of homes available for rent. I first lived in the Catalina Foothills ( NE side ) which is considered to be the wealthy side of town. Not much crime there. I now live in Rita Ranch which is the SE side, also very nice. More of a small family orientated community. The south side of town would be considered the worst side of town. But, there are other areas that are no so nice either. You'll figure it out when you get here. There are alot of homeless people here ( due to the weather ) and there is a meth problem. But, if you stay in a decent area, it won't affect you. There is a Air Force base here, so lots of Military. There also is The University of Arizona. Not alot of nightlife unless you go downtown or by the University. Cool shops on Fourth St. ( Hippie-ish ) Lots of great restaurants all over. Especially if you like Mexican food. Mexico is only 1 hour away for Shopping. You can get great deals there. Mt Lemmon is a great scenic place to go. They have a ski area there ( when we have snow ) It's open right now. Hot and Dry in the summer, I love it ! Monsoon season is from July to August. A littler more humid and rain storms. When it rains here, it rains hard and there is flooding. But, it goes away quickly. Driving here is not bad. There are some congested areas and everyone speeds. If your not flooring your car, you better get out of the way. In the winter months, the snowbirds come. ( retired old people, coming from cold states ) They leave aroud March. Easy to meet people, people are freindly here. I love living here and I hope you will too !|||Tucson is great, but the traffic SUCKS! They never put in a freeway system, so everything off I-10 (which curves around the city) is surface streets. Depending on where you find a job, there are really great places to live. You'll find houses for rent all over, but the nicer ones will be in or around Rita Ranch. They are newer with new ones being built everyday, and there is always a lot for rent out there. If you work up north, live there. The northside is also very nice. It has tended to be the ritzier area of Tucson, so expect rent to be priced according to that. Tucson is in a valley, so it's surrounded by mountains. Mount Lemmon is close with recreation on it, but I can't really think of anything else. It is very dry and hot, with lots of desert landscaping. Don't go if you can't stand the thought of never seeing grass again. Overall, I really loved living in Tucson. I was a student at the time, so my perpective is a little skewed, but we still visit my in-laws there.|||Stay away from the south side.|||Why are you moving to Tucson? Unless you have a job at Raytheon, you will be flipping burgers, that is if you can beat a Mexican out with you superior qualifications, the unemployment rate is through the roof, it is a VERY difficult area to make a living. Hope you speak Spanish, you have to to get a job.|||First off, Welcome to Tucson!! (or soon to be) I grew up on the East side of Tucson, I love that area. It's far enough out of central Tucson so there's not all that high traffic of people. I would learn to have lots of patience with the drivers. It can sometimes get frustrating, especially if you are used to a fast paced environment. The speed limits are lower than normal, at least compared to Phoenix. Where are you coming from? A couple things I suggest doing.. when and if Mt. Lemmon gets snow on it this year, go take a day to enjoy the scenery. It's so beautiful up there, any time of the year. Take a peak at Colossal Cave too. I'll put their link below for you to read about it. One thing that is hard to find and that's a good mechanic. The place I trust to take my car to get worked on is Brake Max on Swan and Camp Lowell. Ask for Bud.. very nice guy. 520-318-4000. I actually live in Scottsdale now and I still drive to Tucson to get my car fixed. Oh and I cannot forget about Eegee's. It's a tradition that every time I come to town, I have to get an Eegee. Pina Colada is my favorite. It's hard to describe what exactly an eegee is.. it's like an shaved ice drink.. but better! There isn't a whole lot that happens in Tucson. I guess it also depends on how you look at it... you might like a more quiet city. Oh and I don't know why.. but the hip thing to do is cruise Speedway and hang out by your car.. don't know why but I guess that's how people occupy their time. Anyway good luck with the job hunting!|||go to south side an mix wit dem gangstas, then u get backup in case some weirdos give u a hard time