Tucson, AZ

[deathinacan]

If I were to come in, say, the middle of August, would there still be reasonable housing options available, or do most places get rented out earlier than that?  I would rather not make a separate trip to Tucson just to find housing, and I definitely would not want to rent a place without seeing it first.  Would the graduate housing at the UofA be a decent alternative, just for my first year?  All advice would be appreciated.

[salix]

I lived in Tucson for four non-consecutive years and had no trouble finding housing in August or January. I lived in Barrio Viejo and Menlo Park. Neither are in areas that might typically be called "safe," but I never had a problem except the one time I forgot to lock my bike inside the walled, locked area of our apartment. Living west of the highway was a pain for bus transport (all westside buses require a downtown transfer if you want to continue east) and occasionally for biking (mental block), but no other issues. And it was nice to be close to the Tucson Mountains.

 

If you don't have a car, which I didn't for the first nine months I lived there, I would live near a bus line, east of the highway. Somewhere within the 4th Avenue area would be especially nice, but rentals tend to be a little more expensive there. Dunbar/Spring is a pretty nice neighborhood that is within biking distance of the university, but with a little bit more of a neighborhood feel. (http://www.wp.dunbarspring.org/about-dunbarspring/)

 

I would also rent a car when looking for housing because you can cover a lot more ground that way - the city is really spread out and August is a hot, yucky time to be walking around looking for a place to live.

 

Tucson is awesome. Congratulations and enjoy it!

[deathinacan]

I should add that I will bring a car, so I won't have to live right next to campus or on a bus line.

[salix]

@deathinacan - I would still recommend west of the university as my favorite university-related area, but each area has something a little different. I like a neighborhood with an organic feeling in close proximity to local cafes/bars/groceries/etc.

 

Regardless, you shouldn't have much trouble finding a place at least early in August if you come down with a car.

[cadwallader]

Hey guys!

I'm from Spain and I'm moving to Tucson in August. I'm pretty excited about living in the US, but you know there is a lot of paperwork to be done for us international students and a lot of planning. I'm specially worried about housing in Tucson:

 

I would like to rent a big one-bedroom apartment together with my girlfriend, and our monthly budget will be approx. 700-750$. Should I focus on private housing (craigslist and the like) or also consider the off-campus housing service? I've seen some apartment complexes in the off-campus webside that look real cool and have lots of facilities. I wouldn't mind living in one of them, but I suppose I will be able to find something cheaper if I go for private housing, won't I?

 

Moreover, I plan to arrive early in August and I would like to know if I should have already rented some appartment or whether I'll find plenty of accommodation available by those days. I mean, will it be difficult to find good housing in August?

 

Thank you very much for your help!

[emelki]

Anyone have any info or know of any rumors about when the streetcar project will be completed or how useful it will even be once completed?

 

Last I heard, it will be completed by the end of 2014, but I wouldn't be surprised if that got pushed back more. It hasn't been the most expedient of construction projects from what I can tell. 

 

 

 

So I'm considering a spot I was offered at Tucson and have a few questions regarding housing.  I don't want to be near a lot of noise and have been looking for 1BR places north of campus.  I know the north and east of campus are the safest (single female so that's a big concern of mine!), but how far north and how far east?  For example, if i stay south of Glenn St. and directly north of campus, does anyone know if that would keep my bike to campus under 10-15 min?

 

Also, any experience with crime there?  Will it be tough to get by on a $14,000 stipend?

 

I think staying south of Glenn and directly north of campus is a pretty good area. I live a little further north than that, and I can ride my bike to the graduate campus (which is just north of Speedway), in a little over 15 minutes, so riding a bike from anywhere south of Glenn should be very do-able. Also, Mountain is a really good road for biking that's well lit at night, and doesn't have too much car traffic during most of the day. If you're planning on living alone, I'd recommend (as a fellow single female) living in an apartment complex as opposed to a house or duplex (but be wary of complexes catered to undergrads. if they offer a roommate matching service, you probably don't want to live there.) I know I feel safer knowing that there will likely be other people around when I get home at night if it's dark. 

 

I haven't had any personal experience with crime, but it's not uncommon for bikes to be stolen here, so make sure you buy a good u-lock and don't leave your bike on campus overnight if you can help it. Also, it doesn't hurt for your bike to look a little less shiny and new.

 

Good luck!

[deathinacan]

I have a question for someone who has experience with evaporative cooling.  Does it work well enough to be comfortable, or should I only consider places with A/C?

[wyethia]

I have a question for someone who has experience with evaporative cooling.  Does it work well enough to be comfortable, or should I only consider places with A/C?

 

Evap cooling works great...until the monsoons hit and then it is useless--so if you are going to stay the summer (July through Aug, even into Sept) A/C is better.

[cotterw]

Bumping this because it looks like I may be moving to Tucson this coming August. Among my many questions are what the good coffee shops are in the city? Any thoughts? 

[Saavak]

I just accepted a place at the University of Arizona so I'm going to be droping my questions here too.

 

I don't have a car so I was wondering how late the buses run/how well they cover the city.

 

Also I was looking at apartments online but I don't know how up to date the prices were, what would be a normal range for a one bedroom?

[cotterw]

I just accepted a place at the University of Arizona so I'm going to be droping my questions here too.

 

I don't have a car so I was wondering how late the buses run/how well they cover the city.

 

Also I was looking at apartments online but I don't know how up to date the prices were, what would be a normal range for a one bedroom?

 

I visited Tucson a couple of weeks ago for recruitment weekend and these were some of the same questions I had. 

Current students said the buses were ok, but not great in terms of coverage. I don't recall if I was told how late they run but I'm assuming they stop earlier than in a bigger city. I do remember hearing that there are some specific U of A shuttles as well that go on specified routes. 

 

Apartments seem pretty variable depending on your standard of living / how much you want to spend. The current student I spent the most time with while there was paying $425 for a pretty decent one bedroom in a complex. I've seen them lower than that but you sacrifice certain niceties and I've also seen them go much higher. I'd wager that $450-600 is a workable range.

 

Hopefully that helps.  

[Sociolite]

Hey everybody! 

 

I accepted my offer to attend the U of A this coming fall. I've seen a lot of information regarding car vs. bike transport and I'm pretty certain I'm going to try to do without a car if I can since a grad stipend already affords a frugal lifestyle.

 

My question is kind of unorthodox, I have read that Tucson has a considerable roach population. From what I understand this is an inevitable consequence of desert living, and while it's probably not something that's able to be eradicated I wonder if any locals have advice on pest control or how apartment complexes deal with this issue. Thanks in advance!

Edited March 20, 2014 by Sociolite

[heathenist]

I've been here for about a year, and I get by just fine without a car, in fact, only two people in my cohort have cars, and I know a ton of other grad students without cars, it's very doable, especially if you live in West University, Pie Allen, Downtown, or Sam Hughes, etc (really any of the neighborhoods near campus).  I live near downtown and campus is a very easy bike ride away, and I don't really find myself needing to leave the downtown/campus area very often. 

 

The buses are not great.  Crowded and they stop running very early.  It makes going to see a later showing of a movie or anything like that, kind of a hassle.  The biggest problem for me has been getting groceries, but I recently discovered that safeway (a bigger grocery store chain in the area, think Kroger, Fry's, Food Lion, etc) deliver's for a very reasonable fee, and if you are patient you can very easily get coupons for free delivery.  I think the standard rate is like $13, but it's very easy to get that reduced to around $6-7 even without coupons.  And speaking from experience, it's totally worth it just to avoid the hassle of dealing with getting grocieries on the bus.  I really wish someone had told me about it my first semester here.

 

Also, Sociolite, feel free to pm me, I'm in the Soc department so if you have any questions let me know.

Edited April 6, 2014 by heathenist

[DerpTastic]

I will be attending U of A in the fall! Very excited. I was also kind of wondering about the bug problem. I've heard about the bugs and roaches as well. Is this a huge problem for most people?

[eebarbarabee]

I'm going to NAU for SLP August 2016 so....

I need to rent out my 3 bd/2 bath townhome in Tucson for the next two years! My house would be great for a small family(it is located in Racquet club village http://www.tucsonproperties.net/subdivision/Racquet%20Club%20Village.htm). It is situated next to the http://tucsonracquetclub.com/, and is next to The Loop bicycle and walking path (http://webcms.pima.gov/government/the_loop/). The bedroom windows have a full view of Mt Lemmon and is across the river from horse stables. Two car garage, AC, washer and dryer, plantation shutters, security gates/bars, community pool.... all the good stuff. If you're interested, message me! It is about a 10-15 min drive to campus. 1100/month not incl. utilities.

Edited March 7, 2016 by eebarbarabee

[tea4me]

On 3/7/2016 at 9:49 AM, eebarbarabee said:

I'm going to NAU for SLP August 2016 so....

I need to rent out my 3 bd/2 bath townhome in Tucson for the next two years! My house would be great for a small family(it is located in Racquet club village http://www.tucsonproperties.net/subdivision/Racquet%20Club%20Village.htm). It is situated next to the http://tucsonracquetclub.com/, and is next to The Loop bicycle and walking path (http://webcms.pima.gov/government/the_loop/). The bedroom windows have a full view of Mt Lemmon and is across the river from horse stables. Two car garage, AC, washer and dryer, plantation shutters, security gates/bars, community pool.... all the good stuff. If you're interested, message me! It is about a 10-15 min drive to campus. 1100/month not incl. utilities.

Welcome! Facebook group: NAU FT SLP Class of 2018

[AspiringGC]

If anyone is coming to UofA and has questions please let me know! I currently live in Tucson and go to undergrad at UofA and I love every minute of it. 

[sprklinthe]

Hello everyone !

 

I will be coming to the University of Arizona next year as a grad student. I am from Europe and I was therefore considering LaAldea for its convinience. I do not want any bad surprises (obviously I can't visit beforehand) and I like the convinience of being in a hall where all the bills are included, you have helpful staff and most importantly I want to feel safe. Having lived abroad before, the peace of mind is definetly worth the money to me. Do you have any experiences in this hall ? I am considering both 4 bedrooms appartments and 2 and I'd like some thoughts about that. 

I don't plan on getting a car and I don't really want to bike either because I don't feel safe biking on the road in a foreign country. Therefore I am planning on getting an adult kickscooter to get me around Tucson. Is it really managable ? Are the pavements suitable for this ? 

I can't think of anything else to ask but I'll definetly have more questions as the day of my departure approaches !

Thank you in advance !

[CalicoCat]

Hi everyone,

I really liked U of A and am considering going to graduate school there after my visit. Any advice on the best studio/one bedroom apartments? I'd like to have utilities included if the rent is over 600. Would like to stay under ~700 total a month (rent and utilities). I'll have a car but would prefer to be within biking/walking distance of the university. Also VERY scared of the bug/roach possibility. My friend is at a graduate school across the country and had to move three times before finding a place without little critters running around.

Also 4th ave kind of sketched me out. Any areas aside from Univ. St. that are popular?

[.letmeinplz//]

9 minutes ago, CalicoCat said:

Also VERY scared of the bug/roach possibility. My friend is at a graduate school across the country and had to move three times before finding a place without little critters running around.

Try to find out if the apartment has their own bug guy (every single one I've lived in did) that takes care of the property's critter prevention. That said, living in the desert you should expect critters (I remember when I was little and my mom had to deal with a scorpion on her dress she took out to wear) and just know you will have to invest in diatomaceous earth.

Edited January 18, 2017 by .letmeinplz//

[CalicoCat]

1 hour ago, .letmeinplz// said:

Try to find out if the apartment has their own bug guy (every single one I've lived in did) that takes care of the property's critter prevention. That said, living in the desert you should expect critters (I remember when I was little and my mom had to deal with a scorpion on her dress she took out to wear) and just know you will have to invest in diatomaceous earth.

Thanks for the advice! 

[AspiringGC]

On 1/12/2017 at 1:50 PM, sprklinthe said:

Hello everyone !

 

I will be coming to the University of Arizona next year as a grad student. I am from Europe and I was therefore considering LaAldea for its convinience. I do not want any bad surprises (obviously I can't visit beforehand) and I like the convinience of being in a hall where all the bills are included, you have helpful staff and most importantly I want to feel safe. Having lived abroad before, the peace of mind is definetly worth the money to me. Do you have any experiences in this hall ? I am considering both 4 bedrooms appartments and 2 and I'd like some thoughts about that. 

I don't plan on getting a car and I don't really want to bike either because I don't feel safe biking on the road in a foreign country. Therefore I am planning on getting an adult kickscooter to get me around Tucson. Is it really managable ? Are the pavements suitable for this ? 

I can't think of anything else to ask but I'll definetly have more questions as the day of my departure approaches !

Thank you in advance !

Hi, so you're in luck! I have worked the front desk of this hall. The location is very convenient, staff is nice and you'll always have someone there to receive packages. Both the two and 4 bedrooms are very similar just depends on rent and how many people you want to live with. All furnished and pretty new. You get your own bathroom I'm pretty sure.

Many of the students who live here are international students (a large majority are Asian), so you'd likely have another international student living with you. The building is very secure with gates that are opened with your student ID (must be living there to have access). 

Also they have tons of maintenance people so if there's ever any problems (things broken, water issues, bugs, etc) you can submit a request online and they can normally fix it within 24-48 hours after

Bike wise tucson is a very bike friendly town! If you bike on campus only, there's tons of bike paths. Most roads have bike lanes as well. The roads aren't maintained super well, there's lots of pot holes, so I wouldn't suggest the kick scooter on the roads, but you could easily ride it on a sidewalk. 

 

If you have any specific questions feel free to message me! 

Edited January 18, 2017 by slaybackc

[sprklinthe]

On 18/01/2017 at 8:41 PM, slaybackc said:

Hi, so you're in luck! I have worked the front desk of this hall. The location is very convenient, staff is nice and you'll always have someone there to receive packages. Both the two and 4 bedrooms are very similar just depends on rent and how many people you want to live with. All furnished and pretty new. You get your own bathroom I'm pretty sure.

Many of the students who live here are international students (a large majority are Asian), so you'd likely have another international student living with you. The building is very secure with gates that are opened with your student ID (must be living there to have access). 

Also they have tons of maintenance people so if there's ever any problems (things broken, water issues, bugs, etc) you can submit a request online and they can normally fix it within 24-48 hours after

Bike wise tucson is a very bike friendly town! If you bike on campus only, there's tons of bike paths. Most roads have bike lanes as well. The roads aren't maintained super well, there's lots of pot holes, so I wouldn't suggest the kick scooter on the roads, but you could easily ride it on a sidewalk. 

 

If you have any specific questions feel free to message me! 

Thank you very much that's very interesting and comforting me in my decision. One last question about La Aldea, are the students living here relatively calm ? I was in halls before and first year students were a nightmare. Hopefully it is different for grads. Do I have to expect the same ? 

About the university itself, are there good cultural activites and clubs (painting, music, exhibitions... ) ? Also are there any day-trips organized ?

Finally how is Tucson in general ? In terms of athmosphere, activities/opportunities, community and safety ?

 

Sorry that's a lot of questions, but hopefully it can also help others !

 

[AspiringGC]

9 hours ago, sprklinthe said:

Thank you very much that's very interesting and comforting me in my decision. One last question about La Aldea, are the students living here relatively calm ? I was in halls before and first year students were a nightmare. Hopefully it is different for grads. Do I have to expect the same ? 

About the university itself, are there good cultural activites and clubs (painting, music, exhibitions... ) ? Also are there any day-trips organized ?

Finally how is Tucson in general ? In terms of athmosphere, activities/opportunities, community and safety ?

 

Sorry that's a lot of questions, but hopefully it can also help others !

 

Yeah, the resident's are very quiet! Since they are all grad students, the ones who live there seem to be pretty studious/serious about their studies. The cool thing about La Aldea is that they have RAs of sorts, but they put on programs for the residents, like for Thanksgiving they had a big pot luck dinner for the hall or they have board game nights and stuff, so it's a nice way to get to know people.

The university is HUGE, there's around ~500 undergraduate clubs (and most accept grad members too), we have an art museum on campus that has various rotating exhibits. There's also Centennial Hall which holds concerts, plays, and other events that are open to the public. We had Dirty Dancing there just this last week! For international undergrads I know that there are various day-trips organized and I'm sure grads are more than welcome too. This site: http://www.cesl.arizona.edu/activities has great info about the trips, clubs, and things available to do on campus. 

Tucson is a very cool town, it has a very small town feel, but with still tons of stuff to do. A weird fact is that Tucson has the largest number of non-profit organizations in the United States, so that translates to a very involved, do-go kind of community. Downtown area is where most of the events and activities happen besides things on campus (the University is kind of the hub of the city and has a wonderful relationship with the  community so there's tons of events held on campus for the community). 

I have only ever felt unsafe once in Tucson, and it was a pretty weird situation. If you are on/around campus there's not too much crime. The further south you get in Tucson, it does get a little more "crime-y". The North and East of Tucson are the richer/"safer" areas, while the West is still nice, just not as rich feeling. 

I hope that all helps! If you have any other questions that pop up, just let me know!

[meganwh]

On 2/25/2009 at 4:41 PM, waitinginohio said:

That's a bummer about needing a car - UA advertises how great the city is for biking, but a bike isn't enough?

It is, if you're willing to put in the energy. You'll be sweaty wherever you go, but that's a typical experience for anyone existing in Tucson anyway. Most roads are pretty bike-friendly even further away from campus, and most drivers are decently courteous to cyclists as well. The city isn't too huge to where it would be impossible to get to know it just utilizing a bike, but also the public transportation system is pretty helpful in traversing those longer distances if you don't feel like biking.