Information gathering: Tucson

[Owlie]

As part of the process of applying to grad school, I thought I'd check out where I'd be living.

So, Tucson. This would be the biggest geographic shift for me, and while I've been once (to talk to some UA faculty), I didn't spend much time there.

Weather? Besides "hot and dry", of course. ;)

Bike friendly? The professor I talked to (had his bike in his office!) seemed to think so. What about the campus area?

Best and worst things about living there?

Cost of living?

Any words of wisdom regarding the campus area?

Anything else?

Indian food is probably too much to hope for, but maybe Tucson's a little different from Phoenix...? I hope...?

[Biciclista]

cons: it's hot.

Coming from Ohio, you will be delighted in how bike friendly the place is, especially near the campus... heck, it's all flat!
We've spent some time there (my husband likes to go there every November, he's leaving tomorrow) and so I'm no expert, but when we're there we ride day and night.

[spokewench]

Both my sister and parents live in Tucson. My sister is a professor at the University. It is a big town, but I would say it is very bike friendly. There is a lot of traffic so you have to be ready for that.

If I were going to live in one of the larger towns in Arizona, Tucson would be my pick. It is desert living so it is pretty darn hot in the Summer and quite nice in the winter. It can get cold, i.e. 32 or so at night in some areas. The downtown, and campus areas are a little warmer, the northern parts of town, a little cooler.

There are good restaurants in Tucson, but I don't know about Indian. I really don't like Indian so I would not know if there is a good restuarant. Since it is a fairly large town, I would guess you could find at least one good Indian food restaurant.

The desert in the Tucson area is really gorgeous. When it flowers, it is absolutely breathtaking. I would say that the cost of living is middle of the road.

There is a fair amount of good cultural things to do in Tucson, but it still has some small town feel about it. Much different than Phoenix. I would never live in Phoenix.

[azfiddle]

I've lived in Tucson for 30 years. The weather never as hot as Phoenix- worst is June-September, when it is often above 100, but dry through June. The summer monsoons bring more humidity, mainly early July through the beginning of September. Sept-Oct are still warm but cooler mornings and evenings, and the winter sees temps dip into the low 30's, but rarely much colder, and often in the 40's for lows. Lots of sunny dry days, and sometimes wind in the spring and fall.


Bike friendly? Yes- for the most part. Lots of miles of signed bike lanes. Look for the Tucson bike map available as a pdf online.

Best and worst things about living there? I love the Sonoran Desert, and it has access to high elevation (Mt. Lemmon) close by, plus other great mountain ranges to explore an hour or two away.

Worst... not such great public transportation.

Cost of living? Much lower than big eastern cities, but wages aren't so high.

Any words of wisdom regarding the campus area?
It's okay- some areas are a bit sketchy, but overall not bad.

Anything else?
PM me- I'd be happy to share. I came to Tucson for grad school and stayed and raised my kids here.

Indian food is probably too much to hope for, but maybe Tucson's a little different from Phoenix...? I hope...?
Yup, there's Indian food- a couple places within a mile or two of campus, and some further out.

[Desert Tortoise]

Owlie, AZ Fiddle pretty much covered it. There's a great website by the bicycle advisory committee www.bikeped.pima.gov

It's the bike map I use for Tucson. There are also lots of great routes just outside the city limits. Lots of neat places to explore with all kinds of terrain.

I've lived in the southeast of Tucson for 10 years. The best part is lots of mountain ranges. Summer sunsets and sunrises burst with color.

Worst part I agree with Fiddle in transportation. Not well planned out but I don't think planners anticipated this kind of growth.

Good luck with grad school, let me know if I can be of more help!
dt

[coyote]

Best Indian restaurant in town is Shere Punjab located not too far from campus 853 East Grant Road, Tucson, AZ 85719-2933

It may not be the best you have had but it is good.

Good-luck with grad school.

[Dogmama]

I worked at the UA for 30 years. This coming summer will be my 50th summer. Woo hoo...(she says as she melts...)

The UA is a great school if you're majoring in the right subject. Like many schools, UA is going through budget woes. PM me if you want further info.

Hot & dry about covers it. They say "Yeah, but it's a dry heat" to which I reply "So is hell." But, you don't have to shovel heat. The Spring is great - when the rest of the country is still freezing, we're riding. We get about 10 inches of rain a year, so you rarely get rained out.

The best thing about Tucson - bike lanes in many major thoroughfares. If you're smart, you won't have problems. There are several bike clubs that have rides on the weekends & during the week. Worst thing - As AZFiddle says, the public transportation isn't great & is going to become worse with budget cuts.

Oh, another best thing is that some TE girls live here! :D:D

Where are you coming from?

[Owlie]

Dogmama, I'd be moving from Ohio. Pretty huge shift weather-wise! (she says while shivering under a blanket because her landlord is pretty stingy with the heat.)

I hear you about the budget cuts. Education is always what gets cut. I like the department, I liked the faculty I talked to, but they really don't have money.

Would not having a car be a major hindrance? (You can get by without one here, but there's good public transport and the university area is largely walkable.) I'm thinking about summer, because I don't do heat well, but what gets me is the heat+humidity we get here. 90 in Cincinnati feels like 110 does there!

[azfiddle]

Owlie, if you locate within a couple of miles of campus, you can get by without a car. Bus service near the university is better than further out. Yes the summer heat is pretty bad during late afternoon when it's much over 100, but I managed to commute to 10 miles (each way) once a week during most of July - September this summer. My husband commutes 10 miles each way every day, but he often rides home after 6 or 7 pm due his weird schedule.
Midday is not a good time to be out on a bike for long though.

The dry heat really is better than the humidity.

[FH Cyclist]

I live in the Phoenix area but there are a few things that are similar. Yes, it is hot in the summer but because Arizona doesn't do DST, the sun comes up between 5 and 6 AM - which is a perfect time to ride. The weather is nice and you can get a lot of riding in. Until I retired a month ago, I did most of my riding in the summer

Secondarily, Tucson is well known as a bicycling hot spot. Last Saturday was the Tour de Tucson where 9,000 riders took part in rides of 109, 80, 66 or 35 miles. I actually like the Phoenix area better for rides because there are more bike paths but if you go out to the bicycling magazine site you'll be able to see some additional rides.

Tucson is a lovely city - with a great climate and an excellent University.

[badgercat]

This is my third year living in Tucson--both my boyfriend and I are grad students at the U of A. Definitely incredibly bike-friendly, with good LBSs scattered around town. As Biciclista mentioned, Central Tucson is very flat, but go just a few miles away and there are many formidable hills to ride on (not to mention Mt Lemmon). All your major supermarkets are represented within a couple-mile radius of campus, plus places like Whole Foods, Trader Joe's, and independent stores as well, so grocery shopping (and most other errands too) by bike is very feasible.

DBF and I rent a house ~2.5 miles from campus, and both commute by bike on a bike boulevard--a residential street that's been designated as a bike route, limited access to cars, special traffic light actuators just for bikes. It's pretty fabulous.

Biking ON campus generally stresses me out, as for every responsible, respectful cyclist there are probably 5 people who are veering all over the place, cell phones and/or iPods distracting them from where they're going. This isn't really a problem away from campus.

All of that being said, Tucson as a whole is still very car-centric by my perception. Lots of spoiled kids who live closer than I do drive alone :eek: to campus every day and pay for parking. It's pretty absurd. Bikes and cars do co-exist relatively peacefully, but it does seem like most of the time the only people who use the bus (which I've also used quite a bit and really is not bad at all) are people who don't have the option to drive.

DBF and I are Midwestern transplants. He absolutely loves the heat; I hate (but generally tolerate) it. Your mileage may vary. When walking, you learn to not always take the shortest routes, but rather the shadiest. Similar idea goes for clothes--I'm often wearing long sleeves in the summer--I figure I'm going to be hot either way, so I might as well give myself the extra layer of sun protection.

I have found cost of living to be generally lower than other places I've lived (metro Chicago and Madison, WI), but we do have a pretty high sales tax at this point (I think it's up to 9.5% now??). So... meh.

Feel free to ask more specific questions here or by PM!

[Owlie]

Thanks, Badgercat. I'll probably be commuting and doing errands by bike for a year or so until BF finishes up here and joins me wherever I'm going to grad school. Good to know about the campus area.

The sales tax in AZ surprised me. I went grocery shopping with DBF's family (in Mesa) and glanced at the receipt. :eek: Here I'm used to 6.5-7%...and food isn't taxed!

[Crankin]

That's because in AZ, each municipality can add on their own tax to the state tax on food. And clothes...

There's no cheeseburger in paradise :).

[Dogmama]

That's because in AZ, each municipality can add on their own tax to the state tax on food. And clothes...

There's no cheeseburger in paradise :).

Yup. Tucson's tax is 9.1% but food is not taxed. Except when you go out to dinner. I guess that qualifies as "not-food." In the case of McDonald's, et.al., that would be correct IMHO.

[Owlie]

Yup. Tucson's tax is 9.1% but food is not taxed. Except when you go out to dinner. I guess that qualifies as "not-food." In the case of McDonald's, et.al., that would be correct IMHO.

Ohio's like that too. I think it's a tax on "services rendered" rather than on the food. Apparently in Pennsylvania, clothes and underwear aren't taxed, but bras are. Huh? Good to know that food isn't taxed in Tucson! That's my single biggest expense, after the rent check!

I shudder to think of what my utility bills out there would be, though. (There are advantages to living next to a lake, even though I'm not strictly sure it's water...)

[Dogmama]

I shudder to think of what my utility bills out there would be, though. (There are advantages to living next to a lake, even though I'm not strictly sure it's water...)

Winter isn't bad, obviously. Summer - you really need air conditioning (rather than swamp cooling) and your bills can vary widely depending on your actual dwelling. For example, large windows that face south or west will suck in the afternoon heat & jack up your bills. Try to get a place that either faces north (the best) or east and that has the west and/or south exposure protected in some fashion, e.g., trees, minimal windows, heavy shades on windows, etc. I have a patio that faces west and I cut my utility bills by 5% by simple sewing shade covers that block the afternoon sun.

Of course, good insulation, etc. helps too. Are you planning to rent an apt or house? My strong suggestion is to come out during the summer when there is ample vacancy and selection to get something good.

Finally, if you want/need help when you get here, you can call me. My DH is a retired cop and now a private investigator & knows what areas are good & what areas have problems.

[Owlie]

It looks like UA wants to interview me! We'll see...

[badgercat]

Congratulations! Let us friendly Tucsonan TE'ers know if there's anything we can do to help if/when you schedule a trip out here. :)

[azfiddle]

Yay! I hope you will have a good impression on them- and that you leave Tucson with a good impression.

[Owlie]

TE'ers are wonderful. :) I have a set date to go, since the university's paying for me (airfare and everything. Woah.) It's the department's recruitment event, so it's as much about them making a good impression on us as us making a good impression on them. I've got to pick another two faculty members to interview with, then we'll see how it goes.

How's the weather in mid/late February? I don't want to roast (or freeze, by the looks of it)!

[Dogmama]

Usually the weather is high - mid 60's & lows in the high to low 40's - but it can change. Best bet is to Google it a few days beforehand.

Congrats!!!

[PinkBike]

good luck, really, i hope you love tucson and they love you (how could they not?)! BTW there's looooooooots of people here from Ohio.

[azfiddle]

When in late February? Believe it or not, we have "Rodeo Weekend" the last weekend of February. It could be in the 70's- but do check the National Weather service ahead of your trip.

[Owlie]

I fly in on the 17th, and back out on the 20th. I just got my preliminary itinerary. Hoo boy, long day!

[Owlie]

Azfiddle and Badgercat, it was wonderful to meet you in real life! (We should do it again some time, if I get in!)

I think I fell ever-so-slightly in love with Tucson and the program. :o I'm not sure how well one would manage without a car, especially in the summer, but I'll cross that bridge when I get to it. I'm going to have to ask about residency laws as well. The graduate students I talked to about it were from California, and switched for tax purposes.

[badgercat]

Azfiddle and Badgercat, it was wonderful to meet you in real life! (We should do it again some time, if I get in!)

I think I fell ever-so-slightly in love with Tucson and the program. :o I'm not sure how well one would manage without a car, especially in the summer, but I'll cross that bridge when I get to it. I'm going to have to ask about residency laws as well. The graduate students I talked to about it were from California, and switched for tax purposes.

Likewise :) I'm so glad you liked it here and that you were able to carve out a little time from your busy schedule for us locals. As far as the heat goes, I've never been a "morning person," but I've gotten used to doing things early in the day during the summers to beat the heat. I will admit, I do sometimes fall back to the car (as you saw) when the weather and/or my schedule is especially unfavorable, but most of the time, DBF and I make it work on two wheels, work and school, groceries and errands, and entertainment included. Tucson's infrastructure makes it pretty easy to do so.

Bottom line: I don't like the hot-hot-heat, but at least you don't have to shovel it. ;)

Best of luck--keep us posted! Do you have any other interviews coming up?

[Owlie]

Still waiting to hear back from a few places. The last one had its deadline a week ago, so it's still processing.

I like the idea of doing most things by bike, and having a car to fall back on for unfavorable schedule/weather days, or for really big shopping trips. When DBF graduates (he's still got at least another year--silly boy, doing two engineering degrees!), it'll be easier, because he has a car in the state. I'm not sure mine will manage that cross-country trip.

[azfiddle]

It was great to meet you too, and if you settle here, I hope we'll have some opportunities to ride together. I know it's going to be a busy time for you. You wouldn't want to be riding far in the middle of the day in the summer, but everything else is manageable without a car if you live close to your work and shopping.... You just have to be an early morning person in the summer, or be willing to go out in the early evening.

Good luck with both opportunities and decisions!

[Dogmama]

Azfiddle and Badgercat, it was wonderful to meet you in real life! (We should do it again some time, if I get in!)

I think I fell ever-so-slightly in love with Tucson and the program. :o I'm not sure how well one would manage without a car, especially in the summer, but I'll cross that bridge when I get to it. I'm going to have to ask about residency laws as well. The graduate students I talked to about it were from California, and switched for tax purposes.

I believe grad students that hold TA's or RA's get their out of state tuition waived, if that is what you are asking. The grad coordinator in your department should be able to help.

[badgercat]

I believe grad students that hold TA's or RA's get their out of state tuition waived, if that is what you are asking. The grad coordinator in your department should be able to help.

I believe that's true--free health insurance, partial tuition remission, plus a stipend for out-of-state RAs and TAs. If you can become an Arizona resident on the books, though, your deal is often sweeter--when I started here, I had a fellowship that waived the difference between out-of-state and in-state tuition and gave me a stipend that basically covered the balance of the tuition. A year later, I was able to claim Arizona residency, and it turned into a full tuition waiver plus the stipend (which I now get to use for living expenses etc).

But, it's not so easy to just change over to Arizona residency in the eyes of the University... you have to file lots of supporting documentation, and go through an interview, to try to convince them that you're not here just for school but that you intend to *stay* in Arizona after you finish your education (basically they--understandably--don't want people to take their savings and run).

I was able to pass muster with the fact that I immediately changed everything over to Arizona when I got here (driver's license, voter registration, local bank, etc) AND my parents decided to retire out here (the residency office even requested such proof as the realtor contract for their house in Illinois and the receipt for the moving van), which effectively cut my remaining ties to my home state. I have a classmate from New York who was also able to change over based on the fact that her husband (who grew up in Arizona) was active-duty military. I know other students who were denied, though, because I think without extenuating circumstances, it's pretty tough to get yourself switched to "in-state."

Now, if they're *only* talking about taxes... I don't know as much about that, since I basically immediately got the ball rolling here on switching myself fully over to Arizona residency.

[tulip]

Looks like there might be a car sharing program for UA affiliates. That would make not having a car much more reasonable. I'm not there, so I don't know if this article is up-to-date.

http://uanews.org/node/27039

[badgercat]

You're right, Tulip. I forgot all about that. It's run by Connect by Hertz (https://www.connectbyhertz.com/).

[Tri Girl]

OK- so I realize I'm joining this conversation late and that I have nothing to add to it, but I just read the whole thing and got severe sadness pangs in my stomach realizing how much I miss Tucson. :( I went to UA in the early 90's and loved that city oh so much. When I lost my full-ride scholarship my junior year, I had to leave and attend a cheaper college in OK. I miss Tucson more than you can imagine.
I hope you get accepted and that you get to move there. I have told my DH that when I retire I'm moving back to Tucson- he's welcome to join me. ;)

Best of luck, Owlie!!!

[Owlie]

I believe grad students that hold TA's or RA's get their out of state tuition waived, if that is what you are asking. The grad coordinator in your department should be able to help.

From the information they gave us, regardless of what state we're from, they cover our tuition and stipend. (They only take as many as they can support on RA positions...after that, the advisor's grants are supposed to cover us.)

My question was more along the lines of "If you're a graduate student, should you make Arizona your permanent residence?" The grad students from California switched for tax purposes (because the taxes in CA are pretty high). According to some information buried in the guide for newcomers they gave us, AZ requires you to switch your vehicle registration and get an AZ driver's license immediately. Granted, this was aimed at a more general audience. I imagine that if you're going to graduate school and don't plan on making it your permanent residence, you don't have to. Does anyone know if that's the case?

[badgercat]

From the information they gave us, regardless of what state we're from, they cover our tuition and stipend. (They only take as many as they can support on RA positions...after that, the advisor's grants are supposed to cover us.)

My question was more along the lines of "If you're a graduate student, should you make Arizona your permanent residence?" The grad students from California switched for tax purposes (because the taxes in CA are pretty high). According to some information buried in the guide for newcomers they gave us, AZ requires you to switch your vehicle registration and get an AZ driver's license immediately. Granted, this was aimed at a more general audience. I imagine that if you're going to graduate school and don't plan on making it your permanent residence, you don't have to. Does anyone know if that's the case?

I don't think you're required to get an AZ DL, etc, if you have no designs on moving to Arizona permanently or trying to get in-state tuition, as long as you maintain a "permanent address" elsewhere (e.g. your parents' house). For students for whom residency status is relevant (like, those of us in departments who take more students than available TA/RAships :o), all the hoop-jumping I mentioned in my post at the very bottom of the previous page becomes very important.

[tulip]

Why wouldn't you want to make it your official residence? I mean, you're going to be living there. With all kinds of budget cuts, I would not rely on promises of tuition remission year after year. Better to establish residency since you will be living there. Who knows if you'll end up staying; it doesn't matter. You need to have a permanent residence somewhere and where you live makes the most sense.

[badgercat]

Why wouldn't you want to make it your official residence? I mean, you're going to be living there. With all kinds of budget cuts, I would not rely on promises of tuition remission year after year. Better to establish residency since you will be living there. Who knows if you'll end up staying; it doesn't matter. You need to have a permanent residence somewhere and where you live makes the most sense.

The catch-22 is that with those same budget cuts, the university is enforcing residency status with an iron fist to avoid losing that out-of-state tuition income. It's not a simple matter here to appeal your residency status and get switched over to 'in-state' in the eyes of the University, especially if you've had any financial support from your parents in the past two years. I've had friends here who did DL and vehicle registration, voter registration, etc, within a couple weeks of moving here, and intended to appeal after a year and were basically told not to bother putting together an application. I was told that if my parents hadn't moved here (because they had supported me financially when I was an undergrad and I went straight to grad school three months later, I still fell under that umbrella, despite no longer receiving significant funds from them), I would have been out of luck as well. So, I agree that it's worth it to have residency if you CAN, but it may be a lost cause depending on your personal situation. It'd probably be worth speaking to folks in the residency office to find out what your options are.

[Crankin]

It was hell for me to prove my AZ residency, even back in the 70's. My parents moved there as soon as I graduated HS. They supported me, and I was clearly a dependent, but when i wanted to transfer to ASU in my senior year (I stayed in FL where I graduated HS), my dad had a screaming fight with the residency people. I told them I didn't have a DL (not possible in the Internet age), when I had a FL one, but even with their tax returns, it was a battle. The issue is that besides the revenue stream from out of state students, if they gave everyone residency who wanted to move to AZ for the weather, there would be way too many students! Just getting a DL, registering to vote, etc. is not really a statement of residency for a student. What people were told to do is come out, work for a year, so the intent of your move does not look like you are doing it to just get in state tuition. Since, back then, you could take 6 credits a semester with no out of state tuition (as well as summer school), people would move, work, take a couple of classes and then go to school once their residency status became clear.

[Dogmama]

Another alternative - albeit difficult - is try to get hired on as a classified staff member at 20 hours/week with benefits. Then, all of your classes for one semester is $25. But, then there is that work thing that you'd have to do...

[itself]

Having moved from Maine to Cavecreek 5 years ago, it's been a great change. The weather allows year round hiking, biking and outdoor activity in general.

But it's different. The people are not like East coast folks, and the food, well up this way, is just plain terrible. No flavor at all!

I miss the culture, theatre and arts...it just does not exist here.

[badgercat]

Having moved from Maine to Cavecreek 5 years ago, it's been a great change. The weather allows year round hiking, biking and outdoor activity in general.

But it's different. The people are not like East coast folks, and the food, well up this way, is just plain terrible. No flavor at all!

I miss the culture, theatre and arts...it just does not exist here.

Sorry to hear that you haven't been satisfied with the offerings of Cave Creek. I grew up near Chicago, and naturally there just isn't as much going on in much-much-smaller Tucson... but I'm never lacking things to do or fantastic places to eat, and I think the people down here are great (almost as friendly as Midwesterners... I spent some time living in Wisconsin too ;)). Sounds like maybe you should have settled 150 miles to the south. :p :D

[itself]

Sorry to hear that you haven't been satisfied with the offerings of Cave Creek. I grew up near Chicago, and naturally there just isn't as much going on in much-much-smaller Tucson... but I'm never lacking things to do or fantastic places to eat, and I think the people down here are great (almost as friendly as Midwesterners... I spent some time living in Wisconsin too ;)). Sounds like maybe you should have settled 150 miles to the south. :p :D

We looked at Tucson and loved it! But with our jobs, and needing to be close to a major airport, we had to choose closer to Phoenix.

Tempe is a really cool area, as it has the University, and this creates some culture. El Charro on Court St is to die for as far as food!

[azfiddle]

I don't really know Cave Creek at all, though I suspect it's got a lot of new developments, and not so much character... but for what it's worth, we found a good pizza place by accident in Anthem when we went to the Pearl Izumi outlet store. The outlet stores are west of the freeway. The restaurant is called Rosati's, and it's on the east side of I-17, north side of the street, less than a mile from the freeway- maybe much closer.

[Owlie]

...

I reapplied this year. They want to interview me again. The interview is on Friday.

Cue freak-out time.

[tulip]

...

I reapplied this year. They want to interview me again. The interview is on Friday.

Cue freak-out time.

Good luck! It took me two tries to get into the grad school of my choice, so it definitely is doable.

[Dogmama]

Dress warmly. Big storm coming through. Maybe even (gasp) a couple of inches of snow today!

Good luck to you!

[Crankin]

Good luck, Owlie!
I just read through this thread again, and got my momentary feelings of nostalgia, which I keep firmly under control.
I *did* love Cave Creek, where we stayed a couple of years ago. It's not over developed, no huge amounts of strip malls, lots of desert, and few traffic lights. Just like the way Scottsdale and Tempe were when my parents moved there in 1971. We have seriously considered buying a small condo in Cave Creek or Carefree in the future. While I would be far from my friends in Tempe, the riding looks great and the county park was awesome for hiking and trail running. Tempe was a great place to raise young kids and even back in the 80s there were tons of cultural and recreational activities. But, it's just like that Eagles song about the destruction of LA (I can't remember the name, "lost" something), which has a line that says something like "and they built those boxy houses and Jesus, people bought them..."
There is more to life than warm weather, which I know, is hard for some to believe. But, U of A is a great school.

[azfiddle]

Just saw this Owlie. Please keep me posted. Good luck!

Sharon

[Owlie]

I'm back home. Loved the sunshine. ;)

Now to keep my fingers crossed and hope for the best. And check my e-mail compulsively.

[indysteel]

I just saw this, too. Good luck, Owlie. I imagine the wait is excruciating. Hang in there; I hope it pans out this time!

[emily_in_nc]

Good, good luck, owlie! I hear Tucson is having its coldest winter weather in a long time -- snow even! I follow the blogs of a couple of RVers who are out there right now since we might be doing the same one day. It seems like a really neat area.

[Dogmama]

Good, good luck, owlie! I hear Tucson is having its coldest winter weather in a long time -- snow even! I follow the blogs of a couple of RVers who are out there right now since we might be doing the same one day. It seems like a really neat area.

Had snow that actually stuck on the ground last Wednesday. It's been many years since we've had that. And yes, it has been a very cold winter for us.

Keeping my fingers & toes crossed for you Owlie!

[Owlie]

I guess the finger- and toe-crossing worked. I got the offer letter in my e-mail this afternoon.

Must.not.hyperventilate...

[Blueberry]

CONGRATULATIONS!!!!!! I'm so excited for you! What's your field?

[Dogmama]

Let's ride!!!

[indysteel]

Yay, Owlie. How exciting! Good for you!

[redrhodie]

Woo-hoo! Excellent!

[emily_in_nc]

Awesome, Owlie! Huge congrats!

[Crankin]

So happy for you, Owlie!
I never subscribed to that stupid U of A-ASU feuding rivalry. My younger son went to U of A for a year and I was very proud of that, despite being a double ASU alum. You will love Tucson.
Hey, are your parents living near me now?

[Owlie]

Thanks! It's a little overwhelming. I need to finish my thesis, find an affordable apartment that's big enough for me, the boyfriend, the cat and at least 3 bikes (and all the rest of our stuff!), and then figure out the logistics of moving stuff all the way over there.
(I'm 95% sure I'm taking the offer. I'm just waiting for two other universities to get back to me so that I feel like I've considered all possibilities.)

So happy for you, Owlie!
I never subscribed to that stupid U of A-ASU feuding rivalry. My younger son went to U of A for a year and I was very proud of that, despite being a double ASU alum. You will love Tucson.
Hey, are your parents living near me now?

My dad is--he ended up with a job at a smaller pharma company there, so he's living in Cambridge, I believe. Mom's still in Ohio. :)

[Catrin]

I guess the finger- and toe-crossing worked. I got the offer letter in my e-mail this afternoon.

Must.not.hyperventilate...

Wooooot! Congratulations!

[PinkBike]

congrats! will we see you at el Tour de Tucson in November?

[Owlie]

congrats! will we see you at el Tour de Tucson in November?

I would love to do it one day. If I end up going to UA (it's my only offer so far, but I have an interview later this month with another school), it'll probably be 2014. Between me trying to finish my thesis, moving across the country mid-season (so, having to pack both my bikes) to a new city and classes, I probably won't have much time to ride. :)

[Owlie]

Done. I've signed the paper and sent it. Tucson, here I come! (gulp)

[indysteel]

Awesome, Owlie! Congrats!

[OakLeaf]

I hadn't looked in on this thread before - congrats and good luck Owlie!

[Dogmama]

Today will be 75-80 degrees and sunny. Night time temps 50 degrees. Welcome!

[spokewench]

Wonderful! Maybe I will run into you when I am down visiting my sister and Mom. By the way, my sister is a professor at U of A.

[azfiddle]

Congrats Owlie! We have a new women's "team" (non-competitive) you might consider joining if you have time.

PM me if you no longer have my contact info. It will be nice to see you again.

Sharon

[thekarens]

Tucson, a great area for birding...my other passion. Congrats!

[Red Rock]

Here is to wishing you well in the last of your schooling and this semester. Hope your move goes well without incident so you can get some riding in before your back at it again.

Red Rock

[Owlie]

Thank you!
It's just started to dawn on me that I have to move in...three months. Yikes. My family is helping with the apartment search, as are DBF and his family, but since none of us are really familiar with the area, we're running into a wall...beyond "Holy cow, it's expensive there!" (Coming from Ohio, though, everything's expensive!)
Tucsonians (?), can you offer tips on relatively inexpensive but safe places to live, preferably a little further out from the university (so I can avoid undergrads), but within reasonable cycling distance? (I'm okay with something like a 10-mile round or less.)

[azfiddle]

Owlie, PM me and I can try to help out with that.

[Dogmama]

East of the UA are more residential areas. I would check there first. It is within biking distance. There is a bike path (runs East/West) that is a few miles north of the UA and is easily reached using Mountain Ave (which runs north/south) - which is a popular biking street with dedicated biking areas. Mountain Ave feeds right into the heart of the UA. Anyway, taking Mountain Ave north and then turning right (east) you can go about 10 miles and find lots of residential areas.

I live about 6 miles from UA and can bike there faster than taking a car in rush hour. Parking at UA is a premium and expensive. If you have a beater bike with a good U lock, you'll be fine. You can bike almost year round since we don't get much rain. For the really cold or rainy days (three, I think ;)) the city bus service to UA is good. Our buses also have bike racks on the front.

Let me know how I can help.

[thekarens]

Congrats Owlie! I'm a little jealous. The bird watching in that area is excellent. It's top of our list for retirement areas. :-)

[Crankin]

Congrats, Owlie.

[Owlie]

East of the UA are more residential areas. I would check there first. It is within biking distance. There is a bike path (runs East/West) that is a few miles north of the UA and is easily reached using Mountain Ave (which runs north/south) - which is a popular biking street with dedicated biking areas. Mountain Ave feeds right into the heart of the UA. Anyway, taking Mountain Ave north and then turning right (east) you can go about 10 miles and find lots of residential areas.

I live about 6 miles from UA and can bike there faster than taking a car in rush hour. Parking at UA is a premium and expensive. If you have a beater bike with a good U lock, you'll be fine. You can bike almost year round since we don't get much rain. For the really cold or rainy days (three, I think ;)) the city bus service to UA is good. Our buses also have bike racks on the front.

Let me know how I can help.

My concern is actually the heat. I suppose the bus works then too. :D
Yeah, the parking thing blew my mind. It was $80 a semester for the residential parking garage when I was an undergrad (urban campus, so parking shortage), $120 for a full year where I am now, and then I saw the numbers on the presentation that current students gave. That's...a lot of money. Yeah, biking year-round sounds good.

[Dogmama]

Try to get really early morning classes...

The good news is that the really hot weather is almost over by September, so you really only have a couple of months (end of Aug., Sept & beginning of Oct.) where the temps can be in the 100's.