Any one lived in Tucson Arizona before?

Travel Info
I recently relocated from Scottsdale to Tucson to get away from the craziness that Scottsdale's become over the years. I've been here almost a month and I've formed some concerns about the crime, education and employment. I guess I want to hear from someone who's lived here before on what they think of Tucson, are they still living here, and if not, the reasons why they moved. Anyone? Thanks!

Travel Tips

You should have researched that before relocating...there are many other parts of the Phoenix area that you could have gone to to get away from your problems with Scottsdale. While I have never lived in Tucson for any extended period I have been many times and yes the crime rate is extremely bad (mostly due to the proximity of mexico), the education system is not all that great and there are not many big business there to generate employment.

Others
I live there now. Actually, west of it in the Marana school district. I am happy with the schools in this district. I haven't heard good things about Tucson. I don't have any crime where I am, but I live in the outskirts. The employment here is service based, there is very little in the way of production here.
I used to live in Tucson for about two years. It was okay. I prefer Phoenix though.
I live in Tucson and don't think it's much different than any other city. Every city has crime it all depends on which area of town you live in as to how much it will affect you. I have not been affected at all. I was living on the NE side now I live in the the SE side. I'm not sure about the education here for children but, the U of A is a great college. Employment is OK here, I have not experienced a problem. When I first moved here, I had no job but, found one quickly. Sorry your unhappy. I love it here !!!!
I live in Tucson and have for some time. It is a beautiful place with lots of outdoor activities and cultural events. But it is not New York, LA, or even Phoenix and probably not a great place for young single people unless they are college students. There are jobs, but a lot of the economy is service or tourist based. For engineers, there is Raytheon and Honeywell. There are plenty of great restaurants and live music and events, but the biggest events don't make it here.
Personal knowledge
Tucson certainly has its quirks, but I've been here 23 years and love it. Crime all depends on the neighborhood. Over time, you'll notice most of it is on the south side and the Stone/Oracle corridor. I have never, and would never live in those neighborhoods. We refer to the area northwest of Grant/First as crack-central. (Probably meth-central now.)

Education simply depends on the district and the school. No, we don't have the property tax base of a place like Scottsdale but the schools with the worst drug problems are actually in the more affluent areas on the north side of town...Catalina Foothills and Ironwood Ridge High Schools, specifically. ("I R High" is a popular slogan.) That's because the kids have disposable income and too much leisure time. At the moment, Tucson Unified School District is considered pretty good, Flowing Wells is very good, and Amphi is one of the worst. There was a time 20 years ago when Amphi was good, Tucson Unified was bad, and Flowing Wells was downright scary. Times change.

Employment? Well, we are a low-wage service industry town. Our city council gave themselves a nice pat on the back many years ago for offering tax incentives for companies wanting to set up call centers. *groan* Anyone who calls Geico Insurance will be talking to someone in Tucson. Go us. Mind you, those jobs are considered decent pay for teenagers and other people with no skills. (Double or more what they'll get working fast food.) We also have a somewhat less visible but lucrative high-tech industry market...the problem is finding and keeping those jobs. Raytheon offers great jobs but they are all on contract tied to specific military projects. When the project is over, you're out of a job...though there's usually a new project to hire you back. I've done okay for myself working in research at the university.

And, oh yeah, if you are not an entrenched Democrat, city politics are going to drive you insane. I've learned to live with it. You'd be amazed at how many votes win with exactly 56%. Probably the only place in the state more liberal than Tucson is Flagstaff.