Pheonix vs. Tucson (Phoenix, Tempe: job market, landscaping, transfer)

[boostin]

Yes another one of these threads. The older ones are from awhile back and i was wondering if I could recieve some updated opinions on both areas. Im looking at either attending ASU or UofA. I hear both are great schools, so I guess it comes down to preferance.

Which has better scenery?
Which is more developed?(ex. nicer area, better lanscaping, more selection on stores/things to do)
If pheonix, which is the most scenic area around pheonix or are all areas about the same?
Is tucson underdevoloped?
Traffic?
Places to eat?

What I am looking for is a scenic city. A place that has excellent scenery, developed and maintained, yet lively city.

From what I've read pheonix and tucson seem about the same only pheonix is bigger.

[Ponderosa]

Originally Posted by boostin

Yes another one of these threads. The older ones are from awhile back and i was wondering if I could recieve some updated opinions on both areas. Im looking at either attending ASU or UofA. I hear both are great schools, so I guess it comes down to preferance.

Which has better scenery?
Which is more developed?(ex. nicer area, better lanscaping, more selection on stores/things to do)
If pheonix, which is the most scenic area around pheonix or are all areas about the same?
Is tucson underdevoloped?
Traffic?
Places to eat?

What I am looking for is a scenic city. A place that has excellent scenery, developed and maintained, yet lively city.

From what I've read pheonix and tucson seem about the same only pheonix is bigger.

First, it's Phoenix, not Pheonix.

And you have it about right. People in Tucson think there is real difference but they're delusional for the most part. Tucson has a big mountain range close by so it has that view, but it lacks the in-town ranges that Phoenix has and the opportunities they offer for hiking etc. Tucson is dingy, dirty, and rundown looking compared to Phoenix too mostly because of the water issues they have there. The streetscape in Phoenix is far better than in Tucson. There is far more to do in Phoenix if that is a consideration in your decision. It's not even close. The student hang-out area of Tempe is head and shoulders above the Tucson counterpart.

As for schools, well ASU is a jock and party diploma mill and UofA is a serious and respected institution of learning (disclosure: I am a UofA alum). Seriously, they are about the same in the undergraduate areas. In graduate work, there are advantages to one or the other depending on area of study.

[dougstech]

Originally Posted by boostin

Yes another one of these threads. The older ones are from awhile back and i was wondering if I could recieve some updated opinions on both areas. Im looking at either attending ASU or UofA. I hear both are great schools, so I guess it comes down to preferance.

Which has better scenery?
Which is more developed?(ex. nicer area, better lanscaping, more selection on stores/things to do)
If pheonix, which is the most scenic area around pheonix or are all areas about the same?
Is tucson underdevoloped?
Traffic?
Places to eat?

What I am looking for is a scenic city. A place that has excellent scenery, developed and maintained, yet lively city.

From what I've read pheonix and tucson seem about the same only pheonix is bigger.

Seems like you should be deciding on things like housing/cost. Both areas are almost the same, and so are the colleges (although ASU is quite a but bigger). If I were in your shoes, I wouldn't be caring much about the scenery, and more on the college and cost.

[boostin]

Well, Not only would I move on a College transfer, but also a job transfer that I may make into a career depending on the future job market and can very well make a decent living at.

There are opportunities for me at both phoenix and tucson. School and work.

Cost is something I will work out as both areas are very close. So really it comes down to things to do, devolopement of each area, and scenery.(A clean city that still displays its scenic area in which it was built on)

[Beware_of_Dog]

I knew this young man who back in 1971 had traveled around the country living in his VW camper-van looking at Universities along the way. After his 1 year journey he decided on U of Arizona. So he returned to Calif to pack his things and started his drive to Tucson. Along the way his van started acting up a bit so he pulled off the highway in Tempe to have it checked out. While the Tempe VW dealer was checking out his car, he walked around the ASU campus. He never did make it down to Tucson, but instead he just stayed in Tempe, living just 2 blocks from ASU campus.

Ten years and 2 degrees later, he liked ASU, especially the athletics, so much that he decided to stay on their teaching and setting up computer labs around campus. He stayed in the Tempe area for a total of 30 yrs. and enjoyed very much watching the University and all of Phoenix grow into what they are today. He is old and disabled now and has decided to return to California to live out his remaining years by the ocean.

The End.

[vegaspilgrim]

See a thread I started a few years ago: "https://www.city-data.com/forum/tucso...n-phoenix.html" when I was going to ASU and considering UA for grad school. Phoenix is a "livelier" city than Tucson by far. Yet the scenery in Tucson blows away the scenery in Phoenix hands down. If you prefer neatly manicured man-made landscaping, then you'll like Phoenix better. If you prefer a wild desert jungle look, then Tucson would be better. Tucson's climate is a little bit more comfortable, too. Tucson has a lot more charm and a unique sense of place IMO. Phoenix has infinitely more employment opportunities than Tucson.

[nickw252]

I've lived in both. It depends on what you're looking for. I was looking for a big city with all the amenities, sports venues, entertainment, and transportation options. Although neither of them are the metropolitan capital of the world, I'm very happy in Phoenix. Tucson felt more like the city of 30,000 people that I moved from in Ohio.