Moving to Tucson! Reverse AMA to Tucson-savvy persons (appointed, dermatologist)

[PleaseComeBackHarambe]

*Open thread for anyone who needs to acquire or give understanding of Tucson and Tucsonans*

American moving from Canada, taking a break from University. Writing to see if any Tucsonans or otherwise can give a spontaneous 19 year old some wisdom before I arrive. Assume you're informing a person who has previous knowledge of climate and geography of Tucson, as I have partaken in proper research and contact with friends already residing. The main information I'd like is either economic or personal; but, as suggested in the subheading, I am appreciative of anything you deem helpful to me or any future inquirer.

Me:
Money, as much as Harambe had.
Job preference, business oriented (flexible).
Means of transport, public and longboard.
Location upon arrival, University of Arizona.
Experience, 2 semesters of progress in Engineering, 1 summer in marketing consultation firm, 3 years retail.
Talents, *looks away from phone at water bottle, it flips by itself*

My questions:

In Tucson, is it difficult, or unheard of, for a person without a BA or BS looking for business oriented line of work to be hired in such? If so, what is/are the reason(s) for this? If not and/or you're aware of positions that consider efficacy and capability before common educational milestones, I would appreciate your comment.

What are popular salary-based occupations in Tucson? Requirements?

Is there a minimum age or certification requirement for waiters/waitresses? Do you or others usually tip well in Tucson?

I currently prefer a smart casual-business casual spectrum of style (e.g. button-down shirt, non-jean pants [I almost never wear shorts], etc. ):
A) how do like-minded professionals dress in Tucson?
B) how would you suggest I adapt to temperature, ditching most long sleeves and/or pants, while maintaining my style preference?
C) what local stores would you recommend for this transition (Big fan of thrift stores)?

What is the average condition of roads by and around U of A (Potholes and rugged roads are my greatest pet peeves while longboarding)?

As I am not a student at U of A, joining clubs through its organization would usually be inappropriate. In the Tucson community, are there open (friendly) local groups for: boxing, hiking, longboarding, rock-climbing, and rugby? Anything you would suggest based on my interests?

I am almost 3,300 miles away from Tucson, therefore, I lack the knowledge of Tucsonans' unique preferences and norms. Please explain using any example you like (I.e. political, social, etc. ).

Various forums and articles suggest that long relationships are uncommon with my age group or even in Tucson all together; fact or fiction?

If you are also, or are going to be, new to Tucson contribute to the thread with a Q or A!

*Feel free to comment whatever you like*

[azdr0710]

quick comments to only some of your questions from a longtime resident.....others might have more info.....

many say the "recovery" has passed Tucson by for now....you may have trouble finding well-paying jobs at your age and education level....Tucson is not a wealthy city and many here are happy with low-paying jobs in return for the climate, recreation, and low cost-of-living.....

no certification required for servers....minimum age 21 to serve alcohol...I presume we tip just like everybody else in the country: all over the scale

Tucson is extremely casual in dress....sure, business attire is worn when absolutely necessary, but ties are not common and many wear shorts here at all times.....of course, lawyers and similar do dress up for work, but even many law offices do not require a tie....a button-down and khakis is pretty darn dressy here.....many great thrift shops here

unfortunately, roads in Tucson are famously rough to the locals....potholes are common and a general roughness to the street "texture" is common....streets are being worked on, of course, but the locals, strangely, voted down street repair bonds in the last election.....(but that may be due to an excess of bonds in that election and everybody just voting "no" out of confusion)

many friendly local outdoor groups....meetup.com, of course, is the obvious suggestion.....google around

Tucson's rep within the state leans liberal.....of course, with a million in the metro area, all sides are well-represented....very casual city, unpretentious, a bit redneck in areas.....lots of great locally-owned restaurants for such a poor city.....wide variety of neighborhoods.....

I assume long-term relationships are rare everywhere for 19 year olds!....

continue talking to your local friends for ideas!

[beTucsonan]

If you are longboarding near the U of A you will be okay, but you'll have to plan your route accordingly. Some of the streets are great, some of them are junk. I lived about a mile north of the University a couple of years ago and my normal longboard route would take me through the University campus, then west and South into the Downtown area. At first it was hellish but once I learned which roads were good it became just what it should have been: tons of fun. Later I got a 5' Koastal board that eats bad roads for breakfast and now I don't worry too much and just roll over everything.

You will have no trouble finding groups for most of your activities. The longboarding community isn't huge here, so that may be an exception.

The LTR thing is fiction. If you want one, you can find it - same here as everywhere else. Almost every city I've ever been to has a group of people who swear the city is to blame for their lack of romantic opportunities.

Wear whatever you want, but I'd say it's a fair bet you'll ditch the long sleeves pretty quickly.

At 19 without a degree a professional position will be hard to come by. But there are many entry-level positions where a motivated person will find opportunities and self-promote themselves into success. I have an acquaintance who started on phone support at a certain local Fortune 500 company and now, 6 years later, is in a position that would be the envy of MBA's everywhere. He's never stepped foot into a college classroom. I personally launched a 15-year long software engineering stint at a local telemarketing joint. I'm not saying this stuff is a given, but I am willing to say that if you put your best foot forward you can make lemonade in Tucson.

I'm pretty sure you can serve liquor at 19: FAQ - Legal Age - Arizona Department of Liquor Licenses and Control - I don't know how other people tip here, but I know a lot of folks manage to make a living off of tips so it can't be horrible, right?

Anyway, hope it helps! Welcome to Tucson!

[bongo_x]

Tucson is very laid back. You do not move to Tucson to make it in the big time. This is hard for some young people.

Most of the complaints about Tucson come from people who didn't do their research and/or it's just the wrong city for them. If you move there expecting it to be like somewhere else you will be disappointed. It is not your favorite big city with less snow. It's slow, weird, and different.

I semi jokingly say it's artists, retirees, students, and people hiding from something.

There are lots of thrift stores. Long sleeves are good, stay covered, but wear looser clothing.

[seedy]

Protect yourself from the sun. Difference here is long sleeves are often extremely lightweight material. Fishing shirts. And you'll want a wide-brimmed hat.

Desert can get cold at night, sometimes it snows, don't throw those warm clothes away until you've been here for a year.

If you want to get ahead, choose Denver or live with the Phoenicians a few hours north.

[seedy]

Protect yourself from the sun as much as possible. Difference here is long sleeves are often extremely lightweight material. Fishing shirts. And you'll want a wide-brimmed hat. I just dug a little something out of my skin with a craft knife a few weeks ago, it hurt. A dermatologist bill would hurt even more. But there are natives who do shorts and T's.

Desert can get cold at night, sometimes it snows, don't throw those warm clothes away until you've been here through a winter. One reason is you can get by without turning the heat on if you have warm stuff to wear. It's easier and cheaper. There's also Mt Lemmon, which is a few climate zones colder.

Your body will adapt to the temp range, then even 50 feels cold. Go shopping in the winter and the people in shorts are from Wisconsin, people wearing sweaters are locals.

If you want more career traction, choose Denver or go live with the Phoenicians a few hours north.

[WilmaWildcat]

When I'm in town I wear long-sleeved t-shirts and lightweight long cotton pants; I also started getting those SPF 50 sun gloves that look like cycling gear and a hat with a good brim. Serious sunglasses. I'm really fair (redhead) and already had one tiny spot Mohs'd off a couple of years ago. Kind of a reality check that made me look more favorably on spending most of my time in a climate that's grey half the year. Not so bad after all.

I spent some years in the desert in California and Tucson, and when I was about age 10-15 got a very nasty sunburn a couple of times; once it was while visiting and swimming at our friends who were engineers at the Iron Mountain pumping plant in the Mojave desert near Joshua Tree NP. That was some intense sun.

Long ago I heard that Southern Arizona is the second-worst location in the world for skin cancer, with Alice Springs, Northern Territory, Australia being number one. Essentially that tells me that though there may be sunnier spots in the world, Alice Springs and SoAZ are the sunny spots with the highest number of fair-skinned residents.

So though I was never a sun worshipper even when I lived in Tucson, I really avoid it as much as possible now. I love going places and doing things at night in the desert; it's the best time of the day. So many stars!