9 Things I Love About Tucson:
1. That I know
everyone. And so will you, if you live here long enough. I moved to Tucson in 2005 and the only people
I knew here were family members. But over the years, through various ways, my
social network has grown so much that its rare to not run into people I know at
Tucson events. In fact, my dear friend
Sara (read her blog, its awesome!!!)
and I sometimes take bets on which one of us will see more people that we know
when we go out. No matter who wins, its
common for us to each be into double digits by the end of the night. That's
awesome.
2. BK Grill. I know everyone loves El Guero Canelo. I do
too, to a certain extent. Its the original sonoran dog, after all. The street
tacos are delicious. But it lacks ambience. BK has the ambience of a true
cantina in Mexico. The tvs blare pop music videos from artists from both sides
of the border. You can't help but be
mesmerized. And the carne asada tacos are to die for. They are better (yes, BETTER)
than Guero. The meat is cooked over mesquite, so its super flavorful. The ratio
of unchewables is low. The tortillas are practically transparent. And they have
a guacuamole with goat cheese and pico de gallo that is killer. El Guero is good. BK is better.
3. October/March
evenings. They're just so gorgeous! The
days in both months border on hot (avg temps are in the high 80s and sometimes
low 90s), but in the evenings, the heat melts away into the 60s and 70s. Its
perfect for being outside and everyone knows it. Restaurants with patios are
full, porches are occupied, folks take strolls through their neighborhoods just
to enjoy the beautiful evenings.
4. My family. I know a lot of people don't get along with
their families, or see hanging out with them as a chore. But their grandmas
probably don't kick ass at Nintendo or watch Family Guy. Their grandpas
probably aren't kick-ass native Tucsonans with enough stories about this town
to make the past come back for an evening.
And their aunts, uncles and cousins probably aren't some of the
funniest, feistiest folks around. Even
if they weren't all of those things (they are!) they love me and I love them.
When I first moved to Tucson, my awesome fam did everything they could to
welcome me. Now that I'm established, we don't see each other as much, but its always really comforting to know they're there.
5. The Summit Hut. In 2002, I bought my first pair of
Chacos. I didn't really care where they came from, but that spring break, Mom
decided she'd get some for me (thanks Mom!). The only place in town to carry
such treasured shoes? The Summit Hut. I left happy, with a pair of Z/1s in
Cardiac. Three years later, when I moved to Tucson, I saw that they were
hiring. I applied, got the job, and have been working there ever since. The Hut
is great for a couple of reasons. As a customer, it was awesome because the
lady that helped me with my shoes really knew what she was doing. As an
employee, The Hut has played a much more important role in my life. It was and
continues to be the cornerstone of my social life here. I've met some of my
best friends working there, friends who I'm determined will be friends long
after we all quit. In short, there's
good stuff at the Summit Hut, but more importantly, good people.
6. The UofA. I left NAU in 2005, dejected at not getting
into graduate school, but determined to make myself into the best damn student
I could. I spent three years shoring up my language skills and in the fall of
2008, I started my MA. There's a certain
rapport you develop with people in graduate school that comes from the shared
stress of exams, the dullness of yet another article to read, and the constant
need to make yourself and what you're doing count. My little cohort struggled
through a particularly poisonous bit of department politics and
intra-departmental drama, too. But we came out on the other side as close
friends and colleagues. While I know now I don't want to be a college
professor, I managed to gather a tribe of amazing people around myself in the
process of figuring that out. And without the UofA, I never would have.
7. Monsoons. MONSOONS! What compares to the sudden deluge of
summer rain and the smells it releases on a hot August day? Nothing! The
creosote! The pavement! The flooded streets and the 10 degree drop in the
temperature! The rush of fear when you realize you've foolishly left your
windows cracked! When I would visit my
grandparents during summer break as a kid, I would watch the rain from Grandma's front
window and the traffic circle in front of her house would fill with water every day at 2pm. You could
practically set your watch by it. Today,
the monsoons seem more fickle and whatever the reason, are sweeter when they do
come.
8. The mountains. Mountains are everywhere here. The
Catalinas loom to the north; in the evening, they turn orange and purple. In
the spring sun they turn a vivid green. And in the winter, the tips are frosted
with white. I love when the clouds are low enough to hide them. To the east are the Rincons, which always feel more desolate to me, even though they're in
a national park. The Santa Ritas are to the south and always make me think of
my sister, who loves birding there. Whenever I look at them, the mountains make
me feel good.
9. Campbell Avenue. Is there a more Tucson street than
Campbell?? The entrance to the UofA is
on Campbell, as is the entrance to UMC. Heading north, some of the best Tucson
businesses call Campbell home, including (but not limited to) Plaza Liquor, Yoshimatsu,
India Oven, Beyond Bread, and Bookman's (close enough). South of UofA, on the
corner of 6th and Campbell is the best gelateria outside of Italy (and better than
many inside of Italy, actually), Allegro. Tucson Village Farm is on Campbell
Ave, as is the UofA farm extension, where I like to look at the horses. North
of River Road, Campbell becomes a Mario Kart experience, all the way up to La
Encantada, where the Apple store and Anthropologie reside. Campbell Avenue is
my favorite Tuscon street.
4 Things I Hate About Tucson
1. Traffic. Ugh. Tucson traffic is awful. I'm sure its not
New York City awful or even close to LA awful, but its its own brand of awful.
Unlike Phoenix, Tucson has eschewed major freeways, a decision I'm mostly glad
of. But as I'm speeding away on Golf Links Road and have to stop at every red
light, I really wish there was freeway somewhere. There are a couple (Aviation
Highway, I-10), but nothing to get you across town quickly. On top of that (and there's no nice way to
say this), Tucson drivers tend to be asshole drivers. Blinkers are completely optional, aggressive
lane changes are to be expected, and taking advantage of the following
left-turn arrow by turning after the light has turned yellow (and even red!) is
common. I think its because everybody is pissed that it takes an hour to get
across town from 3-5pm.
2. Allergies. I love the natural beauty Tucson has to offer.
But twice a year, in the spring and in the late summer following monsoons,
Tucson's natural beauty breaks my heart. Or, really, it breaks my head. My eyes itch. My nose runs. I almost-sneeze at
least twenty times a day and actually sneeze at least fifteen times. My head
hurts, I look like a raccoon and I can't breathe. It sucks. Tucson used to be a
paradise of clean air. People used to move here for relief from lung diseases
like TB. Now, even the hardiest of immune systems is besieged by imported pollens
and dust. Its awful.
3. The cat-eating coyote population. They're everywhere. I
once saw a coyote walking down my street, just after I had let my cat out for
the day. I worried all morning. It would be one thing if I lived out east in the
desert or in the foothills up north. But I live smack dab in the middle of
town. So do the coyotes. Every time I let my cats out, a little part of me
wonders (morbidly, I admit that) if that's the last time I'll see them. I love coyotes and I get that they were here
first. But I really hope they don't eat my cats. (For those of you who think I
should just keep my cats in...have you ever tried to keep a cat inside once its
tasted freedom? It just ain't gonna happen.)
4. Undergrads from California. Who think Tucson consists of
4th Ave, downtown, and the UofA campus and its environs. Who are self-entitle
and lazy. Who drive sports cars like the assholes mentioned above. Who tan
topless on their sorority house roofs, surrounded by taller buildings. Who
can't write for shit and don't care. Who major in Communications or Psychology
so they don't have to take a foreign language or math. Who suck, essentially.
(I know this is a stereotype. I have met these stereotypical undergrads. Maybe
they're really good people....but I have my doubts.)
