Tell me about life in Tucson and/or Reno

Roger Wilco

Roger Wilco

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Napa CA
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Display name:
Roger Wilco
We are planning to relocate and are considering options. Two possible areas are Tucson and Reno. I have not spent much time in either location and am doing research to determine if one (or both) would be a good fit. Obviously there is heat and critters; and the taxes and costs have been analyzed. What I seek is an insider's perspective on everyday life in these locations, a pilot's perspective that sheds a bit of light on the lesser known joys and frustrations of living in these places.

IF YOU LIVE, or HAVE LIVED, in either Tucson or Reno, I'd like to get your insight into one or more of the following:

What did you find surprising about life there--a good or bad aspect of the city that you did not anticipate?​
​
What do you miss about the place/places you have previously lived?​
​
What would you miss about Tucson/Reno if you were to move away (or what do you miss if you have lived there and moved away)?​
​
Do you have a recommendation regarding high schools?​
​
We like cultural activities including music, theater, and art--if you are into these pursuits, how would you characterize the local scene?​
​
*If you own an airplane, where does it live and how is the local GA community?​

Your time and expertise are greatly appreciated.
 
I haven't lived in either, but I have lived in Napa, and spent lots of time in Reno. Passed through Tucson. I've lived in the Mojave Desert too - as far as Tucson goes, a desert is a desert.

Why??????
 
Like Sac, spent time in both but never lived in either.

In my book, it comes down to desert to arid with access to mountains nearby. You’ve really, really got to want to live in either place.
 
Sac Arrow said:
I haven't lived in either, but I have lived in Napa, and spent lots of time in Reno. Passed through Tucson. I've lived in the Mojave Desert too - as far as Tucson goes, a desert is a desert.

Why??????
Click to expand...

I had the same question. I am trying to understand the calculus that leaves Napa and ends up in either of those two places. But I wanted to wait until OP's questions got answered first before asking :)

:popcorn: until then.
 
Friends just retired to the Carson City area. They looked at New Mexico, Arizona, and North Carolina.. there must have been some very compelling reason for this as I know they are very thorough in their research.


schmookeeg said:
I had the same question. I am trying to understand the calculus that leaves Napa and ends up in either of those two places. But I wanted to wait until OP's questions got answered first before asking :)

:popcorn: until then.
Click to expand...

Guess one would venture to say the cost of living... and/or a job opportunity.. I too will await the response.
 
I spent 2 years in Tucson (grad school), 5 years in Phoenix 30 yrs or so ago. Now I live in Colorado.
Hot & desert don't begin to describe Tucson.
Benefits:
Major university means a great deal of opportunity for the arts & technology and the med school.
If you're into big time sports, Phoenix is about 90 min drive north. UA has a pretty good althletic dept for college sports. Cheaper than anything in Phoenix
Really fast trip to Nogales altho from what I understand, not so great anymore. When I was there, it had little or none of the problems the other border towns had. It was very common to drive down for dinner and not worry about safety. Don't think that's true anymore.
The HUGE aircraft cemetary.
Mountains, hiking, camping.

Disadvantages:
hot desert - welcome to extreme density altitude!
being in the US/Mexico border, the entire border with the exception of the area around Nogales is MOA or R. But that's true of pretty much the entire SW border of the US.
 
What did you find surprising about life there--a good or bad aspect of the city that you did not anticipate?

It’s scenic. Mountains all the way around. Winters are great and summer is hot but not as hot as phoenix.

What do you miss about the place/places you have previously lived?

Mosquitoes, tornadoes and humidity I don’t miss. I miss lakes, rivers, trees and green grass.

What would you miss about Tucson/Reno if you were to move away (or what do you miss if you have lived there and moved away)?

Year round flying and golf

Do you have a recommendation regarding high schools?

Vail school district

We like cultural activities including music, theater, and art--if you are into these pursuits, how would you characterize the local scene?

Not really into that but from what I’ve heard, it’s pretty good here.

If you own an airplane, where does it live and how is the local GA community?

It lives in a hangar at Tucson International. Local crowd is very easy to get along with. Highly recommended
 
I haven’t lived in either but I have traveled to Reno. The casinos bring in some entertainment and decent food. I flew out of Truckee and found it to be a nice small town. But it is a small town and the Tahoe area is very touristy and subject to a lot of part time residents and tourist traffic. It is beautiful though.

I’d probably also consider Utah Montana Idaho and Colorado, possibly Wyoming too. Some areas that I liked are Park City, Sandpoint, Coeur d’Alene, Flathead Lake, Whitefish, Jackson and Mammoth Lakes. I’d probably lean towards Coeur d’Alene or Whitefish personally, and if looking to get something cheaper than those two, then Flathead Lake. I do like Colorado as well, but just not as familiar with the areas there.

My thoughts are based upon cleanliness, modern and clean downtown area, modern housing options, decent food and vibes, and outdoor activities (hiking, dog friendly, winter sports). I’m also heavily desired to having a large body of water nearby. I’m a lakes type person.
 
I've spent a bunch of time in both places. Reno is higher elevation (4400', vs 2600') and is therefore cooler in the summer. That's a real plus for me. Nevada is full of BLM land, so if you are interested in off airport landing and airplane camping, Nevada will be a better choice. Southern Arizona has a lot of MOAs and some Restricted airspace. Reno is close to the Dead Cow dry lakebed that is home to the High Sierra Fly-In if that is your kind of thing. The Truckee River flows through Reno and the city has built a series of parks along the river. Taxes will be lower in Nevada thanks to gambling revenue, but if you have a gambling addiction, it might be best to stay away. If you like snow skiing, Mount Rose just outside Reno has a good ski area. You'll probably never see any snow in Tucson. Tucson also has a high percentage of folks living in poverty and that has lots of ripple effects. Reno was on our short list for retirement life, but we decided we wanted to be closer to salt water and mountain flying options, so we wound up in Washington State. The census bureau has lots of good comparative data for both towns:

https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/tucsoncityarizona/PST045222

https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/renocitynevada/PST045222
 
Last edited:
murphey said:
I spent 2 years in Tucson (grad school), 5 years in Phoenix 30 yrs or so ago. Now I live in Colorado.
Hot & desert don't begin to describe Tucson.
Benefits:
Major university means a great deal of opportunity for the arts & technology and the med school.
If you're into big time sports, Phoenix is about 90 min drive north. UA has a pretty good althletic dept for college sports. Cheaper than anything in Phoenix
Really fast trip to Nogales altho from what I understand, not so great anymore. When I was there, it had little or none of the problems the other border towns had. It was very common to drive down for dinner and not worry about safety. Don't think that's true anymore.
The HUGE aircraft cemetary.
Mountains, hiking, camping.

Disadvantages:
hot desert - welcome to extreme density altitude!
being in the US/Mexico border, the entire border with the exception of the area around Nogales is MOA or R. But that's true of pretty much the entire SW border of the US.
Click to expand...
Thanks murphey,
 
Timbeck2 said:
What did you find surprising about life there--a good or bad aspect of the city that you did not anticipate?

It’s scenic. Mountains all the way around. Winters are great and summer is hot but not as hot as phoenix.

What do you miss about the place/places you have previously lived?

Mosquitoes, tornadoes and humidity I don’t miss. I miss lakes, rivers, trees and green grass.

What would you miss about Tucson/Reno if you were to move away (or what do you miss if you have lived there and moved away)?

Year round flying and golf

Do you have a recommendation regarding high schools?

Vail school district

We like cultural activities including music, theater, and art--if you are into these pursuits, how would you characterize the local scene?

Not really into that but from what I’ve heard, it’s pretty good here.

If you own an airplane, where does it live and how is the local GA community?

It lives in a hangar at Tucson International. Local crowd is very easy to get along with. Highly recommended
Click to expand...
Thank you Timbeck2. This is exactly the kind of perspective I am looking for.
 
Flyhound said:
I've spent a bunch of time in both places. Reno is higher elevation (4400', vs 2600') and is therefore cooler in the summer. That's a real plus for me. Nevada is full of BLM land, so if you are interested in off airport landing and airplane camping, Nevada will be a better choice. Southern Arizona has a lot of MOAs and some Restricted airspace. Reno is close to the Dead Cow dry lakebed that is home to the High Sierra Fly-In if that is your kind of thing. The Truckee River flows through Reno and the city has built a series of parks along the river. Taxes will be lower in Nevada thanks to gambling revenue, but if you have a gambling addiction, it might be best to stay away. If you like snow skiing, Mount Rose just outside Reno has a good ski area. You'll probably never see any snow in Tucson. Tucson also has a high percentage of folks living in poverty and that has lots of ripple effects. Reno was on our short list for retirement life, but we decided we wanted to be closer to salt water and mountain flying options, so we wound up in Washington State. The census bureau has lots of good comparative data for both towns:

https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/tucsoncityarizona/PST045222

https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/renocitynevada/PST045222
Click to expand...
Thanks Flyhound.
 
If you favor the shooting sports, Arizona is a very firearms friendly state. The state Fish and Game dept. has world class shooting ranges of all varieties for both recreational shooters and competitive shooters. Their facility north of Phoenix, Ben Avery Complex, ranks as one of the best in the world.
 
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