Julia’s Takes on Tucson, Homeownership, and More
I thought it would be fun to put together a little Tucson themed Q&A to share a bit about myself and what I love about Tucson. Read through, then let’s connect!
What’s your favorite way to spend a day off?
If the weather is nice then a perfect day off would start with coffee and a walk. I would probably go to Ren Coffee and enjoy their patio, walk on the loop for a little bit, then drop by Bubbe’s Bagels for breakfast. In the afternoon I’d want to check out what’s for sale at Midtown Mercantile Merchants and grab a late lunch at Time Market along with a local beer (like Pueblo Vida’s delicious IPA, Cereus). Then I’d finish the day off with a nice walk through our neighborhood before sunset.
…And If we had a babysitter then I’d go out for dinner at a spot like Locale or the newest chic restaurant, Miramonte, followed by a movie at The Loft.
Do you consider yourself more of an early bird or a night owl? What do you like to do during that time?
Now that I have a kid, I’m an early bird! Getting up early and enjoying the cool weather is amazing, and it’s also such a nice time to enjoy some local coffee. The best mornings start on a cute coffee shop patio. Some of the best in my opinion are Raging Sage, Exo (especially the 2nd location on Simpson), Ren, Presta on 9th, and Decibel at the MSA Annex.
Back when I was more of a night owl I enjoyed hanging with friends at Che’s on Fourth Avenue or Club Congress.
What’s one piece of advice about homeownership that you think is especially important?
Before you buy a house, have an emergency fund! Once you own a home yourself, you are responsible for any necessary repairs. If your AC breaks in the middle of the summer, there’s no waiting it out until it cools off…you have to get it fixed. And you do not want your new house to break the bank! So be sure to know that anything that can go wrong will and you absolutely will be putting money into your home. Not only if things break, but just maintaining a home is expensive.
For someone who has never been to Tucson before, what’s one must see place?
I really feel that Saguaro National Park (either location, but West is closer to downtown and the city center) is a must see place. If you’ve never seen a saguaro in person before, you are going to be blown away! Sabino Canyon is a close 2nd.
What’s the best spot in town to catch a sunrise or sunset?
Anywhere is a great place, as long as you have a clear view of the sky…but I will say that I’ve enjoyed seeing the sunset from The Moonstone atop the Graduate Hotel near the U of A.
Are you a planner or spontaneous?
I’m sort of both! If I’m traveling I like to plan enough to know in general what we’re doing, but leave room for spontaneity, and I think that goes for most other aspects of my life. Let’s just say I try to plan enough to get things done and be effective, but leave some room for flexibility and fun.
If you could swap lives with another Tucsonan for a day, who would it be and why?
I think it looks like fun to be Don Guerra from Barrio Bread. He’s making people happy with his amazing bread, receiving recognition for his work, deeply involved in the community, and he gets to eat his own bread whenever he wants to!
What neighborhood feels like the city’s best kept secret?
It’s not for everyone, but I think the Dunbar / Spring neighborhood north of downtown is very cool and somewhat “secret.” There is so much work in the neighborhood being done around water harvesting and native planting, and every home is unique and has such charm. Dunbar / Spring is a pretty “artsy” neighborhood where folks go above and beyond to make their homes special and unique, and that special feeling emanates throughout the neighborhood.
What’s something simple about Tucson that makes you smile?
It might be cliche, but it’s honestly our skies, and in particular, sunsets. I try to walk my dogs before the sun goes down every evening, and I consider it a really sacred time of day in Tucson. Amazing sunsets are the norm here, but I never take them for granted. That was one thing I missed living in California. Sure, they have great sunsets too, but nowhere beats Southern Arizona in my opinion. Every time I came back home I would think to myself I GREW UP WITH THESE SKIES?! HOW DID I NOT REALIZE HOW SPECIAL THEY ARE? But sometimes it takes leaving something to recognize it’s not common everywhere.
If Tucson were a person, how would you describe their personality?
Tucson is the type of person who can straddle a few worlds at once. They are gorgeous, yet very down to earth and a sort of “salt of the earth” person. And they care deeply about the environment. They’re pretty generous and creative too. Basically, the kind of person you want to be yourself or spend all your time with!
Is Tucson underrated, overrated, or just right?
In a way it’s all three. I think our art and culture scene is very much underrated. There are so many interesting, talented, and creative people here. I would say that our food scene is rated both “just right” and (uh oh, I’m going to get flack for this) slightly “overrated.” We absolutely deserve our UNESCO City of Gastronomy designation for our food history and culture, and we also have some of the best Mexican food in the U.S.! But I do wish we had more diverse food options all across town. Listen…I’ve lived in LA, which is such a melting pot of food traditions, so it’s hard to not miss that.
And our landscapes are supremely underrated! I’m sorry to Phoenix and Palm Springs but we are prettiest desert in the country and I stand by that 100%.
What’s one thing you would love to see improved in Tucson?
As much as I love Tucson, I’d argue there’s actually a lot of room for improvement in our desert city. Instead of one thing I’d like to say 3. Yes, I want to help folks fall in love with Tucson and move here (or stay), but I also want to be honest about what we need to work on:
Housing affordability: Even though Tucson is considered “affordable” compared to much of the country, homes here are actually no longer affordable when compared to what the people of Tucson actually earn at local jobs. This disconnect between local incomes and the cost of housing has to be resolved.
Public transit and walkability: Great transit systems are expensive to build, but my goodness do they make a difference for community members. When I lived in the Sam Hughes neighborhood I swear I was happier than usual just because I could walk to the park or campus, and could take the streetcar from the U of A through Fourth Avenue, downtown, and the Mercado District. Being out and about in a way that doesn’t require a car just feels good. It would be costly, but Tucson could make so many of these improvements. We have a great bus system, but I don’t think most people will use it until Tucson becomes more pedestrian friendly (since you have to walk to a bus stop). And how I wish we had a more expansive streetcar route! It would be amazing to have a line going all the way down Broadway to Park Mall and something going down Campbell to River. More would be great, but those two alone would be HUGE for our city and local businesses. Tucson also has a major safety problem when it comes to walking and biking in this town, and I hope the city is currently taking those issues very seriously.
Public education: Public education funding mostly comes from the federal government and state level, so this isn’t something Tucson can change too much on our own (although yay, the budget override passed!). Regardless, we need to improve our public education to make this city a more appealing place to move to. Yes Basis (a charter school) is ranked #1 in the country, but I think public schools deserve our attention just as much, if not more, than charter and private.
Where do you see Tucson in 5 years?
As our federal government makes changes that impact us locally — from the University of Arizona’s dwindling student body, to healthcare funding cuts and more — Tucsonans are going to get hit hard by these changes. But Tucson is also a place of resilience, and we have come so far. When I was in high school (Tucson High Class of ‘09 baby!) Downtown Tucson was practically a ghost town. Now, it’s brimming with bars, restaurants, and public art that draws people in from all over the country and world. Climate change continues to rear its frightening head, but we are a city of activists, water harvesters, and growers. There are so many organizations across town, like Watershed Management Group, who are working relentlessly to make this a safe, habitable, and beautiful place for years to come. We are an underdog, working class city, so most things don’t come easy…but it’s that perseverance and tenacity that makes Tucson the unique, charming, and special place it is.
For more of what Julia loves about Tucson, follow @TucsonInsideAndOut on Instagram.
