Best City for Young Creatives -- Tucson, Arizona Ranks #1

Best City for Young Creatives

Tucson Accolades

Tony Ray Baker

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October 11, 2016

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Tucson Voted Best City for Young Creatives

Tucson ranked #1 Best City for Young Creatives by CreativeLive.com.

Could the Southwest be the new Silicon Valley?

Organizations like Startup Tucson and the McGuire Center for Entrepreneurship seem to think so.

With collaborative co-working spaces like Connect Co-Working, The RailYard, Spoke6, GangPlankHQ, and Co+Hoots plus entrepreneurial, art and tech meet-ups springing up across the sunny city, Tucson is wooing young entrepreneurs like crazy, and was even named one of the top tech hubs of last year.

Top it off with really cheap rent, one of the lowest housing markets in the country and a happening downtown, Arizona starts to looking like a delicious place for young creatives with an idea and a dream.

The affordable housing market really does set Tucson apart from big cities.

Young creatives thriving in these cities are obviously pulling in a chunky paycheck, but when you factor in how much of that money is going towards housing, the big city appeal starts to dwindle. Not to mention many of these rentals are tiny, and crowded and lack privacy.

Home ownership still is a great way to build wealth and invest in the future. The peace of mind that comes with having this kind of stability and not having to move every year or every few years is also incredible.

Another thing to consider when you’re looking for a place to live and deciding where to buy a house, is would the property and location also make a good rental? Because you never know, with your more settled and thriving life, maybe you’ll be in a place to buy another home and rent out the first, or possibly you’d want to travel and rent out your house to a long term tenant or even AirBnB. There are many options and benefits of home ownership.

With the way things are booming in Tucson, self-starters, smarty-pants and other hard workers could even pull in those fat, big city paychecks. Mix that with a low cost of living and you’re on track to build actual wealth.

Another cool thing about Tucson is we have one the best music scene’s in the country and a huge population of young people… around 30% which is the same as Austin, Seattle, San Francisco, Portland and other young people melting pots.

I’d love to talk to you more about this!

Download the PDF of CreativeLive’s article: What Are the Best Cities for Young Creatives

The Most Underrated City: Tucson

Tony Ray Baker

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October 11, 2016

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Most Underrated City: Tucson!

Tucson made Travel & Leisure’s List of the Most Underrated Cities. In fact, Tucson was ranked #3 on a list of 31 underrated cities.

It’s not all wild, wild west culture and year-round golf in this laid-back, nature lover’s paradise; With a population of 500,000+, Tucson has much to offer residents and vacationers alike.

Tucson’s natural beauty is enhanced by the magical weather patterns. Monsoon rain storms, rainbows, breath-taking sunrise and sunsets that always astonish locals and tourists alike.

Surrounded by mountains and The Saguaro National Park, Tucson attracts all kinds of outdoor enthusiasts. The Tucson mountains bring together hikers, cyclists, rock climbers, bird watchers, storm chasers; all thrilled with what Tucson has to offer.

Downtown Tucson has an amazing list of attractions. Decade-long efforts to redevelop the area have resulted in top-rated restaurants for one. Tucson was also named UNESCO’s City of Gastronomy for one reason; the restaurants. Restaurants like The Downtown Kitchen + Cocktails and Poca Cosa.

In 2015, Tucson was even given this prestigious award for being a foodie’s paradise. Tucson was the first city in America to receive this honor. The city was also rated as most playable city for kids and families.

Download Travel and Leisure's Most Underrated Cities

The New York Times Mentions Saguaro National Park

Tucson Accolades

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January 21, 2022

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The New York Times Mentions Saguaro National Park

The New York Times recently released an online, interactive list of 52 places around the world where travelers can be a part of the solution, rather than a problem. Because you know us, you know that we are only bringing this to your attention because they mention Tucson! Yep, the good Old Pueblo is in the media yet again. Okay, okay, more specifically they mention the beautiful Saguaro National Park. This national treasure can be found on both the east and west sides of Tucson. Nearly 2 million of the namesake cacti call these 2 parcels of land home and give our desert its distinctive look.

A plaque at the Saguaro National Park displays the cacti growth — A trail plaque from the Saguaro National Park.

As alluded to by the NYT article all 52 places on their list must have a problem to need a solution. In our case, the problem is that we have very few new saguaros, a species that is a notoriously slow grower. Think 75 years old to get its first arm, and not reaching its full height of 45 feet until 200 years old. So, a declining population of these stoic giants is a problem, not just for Tucson but for an entire ecosystem. The article highlights a local conservation project where volunteers work year-round pulling buffalo grass. Why does 1 weed need so much attention you might ask? There are a couple of reasons. The first is because it’s a non-native species that takes much-needed nutrients to other native plants. And secondly because due to climate change, we’ve been experiencing hotter summers. These withering temperatures dry out the buffelgrass and provide ample kindling for wildfires.

Saguaro National Park volunteers put on backpacks — Saguaro National Park volunteers get ready to tackle buffalo grass. Emma Gibson/AZPM

You can help mitigate the buffalo grass by volunteering with the Saguaro National Park. They organize clear-ups year-round. If you don’t want to be outside but still help out, that’s ok too! Find all volunteer opportunities here.

Best Big City for Art is Tucson

Tony Ray Baker

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July 20, 2016

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The Best Big City for Art is Tucson Arizona!

American Style Ranks Tucson #18 Best Big City for Art and we couldn’t agree more!

Tucson is Covered in Artwork!

Murals, murals everywhere! The Tucson Mural Arts Program was created to help diminish property damage and vandalizing in Downtown Tucson.

These murals have not only brightened the community streets, it has given many artists the opportunity to showcase their work and talent to the public.

The City of Tucson Mural Program has attracted many new artists seeking their big break, as well as turning prior graffiti taggers into graffiti artists. Also many struggling artists can now have the chance to get paid and to be recognized.

Tucson assigns artists to the wall owners, allowing communication and planning for the outdoor gallery. This has been a great way for Tucson to showcase its cultural diversity, which has caught the attention of national press and media.

While you walk the streets of Downtown Tucson sometimes it feels as if you are walking through an art museum. Downtown is the best place to see a lot of murals in a small area.

So get you camera or cell phone ready because mosaic, hand painted and kiln fired tile murals are abundant and easy to find.

If you’re an aspiring artist and want to apply to paint a wall mural, email TMAP@TucsonArtsBrigade.org.

Have a great day,
Tony Ray
(520) 631-TONY (8669)
Free relocation package and Tucson fun info

Download the PDF of American Style Top 25 Big Cities for Art