Best Big City for Art is Tucson

Tony Ray Baker
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Best Big City for Art is Tucson
Tucson Murals - Tucson Voted The Best Big City for Art
Tucson Murals - Tucson Voted The Best Big City for Art

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
  • Goddess of Agave

IFEA Award Kudos to Tucson, AZ

Tony Ray Baker
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IFEA Award Kudos to Tucson, AZ

IFEA Award Kudos to Tucson, AZ!

IFEA Award Luncheon in Tucson, AZ
IFEA Award Luncheon in Tucson, AZ Photo: Dawn Vandaveer www.Prototypes-v3.com

Congratulations are in order, once again, for Tucson, Arizona! Winning the IFEA Award (International Festivals & Events Association) for 2017.

Recently, FEATSAZ (Festival & Events Association of Tucson & Southern Arizona) submitted the video (above) to the IFEA for review.

After reviewing the video, beautiful Tucson, Arizona has met the IFEA’s most highest standards. And in doing so, on Thursday, September 14th, at 1:30 PM the IFEA officially designated Tucson as a World Festival & Event City!

This event took place at the 62nd Annual IFEA Convention, Expo & Retreat at the prestigious J.W. Marriott Starr Pass. This is the third year in a row Tucson has been host to the IFEA Convention and most likely the last in the region for some time to come.

Nevertheless, on top of Tucson becoming the first city in the United States to be recognized as a UNESCO World City of Gastronomy, winning the IFEA Award, for 2017, is a great honor and another huge success for our city! We love you, Tucson!

More about the IFEA:

The main focus of the IFEA is to identify and provide services for those organizations that put on festivals.   More specifically, organizations that create and run quality festivals and events that support their communities in a positive way.

In Tucson, that organization is FEATSAZ (Festival & Events Association of Tucson & Southern Arizona).  FEATSAZ deserves a big kudos for their ongoing work for our community.  They should get an even bigger high five for their video and pdf submission to the IFEA that helped Tucson win the renowned award.

Great job to everyone at FEATSAZ and thank you.

Have a great day,
Tony Ray

P.S. Shout out to my ghost-writer “Gonzo” for writing up this piece.
Also, Please check out these other great Tucson Accolades.

Download the PDF of the 2017 IFEA Award Winners

Tucson AZ One of the Best Cities for Millennials

Tony Ray Baker
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Tucson AZ One of the Best Cities for Millennials
Tucson AZ One of the Best Cities for Millennials
Tucson AZ One of the Best Cities for Millennials

Tucson AZ is One of the 5 Best Cities for Millennials says Time.com/Money

Tucson and its downtown revitalization has caught the attention of many potential prospects. Being recognized by Time, Tucson AZ was placed among the 5 Best Cities for Millennials in the US. 24% of Tucson population (and possibly higher) is made up of individuals 20 years old to 34 years old. For those individuals looking for a place to with exceeding job growth opportunities, accessible amenities and an affordable housing market. This youthful city is a place for millennials to gather, meet, work, study, play and simply live.

Downtown, encompasses four main areas: Mercado San Agustin, Downtown Tucson, Fourth Ave and the University of Arizona Main Gate. Retail business owners, well know chefs, investors and developers are just some of the few looking at Tucson, many already part of its exciting new growth.

Most would have to agree that the introduction of the light rail played a big part in fueling this excitement, helping make a Downtown Tucson a place Millennials could live without a car. The light rail connects several main shopping areas together. This allows you, the rider, easy access to over 340 venues.  Beginning at Mercado San Agustin, the light rail passes through downtown Tucson, Fourth Ave shopping district, Main Gate at the UA and ends at the University Hospital.  The end being part of a loop, which will take you right back to the beginning.

This diverse downtown Tucson area is a great place for everyone.  Along the light rail, there are a lot of places to meet, work, study, play and live simply with great connectivity. Being connected to so much is one of the main reasons that Tucson is recognized as one of the best cities for millennials.

Low Cost of Living:

If you’re comparing possible cities for relocation, Tucson just looks better and better. Its hard not to consider a city with a low cost of living and affordable housing. The cost of living index for Tucson AZ is 105 which is well below the urban average of 117. According to research done by GOBankingRates, it costs $39,966 each year to comfortably live in Tucson AZ.  Therefore, Tucson ranks number 1 as most affordable city in the US.

  • Income needed: $39,966
  • 50 percent for necessities: $19,983
  • 30 percent for discretionary spending: $11,990
  • 20 percent for savings: $7,993

“With the lowest total needed to cover necessities out of the 50 biggest U.S. cities, Tucson residents can likely make do on the $37,149 median income, which is just $2,817 short of the amount needed to live well there.”

Affordable Housing:

Affordable housing attracts businesses and new businesses create new jobs and that is why affordable housing is so important.  Tucson’s medium home prices have always been among the lowest in the US.

On a side note: There is nothing like pride of ownership. When I purchased my first home in the North West area of Tucson, I felt like I had finally grown up. I remember how great it felt not having someone dictate what I could do in my own living space. Paying the mortgage felt so much better then paying the landlord. Most importantly, it was a new beginning that helped me focus more on career, finances and other long term goals. Everyone should be able to experience buying their first home.

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

Download the Time Magazine / Money Best Cities for Millennials

Catalina Foothills Unified School District is #1 in Arizona

jamesportis
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Catalina Foothills Unified School District is #1 in Arizona

We’ve got a lot of great things going on in Tucson, but I’m here to tell you about one specifically, the Catalina Foothills Unified School District. You might not be aware but birth rates in the USA are declining

Catalina Foothills High School Student Plaza
Catalina Foothills High School Student Plaza

And in our beloved home state of Arizona, that number has declined almost 22% in the last decade. While that figure may sound shocking to you, I’m here to tell you that it’s actually not a bad thing. It’s common knowledge that our teachers are burdened with disproportionate class sizes to what a single teacher can effectively handle. 

Where am I going with this? I’m so glad you asked. Kids need teachers, teachers need schools, schools have districts, and some are better than others. This is why we are so very happy to inform you that one of ours has been ranked the TOP school district in all of Arizona.

Drumroll, please! If you live in Tucson you may have already guessed but for those of you looking to move here with kids, pay attention. The Catalina Foothills Unified School District has been rated #1 in Arizona according to Newsweek!

Catalina Foothills School District
Catalina Foothills School District

Let’s look at some of the statistics.

What You Need To Know

  1. It’s located in Tucson, obviously the best city in Arizona by far. 
  2. CFUSD has a teacher to student ratio of 1:19, while not ideal it’s comparatively better than the competition. The next jump in other districts is 1 teacher to 23 or more students. Sometimes even 35 students are being wrangled by 1 teacher.
  3. Catalina also boasts a 98% graduation rate, that’s the highest in the state!
  4. According to Zip Recruiter, “As of July 2021 the average annual pay for a teacher in AZ is $26,553 a year.” For Catalina Unified they pay their teachers an average of $45,311 a year. That’s an extra $18,000 for our educators and we believe they deserve every penny and then some.

So, there you have it. If you live in Arizona and have children, you might want to consider relocating to Tucson. Parents should always want the best for their children, Catalina Foothills Unified School District is the best in Arizona, hands down.

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