We all know Tucson is pretty amazing but, it’s always nice to see others recognize it too. In April Tucson received some well-deserved attention from Condé Nast Traveler. If you don’t know what the Condé Nast Traveler is or why we should care let me tell you.
The Condé Nast Traveler
This worldwide magazine is filled with high luxury and lifestyle as well as hard reporting. Originally the magazine was originally bought by Condé Nast in 1987 and has gone on to win over 25 National Magazine Awards. It’s kind of a big deal to be mentioned by them. They published a list of 11 must-see destinations around the world. Taking that into consideration we think that makes this honor even more prestigious.
What They Said
It goes without saying that Tucson is known for its food. We have tons of accolades and it’s no surprise that most of them revolve around our food. There’s a reason we were UNESCO’s first city of gastronomy. So, it is no surprise to us that the very first thing they mentioned was our food.
Condé Nast Traveler mentions sonoran dogs.
Specifically, they mentioned the hotdogs of El Güero Canelo which won the coveted James Beard Award back in 2018. If you are wondering what is so special about a Sonoran Dog? Well, for starters, it’s wrapped in BACON! From there you pile on beans, sour cream, caramelized onions… No words we have will do this hotdog justice. If you ever find yourself in the Old Pueblo you simply must try one.
Condé Nast Traveler tips its hat to the Saguaro National Park.
Condé Nast Traveler also mentioned the Saguaro National Park, highlighting the majestic cactus and the abundance of beautiful wildflowers we see every spring. You may think you’ve seen flowers in spring before but the blooms of cacti and succulents you will find here are truly spectacular.
And lastly, they rounded out the article mentioning our sunsets. We can’t blame them, it would really be a shame to not mention them. In fact, we’d wager that we have the most dazzling sunsets in the 50 states. Come to Tucson and find out for yourself!
La Estrella Bakery Recognized by Washington Post for Pan De Muerto
Congratulations to local paneria La Estrella Bakery on their national coverage by the Washington Post! Their article covers the making and baking of pan de muerto, a staple offering for Tucson’s Dia de los Muertos. Day of the dead.
La Estrella Bakery has been a Tucson touchstone since they opened 35 years ago on Halloween. “We actually opened on Oct. 31, 1985, just in time for Día de los Muertos,” Erica Franco told the WP. And we are so glad they did! Estrella is one of the top bakeries in Tucson and we are not surprised they’ve made headlines nationally.
The Ofrenda
If you’re new to the area, firstly welcome, and don’t know what Dia de los Muertos is don’t worry. We’re here to give you the basics. This holiday is celebrated primarily in Mexico and Latin America, but here in Tucson is holds a special place in our hearts. Since 1990 Tucson celebrates with an All Souls Procession.
This holiday honors the lives of loves we have lost. Outside of the spectacle of the procession many make altars to dead loved ones. The Ofrenda. Lots of things can go on an altar, photos, mementos, and candy as examples. But many choose the pan de muerto, for which La Estrella Bakery is famous for.
The bread takes its sweet time rising (pun intended.) Then it’s pulled and stretched into loaves or mini cakes with strips of dough meant to resemble bones on top. Once it rises again it goes into the oven to bake. Once out the delicious pastries get a generous brushing of locally sourced honey and cinnamon. You can stop there or use the sticky glaze as glue for brightly colored sugar crystals.
If you don’t want one by now go read the Washington Post article or enjoy a PDF of the article below! Then run down to La Estrella Bakery to find out for yourself what all the buzz is about.
If you ask Tucson music fans and artists alike they will tell you: Tucson is a great music town.
Best Music City: Tucson, AZ
A national survey released in 2016 shows that we’re better than great: We are really, really great.
In the list of top music cities in the United States, Tucson comes in seventh overall. Yay Confetti!
In the regional rankings, Tucson is second overall, right behind Austin, Texas — to which Tucson is often compared to.
The Value Penguin does demographically-based consumer lists and this is what they found about music cities in the U.S.:
• Tucson Ranked 7th Overall Nationally
Nashville, Tennessee
Urban Honolulu, Hawaii
Seattle, Washington
Madison, Wisconsin
Austin, Texas
Albany-Schenectady, New York
Tucson, Arizona
*Phoenix-Mesa landed at 103rd overall.
• Tucson ranked 2nd regionally, right behind Austin and before Tulsa, Oklahoma.
• Tucson tanked to the bottom of the pile though, for having the most radio stations, coming in at 104 on the list of 200 cities
• We are number 39 for the number of record stores.
• Tucson came in 31st for the percentage of the population with music degrees.
The Value Penguin study evaluated 200 metropolitan areas using statistical data from sources including the U.S. Census Bureau, Thrillist, the Burau of Labor Statistics and several media surveys including USA Today and Travel & Leisure.
Here is a PDF of the original article if you’d like to see it.
https://www.valuepenguin.com/2016/best-cities-music-fans
The Tucson Music Scene, from a Local’s Perspective
To expand on this article’s findings, as a Tucsonan, I can provide you with some first-hand feedback about the music scene. If I were going to describes Tucson’s music scene with a movie title I’d name it, Boogy Nights.
From local musicians – to emerging underground artists – to the biggest names in music, you will find it all here.
Geography
Simply thinking about geography, Tucson is a convenient travel stop next to L.A., San Diego, Las Vegas and Phoenix.
Tucson ranked best music city in USA
Artists Love the Crowd at Tucson, Unless they Tell that to Everybody…
Not only is Tucson a convenient stop, but artists say they love coming to Tucson because the crowd gives them all “the feels”.
This isn’t a surprise to me — Tucsonans are friendly, energetic and love to dance. It’s a pleasure to be a part of a good community and then to show artists and visitors what we’re all about.
Intimate Venues
If big crowds aren’t your thing and you are more into the private party style vibe, you’ll appreciate how the style is in Tucson. You won’t have to fight LA style crowds here and smaller venues = better views.
Tucson Music Venues
One of Tucson’s most popular music venues is the Rialto Theater, and it has a capacity of 1,200 people making it a small-big venue. This historic venue is congruent with Tucson in the same way that Tucson is a big city with a small-town vibe (Tucson’s population: 500,000 people).
There are many popular Tucson venues that are a lot smaller than The Rialto, like Hotel Congress, The Rock, Flycatcher, Solar Culture, 191 Toole and many more. Bigger venues are also present in Tucson like the Fox Theater, Tucson Convention Center, Casino del Sol and The Pima County Fairgrounds.
Proximity to Other Happening Places
Did you know that Phoenix is the 6th largest city in America? The drive to get there is easy and simple, a nice straight-shot up I-10 for about 75 minutes will open up another world. Enjoy the happenings and amenities of this big city and then return home to your quiet, safe, better-weathered community (Yes, Tucson has better weather than Phoenix, it’s cooler.). When the moment strikes for different adventures, you also have Vegas, San Diego, and L.A. all in close proximity for a road trip or a short flight.
Smaller Town Lifestyle with Big City Amenities
This is what Tucson is known for. It’s easy to have the best of all worlds living in Tucson. You get small town community with all the big city action coming straight to Tucson and nearby.
Do you want to learn about upcoming concerts in Tucson? Here’s a music meetup group and you can also check our events calendar.
Are you wanting to know even more about Tucson? Do you think Tucson might be a good place for you to live? I am a Tucson realtor with a passion and appreciation for this city. There are many articles on this site for you to go through to learn more and I am happy to help you learn more about Tucson and maybe even help pick out the perfect home for you. As one of the most affordable places to live in the country, home prices are low, making the point-of-entry to own a home actually accessible. There really are some great reasons why you should consider Tucson to build your life, home and business. I’d love to talk with you.
Take care of yourself and if we don’t speak on the phone soon, I will see you on the dance floor.
We all know that Tucson is amazing but it’s always great to hear it mentioned by outside sources. This time Tucson made the top 10 list of hidden gems by the National Association of Realtors for 2022. Let’s look at what qualifies as a hidden gem market.
What is a Hidden Gems Market?
According to the NAR a hidden gem market has “strong underlying housing market fundamentals but where home prices are undervalue and relatively affordable. As such, these hidden gem markets are expected to experience stronger price appreciation in 2022.”
There’s a more technical definition with numbers, income indicators, technical jargon, etc. But the basics are Tucson is undervalued and still relatively affordable. Now some might argue that locals are getting priced out by cash buyers. Usually from other states looking for “investment properties.” That is indeed happening. But, the fact that Tucson is still a hidden gem is the important part for locals.
What They Said
“Tucson is very affordable in comparison to Phoenix. As of 2021 Q2, the median property value was $261,046. This is equivalent to 3 times the median family income in comparison to the median property value in Phoenix, $364,186, which is 4.3 times the median family income. Among the top 10 undervalued markets, Tucson had the third-largest net domestic migration in 2020, at 10,778 (next to Dallas and San Antonio). Due to strong population growth and net domestic migration, home prices rose at a 3-year cumulative rate from 2018 Q2—2021 Q2 of 23.6%, outpacing wage gains of 15.6%.”
What we heard was, Tucson is better than Phoenix! Tucson is more affordable than Phoenix. And Tucson is up and coming and ready for a population boom! Now is the time to think about your current home and what your needs might be in the future. Is it time to upgrade? If the answer is yes, or even a maybe, I can help make those dreams a reality.
Download a PDF of the Top 10 Hidden Gems of the Housing Market in 2022!
Have a great day!
Darren & Tony Ray 😎
🌵🏠☀️
We all know that 
