Buzzfeed ❤️ Tucson, And You Will Too!

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Not that we’re surprised but Tucson makes the news again! This time Buzzfeed author Anna Maria Glavan gives a glowing review of what makes Tucson the best city in Arizona. I mean, we know it, but it’s always nice to receive recognition from others.

The Reasoning

Joe Pagac's Latest Mural in Hamel Park
Joe Pagac’s Latest Mural in Hamel Park

Glavan lists 21 things that she believes makes Tucson the best city here in AZ. We’re going to look at a few to see if we agree! Actually, we’re just going to compare her list to ours and see how we do. Out of 21 reasons she lists, we’ve already covered these.

  1. Murals, near the top of her list was the mural hunt. It’s true, no matter where you go in Tucson you are bound to stumble across some amazing public art. 
  2. San Xavier Del Bac, truly a landmark here in the Old Pueblo. Known as the “White Dove of the Desert” it’s a must see for locals and visitors alike.
  3. La Estrella Baker, not surprising. Recently acknowledged by the Washington post for their amazing Pan de Muerto.
  4. Saguaro National Park, this is a go to for hikers and photographers.
  5. Arizona Sonora Desert Museum, yup we have that one too. It’s a great place to see a lot of native flora and fauna in one place.
  6. The Mexican Cuisine, Glavan even taunts that “I bet Phoenix can’t call itself a city of gastronomy.”
  7. Historic 4th Avenue, a great place to find an eclectic slice of Tucson.
  8. Shopping, there is no shortage of great places to shop, seriously take your pick.
  9. Tucson Museum of Art, this museum is bigger on the inside. It has a surprising collection of both regional and contemporary art with some classics thrown in for good measure.
  10. The Mercado, including the MSA Annex. Sprawling open markets to find coffee, food, and of course more shopping.
  11. Raspados! Of course our favorite place to get them is Sonoran Delights.

Our Conclusion

Maria Glavan has got everything we have and more. It’s time for us to go out and round out our own list. We hope this list is tempting you to make a visit, and if you’re already a local go check out something new! 

Check out the original article on Buzzfeed!

http://seetucsonhomes.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/21-Things-That-Prove-Tucson-Is-The-Best-City-In-Arizona.pdf

Tucson Ranked in Top 10 Cities Best Positioned for Pandemic Recovery

According to Forbes magazine, Tucson is one of the top 10 cities in the best position for a post pandemic recovery. Using data collected from Moody’s Analytics they predict the top 10 and the 10 worst cities. “Note that they are sorted alphabetically in order to avoid assigning false precision to our calculations,” Kamins tells Forbes Women.

Tucson is a Top City That Will Recover From Coronavirus
Tucson is a Top City That Will Recover From Coronavirus

Pandemic Recovery Ranking Method

Moodys examines the density of population and compares it against the number of jobs that require a higher degree. They also take into consideration the density of cases across different counties. Those 2 factors alone could indicate why Tucson makes it into the top 10. Because it’s a college town Tucson is overflowing with smart people and has an abundance of open spaces

Some of the other top contenders are Denver (CO), San Jose (CA), and Washington DC. Noticeably these places are also university towns and have beautiful natural resources. Surprisingly Austin, TX did not make this list. Austin is frequently set side by side to Tucson as another blue city in a red state.

Now that the gloating is over we will look at a few of the cities that did not make it. Some of the results may surprise you.

The Have-nots

What do Honolulu (HI), Los Angeles (CA), New York City (NY), and Tampa (FL) all have in common? Aside from being on the top 10 worst recovery cities list? High density, overcrowding tourist traps. Yup, the higher your tourism the more likely you’re in an area heavily afflicted with Coronavirus. They predict that there will be mass out-migration from these densely populous areas towards more sprawling towns. 

Covid 19 is going to loom large in the public consciousness for years to come. For the very young and impressionistic pandemic recovery may always haunt them, much like children of the Great Depression often stockpile non-perishables or hideaway cash money. 

We are certainly fortunate to be in a position where, not only are we poised to recover well, but it’s such a beautiful, and delicious, place to be till then. But, for the foreseeable future, we still have to be vigilant. We have to be willing to do our parts for the greater good. Yes, we are all sick of wearing masks, but for a better future, we must do better now.

Best City for Young Creatives

Tucson Voted Best City for Young Creatives
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!

La Estrella Bakery Recognized by Washington Post for Pan De Muerto

La Estrella Bakery Recognized by Washington Post for Pan De Muerto
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. 

La Estrella Bakery

520-741-0656

5266 S. 12th Ave

 & 100 S. Avenida Del Convento