Why we live here

Why do people live in Northwest Tucson?

Some of them say it's for the sights, like the Santa Catalina Mountains covered with snow beneath a rising full moon.

Others have much different reasons – safety, schools, proximity to the city of Tucson yet distance from it, weather, cleanliness.

As part of The Explorer's second "Best of the Northwest" poll – see pages 21-23 – the question of why people live in the Northwest was asked. Dozens, among the hundreds who participated in the poll, answered. Among their comments are:

"Best place in the world."

"Clean, good part of town, safe."

"Just liking to be on this side of town."

"Far enough away from the 'city' to be peaceful and safe for raising families, yet close enough to still do 'big city' things."

"Family and fitness oriented."

"Not as crowded."

"Less traffic."

"Weather, mountain views."

"Laidback, friendly feeling."

"Sun!"

"Better lifestyle."

"Traffic, value, view, amenities."

"The beautiful landscape."

"Convenient to many services and shopping, but far enough away that they are not causing congestion and noise."

"New and growing."

"The amazing sunsets, better than anywhere in the U.S."

"Great place to raise a family."

"Quality of everything."

"Good neighbors, good schools, good communities, good roads, low crime, little traffic, good police protection; proximity to shopping, dining and recreation. Wouldn't live anywhere else!"

"Close to I-10."

"It's clean, fun, family friendly and fantastic."

"Small town atmosphere reminds me of the Midwest."

"Everything is here and the air is still fresh in the middle of the day in July."

"The mountain views are much better than the east side."

"Has everything you need with great outdoor living and playing."

"It's away from the city but a great community."

"Reasonable cost of living, easy access to nearby vacation spots."

"Best views of Mount Lemmon. I would not live anywhere else in Tucson."

"Gorgeous here, mountains, sunsets, desert life and it doesn't snow. Can't beat that."

"Love AZ, except the monsoon season."

The adoration is not unanimous, among the respondents.

"We moved from the Northwest," writes one.

"Not enough rec facilities / parks for kids," writes another. "Not kid-friendly enough."

 

Arts &  Entertainment

Art Gallery

#1 Madaras Gallery

 

Honorable Mention

• Jane Hamilton Fine Art

 

Casino

#1 Casino del Sol

 

Honorable Mention

• Desert Diamond Casino

• Wild Horse Pass

 

Live Theater

#1 Arizona Theater Co.

 

Honorable Mention

• Broadway in Tucson

• Gaslight Theater

 

Local TV Weatherperson

#1 Chuck George

 

Honorable Mention

• Erin Christiansen

• Jimmy Stewart

 

Movie Theater

#1 Century Oro Valley

 

Honorable Mention

• AMC Foothills

• Tower Theatres

 

Outdoor Attraction

#1 Desert Museum

 

Honorable Mention

• Tohono Chul Park

• Catalina State Park

 

Place to beat the heat

#1 Mount Lemmon

 

Honorable Mention

• Breakers

 

Place to hear live music

#1 Rialto Theater

 

Honorable Mention

• Reid Park

• St. Philip's Plaza

 

Public Event

#1 Fourth Avenue Street Fair

 

Honorable Mention

• OV Arts Festival

• Tucson Meet Yourself

 

Weekend Getaway

#1 Sedona

 

Honorable Mention

• White Mountains

• Westward Look

 

Food & Drink

 

Asian Food

#1 Pei Wei

 

Honorable Mention

• Dragon Village

• PF Chang's

 

Bakery

#1 Village Bakehouse

 

Honorable Mention

• Down Home Delights

• Paradise Bakery

 

Bar

#1 Ignite at Ritz-Carlton

 

Honorable Mention

• Chuy's

 

Coffee House

#1 Starbucks

 

Honorable Mention

• Down Home Delights

• Kelly's Coffee & Fudge

 

Deli/Sandwich Shop

#1 Baggin's

 

Honorable Mention

• Down Home Delights

• Jason's Deli

 

Dessert

#1 Frost

 

Honorable Mention

• Down Home Delights

• Wildflower

 

Dining Atmosphere

#1 Ritz-Carlton

 

Honorable Mention

• McClintock's

• Acacia

• Wildflower

 

Hamburger

#1 Zinburger/In N Out

 

Honorable Mention

• Grumpy's Grill

 

International Food

#1 Saffron Indian Bistro

 

Honorable Mention

• Sur Real

• Pappoule's

 

Italian Food

#1 Olive Garden

 

Honorable Mention

• Carrabba's

• Cibaria Cucina Italiana

 

Liquor Store

#1 Total Wine

 

Honorable Mention

• Vino 100

• BevMo

• Beverage House

 

Margarita

#1 El Charro

 

Honorable Mention

• Blanco Tacos

• La Parilla Suiza

 

 

Mexican Food

#1 El Charro

 

Honorable Mention

• Macayo's

• La Parilla Suiza

 

Natural Food Store

#1 Sprouts

 

Honorable Mention

• Trader Joe's

• Whole Foods

 

Outdoor/PaTio Dining

#1 Tohono Chul Tea Room

 

Honorable Mention

• Wildflower

• Sauce

• North

 

Pizza

#1 Magpie's/Mama's/Sauce

 

Honorable Mention

• Brooklyn's

• Marco's

 

Place to buy produce

#1 Sprouts

 

Honorable Mention

• Oro Valley Farmers Market

• Sunflower Farmers Market

 

Place to meet friends

for Breakfast/Brunch

#1 Down Home Delights

 

Honorable Mention

• Tohono Chul Tea Room

• Jerry Bob's

 

Place to meet friends for Lunch

#1 Down Home Delights

 

Honorable Mention

• Sauce

• Wildflower

 

Place to meet friends for Dinner

#1 Metropolitan Grill

 

Honorable Mention

• Harvest

• Ritz-Carlton, Dove Mountain

 

Romantic Dinner

#1 Anthony's in the Catalinas

 

Honorable Mention

• Ritz-Carlton, Dove Mountain

• Hacienda del Sol

• Melting Pot

 

Seafood

#1 Bluefin Seafood Bistro

 

Honorable Mention

• Red Lobster

• Mariscos Chihuahua

 

Sports Bar

#1 World Sports Grill

 

Honorable Mention

• Risky Business

• Fox & Hound

 

Steakhouse

#1 Fleming's

 

Honorable Mention

• Outback

• Texas Roadhouse

• The Steak Out

 

 

 

 

 

Sushi

#1 Ra

 

Honorable Mention

• Sushi Garden

• Tatsu Sushi

 

Upscale Dining Ambiance

#1 Ritz-Carlton, Dove Mountain/Anthony's in the Catalinas

 

Honorable Mention

• McClintock's

• Harvest

 

Value Restaurant

#1 Jerry Bob's

 

Honorable Mention

• Chili's

• Rubio's

 

Home & Garden

 

Garden Supplies/Nursery

#1 Home Depot

 

Honorable Mention

• Rillito Nursery

• Lowe's

• Mesquite Valley

 

Hardware Store

#1 Ace Hardware

 

Honorable Mention

• Home Depot

• Lowe's

 

Landscaper

#1 Cutler Landscaping

 

Honorable Mention

• Horticulture Unlimited

• Double E

 

Real Estate Company

#1 Long Realty

 

Honorable Mention

• Tierra Antigua Realty

• Coldwell Banker

• Realty Executives

 

Retirement Living

#1 Splendido

 

Honorable Mention

• Sun City Vistoso

• SaddleBrooke

• Mountain View Retirement Village

 

Retail & Services

 

Bank

#1 Wells Fargo

 

Honorable Mention

• Bank of America

• Chase

 

Bookstore

#1 Barnes & Noble

 

Honorable Mention

• Bookman's

• Borders

 

Camera Shop

#1 Greg's Camera

 

Car Wash

#1 Capin Car Care Center

 

Honorable Mention

• Octopus Car Wash

• Car Spa

• Mercado del Rio Car Wash

 

 

Cell Phone/Wireless Store

#1 Verizon

 

Honorable Mention

• AT&T

• Sprint

 

Chiropractor

#1 Tompkins Family Chiropractic

 

Honorable Mention

• Lay Chiropractic

• Orange Grove Chiropractic

 

Clothing Store

#1 Sequels

 

Honorable Mention

• Kohl's

• Chico's

 

Credit Union

#1 Vantage West

 

Honorable Mention

• Pima Federal

• Tucson Federal

 

Day Spa/Massage

#1 Desert Day Spa

 

Honorable Mention

• Ritz-Carlton, Dove Mountain

• Massage Envy

 

Dentist

#1 Dr. Hiremath/Dr. Hohenstein

 

Honorable Mention

• Dr. Gerard Schmidtke

• Dental Loft

 

Electronics Store

#1 Best Buy

 

Honorable Mention

• Radio Shack

 

Eye Care/Optical

#1 Griswold Eye Care

 

Honorable Mention

• Casas Adobes Optical

• Fashion Eye

 

Florist

#1 Inglis Florists

 

Honorable Mention

• Casas Adobes Flower Shop

• Darlin's Flowers

 

Hair Salon

#1 Desert Day Spa

 

Honorable Mention

• Ivan's Studio

• Toni & Guy

 

Home Furnishings Store

#1 Razmataz

 

Honorable Mention

• Copenhagen

• Sam Levitz

 

 

Hotel/Resort

#1 Hilton Tucson El Conquistador

 

Honorable Mention

• Ritz-Carlton, Dove Mountain

• Westin La Paloma

• Westward Look

 

Jewelry Store

#1 Caldwell Jewelers/Sheffield's Diamonds

 

Honorable Mention

• Jared

 

Local Website

#1 www.explorernews.com

 

Medical Facility

#1 Northwest Medical Center/

Oro Valley Hospital

 

Honorable Mention

• Oro Valley Pediatrics

• Vitality Medical &  Wellness Center

 

Pet Boarding/Grooming

#1 Teddy's Dog House

 

Honorable Mention

• Petsmart

• Orange Grove Animal Hospital

• Sissy's Pet Salon

 

Resale Store

#1 Sequels

 

Honorable Mention

• Golden Goose

• Butterfly Boutique

 

 

 

Shoe Store

#1 DSW

 

Honorable Mention

• Famous Footwear

• Alan's Shoes

 

Shopping Center

#1 Oro Valley Marketplace

 

Honorable Mention

• La Encantada

• Foothills Mall

 

Shuttle Service

#1 Arizona Shuttle

 

Honorable Mention

• Coyote Run

 

Veterinary Clinic

#1 Northwest Pet Clinic/

Orange Grove Animal Hospital

 

Honorable Mention

• Ina Road Animal Hospital

• Mesquite Animal Hospital

 

Sports & Recreation

 

Biking Trail

#1 Oro Valley Linear Bike Path

 

Honorable Mention

• 50 Year Trail/Rancho Vistoso

 

Fitness Center Gym

#1 Northwest YMCA

 

Honorable Mention

• My Gym

 

Golf Course

#1 Ritz-Carlton, Dove Mountain/Omni Tucson National

 

Honorable Mention

• The Gallery Golf Club

 

Hiking Trail

#1 Wild Burro

 

Honorable Mention

• Catalina State Park

• Romero Pools

 

Outdoor Gear Store

#1 Dick's Sporting Goods

 

Honorable Mention

• Summit Hut

• Sportsman's Warehouse

 

Park

#1 Catalina State Park

 

Honorable Mention

• Riverfront Park

• James Kriegh Park

 

Running Trail

#1 Rillito River Park

 

Honorable Mention

• Rancho Vistoso