The Old Pueblo
By Elizabeth Freniere
24 Jun 2008
What city do you live in? What neighborhood?
I live in Tucson, Arizona, whose local nickname is the Old Pueblo. My neighborhood deep within the city limits is called the Palo Verde neighborhood.
What are some adjectives that describe your neighborhood?
Palo Verde is very much middle-class and comfortable-looking. On some streets, you could easily forget that you're in the Sonoran Desert of Southern Arizona because most lots contain all kinds of lush vegetation including such plants as citrus trees and palms. Houses are modest to reasonable in size and come in all kinds of shapes and colors. I feel that the neighborhood is positively influenced by the posh historic areas surrounding it but it's more affordable and down-to-earth.
How long have you lived there, and what brought you there?
I've lived in Tucson since September of 2006. I first visited for my 26th birthday, as I'd never been to Arizona before, and I think I knew even before arriving that I'd fall in love with Arizona and want to move here. Since I was living in my parents' house after a failed first attempt at living on my own, I was eager to get out and especially to leave New England. I spent about nine months planning my move and saving up money, and when the time was right, off I drove into the sunset. I had nothing to hold me back; the West was my oyster.
What is your favorite thing about this place? Your least favorite?
I love the openness of the desert. A large portion of Arizona is public land with ample recreational opportunities and open roads to explore. The state isn't all desert, either, and it's great to watch the landscape change as you drive around. Also, while New England is covered in endless rolling hills, here I get to enjoy one mountain range after another. What I don't like about living here is the Tucson summer. It's no exaggeration to say that a late-June afternoon feels like an oven. As a relatively small-town girl, I also get frustrated with city traffic, though in the end it's still better than a good day of driving in Boston!
Do you feel that you belong there?
Like my short description says, I consider myself a closet Westerner. I think a lot of people find themselves in Arizona, especially Phoenix, from colder, busier places far away as a result of a job transfer or some other factor that lands them here outside of their own choice. When I was planning my move, I was absolutely certain that I was coming here for cowboys, Indians, and desert. I haven't been at all disappointed. People "Back East" used to ask me when I was coming "home" or suggest that I might not last out here, but I have no intention of going back.
What is the most common misconception about where you live?
Like a local comedian once said, people from elsewhere tend to immediately exclaim, "Oh, it's HOT down there, isn't it!" The summers are undeniably scorching, but I'd say we have four seasons and it does get cold here. I've walked to work much more than once when the temperature was barely at freezing and snow does fall on the mountains, albeit rarely on the desert floor. Also, the Sonoran Desert is a veritable jungle and not at all barren, as it's the wettest desert in the world. During the springtime and after monsoon season, you see a surprising amount of greenery.
What is a special fact about your city that you have to live there to know?
You don't necessarily have to live here to know this, but if you don't, you may not realize that for two weeks every February, Tucson has its own little holiday: the Fiesta de los Vaqueros, known simply as the rodeo. Schoolchildren even get vacation days for it.
What aspect of your city do you secretly love?
It's not much of a secret, but I love the fact that Tucson has a busy arts and "underground" community. I came here for the Wild West and was so pleased to also find a hipster scene like those I enjoyed in places I lived on the East Coast. I can spend my weekends taking in art shows and live music AND I can still escape to the desert right outside the city.
Anything else you'd like to add?
By living here, I have been able to see that Tucson is more than just the sunsets and silhouetted cacti of my imagination. It has other great aspects and it has its faults. Tucson isn't as spit-and-polished as other cities may appear to be and it has its growing pains that sometimes are more obvious than we'd like them to be. All in all, though, a lot of people make the pilgrimage here for a certain quality of life and their love for the region plus how long they stick around prove that it's worth it.
No responses
