Are You City or Suburbs?

November 10, 2016

Are You City or Suburbs?
 
There are many great reasons to live in Tucson and the surrounding areas, but if you are ready to settle down and invest in the house of your dreams, you may be torn between living in the heart of the city or on the outskirts. Both locations have a lot to offer, but in the end, your decisions will all come down to just one question: are you a city or a suburb person?
 
Tucson has a lot of choices when it comes to the type of dwellings we offer. If you’re interested in communal, hip condominiums, horse ranches or farms, golf properties and communities, central family homes with killer backyards, or stylized, custom houses with inspired architecture, Tucson has what you are looking for.
 
The unique mix of urban development and country living blend together beautifully in the Old Pueblo, and with each environment offering its own pros and cons, it can be hard to choose what type of location suits both your tastes and needs.
 
According to a recent Realtor.com article, for the first time in more than a century, large American cities are growing at a faster rate than the suburbs. New constructions, mid-century homes, and coveted neighborhoods like Sam Hughes are all driving buyers to consider living centrally in the city.
 
On the other end of the spectrum, both younger buyers and retirees are quickly discovering that there are plenty of advantages to living on the outskirts of the city, so Oro Valley, Sahuarita, Dove Mountain, and the Catalina Foothills are becoming popular millennial buys. In fact, a National Association of Home Builders poll found that millennials predominantly want to live outside of the urban sprawl.
 
When you are ready to buy, you will need to weigh the costs and benefits of both environments so that you can be sure you’re choosing the home and neighborhoods that best suits your family’s living requirements.
 

City Living

Urban dwellings offer homeowners quite a lot in the way of entertainment and access. If you like to spend your weekends sipping martinis with your friends, experiencing the very best in culinary mastery, and catching up with the booming music and arts scene, then you cannot beat living centrally where you have access to downtown Tucson.
 
Downtown Tucson boasts thriving, homegrown restaurants like Hub, Batch, and Le Rendez-vous Bistro & Restaurant Francais, not to mention the hippest and most happening bars, local breweries, and coffee shops found anywhere in Tucson.
 
Buying a home near the downtown area is all about socialization and proximity to shopping and nightlife, but it also means that you are in the epicenter of activity with the least amount of space. City-central homes tend to have smaller outdoor spaces, more multi-purpose rooms and are great options for young couples who are just starting out or middle-aged families who can benefit from smaller spaces and alternative transportation to downtown buildings.
 

Suburban Living

If you fancy yourself a nature enthusiast, you simply cannot beat living on the outskirts of the city. Tucson is fortunate to be surrounded by breathtaking vistas, and living away from the city center means that you get to live that much closer to nature. Hiking, walking trails, bike paths, and skiing are just some of the outdoor activities that are just a stone’s throw away from the Tucson suburbs.
 
For young families, living in the suburbs also means choosing better school districts. Schools outside of major central cities tend to be smaller, earn higher ratings, and offer academic programs that urban schools simply cannot afford.
 
Though the suburbs can offer homeowners sprawling backyards, lifestyle-specific activities like golfing or horseback riding, and active lifestyle opportunities, living in the suburbs often means that families will be doing a lot more traveling for everyday amenities like grocery shopping, public offices like the ADOT, and medical care.
 
With each setting offering so many different things, it is never an easy decision to choose where you want to settle in. When you are in the market for your next or first home, it is important to weigh the pros and cons of both into your decision-making and find the perfect home and neighborhood that can deliver everything you need without making too many sacrifices along the way. 


 

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