​Tucson is as sophisticated a civilization as man has created in the desert. Among the metropolitan area’s offerings are internationally respected museums, a symphony, a ballet, an opera company, an avant garde art scene and a world-class university. While these diversions cater to the mind, the natural richness that surrounds Tucson caters to the body and the soul. People who flock here aren’t content to make a living; they come here to make a life.

For many Tucsonans, this life centers around exploring and enjoying the outdoors. Much of this activity takes place in the mountain ranges that surround the city – the Santa Catalina, Rincon, Tucson, Tortolita and Santa Rita. Even their melodic names evoke the serenity and sanctuary they provide. Tucson’s winter weather is balmy during the day and sweater-cool at night. At an elevation of more than 2,500 feet, its summertime temperatures are routinely lower than those of Phoenix, its neighbor 115 miles to the northwest. And when Tucsonans want a change of scenery, they head for Mt. Lemmon, the 9,600-foot peak less than an hour’s drive away. In the summer, residents hike and camp among the pines. In the winter they enjoy its snow-covered slopes, which make up Mt. Lemmon Ski Valley, the United States’ southernmost ski area.

Because Tucson favors natural flora and fauna over flashy cosmopolitan, Tucson conveys the warmth and friendliness of a small town. The area has burgeoned into a center of international trade; a lively and vigorous community of scholars, musicians and artisans; a health and retirement mecca; a stunning example of how old and new can coexist harmoniously in an American city. When asked why they came, why they stay or why they don’t move on, Tucsonans often fall back on the cliché: “It’s the quality of life.” As simple as it sounds, this may be the best umbrella phrase to describe the advantages of day-to-day life in the Sonoran Desert. “Quality of life” means being able to count on more than 300 days of sunshine a year and enough time to pursue – or begin - an outdoor hobby. Rock climbing, bicycling, hiking, bird watching, tennis, golf – Tucsonans find places to enjoy their favorite pleasures within minutes of their front doors.

Residents are the fortunate ones. Travelers from across the globe pay handsomely to travel to southern Arizona and spend a few days here. They come to squeeze in a few games of golf on some of the areas thirty-plus courses. To see three of the finest astronomy facilities in the world. To visit museums and historical societies that offer extraordinary glimpses into yesteryear. To eat tantalizing Mexican food. To travel to nearby Tombstone, the still-standing, rough-and-tumble town made famous by Western lore. And to hike nature trails or visit a guest ranch. Visitors are clearly under pressure to make the most of their brief round-trip packages. Tucsonans, by contrast, have all this available to them all the time. This unique package of magic is why people come here. And that is why they stay. Tucson is truly a city with personality, heart and soul – all accompanied with a blended mixture of sounds and rhythms.

According to Traveler magazine published by Conde Nast, Tucson is the “Friendliest City in the Nation.” An impossible claim to document, but certainly makes a statement about Tucson’s people. While its roots go back to the beginning of recorded history, Tucson has a young, dynamic population. And Tucson is just large enough to offer the perks of a big city and small enough that natives express outrage if there is a ten-minute delay in traffic. It is a big city by virtue of its land mass – at 162 square miles it is three times larger than San Francisco. Money magazine recently ranked Tucson as the fifth “most livable” medium-sized city in the West. Because of its casual, welcoming atmosphere, Tucson was included in the book of 50 Fabulous Places to Raise Your Family (Career Press). In addition to rating Tucson schools as “excellent” and describing its employment outlook as “one of the fastest-growing job markets in the U.S.”, the authors offered this ultimate high praise: “If you were to go to a drawing board to create the ideal urban environment of the new century, you’d be wise to use Tucson as a model.”

The abundance and low price of land continues to provide Tucsonans with a wide range of housing styles and communities. Based on cost of living indexes, housing is far more affordable here than in many areas. Tucson and surrounding communities consist of the City of Tucson, Foothills, Oro Valley, Catalina, Marana, South Tucson and Green Valley.