Tucson a Retirement Town
September 7, 2007
Post Tags: Gum-Gum-Dum-Dum , The-Cow-Palace-Tucson , Tucson-Chuck-E-Cheese , Tucson-Easter-Island , Tucson-Retirement , Tucson-Things-to-do
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That Depends On If You Are Retired
I ran across this question this morning from someone who’s husband grew up in Tucson and wants to get back closer to his family. They are currently living in Canada. It was obvious from the wife’s comments that her understanding of Tucson was it is where people go when they retire.There are a lot of winter visitors (snow birds) coming down from Canada every winter. I can see how someone might get the idea Tucson was where retired people go to live.
But I can tell you this much, there are schools filled with children and roads filled with school crossings, crossing guards, and 15 mph signs and they aren’t there for children of retired folk.
There are lots of people in Tucson that aren’t retired. I should know I work, talk, eat, and live with people everyday that aren’t retired. (I only live with a couple of non-retired people.) Although there are two cats in our house and I think they were born retired.
There a lot of people in Tucson that are not retired (yet) who have children and parents and some that are retired and have children and grandchildren right here in town.
One of the running jokes in Tucson is the questions: Is anyone here a “Native Tucsonan?”. Because almost everyone you meet in town is from somewhere else.
Most people don’t even ask me if I’m a native Tucsonan. They do ask “How long have you lived in Tucson?” I like to say; “I’ve lived here since 1999. In 2 more years I get my “Native Status”. Because if you’ve lived in Tucson for 10 years you are like being a pioneer. Of course I’m kidding. (But you do get to say, “Yeah, I remember when. . .” I actually visited Tucson in 1960 for the month of June. I remember some things from back then, like a place called “The Cow Palace” that had a spring fed swimming pool complete with a couple of minnows.
There are lots of things to do in Tucson for people of all ages. Like any other place in this country you just have to look for them. There are:
- Movie Theatres
- Malls, Malls, Malls
- Shopping (not in malls)
- The U of A
- Miniature Golf
- Restaurants
- Hiking
- Biking
- Mountain Picnicking
- Snow Skiing (Mt Lemmon is the southern most ski resort in the continental United State
- Clubs and Organizations
- Churches and Civic Clubs
- Dance studios (Hey, I see people in there that aren’t retired)
- Photography is a great hobby in Tucson
- The Desert Museum
- Rodeo Days
- Great Golf Courses
- World Class Resorts
Just to mention a few. If you think Tucson is a town where the streets are rolled up at night by 6 PM. then you might think Tucson has mountain lions walking the streets.
There is a lot beautiful thing and places to see in and around Tucson for everyone and every taste. Why is there a picture of an Easter Island Statue? It is part of a Putt Putt Golf Course located right across from Chuck E Cheese. I don’t see a lot of retired people in either of these.
September 8th, 2007 at 6:20 pm
He-he, I may be a foreigner, but I’m a pioneer Tucsonan!
I do remember there was hardly any traffic East of Pantano back in the days. 
Btw, I do know some Native Tucsonans. Rare birds indeed.