I have a friend and a few former co-workers who started a company out there and they are having a hard time finding Journeyman level Machinists. This sounds like an opportunity to me, if Tuscon isn't anti-family, murder and crime city.
Anyone live there?
Kinda the opposite of Langley... I know. :)
Inlaws live out there. They don't mind it too bad. Them being there is enough to keep me away. I know they hada huge real estate bubble burst a few years back. They were tied in with Cali on the rise, then reality set in. You should be able to get a decent house for a decent price about now.
Do you like the feeling of your flesh melting?
In reply to Swank Force One:
lol. Not so much but, gotta do what I gotta do and all that.
Terminal swampass.
I know this is something you always hear...... but the dry heat in Tucson is very manageable to me. Even though it was 109*, it wasn't so bad in the shade. I'd rather have their 105-110 than Indiana's 95-100 with our ridiculous humidity.
Sure, shade is one thing. But that sun. Ow.
I've been out there a couple of summers. It's not that bad.
Yeah, it gets hot (regularly see mid 90's, 113 is the all time record.) here in Pekin and it's humid too.
Of course that's only a few months out of the year. 
Bobzilla wrote: I've been out there a couple of summers. It's not that bad.
You're a ginger, how can you say that? I was there in 2013 and it was the worst. 
I was there in '05, 08. Yeah, it was hot. Hell, in 05 the floorboards of the GV were burning our feet (cats under each side). But it wasn't so bad. Idon't mind the dry heat of the high desert. Although, if I lived out there, I'd have something 4WD and be one of those dudes.
I've been to Phoenix but not toTucson, just a few miles south. I suppose it's OK, but ...
Journeyman-level Machinists are respected and in demand just about everywhere. So if you're determined to get out of IL and looking for someplace warm and dry, and nowhere else appeals to you, and can put up with rattle snakes and tarantulas, then Tucson would satisfy the need. But if the only reason is that you have a connection there, then maybe you should do a little research elsewhere. You're in the driver's seat!
In reply to Gary:
Not as much demand as you may assume, but thanks for the encouragement!
Consider Southern New England
Hey this is right in my wheelhouse! Feel free to pm me with any questions.
I enjoy living here, its hot in he summer but you figure out how how to cope with 4 months of heat and enjoy 8 months of awesome weather. Rust free cars are plentiful. Great local brewerys and food.
Between defense contractors, firearms industries and mining machinists have good leads for jobs. Local government skews liberal but its a good 50/50 mix as far as personal politics goes. Lots of wide open spaces for offroading, hiking, hunting and camping. And one of the best local scca autocross regions you'll find
For housing, if you stay to the north, northeast and east side of town is generally nice and low crime. There are some nice parts in the middle of less desirable neighborhoods.
"Local gov't skews liberal" and yet local industries are defense, firearms and mining. Hmm, there appears to be a dichotomy there.
Yeah, its got an interesting dynamic. But it works mostly well, mostly.
Speaking of autocrossing in the Tucson area, that should be a strong draw by itself! There's virtually no auto crossing in Southern New England, so disregard my previous suggestion. In fact I believe there's a Triumph Spitfire fanatic who manufactures camber compensators for Spitfire Mk1, 2 and 3 who lives in the Tucson area.
Gary wrote: "Local gov't skews liberal" and yet local industries are defense, firearms and mining. Hmm, there appears to be a dichotomy there.
Much of the defense industry's aviation testing and R&D is done in Los Angeles county California. They're not exactly gun totin, bible thumpin, conservatives.
I was TDY in Ft. Huachuca for a few months a few years back and visited Tuscon pretty often. Seemed pretty nice in the more developed parts of town. The heat wasn't nearly as horrid as everyone makes it out to be. The Rincon mountains are near there and provide a pretty good series of trails to backpack and hike in and further south there's a lot of open land for public use.
Go eat at Neo Malaysian Kitchen, the roti was amazing as well as the rest of the food.
They have what's called "monsoon" season by the locals there in August. Rained pretty much every day in the afternoon sometimes hard enough to close the roads. Overall I really liked the surrounding area of Tuscon but I was just visiting.
In reply to The0retical:
Can confirm, Neo is delicious.
A little over an hour to the Chandler motorsports complex, used to be called Fireird owned by the Indians I think.
2 hours to Phoenix International Raceway in Goodyear.
Dirt oval track in Tuscon.
I've only spent a couple days in Tucson. I liked the desert scenery. Didn't see much that was not a Raytheon building though, but the little time I had there I thought it would be an interesting place to live. I would prefer to live in a place where humans can naturally survive better than the desert though.
Lancer007 wrote: Hey this is right in my wheelhouse! Feel free to pm me with any questions. I enjoy living here, its hot in he summer but you figure out how how to cope with 4 months of heat and enjoy 8 months of awesome weather. Rust free cars are plentiful. Great local brewerys and food. Between defense contractors, firearms industries and mining machinists have good leads for jobs. Local government skews liberal but its a good 50/50 mix as far as personal politics goes. Lots of wide open spaces for offroading, hiking, hunting and camping. And one of the best local scca autocross regions you'll find
Good to hear!
The company is on the north end of town so I'll be looking in that area. I didn't realize Tuscon was so big... over 500,000 people... zoinks!
And almost a million in the metro area!
I got sucked into Google earth and killed an evening hovering over Tuscon. I covered most of the city and the satellite images were enough to convince me I didn't want to live there. Ymmv, of course, I've never actually been there.
My grandparents lived in Tucson for years. It gets hot there but it is so dry that it feels COMPLETELY different than here (mid MO). like I would rather be there than here in july/August. I liked it. Crime isn't great but it is a huge city. There is a lot if pretty country and roads out there.
You'll need to log in to post.
