Have you looked at Topo maps yet to determine which communities/areas meet your altitude needs. Somewhere out there is that desert storage area where the airlines mothball their redundant aircraft. That might present opportunities in the aviation sector. If I think of anything else I'll PM you

 

The stored planes are in Tucson. I've been by there many times and visited the aircraft museum there. My wife and I lived in St. David, just above Tombstone for 10 years. We full-timed there at a RV Park. In the summer however we went north into the mountains due to the excessive heat in the desert area. You will love it tho and there are some good archery clubs out there........I wish I could go with ya. I love the desert and the cacti. If you want to cool off just go up Mt. Lemon and its another world. Climbing Picacho Peak is another fun thing to do and they have two civil war re-enactments there each year..........

 

You will love Tucson. Great place and all you could ever want. I am in Phoenix and have lived out here over 48 years. Great Archery and people

 

We'll make a quick trip to Tucson in a few weeks to check out schools and apartments. Maybe I can get an interview setup as well. Which areas of Tucson have good schools and neighborhoods? Any areas to avoid?

Sorry this post is not archery related, but I feel you guys are level headed, world traveled, experienced, trustworthy, and willing to help.

 

North East Tucson, Vail, Marana, Oro Valley, and the rest of northwest Tucson are good areas. Avoid south Tucson and Central Tucson. Avoid Tucson Unified School District, Flowing Wells School District, and some parts of Amphitheater School district closer into actual Tucson.

A real estate and apartment search should give you a pretty good idea on prices. When we first moved to the area, I think we used something like apartmentfinder.com and it had most apartment complexes in Tucson.

If you have questions about a specific area I might be able to answer your questions.

 

I think Houston meets all your criteria. I've just relocated here myself, so I'm no expert on it. Just suggesting you include Houston if it's not too far east for you.

 

You got to be fertilyzing me......I lived in and around Houston for 30 years and I couldn't get away from that humid hole quick enough. And back then it didn't stink like it does now. The traffic is terrible and it rains too much, well it did back when I was there. I'm kidding of course but I hated the place and got outta there asap. Moved to Hilltop Lakes, near Normangie and then to Arizona where the sunsets are gorgeous! Really...Houston!

 

Houston will be too humid for us. Heat we can handle, but high humidity is unbearable.

 

I have been told by friends in the aircraft industry, that with the downsizing at NASA, there are a lot of aerospace people in the Houston area job hunting

 

Turns out Phoenix is a large city, and the drama is probably avoidable... There also seems to be more jobs in my field. Does anybody know about the Goodyear / Avondale area?

 

I have been to Tucson many times for both business and pleasures. I know a lot of folks there that really like it, provided you can handle the desert. Duiring the hot parts of the year, it feels like you are walking into a blast furnace when you leave a building. Then, there is the monsoon season. Raytheon and the University of Arizona are the big employers. For Raytheon, it is the missle systems business so there is a lot of manufacturing. I am not sure what the job situation is like at the moment.

 

I looked into Vail, Marana, and Oro Valley online. There didn't seem to be much in the way of apartments, unless we look closer to central Tucson. If looking at a street view on Google maps, Tucson seems more arid than Phoenix. I know, I'm complaining that the desert is too deserty...lol But this is a pretty big step for a soft California boy I'm thinking Phoenix might be an easier transition for us.