Wife’s from Tucson and her family still lives there, so we get out there every few months. She also graduated from UofA’s undergrad program and law school.
Tucson’s a decent medium-sized college town. Since you’re from SoCal (like me), imagine Riverside or San Bernardino without the rest of LA being there.
Weather is superb in the 6 cool months, and pretty damn hot in the summer. Then again, if you’re attending college there, the worst of the heat is during the time school’s out when you could retreat to LA or Utah or ???.
Cost of living is tiny compared to LA, so those rentals you’re describing are NOT tenements. The University itself is in a decent older part of town (again, think Riverside).
Employment-wise the town is pretty sucky. Lots of retirees and poor immigrants, not much real industry beyond a couple of aerospace firms. So sophisticated jobs are hard to come by, which may be an issue if you’re married & he needs that sort of work. There are tons of jobs in construction and retail; the place is growing like a weed. Wages at the low end are held down by the huge number of legal and illegal immigrants there.
The University is the cultural center of town, so if you’re into that sort of stuff (which I assume an MFA candidate would be), you’re in the right place. Other than that, the town’s a large bedroom community with relatively little “there” there, to quote Dorothy Parker.
OTOH, The civic leadership is trying to avoid turning the whole town into just another generic suburb of So Cal. The old town has a distinct old-West rustic charm that many people fall in love with. Many others get driven off by the first or second summer.
Having lived in Vegas (loved it), Phoenix (hated it), and Tucson, I’d have to say Tucson has the best weather & ambience of the three. But if you’re not comfortable with searing heat, clear blue sky with no clouds ever, and everything being brown & dust-covered, that’ll wear on you after awhile and may even drive you out.
