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Downtown Tucson and the Historic District
Of all the neighborhoods in Tucson, downtown offers the most variety. Century-old adobe homes, Victorian mansions, imposing government buildings, museums and affordable restaurants lie within easy walking distance of each other. The area is bounded by the Santa Cruz River on the west, Park Avenue on the east, St. Mary's Road on the north and 22nd Street on the south. It's a favorite destination for artists and art lovers, with numerous galleries and studios situated in and around the Old Town Artisans art marketplace, just a block north from the Tucson Museum of Art. Downtown is also the site of the city's major performing arts events, with the Tucson Convention Center and the Temple of Music and Art providing the main venues for opera, symphony and dance performances. While it is true that the city still has a long way to go for a complete revival of its once-decrepit downtown district, progress is visible. Projects are currently under way to build a Sonoran Sea aquarium, a science center, a cultural center and an IMAX theater near the Convention Center. Hopefully, in the not too distant future, downtown Tucson will attract the tourist crowds that the city council has envisioned for years.
Renewal has already been quite successful in the Barrio Historico, the now-gentrified Hispanic historic quarter south of the Convention Center, where old Spanish-style homes have been largely restored to their original beauty. Take your time to explore this area on foot after leaving your car in one of the parking garages downtown; try the one across from the Main Library on Pennington Street.
South Tucson and the South Side
Bordering downtown Tucson on the south, the small municipality of South Tucson has become a largely Hispanic community. For out-of-town visitors, its main attractions are the Mexican restaurants, which, although low profile and inexpensive, offer the best of south-of-the-border food in town. Places like Michas, Mi Nidito and Su Casa might not offer the ultimate experience in service and decor, but when it comes to food quality, there are few others to match them.
Moving further to the south, the Hispanic influence deepens, intermingling with the Native American people living in and around the Tohono O'odham Reservation in Tucson's far southwest. Many visitors get at least a glimpse of this area going to and from Tucson International Airport, the Desert Diamond Casino on the reservation, or on the road to visit Mission San Xavier del Bac, a national landmark and by far the most attractive site on this side of town.
North-Central, and the Foothills
In Tucson, "north" generally means "north of Broadway," with Broadway Boulevard as the dividing line between north-south street numbers. Bounded on the north by the natural barriers of the Santa Catalina Mountains and Coronado National Forest, this area includes the University of Arizona campus with its many venues for science and art as well as the city's main business and shopping areas, with the Tucson Mall and the Foothills Mall considered by many to be the biggest and the best of them. Since most of Tucson's social life takes place inside air-conditioned malls, at least during hot summer days, these are really the places to meet the locals. Further to the north, the land and the income level slowly rise all the way up to the tony Foothills residential district. This area features beautiful homes with a view, surrounded by stately saguaro cacti and mesquite trees, outside the city limits and well out of reach of Tucson's tax authorities. Well-heeled residents stroll about upscale shopping malls and adobe-style galleries, while wintertime visitors relax after a game of golf at one of the posh resorts in the area, such as the Westin La Paloma, Westward Look or Loews Ventana Canyon Resort.
The West Side
West essentially means that big chunk of Tucson stretching from Oracle Road, the main north-south artery, and I-19 westward to the base of the Tucson Mountains and the Tohono O'odham Indian Reservation. Bordered on the northwest by the ever-expanding residential and recreational retreat of Oro Valley (more golf courses here), this part of the city offers few visual attractions other than Tohono Chul Park, a very civilized, pleasant desert garden with an artsy touch. Once you're past I-10, the road starts snaking into the grandeur of Saguaro National Park West, covered by entire forests of the giant cacti that gave the park its name, and the site of several ancient Indian petroglyphs. Don't miss the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum on the far side of the Tucson Mountains, and consider stopping at Old Tucson Studios for the sake of the kids.
The East Side
Bounded roughly on the west by Wilmot Road, the Rincon and Catalina Mountains on the east and north, and Interstate 10 on the south, expansion of this district is largely limited by state and federal lands. The most attractive natural feature in the northeast is certainly Sabino Canyon, the most accessible part of the Catalinas, which teems with tourists, trams, hikers and joggers on weekends, while still retaining its serene beauty. If you are an outdoors person, you will also appreciate the vast expanses of Saguaro National Park East. Enjoy the desert and mountain scenery, and try not to disturb the roving of the native scorpions and rattlesnakes.
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