When people talk about Tucson they may actually be referring to the Greater Tucson Metropolitan Area. "Tucson" may include the City of Tucson, Marana, Oro Valley, Vail, Corona de Tucson, Sahuarita, South Tucson and unincorporated Pima County. Many of these smaller towns are coming into their own identity and beginning to be referred to as separate places.

Each town is unique and has its own personality. There are definitely stereotypes about the towns and the people who live in the towns. I will leave those comments for others who want to share their views. Overall, the Tucson area is a nice place to live, with many things to do and places to see. And while yes, we do have our share of rude people and crime, the entire community really is full of kind, caring people wanting to make Tucson a great place to call home.

Similar to many other Western U.S. cities, Tucson was developed on a grid plan, with the city center at Stone Avenue and Broadway Boulevard. While this intersection was initially near the geographic center of Tucson, that center has shifted as the city has expanded far to the east. An expansive city covering substantial area, Tucson has many distinct neighborhoods.

Downtown Tucson is undergoing a revitalization effort by city planners and the business community. The primary project is Rio Nuevo, a large retail and community center that has been in planning for more than ten years. Downtown is generally classified as north of 12th Street, east of I-10, and southwest of Toole Avenue and the Union Pacific (formerly Southern Pacific) railroad tracks, site of the historic train depot and "Locomotive #1673", built in 1900. Downtown is divided into the Presidio District, Convention District, and the Congress Street Arts and Entertainment District.

Major incorporated suburbs of Tucson include Oro Valley and Marana northwest of the city, South Tucson (surrounded by Tucson), and Sahuarita south of the city. Communities in the vicinity of Tucson (some within or overlapping the city limits) include Casas Adobes, Catalina, Catalina Foothills, Flowing Wells, Green Valley, Tanque Verde, New Pascua, and Vail.

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Tuscon".