air conditioning. The winters are awesome. I can ride my bike most days. Tucson gets significantly cooler at night and doesn't stay as hot because there is less development. We also don't have as many 110 degree days as Phoenix.
But, yeah. To a n00b, the heat can be scary. Stuff melts...even the asphalt. I used to play with melted mounds of asphalt on the side of the road when I was a kid. I lived in the ghetto- don't hate. You can get 2nd degree burns from your seat belt. You shouldn't use lotion products with glycerin because it's so dry, the glycerin actually pulls more moisture from your skin and dries you out. You get easily sunburned if you're fair skinned. You should drink almost twice the amount of water as people in other places when it's summer, even if you're not actively working out. Your sweat evaporates quickly. You don't have to use a dryer for your laundry in summer (they dry in minutes). And my favorite-- even plastic melts when left in your car in summer. I think I told this story before but once my debit card literally melted to my console in my car. That was when I lived in Phoenix.
People can live in it but it sucks for a few months out of the year. What makes it worth it (in Tucson at least) are the amazing monsoon storms, breathtaking sunsets, interesting wildlife (coyotes and javelina traipsing through the neighborhoods as one example), REAL mexican food, mild winters with TONS of outdoor activities, and the science/health community who are really into sustainability/conservation, border health issues and telemedicine, health inequities/disparities, geology, native american health, astronomy, and wildlife protection. There is always some exciting lecture on these topics with leaders in the field. The pharmacy school has a strong presence in the community too; various organizations and communities often ask us to be a part of things. Pharmacists can do a lot here. It's pretty exciting.
If I leave Tucson, I'll probably want to buy a winter home here. This place is near and dear to my heart.
