Best Boomer Towns Columns

Best Boomer Towns Talk Show Guest, Glenn Lyons, CEO of Downtown Tucson Partnership

My name is Glenn Lyons.  I am 55 years old.  I was born in Detroit.  I attended university in Canada and spent the last 30 years in Calgary, Alberta.  Two years ago, I decided to return to the United States, in part, so that my 86 year-old mother could live near me. 

After so many bitter winters on the Northern Prairies, I was looking for a more temperate climate to live in.  I also had a preference for living in a university town, which had both an intellectual and a multi-cultural complexion.

My partner, Marilyn, and I, had the pleasure of visiting Tucson two years ago in January.  It was warm, very welcoming, and an incredibly eclectic place.  Tucson is one of the oldest communities in America.  It has a very large Hispanic community and a rich Sonoran history.  The University of Arizona is a strong influence here, both in terms of science and technology – as well as arts and culture

Tucson, a city of one million people, has a professional symphony, opera, ballet, Theatre Company, Broadway plays, a major art museum, and a wonderful desert museum. It is a great musical location, with strong local sounds and countless traveling road shows. 

About two months after we arrived, we realized just what a jewel we had found.  We promptly cut our travel budget in half and quadrupled our entertainment budget.  Tucson has just about everything a local culture can offer.

The desert is also very compelling, with its mountains, basins, statuesque Saguaro Cacti, and majestic sunsets.  Life is tenuous on the desert and we are reminded that our existence on the earth is fleeting.

I can’t think of anywhere that I would rather be than here in Tucson.

 

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