Hmmm... a lot of people are mentioning the East Side with scorn... Don’t know where they’re talking about — definitions vary about what is the East Side.
And some parts are definitely seedier. I’d say to avoid anything around 22nd/Swan, 22nd/Craycroft, 22nd/Wilmot, always the advice we received from real estate agents too.
However, there are tons and tons of nice apartments over here on the East Side, we have sidewalks for walking, close to all sorts of national parks/forests. Even the county park that Loughner’s mother was (is?) in charge of...
....and the most conservatives and gun owners. And with more of a neighborhood, family feel than anywhere else I’ve lived in Tucson. Granted, for six months, that might not matter.
Depending where on the East Side, you are within 10 - 20 minutes of the base, U of A, downtown, museums, movies, malls.
Evenin’, Texan!
My son lived in apartments near the intersection of Kolb and Golf Links and at the intersection of Campbell and Ft. Lowell. Both were very nice, reasonable quiet, and close enough to wherever you want to be.
He now lives just east of Oracle and the Miracle Mile. I fear for his safety there - last 4th of July the fireworks show included gunfire in his parking lot.
There are actually some very nice places on Ft. Lowell, which is close in to town than the northwest side. It’s not too far from the Tucson Mall on Oracle and River Rd.
As always, your mileage may vary...