Home > Your Personal Side > City Guides > Tucson > Neighborhoods > Downtown Tucson

Downtown Tucson

Photo Credit: James Randklev and MTCVB

Oscar Wilde had it wrong when he said “All art is quite useless.” Almost singlehandedly, the arts are rescuing downtown Tucson from such adjectives as “distressed” and “decrepit.” Galleries, performing arts venues, and museums draw traffic to the arts district, aided by such events as studio tours, art walks, and Downtown Saturday Night (featuring live entertainment on each month’s first Saturday). Downtown attractions on the drawing board include an aquarium, a science center, a cultural center, and an IMAX theater.

From missionaries to conquistadors to cowboys, history is another arrow in Downtown’s marketing quiver. Historic districts make for intriguing visits and colorful living. Downtown dwellers also have the choice of multi-family residences, condominiums, and newer homes—all affordable.

Downtown Tucson’s neighborhoods include:

Barrio Anita
Barrio Historico
El Presidio Historic District

View healthcare facilities in this district.

Barrio Anita
The identity of “Anita” is in dispute, but this neighborhood’s historical significance isn’t. Apaches first lived on its land, selling it to Spaniards in 1828. One of the city’s first Latino neighborhoods, Barrio Anita has been branded lately as a tiny neighborhood where most families live below the poverty level. Part of the blame has fallen to the city, which expanded adjacent roads and condensed Barrio Anita into half its original size.

But local efforts are shining up the neighborhood’s tarnished image. No fewer than three books celebrating Barrio Anita’s history have been published recently. Plus, it is hoped that a community garden and a series of building-murals can beautify and improve the community while resuscitating residents’ pride. The neighborhood is bordered by West St. Mary’s Road, West Speedway, Interstate 10, the Union Pacific railroad tracks, and North Main Avenue.

Back to top

Barrio Historico
For a glimpse at the Old Pueblo’s former cultural glory, look to the mud—that is, the mud-brick adobes of the gentrified Barrio Historico district. Anglos bent on modernizing Tucson destroyed many of these “primitive” buildings, yet about 150 survive from the 1800s and have been vibrantly restored—and are all the rage. Their popularity proffers hope that the heart of this historic district will go on and on.

Formerly named Barrio Viejo and Barrio Libre, Barrio Historico features mostly yardless Mexican-style homes and residences-turned-offices. Spots to visit include the landmark restaurant El Minuto, as well as El Tiradito, a “wishing shrine” where your wish will be granted if your candle stays lit all night (or so the legend goes). The 20-block Barrio Historico extends from Cushing Street to 18th Street and from the railroad tracks to Stone Avenue.

Back to top

El Presidio Historic District
Forget a Neighborhood Watch and security cameras. A thick-walled adobe fort encircled Tucson’s first neighborhood, the ultimate protection for its then-more than 11 acres. Although it was the biggest military garrison built by the Spanish in North America, the fort is nothing more than scant vestiges today. Nevertheless, its 12-block area was designated the El Presidio Historic District in 1975, exactly 200 years after it was settled.

Fortunately, the district offers much more than partial fort walls. It is home to the Tucson Museum of Art; Old Town Artisans, an 1850s adobe that houses a marketplace; and historic dwellings converted into restaurants, art galleries, and bed-and-breakfasts. Homes represent the Sonoran, Spanish, Colonial, Victorian, Tudor, and bungalow styles, some for rent at reasonable rates. Borders for the El Presidio Historic District are Alameda Street, Main Avenue, Franklin Street, and Church Avenue.

Back to top

Healthcare facilities in downtown Tucson:

St. Mary’s Hospital