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Mountain First Avenue

Mountain First Avenue

Neighborhood in Tucson, Arizona

Pima County 85719

$330,807 Average Value
$248 Average Price per Sq Ft
3 Homes For Sale

Bikeable Western Tucson community with convenience

The small residential area of Mountain First Avenue is a highly walkable area with a grassy pocket park and collection of midcentury homes. Realtor at Re/Max Professionals and Tucson native, says locals here like the convenience to other city parks, trails and the University of Arizona or “U of A” for short. “Mountain Avenue is a designated bike road,” he says. Students and young professionals can access a TUGO Bikeshire Station on the corner of Mountain and Coppe Street and ride 2 miles south straight onto campus. “There’s wide spaces for those bikes to travel down, and drives are very clear that this is a bike lane to get to college. If you go there in the morning before school starts, you’ll see 1000 bikes flying down Mountain.” Local cafes and eateries also surround the neighborhood, and people can shop near Campbell Street a few blocks east or head to Main Gate Square for themed boutiques.

Midcentury homes and investment opportunity in Mountain First Avenue

Single-family homes in Mountain First Avenue sit on enclosed, gridded streets sometimes lined with narrow, concrete sidewalks. Palm and acacia trees dot the area, and some streets have speed bumps and small roundabouts decorated with cacti and desert plants. Some houses are also within a short walking distance of Mitchell Park and bus stops. Housing styles mostly consist of midcentury Pueblos and ranch-style homes with stucco and brick facades. Many of these properties have rock-landscaped yards and carport-covered driveways with enough room to park a trailer or RV. “It’s a popular place for investors or parents to buy and rent out to college kids,” Baker says. Prices range between $260,000 and $450,000.

Impressive programs at Amphitheater High

The community is within the Tucson Unified School District, the city’s largest. With Arizona being a “school choice” state, kids can attend schools outside their district, as long as they apply during open enrollment. Helen Keeling Elementary earns a C-plus from Niche, while Amphitheater Middle gets a C grade. The B-minus-rated Amphitheater High, also called “Amphi,” has a range of art and language classes in topics like mariachi and American Sign Language. Amphi High is the only Tucson school to offer The Cambridge Academy, where students can take courses aligned with the University of Cambridge’s curriculum. For post-grad plans, the nearby U of A is known for its studies in astronomy and biomedical sciences.

Brunching and lunching Buendia

Within the neighborhood, locals can start their day with empanadas and cinnamon tea at Buendia Breakfast and Lunch Café. For lunch, the high-rated Sher-e-Punjab serves homemade cuisine on Grant and North 1st Avenue. A few blocks east, Campbell Avenue is lined with more popular shops and restaurants like Blue Willow, which cooks up vegan comfort food in its pueblo-styled building. Folks can stop by Ross and Albertsons at Campbell Plaza. Main Gate Square is roughly 2 miles south near the University of Arizona of the area and houses small clothing shops like Boutique 816 and Pitaya as well as several cafes and small businesses. For groceries, Fry’s Food and Drug is near the western border.

Strolling around Mitchell Park and taking a dip in Mansfield Pool

The tiny Mitchell Park features a covered playground with slides and several tree-shaded benches to relax on. Folks can even exchange books in the Free Little Library or take on the outdoor fitness equipment. For more exercise, bikers can head south to the 3rd Street-University Bicycle Boulevard, which extends for over 6 miles, passing 9 other parks across the city. The 20-acre Mansfield Park is also less than 2 miles southwest featuring the Donna R. Liggins Recreation Center where people can sign up for Tai Chi and after-school programs and the public Mansfield Pool. Those with a green thumb can buy a lot in the Mansfield Community Garden, which has funky bicycle artwork and areas for composting.

Multiple transportation options near Mountain First Avenue

Downtown Tucson is a 3-mile-drive south via North Euclid Avenue. The community is highly walkable area with sidewalks on most streets, and busier roads like East Grant and East Glenn have bike lanes. Tucson Sun Tran buses make frequent stops around the perimeter of Mountain First Avenue. Folks can even bike for a few miles south on Park Avenue to several Tucson Sun Link Streetcar stops to travel around the bustling Fourth Avenue and the U of A. Banner-University Medical Center Tucson is about 2 miles southeast, and Tucson International Airport is 10 miles south.

Cheering on the Wildcats at Arizona Stadium

Locals like heading to U of A for Wildcat football and soccer games at the outdoor Arizona Stadium. Centennial Hall, built in the 1930s, hosts several concerts, plays and musicals throughout the year. The bi-annual Fourth Avenue Street Fair takes place a few miles away from Mountain First Avenue. Thousands gather in the street to browse through art tables and food vendors while listening to local bands perform.

Some crime and hot desert weather

Mountain First Avenue has a CAP Index crime score of 7 out of 10 for both larceny and burglary. The city of Tucson outlines a Home Security Survey on their website that homeowners can follow; this includes tips like keeping a dead bolt lock on the front door and supporting window air conditioning units from the inside. Tucson police also survey the area frequently. Because of Tucson’s desert climate, living in extreme heat is something to be aware of. City council and Tucson’s mayor adopted the Heat Action Roadmap to help inform people of rising temperatures due to climate change and other factors and implement heat risk into more urban planning architecture. During extreme heat, locals can head to several city cooling centers, including the nearby Donna R. Liggins Recreation Center.

Hannah Baggenstoss
Written By
Hannah Baggenstoss
Kristen Rademacher
Photography Contributed By
Kristen Rademacher
Mary Desmond
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Mary Desmond

Agents Specializing in this Area

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Schools

Source:
GreatSchools: The GreatSchools Rating helps parents compare schools within a state based on a variety of school quality indicators and provides a helpful picture of how effectively each school serves all of its students. Ratings are on a scale of 1 (below average) to 10 (above average) and can include test scores, college readiness, academic progress, advanced courses, equity, discipline and attendance data. We also advise parents to visit schools, consider other information on school performance and programs, and consider family needs as part of the school selection process. View GreatSchools Rating Methodology

Interested in learning more about homes in this area? Reach out to Tony Ray Baker, an experienced agent in this neighborhood.

Parks in this Area

Transit

Airport

Tucson International

22 min drive

Bus

1st Av & Copper

Bus

Park & Copper

Bus

Park & Grant

Bus

Park & Glenn

Bus

Grant & Mountain

Crime and Safety

1 - Low Crime, 10 - High Crime Mountain First Avenue US
Homicide 5 4
Sexual Assault 6 4
Assault with Weapon 5 4
Robbery 5 4
Burglary 7 4
Motor Vehicle Theft 6 4
Larceny 7 4
Crime Score 6 4

Source: WhatIsMyCrimeRisk.com

Demographics and Home Trends

Home Trends

Median Price (12 Mo)
$364,500
Median Single Family Price
$329,000
Average Price Per Sq Ft
$248
Number of Homes for Sale
3
Last 12 months Home Sales
18
Months of Supply
2.00
Median List Price
$349,000
Median Discount From 1st List Price
2%
Median Home Sale Price YoY Change
24%

Home Facts

Number of Homes in Neighborhood
387
Median Year Built
1953
Avg. Single Family Home Size Sq Ft
1,816
Below the national average
1,937
Median Lot Size Sq Ft
6,969

Distribution of Home Values

Source: Public Records

Homes for Sale

Homes for Rent

Interested in learning more about homes in this area? Reach out to Tony Ray Baker, an experienced agent in this neighborhood.

Average Home Value




Source: Public Records

Property Mix - Square Feet

This Neighborhood Has More Renters

Demographics

Total Population
1,461
Median Age
32
Population Density
13 ppl/acre
Population under 18
17.5%
Below the national average
23.8%
Population over 65
12.7%
Below the national average
19.1%

Finances

Median Household Income
$37,868
Significantly below the national average
$71,702
Average Household Income
$58,473

Education and Workforce

High School Graduates
93.4%
College Graduates
53.2%
Above the national average
34.1%
Advanced Degrees
25.3%
Above the national average
13.3%
% Population in Labor Force
65.9%

Weather

Annual Precipitation
10''
Average Winter Low Temperature
39°F
Average Summer High Temperature
102°F
Annual Snowfall
1''

Area Factors

Biker's Paradise

Bike Score®

100 / 100

Very Walkable

Walk Score®

71 / 100

Some Transit

Transit Score®

42 / 100
Source: Walk Score
Source: Walk Score

Sound Score® measures the noise level of any address. Transit Score® measures access to public transit. Bike Score® measures the bikeability of any address.

Nearby Neighborhoods

Reviews

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Disclaimer: Certain information contained herein is derived from information provided by parties other than Homes.com. Our sources include: Accuweather, Public Records and Neustar. All information provided is deemed reliable, but is not guaranteed to be accurate and should be independently verified.
NEIGHBORHOOD
Mountain First Avenue