1,043 Apartments in Casas Adobes, Arizona

Casas Adobes put the burb in suburbia for the residents of Tucson, Arizona. It started out as a plaza in 1948, but today has the distinct label "census-designated place." It is also the premier suburb of the great city of Tucson, making it the coolest "census-designated place" in the Wild West.

Technically, Casas Adobes is part of the great city of Tucson, AZ, but it is what mapmakers refer to as a "census-designated place." In other words, some lofty official counted beans and decided Casas Adobes had grown too big for the kiddie table. He then slapped on a somewhat meaningless title on it to compensate for his mother issues. Fair enough. Just makes it easier to find when you are looking for places to rent in Casas Adobes, AZ.

Census-Designated What?

Its a city inside a city kind of a lost city but one you can find without trying too hard. When the powers that be identify a place as "census-designated," what they mean to say is its a fancy neighborhood with its own spreadsheet at the Census Bureau. Casas Adobes sits in the northern metropolitan area of Tucson and, at last official count, is home to almost 67,000 souls. That is a lot of people for a non city. It is one of a number of communities in the Tucson area.

An Old Soul

Casas Adobes may be just middle management, but it is older than most of its counterparts in the area, and chicer too. Many separate communities make up the city of Tucson, but this one is primarily known for the site that started it all the Casas Adobes Plaza. Anyone who is anyone in the world of Mediterranean architecture understands the importance of this one locale.

Unfortunately, you cant rent the Plaza unless its your birthday, but there is more to this "census-designated place" then just a classy shopping mall. It offers a mix of single-family homes, apartment complexes, high-rise rental buildings and even mobile homes. This old soul has had decades to create property rentals; it is up to you to find the right one.

Whats It like Living in a "Census-Designated Place?"

What is it like living anywhere? Its Arizona so two words come to mind: hot and hotter. In case you have failed to do your homework, Arizona is hot sometimes most times. It is sort of the reason they invented central air. The high elevation of Tucson does make it a cooler climate than other major cities in the state such as Phoenix. The winters are temperate, but it is still in the desert, so expect hot.

Tucson is a place that caters to single people just getting started in life. You see a reflection of that in the environment of Casas Adobes, too. There are bars and trendy restaurants geared to draw in the young, hip crowd. That might also explain the freak number of cars in the community.

As a country, we tend to love a good, solid automobile. The residents of Casas Adobes take that love to the next level, however. Generally, you find one to three cars at any given household in America. In this Tucson community, that number goes up to over four vehicles for more than half of the homes. It might be due to single individuals sharing space.

Think Ahead

If you are planning a move to this Tucson community, you will want to give yourself plenty of time to find the right home. The average vacancy rate runs around 11 percent, which is lower than many areas. Expect the usual credit and background checks when renting. Come prepared with proof of identity and income as you shop the neighborhood for a home.

There Goes the Neighborhood

In most cities, it is wise to look at the varied neighborhoods. When seeking luxury apartments in Casas Adobes, you are going to stumble on this traditional step in the research process. Casas Adobes doesn't have defined neighborhoods, because, technically, it is the neighborhood. It even has its own neighborhood association as proof. Remember that whole "census-designated place" thing? It changes the viewpoint. Compared to the other neighborhoods in Tucson, Casas Adobes is about midrange.

Why this CDP Rocks

This suburb proves that you don't need incorporation to be valid. If you are seeking one bedroom apartments for rent in Casas Adobes, you'll find this "census-designated place" is all about eye candy. The architecture is what stands out. The region is full of original Italian vignettes and statues. There is even a Mediterranean observation tower at the Plaza.

Casas Adobes offers some intriguing natural art forms, as well. The Tohono Chul Park is home to naturally shaped crested saguaros, a.k.a fancy cactus, and other eclectic vegetation, for example. You may move to Casas Adobes for work or family, but the desert beauty and distinctive architecture will win your heart.

Casas Adobes has the added advantage of being an offshoot of a major city. That means it is a little slice of suburbia heaven if you work in Tucson. Commute time into the city center averages about 30 minutes. In addition, Tucson offers a mass transit option that covers this area, and it's appropriately titled the Sun Tran bus line.

Casas Adobes puts you near the heart of Tucson, so you can enjoy the culture and entertainment, but offers enough diversity to warrant separate distinction the best of two worlds, really. Maybe the bean counter at the Census Bureau knew what he was doing, after all. With Casas Adobes, "census-designated place" is not a dirty word, but a practical and beautiful place to call home.