A place for Snowbirds and Baby Boomers! Santa Rita Mountains from Green Valley, Arizona Green Valley Sunrise

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Considering a Move?

If you are a senior (55+ years old), and interested in a change of scene (and a change of pace), we invite you to consider Green Valley, Arizona.  Your webmaster and his wife moved here in June 2004, so we speak from personal experience!  (We found Green Valley with a website called Find Your Spot.)

Green Valley is about 20 miles South of Tucson, Arizona and is at about 3,000 feet.  Our elevation makes us a bit cooler than Tucson, and a LOT cooler than Phoenix!   ( Click here for a look at historical weather information.)

Green Valley was founded as a retirement community, and after fifty years of managed growth, it is now considered unique in the world.

Activities:

At the heart of Green Valley is an organization called "Green Valley Recreation" or GVR.    GVR currently consists of 13 senior recreation centers.  Each center has a swimming pool and whirlpool spa.  Most centers have games like: bridge, billiards, tennis, chess and shuffleboard.   For more organized activities, there are currently 58 clubs.  We have included an abreviated list below.  For full information, please visit the GVR website.
  • Clubs that have locations, workshops and equipment for members:
    • Ceramics shops (one for making things from scratch, and one for glazing pre-made pieces.)
    • A fully outfitted wood shop
    • A silver smith shop
    • A lapidary shop
    • A photo lab (film and digital)
    • A computer lab
  • Clubs that share in activites:
    • Clubs for the games listed above (bridge, tennis etc.)
    • Hiking (beginner to advanced)
    • Travel Groups (to tour Southern Arizona)
    • Performing Arts (Music and Drama)
    • Five Dance Clubs
    • Social Clubs with various interests
Nearly every home built in Green Valley has membership in GVR.  (The membership follows the home.)  In this way, nearly every resident belongs to GVR and can enjoy the benefits.  GVR also has a provision for Snowbirds (and other visitiors) to use the facilities, if the home they are staying in is a member.  If you are planning a visit or a move, be sure to ask if GVR is included in the property you are considering.

Green Valley has seven golf courses, and several more within an hour.  And if Golf is not your bag, there are hundreds of other things to do.  See a long (but still incomplete) list on the Things to do page.

Travel:

If you like to travel, the Tucson Airport is only 20 minutes North.  It is served by Southwest Airlines, Delta, American...  Six airlines in all!  Providing nonstop service to many cities and connections to just about anywhere you want to go.  A large number of people we've met here use Green Valley as a base for travel around the country, and beyond.

Safety & Security:

Green Valley sounds good, but what about safety?  Let's talk about crime. I regularly ask the Sheriff deputies what sort of crime they see here in Green Valley.  Most of their calls are civic:  Welfare checks, some domestic concerns and that sort of thing.   Violent crime just has not come here (Shhh!  Don't tell it we are here!)   The type of crime to be alert for are scams, cons and Identity Theft.  (Which, unfortunately, we are vulnerable to anywhere we live these days.)

In addition to our Sheriff, we have a huge volunteer force called the Sheriff Auxiliary Volunteers.  These good people patrol all areas of Green Valley in marked patrol cars and are available as needed. 

Where to Live?

If you are interested in "test living" Green Valley, you may be interested in the many fully furnished one and two bedroom rental properties available.   These are available for short and long term leases, at rates geared towards seniors. 

Also, there are many new communities being built in the area.  And, there is the traditional purchase of an existing home.

If you are ready for a change, or just curious, please send an We would be happy to answer your questions!