Denice Blake and her partner, John Blackwell, looked all over the world to find a place to retire.
They chose Sam Hughes Neighborhood.
“We just jumped in and started doing a lot of things for the neighborhood, started planting trees on other people’s properties — sort of with their permission,” said Blake, who’s called Tucson home since 1999. “I guess we just really dug into this place. ... It’s home.”
Blake also loves introducing other people to the 1-square-mile historic neighborhood near the University of Arizona. She’s been on the committee that organizes its every-other-year home tour for 15 years. The 2015 tour netted more than $17,000, which went toward a Himmel Park Library beautification project that added benches, bike racks and xeriscaping. Proceeds from this year’s tour will again go toward neighborhood projects, Blake said.
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This year’s tour includes 10 houses along with businesses. Tour-goers can enjoy art by neighborhood residents as well as live music and refreshments at some of the stops. Sen. Steve Farley, D-Tucson, will also give a lecture on mid-century modern homes. The tour includes three of them.
The event attracts people from New Mexico and California and the 2015 tour sold 800-plus tickets. Blake said the goal is to hit 1,000 tickets for this year’s event, which is notable for its mix of architectural styles.
Plus, Blake said, “I think there’s a real welcoming sense to the neighborhood.”