I've never lived in Tucson, but I went there on a business trip back in...2004? One of my clients in in Arizona and, as part of the work that I do, I'm in frequent contact with the major colleges and universities around the state, including U of A (although I'm afraid I don't know anyone in the Sociology Dept. there, sorry).
Anyway...I'm not a big fan of Arizona--mostly I think it's a barren wasteland where human beings do not belong--but I quite liked Tucson and I'd love to go back for a vacation sometime. It's easy to get around as the layout of the town is fairly intuitive and I don't remember the traffic in town being a problem. (The traffic to Phoenix was another story, but that's because they were doing roadwork and then there was a monsoon.) There are lots of great restaurants (although if you're a typical grad student you won't be able to afford them), museums, and art galleries. I loved the Arizona-Sonora Dessert Museum, which is sort of a zoo, botanical garden, and nature museum all in one.
Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum
I was under the impression that there was a lot of other tourist activities, although I was only in town for a couple of days and didn't have time to do them. Overall, it seemed to be a fairly "hip" place, for lack of a better description.
Also, I wouldn't worry too much about where you go to grad school. You only have to live there long enough to get your degree, then you can go wherever you want. When I moved from Massachusetts to Colorado for grad school, it seemed like a huge change at the time. In the end, I was only there 4 years and then moved back to Mass. I've been back 7 years now and looking back on it, my time in Colorado seems so brief...I can hardly believe I ever lived there. I liked living there for a time, but after I finished my degree I realized it wasn't the place for me to be long-term, so I left.
Ultimately, your visit there will tell you more than anything I could say. Let us know what you decide.
