It’s always nice to be praised by out-of-towners, especially by a San Francisco writer who popped into Tucson earlier this year, did a quick look-see, and pronounced our little burg “hip.”
In a town that usually follows the word “hip” with the word, “replacement,” that came as something of a surprise. But hey, you know what? We’ll take it.
Who knew that buying gray toothpaste at the Food Conspiracy Co-op, or eating tacos in the side yard at Anita’s Street Market was hip? So says Janis Cooke Newman, in a May article in the San Francisco Chronicle.
She also swoons over the rotary telephones at the Hotel Congress, the secondhand shops along North Fourth Avenue, and the lack of lines at our restaurants. (Obviously this woman did not visit during February’s Gem and Mineral brouhaha.)
Don’t know if I’ll ever succumb to that gray toothpaste, but I totally agree with Newman’s assessment of lunch at Anita’s Street Market as being “like sitting in somebody’s backyard and having their Mexican mom make you lunch.”
Growing up on Tucson’s south side, I knew several Mexican moms who patted out their tortillas under a backyard grape arbor, then invited me to try one. Sigh. But until now, I never thought of it as “hip.”
Which got me to thinking what else might be defined as “hip” — as well as “unhip” — in this town. Here’s my list:
Hip: Ordering the machaca at El Charro downtown.
Unhip: Ordering a Doritos taco at Taco Bell.
Hip: Making your own tamales.
Unhip: Opening a can of Hormel beef tamales.
Hip: Patronizing any of the town’s Lucky Wishbone eateries, followed by a frozen fruit slush at Eegees.
Unhip: Patronizing any of the national chain fast-food restaurants, followed by a Big Gulp at 7-Eleven.
Hip: Having an assortment of flip-flops in every color, including black for formal occasions.
Unhip: Wearing socks with sandals.
Hip: Wearing Levi’s and a Stetson to the rodeo.
Unhip: Wearing golf attire to the rodeo.
Hip: Knowing that Ajo Way is pronounced “Ah-hoe” and that everyone calls it Ajo Road, not Ajo Way.
Unhip: Calling it “Ay-joe Way.”
Hip: Never complaining about rain in the desert.
Unhip: Whining: “When is the rain going to stop?”
Hip: Being best friends with Linda Ronstadt in high school.
Unhip: Bragging about it.
Hip: Frequenting all the new bars and restaurants downtown.
Unhip: Refusing to go downtown because you don’t know where to park.
Hip: Knowing the legend of “Button” Salmon and “Bear Down.”
Unhip: Slapping an ASU decal on your bumper sticker.
Hip: Just wearing a knowing smile when strangers ask what’s so great about Tucson.
Unhip: Not having a clue.
