The RillitoBend Neighborhood, formerly the Prince-Tucson Neighborhood, enjoys close proximity to the major midtown run of the Rillito River, situated along and in the bend of the river. Descending geological terraces direct six designated washes from Prince Road north to the Rillito. These washes historically nourished an urban forest in the heart of the neighborhood. Watermelons, healthy eucalyptus and mesquites grew; and horse farms were common in the area. Wildlife roamed freely in this arboreal desert landscape.
The area attracted many artists—writers, musicians, painters, and the like. Some famous, such as Maynard Dixon, lived here. Others were local legends such as visionary artist George Phar Legler of the Valley of the Moon. Please read SNAPSHOT IN HISTORY post for a peek into the neighborhood’s artistic community. It continues to be a magnet for many seeking the beauty of the desert in an urban setting.
Over recent decades, relatively unrestrained development modified the land surface to build residential homes, and, in the process, has disrupted the natural flow of water through the core of the neighborhood. Such actions, along with increased paving, removal of native mesquites and recent years of drought, have severely compromised the natural environment and eroded the neighborhood esthetic. Only in scattered areas do substantial remnant mesquite trees, with their inviting canopies, remain to remind us of our lost past.