North Dodge Neighborhood Profile
North Dodge by CJ Boyd
The North Dodge neighborhood covers the area from Alvernon Way west to Palo Verde Avenue and from Fort Lowell Road south to Glenn Street.
Like most Tucson neighborhoods north of Grant, this area saw a gradual increase in European-descended settlement during the first half of the twentieth century; but that population increased dramatically after World War II, and most of the residential areas we have today were planned and built in the early 1950s. These were suburbs at the time, since they were well outside the Tucson city limits - they were only incorporated into the City later through annexation.
According to Fran Garcia, former President of the North Dodge neighborhood association, this area was initially settled by Mormons in an attempt to be close enough to trade with people in the city proper, but far enough away to avoid religious persecution. As such, North Dodge includes a Church of the Latter-Day Saints on Fort Lowell Road near Winstel Blvd., which began construction in 1927 and remains a functioning church to this day.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints on Fort Lowell Rd between Chapel Ave and Winstel Blvd.
Incidentally, the Church of LDS is the only church located in the North Dodge neighborhood. The only school in its limits is Academy Adventures Midtown, an elementary school on Winstel Blvd between Blacklidge Dr. and Presidio Rd.
Just north of the North Dodge neighborhood is a small area that happens to be the only place south of the Rillito River and east of Oracle Road that is not part of the City. Most of the City’s northern border follows the Rillito River, occasionally going beyond it to include some of the north shore. This is true from Fairview Avenue all the way to Craycroft Road, where the Rillito splits into the Tanque Verde Creek and Pantano Wash. But there is an area of just 12 square blocks or so that sits between Kleindale Road and Fort Lowell Road, from Richey Blvd. to Alvernon Way that is not actually part of the City, though any passerby would assume it was.
This area happens to include OK Feed and Supply (which has been there since 1936), Tucson Hop Shop, Ciao Down Pizza Studio, Tucson Clay Co-Op, Dah Rock Shop, and a small handful of other local businesses. While the North Dodge neighborhood proper doesn’t really include many restaurants, cafes, or bars - the only restaurant in its limits is the French restaurant Le Rendez-vous - having these other nearby options for food and drink is a boon to the neighborhood.
While single family homes still make up the majority of the North Dodge neighborhood, many apartment buildings have been added to the housing landscape over the last few decades.
Mural at Catalina Gardens Apartments on Alvernon Way near Blacklidge Dr.
North Dodge doesn’t have any parks in its boundaries either, but McCormick Park is about a 15 minute walk to the east, La Madera Park is about a 20 minute walk to the west, and the Brandi Fenton Memorial Park on the north side of the Rillito is a 20 minute walk to the north.
The fence around The Village Blacksmith on Alvernon Way at the corner of Blacklidge Dr.
Robin Quinn, who has lived in the neighborhood since 2007 and currently serves as the North Dodge Neighborhood Association President said, "What I love about North Dodge is the diversity that it reflects. The neighborhood is truly a representation of what midtown Tucson looks like. Additionally, the neighborhood has accessibility to areas like the metal arts village, multiple nearby bike paths, public transportation and various schools (both public and private)."