Debra Johnson
Principal, Associate Broker, REALTOR®
Brokerage License: LC6391060000
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Scottsdale

Why We Live Here

Scottsdale, Arizona is located in the beautiful Sonoran Desert at the foot of the scenic McDowell Mountains. It is bordered by Phoenix to the West, the Tonto National Forrest to the North, the McDowell Mountains to the East, and the Salt River to the South. Scottsdale is a study in contrasts, where residents and visitors can ride horseback through the pristine Arizona desert in the morning and visit one of the country’s best contemporary art museums in the afternoon. Scottsdale’s vibrant Old Town is considered the finest urban center in Arizona. It is home to more than 90 restaurants, 320 retail shops and more than 80 art galleries.

Scottsdale is also known as a great place for those who want to raise a family. It has an abundance of safe suburban areas, low crime, and some of the best schools in the state. It’s also ideal for young adults just starting out. There are plenty of job opportunities, an abundance of nightlife, great dining, and plenty of shopping opportunities. Those who love nature will enjoy Scottsdale, which has some of the best trails in the country. For golf enthusiasts, Scottsdale is a dream come true, as it’s among the best golf destinations in the world. Scottsdale’s McDowell Sonoran Preserve, in the city’s northern reaches, is the largest urban wilderness area in the United States and features more than 60 miles of trails through diverse and scenic desert terrain.

Scottsdale is now counted among the 100 largest cities in the nation, but retains its connection to its small-town, Western heritage.

For more information, click here. For the city’s stats on housing, schools, the job market, and much more, click here.

  • Incorporated 1951
  • Area 184.0 sq. mi.
  • Elevation 1,257’
  • County Maricopa
  • Website https://www.scottsdaleaz.gov
  • Population 265,249 (2021 est.)
  • Population Density 1,441.7 per sq. mi.
  • Median Age 47.7
  • Families with Kids Under 18 22.6%
  • Average Household Income $72,445
  • Overall Cost of Living 133.2

History

In the early to mid-1880s, U.S. Army Chaplain Winfield Scott visited the Salt River Valley and was impressed with it and its potential for agriculture. Returning in 1888 with his wife, Helen, he purchased 640 acres for $3.50 an acre ($92 as of 2015) for a stretch of land where downtown Scottsdale is now. Winfield and his brother George Washington Scott became the town’s first residents. It was soon known as Orangedale due to the large citrus groves the Scotts planted. Many of the community’s original settlers, recruited by Scott from the East and Midwest, were educated and had an appreciation for cultural activities. The town was renamed Scottsdale in 1894.

See https://www.scottsdaleaz.gov/about/history and Wikipedia for a great deal more history.

Interesting Facts

The city is loosely divided into four areas: South Scottsdale Road, Old Town (Downtown) Scottsdale, Central Scottsdale (also known as the “Shea Corridor,” and North Scottsdale.

The Depression years saw an influx of artists and architects to Scottsdale, which included, in 1937, Frank Lloyd Wright. He and his wife purchased 600 desert acres at the foot of the McDowell Mountains and established Taliesin West, his winter home and his architectural firm’s southwestern headquarters. Scottsdale and the rest of Phoenix have seen an everlasting influence from Wright. Many buildings throughout the region were designed by him. His influence on the regional architecture is commemorated by a major street bearing his name and a 125-foot (38 m) spire memorial designed by Wright in North Scottsdale.

Major Attractions and Events

(See https://www.experiencescottsdale.com for all tourism information, especially their itineraries and their maps and guides.)

  • Arizona Indian Festival
  • Artwalks
  • Cosanti
  • MacDonald’s Ranch
  • McDowell Sonoran Preserve
  • Old Town Scottsdale (Downtown)
  • Scottsdale’s Art Festival
  • Scottsdale Culinary Festival
  • Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art
  • Scottsdale Western Week
  • Taliesin West

Popular Restaurants

  • AZ88
  • Café Monarch
  • Citizen Public House
  • Craft 64al
  • Deseo
  • Dominick’s Steakhouse
  • FNB
  • Marcellino Ristorante
  • New Wave Market
  • Roka Akor – Scottsdale
  • Sel
  • The Mission
  • The Sugar Bowl Ice Cream Parlor
  • Virtu Honest Craft
10772 E CANYON CROSS Way Scottsdale
$54,000,000
6 Beds 12 Baths 24,545 Sqft
Details
20958 N 112TH Street Scottsdale
$32,000,000
6 Beds 8 Baths 14,369 Sqft
Details
21235 N 102ND Street Scottsdale
$30,000,000
6 Beds 8 Baths 14,048 Sqft
Details
10739 E DIAMOND RIM Drive Scottsdale
$25,990,000
5 Beds 7 | 1 Baths 12,128 Sqft
Details
11200 E CANYON CROSS Way Scottsdale
$24,500,000
7 Beds 8 | 1 Baths 13,499 Sqft
Details
11235 E Wingspan Way Scottsdale
$24,220,000
6 Beds 8 | 1 Baths 11,556 Sqft
Details
10719 E Rimrock Drive Scottsdale
$19,250,000
6 Beds 8 Baths 13,114 Sqft
Details
11098 E WHISTLING WIND Way #1851 Scottsdale
$18,988,000
6 Beds 8 Baths 9,517 Sqft
Details
20567 N 112th Street Scottsdale
$18,250,000
6 Beds 8 | 1 Baths 13,272 Sqft
Details
11173 E FEATHERSONG Lane #1704 Scottsdale
$14,995,000
6 Beds 6 | 1 Baths 7,698 Sqft
Details
21312 N 113TH Place Scottsdale
$14,990,000
5 Beds 8 Baths 8,649 Sqft
Details
10201 E HAPPY VALLEY Road Scottsdale
$14,850,000
6 Beds 9 Baths 11,552 Sqft
Details

Copyright 2024 Arizona Regional Multiple Listing Service, Inc. All rights reserved. All information should be verified by the recipient and none is guaranteed as accurate by ARMLS. The listing broker?s offer of compensation is made only to participants of the MLS where the listing is filed.
Indicates a property listed by a real estate brokerage other than iHomefinder, Inc.
ARMLS - Arizona data last updated at March 18, 2024 7:31 PM MST

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