About Scottsdale and Scottsdale Arizona Real Estate

About Scottsdale Arizona

Scottsdale was originally inhabited by Hohokam. From circa 300 BC to 1400 AD, this ancient civilization farmed the area and built some of the most ingenious irrigation canals the world has ever known. The name Hohokam translates as "vanished," as the civilization mysteriously disappeared without a trace.

Before European settlement, Scottsdale was a Pima village known as Vaṣai Svaṣonĭ, meaning "rotting hay." Some Pima remained in their original homes well into the 20th century. For example, until the late 1960s, there was a still-occupied traditional dwelling on the southeast corner of Indian Bend Road and Hayden Road. By now, however, all Pima have either moved into modern homes within Scottsdale, primarily residing in South Scottsdale, the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community, or elsewhere.

The Hohokam's legacy is their creation of more than 125 miles (200 km) of canals to provide water for their agricultural needs. The remnants of this ancient irrigation system were adapted and improved upon in 1868 by the first Anglo company to stake a claim in the Valley of the Sun, when Jack Swilling set up the Swilling Irrigation Canal Company. Twenty years later, Scottsdale's future would turn sharply upwards, when a U.S. Army Chaplain, Winfield Scott, paid the paltry sum of $2.50 an acre for a 640 acre stretch of land where the city is now located. Winfield's brother, George Washington Scott, was the first resident of the town that was then known as Orangedale and later changed to Scottsdale in 1894.

In 1937, internationally renowned architect Frank Lloyd Wright set up his "winter camp" at the foot of the McDowell Mountains, creating what is now known as Taliesin West. Scottsdale, and the rest of Phoenix, have seen an everlasting influence from Frank Lloyd Wright. Many buildings throughout the region were designed by the famous architect. Today, a Frank Lloyd Wright memorial stands in North Scottsdale and a major street bears his name.

From the 1950s through the 1970s, several large manufacturing companies in the Scottsdale and Tempe areas used the solvent trichloroethylene (TCE) in their manufacturing and operating processes.[2] In 1981, TCE began to show up in two Scottsdale drinking wells, and in 1983, the Indian Bend Wash superfund site was listed on the Environmental Protection Agency's National Priorities List.[2] Physical construction of cleanup systems was completed by 2006, with soil cleanup expected to be completed in five years and groundwater cleanup completed in 30 years.

Real estate development had begun in what is now the Old Town area, and moved south. With Phoenix bordering the west and an Indian reservation bordering the east, the town (which is now the long, narrow, extreme southern portion of Scottsdale) developed its narrow shape, stopped by Tempe in the south, and an enormous privately owned ranch, McCormick Ranch to the north. Indian Bend Wash, a rarely flowing river (completely dry otherwise), bisected the city lengthwise, and the normally dry riverbed carried a significant river of water during what were supposed to be rare periods of heavy rains, so called "99 year floods", flowing into the long dammed up Salt River. As the city was home to mostly lower middle class suburbanites, there was no money for bridges over such a rarely running, normally dry river, so even major roads that crossed it simply ran right down into the river bed and out the other side. It flowed several times in the 60s during a succession of floods that were only supposed to occur every 99 years.

As Indian Bend Wash flowed more and more frequently in the late 1960s, federal tax dollars were allocated to allow the Army Corps of Engineers to cement Indian Bend Wash as a large canal, and build bridges over it, similar to the storm drains of Los Angeles, but using wider canals. Doing so would allow the condemnation and purchase of the houses that had been built in the wash, that the Federal government was required, under the Federal flood insurance laws at the time, to rebuild each time the wash flowed. However, it was believed that grass would channel the water as effectively as a cement canal, and a vote was held to determine whether the city should use the federal money allocated for the cement canal to build a system of parks and golf courses in the bottom of Indian Bend Wash instead of a cement canal. Because it would bisect the long narrow city, this system of parks and golf courses would be within biking range of nearly every child in the city and very near houses and condos in which retirees might want to live.

However, the Army Corps favored the canal as a tried and true approach, the idea of grass to channel flood water in a wash was untried, the grass would have to be watered, and the mud from the now more frequently flowing wash would have to be removed from the parks when it flowed, increasing maintenance costs. Although it would require increased property taxes to maintain that the cement canal would not, and was somewhat controversial at the time, the city voted to install the system of parks and golf courses in the Wash, a move that was seen as bold, by a city that was at that time, not particularly wealthy. The park and golf course system was built in such a way as to minimize damage when the water flowed, placing buildings up high on berms, and leaving the remainder as grass, ponds or streams, relatively immune from water damage. The system worked as a flood control channel, and has been retained as parkland or golf courses ever since. The success of the park and golf course system paid off: because the parks and golf courses followed closely on the heels of the mass production of affordable heat pump air conditioners in the 1950s, Scottsdale quickly became a city to which families and retirees wanted to move. The city, still relatively poor, overspent on the park system, building the El Dorado public pool in a protected berm at one edge of the wash, for example, and ran out of federal money to build all of the bridges over the wash. However, the channeling of the wash allowed condos to be built in places along its newly narrowed western border, and money from the taxes paid on the newly usable land was used to finally complete the bridges years later.

Its money having been spent on the park system, the city of Scottsdale allowed the downtown area, immediately to the east of the central shopping district on Scottsdale Blvd. to decay, and by the early 1970s, the area became a swath of old abandoned wooden buildings with broken windows. However, shortly after the park system was built, Ms. McCormick, the owner of McCormick Ranch, died, and instead of preserving the ranch as mostly scrub land, the McCormick ranch/Scottsdale Ranch area of Scottsdale was developed into homes and business parks, and began to generate tax revenues for the city. Because of the rising status of the city from the newly-built parks and golf course system, the developers were able to upgrade the houses they built in what became the McCormick Ranch/Scottsdale Ranch portions of the city, which opened up Scottsdale to the north and added a wide eastern portion, bulging on the middle of the map shown above. The nouveau riche that quickly filled these more expensive homes became the butt of many jokes and the source of the "Snottsdale" or "Snobbsdale" nickname. Nevertheless, the tax money that the city received from the development of McCormick Ranch was used to purchase the dilapidated area adjacent to Old Town via its powers of eminent domain, demolish the few remaining wooden buildings that had not by then been burned to the ground by vandals, and build a performing arts center and a restaurant row in place of part of it. The upscale locally owned restaurants that had been leaving the downtown area because of the blight were invited to be the first tenants in the restaurant row if they stayed in the area in the difficult years in which it and the arts center were built, and when the arts center and restaurants opened in the late to mid 1970s, it became another draw for the city.

Seeing the once narrow city of Scottsdale annex area to the north and east, the city of Phoenix annexed a then undeveloped six foot wide, miles long stretch of county land north of Phoenix, immediately to the west of McCormick Ranch, effectively extending that western boundary for miles. Because city services would have to be provided on any annexed land, the merely 6 foot wide limit allowed Phoenix to annex the portion inexpensively, yet the annexation effectively blocked Scottsdale from annexing over the strip, thus preserving the mostly straight border of Phoenix and Scottsdale that exists today.

During this period, the city government of Scottsdale was seen as one with progressive ideas. To the dismay of many businesses, the city passed one of the earliest sign ordinances, restricting the size and height of signs and billboards. The city stated it was protecting the safety of its residents, which it claimed were getting into traffic accidents craning their necks to see higher signs. The ordinance was highly controversial at the time and the city was taken to the U.S. Supreme Court, but now such ordinances are common. Scottsdale also contracted out its fire department in what was to be a wave of the privatization of operations of city government that never materialized. Afraid of lawsuits if it used the red color of firetrucks of other cities in the U.S., the company that took over the contract painted the fire engines a fluorescent greenish yellow. The city also developed the first robot arm garbage truck, replacing crews who dumped cans into a train of open trailers pulled by a truck, with a single operator sitting in an air conditioned cab.

From its official incorporation in 1951 with a population of 2000, the town of Scottsdale has grown to a 2007 Census of 240,710. It is now the state's sixth-largest city. Scottsdale is commonly defined by its high quality of life, and in 1993 was named the "Most Livable City," in the United States by the United States Conference of Mayors. This title is notoriously lampooned across the state because of the high cost of living in Scottsdale. It is continually ranked as one of the premier golf and resort destinations in the world, with a sizable portion of tax revenue being derived from tourism. It is also home to the FBR Open Golf Tournament held at the Tournament Players Club in North Scottsdale, which carries the distinction of the best-attended event on the PGA Tour.

Geography

Scottsdale is located at 33°29′35″N, 111°55′34″W (33.493118, -111.926097)[5]. The city is located in the Salt River Valley, or the, "Valley of the Sun," in the northern reaches of the Sonoran Desert. Immediately to the east and northeast of Scottsdale is the McDowell Mountain Range. Scottsdale borders the city of Phoenix and town of Paradise Valley to the west, Tempe to the south, and Fountain Hills to the east.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 477.7 km² (184.4 mi²). 477.1 km² (184.2 mi²) of it is land and 0.6 km² (0.2 mi²) of it (0.12%) is water.

Climate

Scottsdale's climate is arid. Winters are mild and summers are very hot. The lowest temperature ever recorded in the city is 19.0°F, on February 20, 1955, and the highest temperature ever recorded is 119.0°F, on June 26, 1970 and August 2, 1972.

Cityscape

The city is loosely divided into four areas: South Scottsdale (McKellips Road north to Chaparral Road), Old Town (Downtown) Scottsdale, Central Scottsdale (also known as the, "Shea Corridor"; extends from Chaparral Road north to Shea Boulevard), and North Scottsdale. The real estate market in Scottsdale is among the most expensive in the United States. In 2005, both Scottsdale and Paradise Valley were among the top ten markets in the nation for luxury home sales, and the only two cities outside of California. Paradise Valley was ranked ninth with $637 million in luxury home sales, while Scottsdale was ranked tenth with $594 million in luxury home sales.

South Scottsdale has been known for many years as more or less the working class region of Scottsdale, although today it is transforming into a dynamic urban area. It contains the major nightlife for the area and is a major art center of metro Phoenix. The median resale home price is $291,500, compared to $667,450 in North Scottsdale. A portion of McDowell Road in South Scottsdale is known as '"Motor Mile,'" with 32 dealerships represented along the street. The strip generates over $10 million in sale tax revenue each year and is one of the most profitable auto-miles in the United States. South Scottsdale will also soon be home to a new research center for Arizona State University, known as Sky Song. The development has attracted the research and development arms of a number of international corporations.

Old Town Scottsdale is an area with many streets, stores, restaurants, bars, nightclubs, and western art galleries evoking the old cowboy era. Scottsdale's main cultural district is also in this area, which includes the high-end Scottsdale Fashion Square Mall, one of the twenty largest malls in the United States. The district has currently seen a revival, with new condominiums and hotels under construction.

The Shea Corridor is so named because it is in close proximity to the east-west running Shea Boulevard. The homes in this region were generally built during the 1970s. Despite their older age, real estate in the Shea Corridor (Central Scottsdale) has increased during the 1990s, and overall, the Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale real estate market has seen the largest gain in home prices in the nation, with a 38.4% increase in value. There are a number of communities in this central region of Scottsdale that remain among the most highly-desired residential areas in the metropolitan area, including Gainey Ranch and McCormick Ranch. A large portion of Scottsdale Road in the Shea Corridor has been dubbed Resort Corridor for the high number of resorts locating on the street. The second Ritz Carlton in the Phoenix metropolitan area will be constructed along this corridor.

North Scottsdale is currently the most actively developed area of Scottsdale as it was historically the least built up. This portion of the city also claims many of the most expensive homes in the country, with many exceeding $5 million in value. The city's borders rapidly expand to the east and west in this area, containing the McDowell Mountain range. Troon is a large-scale development in North Scottsdale. Much of the residential boom in North Scottsdale is driven by the fast growth of Scottsdale Airpark, the second largest employment center in the Phoenix metropolitan, and estimated to become the largest by 2010. The Scottsdale Airpark, home to over 55,000 employees, 2,600 businesses and 23 million square feet of office space is expected to continue growing by over 3,000 employees per year. Many important companies are headquartered or have regional headquarters in the park, including AXA, GE Capital, DHL, Discount Tire Company, Fidelity Investments, JDA Software and The Vanguard Group.

Economy

See also: List of major corporations in Phoenix

The tourism industry is Scottsdale's primary employer, accounting for 39% of the city's workforce. In 2005, 7.5 million visitors stayed in the city, providing an economic impact of $3.1 billion. The city is home to more than 70 resorts and hotels, with five of them listed as AAA Five-Diamond hotels in 2008, the second most of any city, behind New York City (The Phoenician, The Canyon Suites, Scottsdale Camelback Inn, Four Seasons Resort Scottsdale at Troon North, and the Fairmont Princess Resort and Spa). Scottsdale also boasts the highest number of resort spas per capita of any city in the U.S, earning the city a national recognition as an ideal destination for relaxation. The city's year-round warm weather is a great factor in its appeal, as many tourists from the midwest (known locally as "snowbirds") flood the community during the winter season, and many also purchase second homes in the area.

Mayo Clinic has one of its three major locations in Scottsdale, as well as a hospital.

The aviation industry has also grown in Scottsdale, with the Scottsdale Airport, which opened in the 1960s. By 2004, the airpark area around the airport employed nearly 50,000 people, and housed 2,200 businesses with a combined economic impact of $3 billion annually.

Notable companies that locate their headquarters in Scottsdale include a Fortune 500 company, Allied Waste, private fire protection and medical transportation company Rural Metro, web address registrar Go Daddy, the corprate headquarters of Fender Musical Instruments Corporation, Cold Stone Creamery, and electroshock gun company TASER International.

Old Town

In the late 90s, residential and resort development pushed north, driving residents out of downtown Scottsdale and relocating to the northern fringes. For several years, the downtown core suffered. Most stores and shops sold Indian and Western trinkets, losing appeal to younger residents. [21] However, the recent developments, have pushed more residents downtown and transformed downtown Scottsdale into one of the densest urban developments in the Phoenix area. Over a thousand new luxury condomium units are slated to be built in the heart of downtown Scottsdale, most starting at $1 million. These developments include Optima Camelview Village, Safari Drive, Portales Place, the Residences at Main Street Plaza, Third Avenue Lofts, and X Lofts. By 2008, downtown is expected to have over 6,500 residents, up from 1,500 in 2000.

Safari Drive, developed on the north-east corner of Scottsdale and Camelback, will create more street-scape retail to complement the currently present Design Within Reach, Bombay Company, and haus. The development has already signed several leases, including Sprinkles, the popular cupcake cafe in Beverly Hills, California and Scottsdale's first American Apparel.

In addition, a plethora of luxury hotels and mixed-use developments have sprung up along the once desolate canal, including the W Scottsdale, Hyatt Place at Old Town, Hotel Valley Ho, Scottsdale Mondrian, Firesky Resort & Spa, and the British Hotel Indigo. Many renowned and trendy restaurants have also recently opened in the midst of Scottsdale's revitalization, including New York's Asia de Cuba, London's Roka, Hollywood's Saddle Ranch Chop House and Beverly Hills' Sushi Roku.

Scottsdale Waterfront

Marshall Way shops at Scottsdale Waterfront Adjacent to Nordstrom at Scottsdale Fashion Square is the newly built retail center known as the Scottsdale Waterfront, featuring several upscale eateries and boutiques. The Scottsdale Waterfront is so named because it is located along 1,800 linear feet of the Arizona Canal and is one of the first phases of a master plan to create a pedestrian-friendly experience comparable to the well-known San Antonio Riverwalk. The twin 13-story Scottsdale Waterfront residential towers are the most prominent addition to the downtown skyline, with condominiums pricing as high as $4.5 million or $1,000 per square foot. Each tower has a rooftop pool and spa with views of the entire city.

The outdoor entrances of Sephora and Anthropologie allow for access to the Scottsdale Waterfront retail and restaurant center across Camelback Road. Pink Taco, a restaurant originally begun at the Hard Rock Cafe in Las Vegas, opened its second restaurant location here, creating controversy not only locally, but also debated nationally, most significantly on Jon Stewart's The Daily Show. The center has Scottsdale's only Urban Outfitters and several local boutiques including Mahsa, Estilo, and Twist, carrying upscale brands such as Chloé, Catherine Malandrino, Stella McCartney, Zac Posen, Sass & Bide, Bulga and others.

Other restaurants and shops include Sur La Table, Borders, P.F. Chang's China Bistro, Isaac Jewelers, Wildfish Seafood Grille, Sauce Pizza & Wine, and Olive & Ivy.

SouthBridge

Groundbreaking for a new $41 million retail/residential mixed-use project began in mid-2006. The European-style development will be fronted by Jennifer Croll and Fred Unger. The center, located directly across the canal from the Waterfront, is leased only to independent eateries and boutiques, turning away prominent national retailers. The development includes the construction of a bridge over the canal to adjoin Fashion Square to Old Town and 5th Avenue shops. The center has opened six restaurants: the cafe The Foodbar, European-fusion restaurant Canal, the Mediterranean Estate House, Italian Digestif, Mexican Standoff, Sea Saw and Shell Shock. Over 20 local boutiques have also opened, carrying exclusive brands like Badgley Mischka, Marc Bouwer, Little Marc by Marc Jacobs, Tom Ford, Jean Paul Gaultier, Missoni, and John Varvatos. The project also includes a variety of office users in the floors above the eateries and shops.

Arts and culture

Scottsdale is known for its affluent culture and high society. The city boasts many luxury restaurants, bars, nightclubs, golf courses, art galleries, and other cultural diversions. Many residents are often stereotyped as being somewhat arrogant, and some mockingly refer to the city by such nicknames as "Snottsdale" or "Snobsdale." Scottsdale's affluent culture has been depicted by shows such as MTV's My Super Sweet 16, which filmed an episode in the area in 2006, and by the short-lived CBS reality show Tuesday Night Book Club.

Annual cultural events and fairs

The West's Most Western Town prides itself in its rich Western cowboy history, preserving while heavily promoting its plethora of "western" activities and events. The renowned Scottsdale Arabian Horse Show has been a Scottsdale tradition since 1955. Today, the show attracts thousands of visitors and tourists, hoping to catch a glimpse of nearly 2000 purebred Arabian and Half-Arabian horses competing for various prizes and recognition. The show also features over 300 vendors and exhibitions, and over 25 demonstrations and shows.

Perhaps the most famous present-day cowboy event is the Scottsdale Jaycees Parada del Sol, an annual month long event held in Scottsdale since 1954. Originally named The Sunshine Festival, the PRCA Rodeo was added in 1956. Cowboys and cowgirls from across the nation converge in Scottsdale to participate in this cultural and historical event. The event begins each year with the Parada del Sol Parade, the world's largest horse-drawn parade with over 150 entries in any given year.

North Scottsdale hosts the Barrett-Jackson Auto Show, an auto enthusiast's and collector's auction, in January of every year. The show features many exotic automobiles, and attracts car enthusiasts from all over the world.

Museums and art galleries

Taliesin West, architect Frank Lloyd Wright's winter home and school in Scottsdale.Scottsdale is home to more than 125 art galleries. The city has quickly become a center for art in the United States. Its galleries are most famous for western and Native American themed art. The Scottsdale Gallery Association sponsors a weekly Art Walk on Thursday evenings, featuring many prominent artists.

Located in Old Town is Scottsdale's performing arts district. The Scottsdale Center for the Arts hosts musicals and plays, with several open-ended performances including the nationwide Menopause: The Musical and Arizona's longest running show, The Late Night Catechism.

Taliesin West, architect Frank Lloyd Wright's winter home and school from 1937 until 1959, is also a popular tourist attraction. Wright also designed the Gammage Auditorium in nearby Tempe.

Also in this district since 1971 is the Scottsdale Arts Festival. Held every March, the Festival draws more than 40,000 visitors over a three-day weekend. It is Scottsdale's oldest arts festival, with proceeds supporting the Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts' arts education and community outreach programs. The Festival includes arts and fine crafts for sale, as well as presentations, performances and demonstrations.

Shopping

Interior view of Scottsdale Fashion Square.In the past decade, Scottsdale has become the shopping destination of both the Phoenix metropolitan area and the Southwest United States. The town is home to many upscale and high-end boutiques and shops, with many stores such as Tiffany and Co. reporting their Scottsdale location as one of the highest sales per square foot in the nation. There are more than 15 shopping centers, including the more upscale Kierland Commons and Scottsdale Fashion Square. The shopping centers in Scottsdale claim dozens of unique marque brands to both Phoenix and the Southwestern region.

More recently, Scottsdale has experienced a large influx of international luxury stores and has been named as one of the top growing retail markets in the United States. Including the Barneys New York expansion at Scottsdale Fashion Square, the city currently has two additional upscale shopping complexes under construction - Scottsdale Quarter and One Scottsdale. Scottsdale Quarter is under construction on the lot previously occupied by Dial. The center is planned to be connected to Kierland Commons by an overpass.

One Scottsdale, a collaboration between Macerich and DMB Associates, aims to be the next luxury retail center for the Phoenix Area. In a three-mile radius, the center sees an average household income of $110,292, and its 10-mile zone has more households earning over $100,000 than several famous retail destinations, including Bal Harbour, Naples, Aspen, and The Hamptons.

The city also recently hosted its first Scottsdale Fashion Week, featuring runway shows from over 20 local designers and dozens of influential international designers, including Kate Spade, St. John, Betsey Johnson, Façonnable, and Pineda Covalin.