Everything about Scottsdale Arizona totally explained
Scottsdale (
O'odham Vaṣai S-vaṣonĭ;
Yaqui Eskatel) is a city in eastern part of
Maricopa County,
Arizona,
United States, adjacent to
Phoenix. Scottsdale has become internationally recognized as a premier, upscale tourist destination, while maintaining its own identity and culture as "The West's Most Western Town". It is bordered to the north by
Cave Creek, and to the south by
Tempe.
Currently, North Scottsdale is the most actively developed area of the city. This portion of the city claims many of the most expensive homes, with many exceeding
$5 million in value. According to the 2007 Census Bureau estimates, the population of the city was 240,410. 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.
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, which carries the distinction of the best-attended event on the
PGA Tour.
Geography
Scottsdale is located at (33.493118, -111.926097). 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's 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.
| Month |
Jan |
Feb |
Mar |
Apr |
May |
Jun |
Jul |
Aug |
Sep |
Oct |
Nov |
Dec |
| Rec. high °F (°C) | 87 (30.6) |
92 (33.3) |
99 (37.2) |
105 (40.6) |
112 (44.4) |
119 (48.3) |
118 (47.8) |
119 (48.3) |
113 (45) |
108 (42.2) |
95 (35) |
85 (29.4)
|
| Avg high °F (°C) | 68 (20) |
72 (22.2) |
77 (25) |
85 (29.4) |
92 (33.3) |
101 (38.3) |
104 (40) |
103 (39.4) |
99 (37.2) |
89 (31.6) |
77 (25) |
68 (20)
|
| Avg low temperature °F (°C) | 40 (4.4) |
43 (6.1) |
47 (8.3) |
52 (11.1) |
60 (15.6) |
68 (20) |
76 (24.4) |
75 (23.9) |
69 (20.6) |
58 (14.4) |
46 (7.8) |
40 (4.4)
|
| Rec. low °F (°C) | 21 (-6.1) |
19 (-7.2) |
24 (-4.4) |
30 (-1.1) |
35 (1.7) |
45 (7.2) |
53 (11.7) |
52 (11.1) |
45 (7.2) |
26 (-3.3) |
23 (-5) |
20 (-6.7)
|
| Avg precipitation in. (mm) | 1.01 (25.7) |
1.04 (26.4) |
1.15 (29.2) |
0.25 (6.4) |
0.21 (5.3) |
0.07 (1.8) |
0.89 (22.6) |
1.20 (30.5) |
0.86 (21.9) |
0.85 (21.6) |
0.80 (20.3) |
1.03 (26.2)
|
| Source: Weather.com |
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's 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's 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.
Demographics
As of the
census of 2000, there were 202,705 people, 90,669 households, and 54,492 families residing in the city. The
population density was 424.9/km² (1,100.4/mi²). There were 104,974 housing units at an average density of 220.0/km² (569.9/mi²). The racial makeup of the city was 90.19%
White, 1.23%
Black or
African American, 0.61%
Native American, 1.96%
Asian, 0.08%
Pacific Islander, 2.27% from
other races, and 1.65% from two or more races. 6.96% of the population were
Hispanic or
Latino of any race.
There were 90,669 households out of which 22.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.6% were
married couples living together, 7.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 39.9% were non-families. 30.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 9.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.22 and the average family size was 2.79.
In the city the population was spread out with 19.3% under the age of 18, 6.6% from 18 to 24, 30.4% from 25 to 44, 26.9% from 45 to 64, and 16.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females there were 93.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.5 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $57,484, and the median income for a family was $73,846. Males had a median income of $51,204 versus $34,739 for females. The
per capita income for the city was $39,158. About 3.4% of families and 5.8% of the population were below the
poverty line, including 5.4% of those under age 18 and 5.9% of those age 65 or over.
According to a 2006 estimate, the median income for a household in the city was $69,017, and the median income for a family was $95,361.
(External Link
)
Economy
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, Chinese Bistro
P.F. Changs 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. 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 stores.
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.
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's 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 along the lines of the
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.
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.
SouthBridge
Groundbreaking for a new $41 million retail/residential mixed-use project began in mid-2006. The European-style 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 and over 20 local boutiques. 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
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
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.
Nightlife
Named by the
New York Times as one of the "hippest and most happening" places, Scottsdale is home to a wide variety of
nightclubs and
bars. The clubs, restaurants and trendy hotels have shifted their focus over the past decade to cater to a "young, fashion-conscious crowd" The city has dozens of bars and more than 50 clubs, 30 of which are located in Old Town (four of which have earned the distinction as one of the Top 100 Nightclubs and Bars by
Nightclub and Bar Magazine.) The clubs located in Old Town and Fifth Avenue attract a late-night crowd of over 40,000 on weekends.
To raise its national profile, Scottsdale has recently begun hosting the annual
Scottsdale's Ultimate Block Party on
New Year's Eve. The New Year's Eve party attracted over 10,000 visitors in
2007. The city also has many smaller, small town type venues like the Sandbar and Stoudamire's. Great places for young and old.
Sports and recreation
There are no
major league professional team sports in Scottsdale. Many residents follow the teams in nearby
Phoenix and
Glendale. The city is the
spring training home of the
San Francisco Giants, who practice at
Scottsdale Stadium. Scottsdale Stadium also hosts the
Scottsdale Scorpions, a
minor league baseball team in the
Arizona Fall League.
Scottsdale is widely known as a premier destination in the United States for
golf. The
FBR Open Golf Tournament is held annually each spring at the
Tournament Players Club, and the city is home to more than 200 area courses offering layouts that range from the rolling green fairways of traditional courses to desert golf designs. In 2006, the
Robb Report cited Scottsdale as, "America's Best Place to Live for Golf." The
Boulders Resort & Golden Spa and
Four Seasons Resort Scottsdale at Troon North were selected in 2005 as the second and fourth best golf resorts in the nation by
Travel & Leisure Golf Magazine. Other notable golf courses in the area include Desert Mountain, Grayhawk, and Desert Highlands.
Government
Scottsdale is governed by a
mayor and
city council, all of whom are elected "at large" to represent the entire city. A
city manager is responsible for the executive leadership of the city staff, as well as implementing council policies, developing programs and budgets to respond to council goals, and ensuring that citizens receive effective and efficient city services. The city manager also serves as the city treasurer.
The current
mayor is Mary Manross (term ends June 2008), and the current members of the
city council are Betty Drake, Wayne Ecton, W.J. "Jim" Lane, Robert Littlefield, Ron McCullagh, and Tony Nelssen. The current
city manager is Janet M. Dolan.
Transportation
Scottsdale has easy
area freeway access, as it's located along
State Route 101, which provides access to nearby
Phoenix,
Tempe,
Mesa,
Chandler, and other cities in the metro area. The
speed limit on Loop 101, as well as on many city streets, has been enforced since February 2007 by
photo radar.
Commercial air travel is served primarily by
Sky Harbor International Airport in
Phoenix. The city is also home to
Scottsdale Municipal Airport, a single-runway airport with over 500 operations per day. While the airport serves some tour and commuter flights, the plurality of aircraft operations are transient
general aviation traffic.
Valley Metro provides frequent bus service on lines Green (Thomas Road), 17 (McDowell Road), 41 (Indian School), 50 (Camelback), 66 (Mill/68th Street), 72 (Scottsdale Road), 76 (Miller), 81 (Hayden Road), 84 (Granite Reef), 106 (Peoria/Shea), 114 (Via Linda), 154 (Greenway), 170 (Bell Road), and Express Routes 510 and 512. An extension of the
METRO light rail system, or modern streetcar service, along Scottsdale Road has been discussed as part of Scottsdale's
Transportation Master Plan.
Scottsdale has been recognized by the League of American Bicyclists as a Bicycle Friendly Community at the Silver Level.
Education
Public education in Scottsdale is provided for primarily by the
Scottsdale Unified School District. A minority of the outlying parts of town fall under other school districts in the Phoenix Metro Area, including the
Cave Creek Unified School District,
Paradise Valley Unified School District,
Phoenix Union High School District,
Tempe Union High School District, and the
Balsz Elementary School District.
There are five major
high schools in Scottsdale:
Chaparral High School,
Coronado High School, Horizon High School,
Desert Mountain High School, and
Saguaro High School.
The primary institution of higher education in the city is
Scottsdale Community College, although the college actually lies within the boundaries of the
Salt River Pima Maricopa Indian Reservation. Many students also commute to nearby
Arizona State University in
Tempe.
Scottsdale is also home of the
International School of Arizona, a non-profit language immersion school that teaches children classes in a foreign language (French or Spanish).
Sister cities
Scottsdale has five
sister cities, as designated by Sister Cities International, Inc.:
Further Information
Get more info on 'Scottsdale Arizona'.
|
External Link Exchanges
Do you know how hard it is to get a link from a large encyclopaedia? Well we're different and will prove it. To get a link from us just add the following HTML to your site on a relevant page:
<a href="http://scottsdale__arizona.totallyexplained.com">Scottsdale, Arizona Totally Explained</a>
Then simply click through this link from your web page. Our crawlers will verify your link, extract the title of your web page and instantly add a link back to it. If you like you can remove the words Totally Explained and embed the link in article text.
As long as your link remains in place, we'll keep our link to you right here. Please play fair - our crawlers are watching. Your site must be closely related to this one's topic. Any kind of spamming, dubious practises or removing the link will result in your link from us being dropped and, potentially, your whole site being banned. |
