 Scottsdale; The crown Jewel of Phoenix. Home to all the amenities and shopping you could want, and boasting one of the best school districts in the entire Valley. However, there is a price you pay for all of this: Higher property values.
Since its founding in 1888 by United States Army Chaplain Winfield Scott, Scottsdale has grown from a collection of cattle ranches and citrus farms into a cosmopolitan community of young up-and-comers, financially comfortable middle-agers and retirees enjoying their just rewards. The city's resort lifestyle extends far beyond the grounds of its expansive hotels. Many housing developments feature golf courses and recreational complexes, with shopping and other amenities just a bike ride away.
Although cattle ranching in the area is long gone, vast multi-development neighborhoods, such as McCormick Ranch and Gainey Ranch still bear the names of the early newcomers, primarily wealthy Midwesterners, who amassed the land holding which they built.
For a city in the middle of the Sonoran Desert, Scottsdale is remarkably green. Contributing to this verdant landscape are lush, nationally acclaimed golf courses and Indian Bend Wash, the center piece of Scottsdale's extensive recreational amenities. This 15 mile long ribbon of greenbelt, which extends down the middle of the vertically drawn city, is bordered by several parks that feature bike paths, small fishing lakes and recreational complexes. It is also home to the Spring Training site of the San Francisco Giants.
Interest in culture and the arts is especially strong in Scottsdale. The Scottsdale Center for the Arts host an eclectic mix of intimate classical and modern concerts and other live performances.
With a median age of 42, Scottsdale's demographics reflect a significant segment of residents over age 45 (40 percent). This has helped build a burgeoning medical community that includes the western campus of the Mayo Clinic. As of 2004 the population of Scottsdale was 221, 000 an increase of 70% over 1990-2004.
Because Scottsdale borders Phoenix to the west, Tempe to the south and the Salt River Pima Indian Community to the east, new commercial and residential construction continues to expand rapidly towards Scottsdale's northern city limits. Here, the cactus studded Sonoran Desert is dominant, Harris hawks circle the blue sky and the McDowell Mountains provide a picturesque backdrop to one of the southwest most sophisticated cities.
The completion of the 101 Loop Freeway, into the once secluded NE Scottsdale, has now helped people move into this picturesque corner of the Valley, thus driving home prices even higher.
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