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Scottsdale
With a population of 242,000 (2000 census), Scottsdale isn’t a small town. This east valley community is a mecca for tourists, small-to-medium size employers, shopping and dining.
The median age of a Scottsdale resident is 41 years, versus 33 years for greater Phoenix. Scottsdale residents are a little more educated than their valley neighbors:
| |
Scottsdale |
Greater Phoenix |
| Graduate degree |
14.7% |
8.7% |
| Bachelor degree |
29.4% |
17.1% |
Arts are big in Scottsdale, with the dozens of galleries and several large art shows in the winter. The Phoenix Open is a big event in the winter. Four of the top 100 golf courses listed in Golf Magazine were in Scottsdale.
One of the largest master-planned communities in Scottsdale is McCormick Ranch, an older community built around the 1970’s. With 23,000 residents, McCormick Ranch offers130 acres of man-made lakes biking and hiking trails, public tennis courts and two 18-hole golf courses.
Scottsdale has a high concentration of high-tech businesses, though most of the large employers of high-tech jobs (like Honeywell and Intel) are spread around other parts of the valley. High-end shopping is concentrated in Scottsdale, as are many of the best restaurants in the valley.
One of the biggest revenue generators in Scottsdale is tourism, with over 15,000 rooms available in the area. Some of these hotels have inexpensive rates for the summer, allowing us locals to enjoy them at reduced prices.
Visiting Scottsdale? For upscale indoor shopping (great for a summer afternoon), visit Scottsdale Fashion Square, on the northwest corner of Camelback Road and Scottsdale Road. With over 1.9 million square feet of air conditioned space, you can spend a day here. For a nice outdoor shopping experience, visit Old Town Scottsdale, which is nearby Fashion Square Mall. In a small area just west of Scottsdale Road (turn West at Stetson Drive/5th Avenue), Old Town Scottsdale has art galleries, gifts and eclectic stores, and a few small restaurants. For evening fun, try the Kazimierz Wine bar.
Paradise Valley
With large lots and most homes over a million, Paradise Valley is an exclusive town. The majority of the 5,000 lots in Paradise Valley are zoned as one-acre properties, an anomaly in Phoenix metropolitan area. Paradise Valley consists of mostly resorts (Camelback Inn, Mountain Shadows Resort) and homes, which bring a desert feel to the middle of the Valley sprawl.
Visiting Paradise Valley? For outdoor exercise, hike up Camelback mountain (which technically is in Phoenix, but sits right next to Paradise Valley). Not for the weak-hearted, this strenuous hike rewards with beautiful views of the valley. The Echo Canyon entrance to Camelback Mountain is located on McDonald Drive in Paradise Valley, just west of Tatum Boulevard. It can be crowded during popular times. The path winds 1.16 miles up to the summit of the 2,704 foot peak, which happens to be the highest peak in Phoenix. It's a steep, uphill climb that averages a climb of 100 feet per tenth of a mile. Railings have been installed in certain areas and are quite helpful. Bring water and watch your step so you don’t become a statistic – one of those hikers that has to be medi-vac’d by helicopter.
Fountain Hills
Fountain Hills is a town of 17 square miles, and is off of Highway 87, the road many Phoenicians take to the cool country in north-eastern Arizona. The town has 20,000 residents with the median age of 46.4. Because of the size and the fact that it is geographically separated from the rest of the valley, it has more of a small-town feel than its neighbor Scottsdale.
The town of Fountain Hills has a mixture of older homes (built in the 80’s and newer homes) and condominiums.
Visiting Fountain Hills? Go see the Fountain close up! Fountain Park is located on Saguaro Blvd. between El Lago and Palisades Blvd. and includes 64 acres of recreational space.
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