Scottsdale, Arizona

For other uses, see Scottsdale, Scottsdale, and Scottsdale.

City of Scottsdale, Arizona
City
Official seal of City of Scottsdale, Arizona Seal
Nickname:  "The West's Most Western Town"
Location in Maricopa County, Arizona, USA
Country	United States
State	Arizona
County	Maricopa
Government
• Mayor	Mary Manross (D)
Area
• Total	184.2 sq mi (477.7 km2)
• Land	184.0 sq mi (477.1 km2)
• Water	0.2 sq mi (0.6 km2)
Elevation	1,257 ft (380 m)
Population  (2007)
• Total	240,710
• Density	1,305.2/sq mi (503.3/km2)
Time zone	UTC-7 (MST (no DST))
Area code	480
FIPS code	04-65000
Website	http://www.scottsdaleaz.gov/

Scottsdale (O'odham Vaṣai S-vaṣonĭ; Yaqui Eskatel) is a city in the eastern part of Maricopa County, Arizona, United States, adjacent to Phoenix. As of 2007 the population of the city was 240,410. Scottsdale is regarded as an upscale tourist and shopping destination and as a representation of western American style. The New York Times described downtown Scottsdale as "a desert version of Miami's South Beach" and as having "plenty of late night partying and a buzzing hotel scene."

Scottsdale is bordered to the west by Phoenix and Paradise Valley, to the north by Carefree, to the south by Tempe, and to the east by Fountain Hills and the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community.

History

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 been priced out of town or moved into newer homes within Scottsdale; primarily 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 (2.6 km²) 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.

The city was incorporated in 1951. The seal, depicting a mounted cowboy surrounded by a 64-pointed starburst, was designed by Mrs. Gene Brown Pennington.

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. 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. 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 Road 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.

View of suburban development in Scottsdale

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 (1.8 m) wide limit allowed Phoenix to annex the portion inexpensively, yet the annexation effectively blocked Scottsdale

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, 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)Template:GR. 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 (−7.2 °C), on February 20, 1955, and the highest temperature ever recorded is 119.0 °F (48.3 °C), 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 °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," extending 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.

Old Town Scottsdale

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 31 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 seen from Spot Satellite.

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. Real estate in the Shea Corridor (Central Scottsdale) has increased during the 1990s, and overall, the Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale real estate market saw the largest gain in home prices in the nation during the mid-2000s, 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 the 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. 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 23,000,000 square feet (2,100,000 m²) 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

Historical population

Census	Pop.	Note	%±
1930	1,047		—
1940	2,761		163.7%
1950	2,032		−26.4%
1960	10,026		393.4%
1970	67,823		576.5%
1980	88,622		30.7%
1990	130,075		46.8%
2000	202,705		55.8%
2007 (est.)	235,677
source:

As of the censusTemplate:GR of 2000, there were 202,705 people, 290,669 households, and 94,492 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 290,669 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 $151,204 versus $124,739 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. [1]

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, Chinese Bistro P.F. Changs and electroshock gun company TASER International. BMI (British Midland), a British Airline, operates its United States sales office in Scottsdale.

Scottsdale's economy, which had been propped up throughout the beginning of the decade by a real estate boom, has been hit hard by the foreclosure crisis, which led to a 600% increase in foreclosures rounding to about forty thousand residents between 2007 and 2008.

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, Main Street Plaza, The Mark, Third Avenue Lofts, and X-Ten Wine 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. Several hotels are currently slated to open in the district. The new shopping district, Palmeraie, in Old Town will feature Scottsdale's first Ritz-Carlton Hotel and Ian Schrager's Edition Hotel. The environmentally-friendly Element, a new concept by Westin will open along the Arizona Canal in the Southbridge development. Many trendy restaurants have also recently opened in the midst of Scottsdale's revitalization.

Waterfront

File:Scottsdale Waterfront.JPG

Scottsdale Waterfront

File:Scottsdale Waterfront shops.JPG

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 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 Arts District, adjacent to Old Town

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. In 2008 a local radio disc jockey parodied the Flobot's alternative hit "Handlebars" to make fun of the trendy, supercilious nightlife culture in Scottsdale. The opening and closing line "I can ride my bike with no handle bars" was replaced with the parodied "I'm a big douche at the Scottsdale bars." The parody became an immediate local hit and was placed in heavy rotation.

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, 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

File:45768.jpg

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 (5 km) radius, the center sees an average household income of $110,292, and its 10-mile (16 km) zone has more households earning over $100,000 than several famous retail destinations, including Bal Harbour, Naples, Aspen, and The Hamptons.

Palmeraie, a 300,000 square-foot mixed-use project, will be the first major anchorless luxury shopping district in downtown Scottsdale since the failed Scottsdale Galleria in 1991. The district will also be the first major attempt in Arizona to create an urban, street-side luxury retail district outside the typical suburban mall. The district has already received commitments from Hermès, Yves Saint Laurent, and John Varvatos.

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.

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.

Hiking features predominantly in local recreation activities. Citizens flock ritually to local favorite Camelback Mountain as well as the more recently developed McDowell Sonoran Preserve.

Government

Scottsdale City Hall

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 acting city manager is John Little.

The distinctive Scottsdale City Hall was designed by architect Bennie Gonzales in 1968, and was designed with an interior kiva for community meetings.

Transportation

Main article: Metropolitan Phoenix Freeways

Scottsdale has easy area freeway access, as it is 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 (IATA: PHX, ICAO: KPHX) in Phoenix. The city is also home to Scottsdale Municipal Airport (IATA: SDL, ICAO: KSDL), 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 510-512. 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.

Two (rubber-tired) "trolley" routes provide free service: the Downtown Trolley connects the Loloma Station transit center with downtown shopping and attractions; and the Neighborhood Trolley circulates from Loloma to the Civic Center, Coronado High School, the Granite Reef Senior Center, Tonalea Elementary, and the Paiute Neighborhood center, with a connection to the free Tempe Orbit Earth shuttle at Roosevelt Road near Scottsdale Road.[2]

Scottsdale has been recognized by the League of American Bicyclists as a Bicycle Friendly Community at the Silver Level.

Education

See also: List of school districts in Phoenix, Arizona

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.:

• Álamos (Mexico)
• Cairns, Queensland (Australia)
• Interlaken (Switzerland)
• Kingston, Ontario (Canada)
• Marrakech, Morocco (Morocco) - in process

See also

• List of famous people from the Phoenix metropolitan area
• List of films shot in Scottsdale
• List of radio stations in Arizona

External links

• Official City Website
• Scottsdale Sister Cities Official Website
• Template:Wikitravel
• Scottsdale Area Chamber of Commerce
• Scottsdale Junior Chamber (Jaycees)
• Scottsdale Convention and Visitors Bureau
• Scottsdale Tourist Information, Activities, Tours, and Golf