How scary is South Scottsdale?? (Phoenix, Chandler: apartments, city hall, crimes)

[aikanae]

There is a big difference between N. Scottsdale and S. Scottsdale. North of Shea, the average income is well in the mid six figures. South of Thomas and the average income is .... well, average for the rest of Arizona. North of Shea, it is bright white (no minorities). Everybody else ... well, they live with average people. Scottsdale is notorious for not-in-my-backyard. So if your a school teacher, CNA, janitor, hairdresser, work at Starbucks, don't expect open arms in North Scottsdale. The servants (work-force) need to live elsewhere.

That should be your priority. The snobbery of N. Scottsdale is thick and heavy. If you've got a sense of humor, it's funny. There's nothing like watching a line of Hummers dropping kids off at High School.

S. Scottsdale is extremely average. A lot of places don't have HOA's (YEAH!) and so yards are mis-matched, no formal landscaping rules, more like old fashioned neighborhoods. I live between McKellips - McDowell, Miller-Hayden area and it's possible to see people out walking at night. There is a huge regional park, several year around lakes, senior centers, everything including freeways.

The biggest problem is there is no more developable land in the area and the city of Scottsdale would rather see high priced condos in the area (starting at 500k) where as most homes now sell for 300k and under. So developers are blasting the area with bad publicity and the City is helping.

S. Scottsdale is not a poverty zone in comparison with any other city but North Scottsdale. It is average for Tempe, Phoenix and Mesa. S. Scottsdale isn't anymore unsafe than anywhere else in the state - I'm surprised people in N. Scottsdale can find the amoured cars to reduce themselves and use Phoenix Sky Harbor airport. It's gotten that silly. They should really transform Scottsdale airport so neither one of us need to bother with each other.

Guess what? People in South Scottsdale actually use the bus, bike and get out of their cars.

Welcome to Scottsdale.

[w1ngzer0]

Originally Posted by Panks

Hi
I read a post that said S. scottsdale has gangs etc, but now I can't find it

really!!! maybe punk high school kids, but gang members? really?!

I used to live on camelback and 68th st. Never heard about any gang related activity(gunshots, screaming, police chases). South side towards tempe was the same, i never felt in "danger."

Do you have a link to this post that you read?

[murphy2823]

North Scottsdale is not totally out of the question. There is a great gated community on Frank Lloyd Wright of small newer (1996+) homes. There are a few listed rightnow from 255,000 - 324,900. It's near the area's shopping district and the surrounding community is safe and beautiful.

the community has one address with house numbers, but the community address is 15550 N Frank Lloyd Wright Blvd, 85260

check out the whole zip code - your price range is still workable in NoSco

[ArizonaBear]

Originally Posted by aikanae

There is a big difference between N. Scottsdale and S. Scottsdale. North of Shea, the average income is well in the mid six figures. South of Thomas and the average income is .... well, average for the rest of Arizona. North of Shea, it is bright white (no minorities). Everybody else ... well, they live with average people. Scottsdale is notorious for not-in-my-backyard. So if your a school teacher, CNA, janitor, hairdresser, work at Starbucks, don't expect open arms in North Scottsdale. The servants (work-force) need to live elsewhere.

That should be your priority. The snobbery of N. Scottsdale is thick and heavy. If you've got a sense of humor, it's funny. There's nothing like watching a line of Hummers dropping kids off at High School.

S. Scottsdale is extremely average. A lot of places don't have HOA's (YEAH!) and so yards are mis-matched, no formal landscaping rules, more like old fashioned neighborhoods. I live between McKellips - McDowell, Miller-Hayden area and it's possible to see people out walking at night. There is a huge regional park, several year around lakes, senior centers, everything including freeways.

The biggest problem is there is no more developable land in the area and the city of Scottsdale would rather see high priced condos in the area (starting at 500k) where as most homes now sell for 300k and under. So developers are blasting the area with bad publicity and the City is helping.

S. Scottsdale is not a poverty zone in comparison with any other city but North Scottsdale. It is average for Tempe, Phoenix and Mesa. S. Scottsdale isn't anymore unsafe than anywhere else in the state - I'm surprised people in N. Scottsdale can find the amoured cars to reduce themselves and use Phoenix Sky Harbor airport. It's gotten that silly. They should really transform Scottsdale airport so neither one of us need to bother with each other.

Guess what? People in South Scottsdale actually use the bus, bike and get out of their cars.

Welcome to Scottsdale.

As you stated-------------I live about 1/2 mile W of you

[joninaz]

I love S. Scottsdale. It's older and unpolished but often the best places to move are the ones ready for a makeover. It's right inbetween the high end, urbanization developments in Old Town and Tempe, but still very affordable. You can get a house with a pool and yard for half of what people are paying for small condos just a few miles north and south. At some point, the ho hum retail areas along Scottsdale Rd. are going to infill with new development. Nature abhors a vacuum and there's certainly a lot of places to develop between the two epicenters of 480 projects. Yes it takes a little while longer in Scottsdale, but the political scene is changing and more open to making stuff happen.

In any case, I had somewhat forgotten the attributes until last weekend when I was entertaining friends visiting from CA. I told them to call me when their plane landed, and I was there to pick them up in 15 minutes, about the time it took them to walk outside. On thur. we crawled Tempe for dinner/drinks the first night, a 10 minute hop. On Fri. we hit Old Town, a 5 minute hop. We walked to about 10 completely different places/scenes and had a blast, and never ventured to the more "see and be seen" clubs. On Saturday it was Phoenix for brekkies, Vincents for lunch and the Clarendon rooftop for Sunset. Again, all relatively short hops. By the end of the visit, these somewhat provincial SoCal lovers were very impressed with our restaurants, scenes, decor, etc.

The crime concerns are minimal. There are some nutty folks and sketchy houses, but no more than any other place. Try living in a beach city and it's 200% worse.

I liken S. Scottsdale to other older hoods near big cities... the values skyrocket when near amenities. There's no room East. North is pricey. East is Arcadia, also pricey. And South is Tempe Town lake, also increasingly pricey. It might be the last place to grab a great deal and be on center square.

It's hard to be positive these days thanks to the economic woes, but everything moves in cycles and at some point things will be better.

[Kevin Beasley]

I just cant agree...I think s. scottsdale is overrated and over priced...I took a listin over there on a 3 br 2 bath home from the 60's No garage or carport...the carport was converted to expande the living room and it actually comped near 300k I've lived here all my life and I just cant get in the S. Scottsdale groove I guess...Oh well different strokes for different folks...

[ivanabacowboy]

I moved here from Cleveland last year. If 68th & Camelback (right by Fashion Square and the infinitely overpriced Optima and canal development???) and everything south of Shea basically is anyone's ideas of gang warfare and ghetto extreme, you have really led a sheltered life. If you want to see real ghetto/gang-turf/slum go to Cleveland. I could show you places there where your South Scottsdale riff-raff would look like innocent school children, and typical South Scottsdale housing would look like well-manicured mansions.

I do think a previous poster was right that if you compare North and South, South is definitely a bit more modest/average. But that doesn't make it a ghetto or all out gangland. Far from it.

[Cindy15161]

Originally Posted by Kevin Beasley

Tweekrville/ usually an area frequented by meth or crack users/dealers. Most cases is accompanied by other criminals, such as thieves, prostitutes, child abuse, forgery experts.

I have never heard that word before? You learn something new everyday! LOL!

[tomahawk72]

Look in Central Scottsdale...between Chaparral and Shea. It's middle class and very safe.

[homlish560]

South Scottsdale isn't gang-banger territory. Where do people get this?????

I went to a nice restaurnt south of Old Town, and the area wasn't run-down or ghettoish at all.

I don't know, maybe I wasn't south enough, I haven't been here all that long. South Scottsdale looks pretty average to me though.