SCOTTSDALE, AZ - to any locals, need info. (Phoenix, Tempe: relocate, travel)

[missusparsons]

I live in Scottsdale (near Old Town) and I think it is great.

My family chose the area because of its overall quality of life and location. The South/Mid-Scottsdale area is really central to everything in east Phoenix: jobs, nightlife, airport, etc. Plus, there is an awesome greenway (park) that runs throughout the city.

I can't speak for N. Scottsdale, but my neighborhood is comprised mostly of middle class folks & retirees, and it is really down to earth. You will find a lot of young families in this area that are real estate refugees from California or other high-priced locations. Sure, there are plenty of plastic people running around at the clubs/social-scene... but who cares? Most of them don't even live here anyway. If you want to see what Scottsdale is really about -- go to the parks on Saturday afternoon and check out all the families with their kids.

[Mnslickinaz]

I also live near Old Town and the people here are VERY FRIENDLY-not snobby at all. Winter is fun with the tourists here-lots from Minnesota so I ask where they're from. Some of the stores even give me a discount because I've been here for so long!! Shopping is great in the summer-the shops are happy to see a customer!! Plus lots of parking too!!

[ProPHX]

[quote=ravenclaw;576311]

Shopping for the residents of Scottsdale, (most of then cash-strapped), is Costco,Target, Trader Joe's, Marshall's, Bed Bath and Beyond, Discount Tire and the rest. The mass market retailers who strive for the boutique experience are frequented mostly by tourists and visitors. When Bulgari,Bacarrat,Hermes or Prada opens a shop in Phoenix/Scottsdale please let me know. Even high-end department stores like Bloomingdales and Bergdorf have no presence here, while Nordstrom and Saks have mini-junior version of their stores here because of the lack of affluent shoppers.

Well, there's Gucci, Louis Vuitton, Burberry, Tiffany & Co. for starters. Oh, and there's a Neiman Marcus. And yes, there's a relatively small Saks Fifth Avenue in Phoenix. There are two Nordstrom stores in the valley, with a third on its way. Of course there isn't a Bergdorf Goodman in Scottsdale. There's only one. Oh, and Hermes and Prada are supposedly on their way, while Barney's and Bottega Veneta are set to open in 2009 and 2008 respectively. Obiviously, you're completely clueless about shopping in Scottsdale.

And try getting an international flight that doesn't go to Mexico out of Phoenix airport that brags it's one of the busiest and fastest growing facilities in the world.

Well, there are flights to Canada, Costa Rica, and England. I don't think that any of those are in Mexico. And Frankfurt is supposed to return as well. And, an airport can be one of the world's busiest airports without having a large amount of international flights. Check your facts. The numbers don't lie. Again, clueless.

[yukon]

Scorpion Central? More info, please?

[Livewire]

I lived there too and its one of the cities where the more 'higher end' people live. There are many places in the Valley where you just dont get that 'good ol' boy' attitudes. Its one big rat race out there where everyone is better than the next person.
The most friendliest and down-home people Ive ever met was in many parts of the midwest and some of the Southern states. They may not be as 'high income' as certain areas, but out there, its not about who makes how much money. They do well with what they have and make the best of it.

[shadow91]

Fountain hills is lovely but here are more cons:

Coyotes--they are terrible here, run in packs and I do live on a golf course, there is a pack of them about 12 that hunt and kill all night--it is a terrible sound.
Javelinas--all over the place, get into your garbage if you leave it out. Trick is to put it out right before pickup.
Bobcats--some neighborhoods have them. They come right up to your door and snooze in the shade on your porch.
No street lights is right!!!! Someone could enter your home, kill you, and no one would witness it because it is so darn dark here.
Beautiful views--yes, but for how long can you enjoy looking at brown mountains?
No grass!!! Almost all yards are gravel.
Scorpions--yes, this is scorpian heaven here.
Nothing to do here for teenagers is right--no show, no bowling alley.
There are plenty of snooty people here. One lady walking her golden stopped and spoke with me one evening outside my house, she told me that she had lived in our supposedly wonderful subdivision for almost 2 years and I was the first person to actually have a conversation with her.
Crazy neighbors, I have one that rings my doorbell threatening to poison my dog, shines flashlights in my windows at 2 am, he told the cops he was looking for coyotes, follows me to the mailbox yelling that he is going to kill my g-dam dog. Threatens my 15 year old son with rachets, call the cops, it takes them almost 2 hours to respond, I thought someone said this was a training camp for the sheriffs department, where are they?
Safeway is a wonderful welcome wagon--everyone there is happy, happy, happy!!!
Target is the only store here, you have to go to Mesa or Scottsdale for a Walmart.

But I chose to live here because of the smallness of this town.

[foma]

I live way out in Buckeye but have ventured to Scottsdale a few times. The downtown area seemed nice but it felt more like a tourist trap than anything else. I didn't really find the people snooty there - just a lot of white people and not a whole lot of diversity. Some people like that some don't. I've also been to Fountain Hills (some art festival they had a couple of months back). It's a nice little area, very family oriented. It seems like there are a lot of posers everywhere in Phoenix, not just Scottsdale. We've only lived in PHX since January and I have never seen so many friggin' Hummers.

Now I'm curious, so how much do you think you should make to be able to afford to live in Scottsdale? I've never seen such a distaste for an area amongst locals before until I moved here!

[silverojo]

Originally Posted by keikekai

Is it really that bad as far as the snobbery issue I keep hearing about ? I keep hearing how snooty everyone is there (why is that??), and its definitely a concern. Tell me what's the real deal - any details you could offer would be greatly appreciated.

Scottsdale consists of poorer people in the central/south areas, and north of there, people are indeed pretty standoffish. We've barely ever known our neighbors, because people keep to themselves. Supermarkets here often have a Starbucks or similarly overpretentious coffee booth in them...and our Wal-Mart Supercenter has just remodeled in an effort to be more "upscale". When Wal-Mart is no longer down-to-earth...what more can you say?

Originally Posted by keikekai

Also, is there much to do there with kids (under the age of 12) ? How hot does it get there during the hottest summer month, also what are the winters like ? How much sun do you get there ? Pros/Cons of the area ? Thanks !!

Summers can be over 110 degrees daily, with the lows no lower than the 90's in the middle of the night. It's not uncommon, though, to see days between 115-120 degrees. Winters are usually sunny, but can definitely get chilly...there are "freeze warnings" alerting people to protect their warm-weather plants, on nights when temps dip below 32.

There are parks and stuff for kids, as well as private tutoring schools for kids whose parents are too lazy to crack a book and teach their kids the basics, LOL.

The down side is that there's really little more than touristy crap around here, because real estate is so costly, that stores are closing here left and right. Every clothing-fabric store here in Scottsdale is now closed, except for one chain store located on the reservation (Pavilions). CompUSA is closed--and I'm a computer geek. It's gotten to the point where we have to drive to Mesa or Tempe for everything, and that's a LONG way with current gas prices.

We're planning to leave this hellhole and flee to the East Valley, where real estate prices are lower, a wider variety of stores abound, and businesses actually cater to more than tourists, cocaine-hoovering club trawlers, golfers, and people who want to go out to restaurants every night.

Here's the deal, basically--Scottsdale's the place for you if you've got money to waste on overpriced real estate, and you have nothing better to do with your life than drive an H2 while blabbing on your cell phone, as you shuttle your kids to soccer practice. Oh, yeah, and if going to restaurants, clubs, and bars is more important to you than the basics of life.

As for that "Most Livable City" award, be aware that this award was given YEARS ago, before the high cost of real estate forced so many businesses to go belly-up...reducing the city to a wasteland of golf courses, supermarkets (which reduce their product lines weekly to cut back on costs), and restaurants.

If you're looking for a more realistic lifestyle in a family-friendly place, check out the East Valley.

I hope this helps!

After living here for 20 years,

[43north87west]

Well pass it by and thank yourself for doing so. The scenery in Scottsdale is nice, especially in the far north parts of the city.

But the people are absolutely TRAGIC.

I moved here from Washington DC not too long ago, Chicagoland before that. This is really the bottom of the barrel. I think the average North Scottsdale resident has the sophistication of an eighth grade student.

A while back, I lived in Lake Forest, IL, for 5 years. Lake Forest makes Scottsdale look like Tijuana. That said, the people in LF were much more friendly. It is a far more established (aka "Old Money") community, which probably explains a lot. You do get the conspicuous consumers, but you also get the people who express some nice values while being much more down to earth.

I've never been exposed to such a group of phonies in my life, than I have been exposed to in Scottsdale. I grew up with fools like this which is why I know what they're all about. I'm unassuming, I drive a high end, but older car. I don't finance anything, cars, homes, ANYTHING. People look at me like I'm a pauper, because I don't wear couture and don't drive a current model year (leased) Hummer or Escalade.

At least I don't attract the trashy Scottsdale women who seem to gravitate to anyone with an "available balance" large enough for a night on the town.

Because I work from my house, I could live anywhere. Why I mistakenly picked this dump is beyond me. I think I was attracted by previous visits and nice weather.

When I moved here from Virginia, I researched household incomes. As it turned out, my own personal income exceeded the average Scottsdale household (usually 2 people) income by a huge margin. But the thing that income figures don't explain, is the "conspicuous consumption" factor. Here, that factor appears to be about 200% of the actual household income. I fear for the consumer debt that these people have accumulated, thanks to adjustable rate mortgages and predatory lending.

Everyone here is a celebrity too. Trust me, you could be sneered at by someone who later serves you food in a restaurant. That's the phony nature of this place. Nothing is what it seems.

The best term I can use for Scottsdale is: Train wreck. I feel sorry for this group of clowns. My impression of this place, is 250,000 people who never leave their bubbles. What a shame. This is what other countries hate about America.

Another problem is culture. All you have to do is turn on the radio. Everything is dance music and garbage, and about 20 Mexican music channels. There is virtually no jazz, one NPR channel, and that's it. Nobody talks about anything but themselves, at least nobody that I have met. And as another comment stated, when Wal-Mart goes upscale, what is left?

Whatever happened to the Scottsdale that I read about? The nice winter community? Home of Frank Lloyd Wright? Home of horses and the desert?

Gone forever.

I have to give the area credit for low cost of living and low taxes though, because compared with the coasts, that is a very true statement. The unfortunate part is, the recent real estate speculation boom has ruined this, as it should have been HALF as expensive as it currently is. Thank you adjustable rate mortgages and predatory lending practices.

I'm off to somewhere else, personally. I don't care if it costs me a bundle to move, it will be money well spent. Regardless of weather, I'm going somewhere that is more rooted in quality people than appearances. After all, breast implants and hair coloring are fine with me, but when everyone looks the same, acts the same, wears the same clothes, drives the same cars, and lives in identical houses, it reminds me of a bad movie. It is just too creepy. I have nothing in common with anyone here. I don't color my hair, I don't like driving loud, gigantic pickup trucks or SUVs, and I could really care less if people think I'm rich or poor. In fact, let them think that I don't have a dime, it really doesn't matter to me. Because I'll be out of here by the end of the year.

"Welcome to Scottsdale?" Not me!

However, it may just be a matter of personal taste. if you like trashy nightclubs and drug use, you have found a great place. If you think you are a celebrity, or are better than the rest of the world, you have found a place. Just make sure you pass on these wonderful, artificial values to your offspring so that they can propagate the great western lifestyle of this once fine community.

If the above paragraph does not describe you, save your money and go somewhere that is actually nice. If the Phoenix area is for you, there are some areas of the Valley that are nice, they just aren't in Scottsdale. Or, they are in the Old Town area, which seems to have better people and more down to earth crowds. When you move north, prepare for the phonies.

[SpeedyAZ]

I think the average North Scottsdale resident has the sophistication of an eighth grade student.

I guess we're pretty sophisticated eighth graders then. I'm sorry but that was a VERY stupid statement.

However, it may just be a matter of personal taste. if you like trashy nightclubs and drug use, you have found a great place. If you think you are a celebrity, or are better than the rest of the world, you have found a place. Just make sure you pass on these wonderful, artificial values to your offspring so that they can propagate the great western lifestyle of this once fine community.

Nope don't go to nightclubs often, no drugs, I know I'm not a celebrity, and better than the rest of the world...well possibly. The above paragraph doesn't desribe me but I still love Scottsdale. Most of the people are great (at least that I've met), beautiful homes, great shopping, ton of activities, and gorgeous scenery/views.