Possible Relcoation to Scottsdale (Phoenix, Carefree: apartment, rentals, condos) - Arizona (AZ) - City-Data Forum

Br1tn3y · 02-27-2009, 05:15 PM

Hello. I am a 28 year old Occupational Therapist looking to relocate to Scottsdale, AZ. Can you tell me which area of Scottsdale would be the best to live (North, South, Old, etc)? I'm looking for a 20-30 year old, trendy location close to restaurants, bars, shopping, etc. Occasional weekend noise is acceptable ...however, I am not looking for a pre-college or undergrad atmosphere. Safety is a must as I will have to walk my dog at early mornings, afternoons, and evenings. If possible I would like to stay away from snakes, scorpions, and spiders. School systems are not a concern as I do not have any children. Also, is the cost of living high?Thank you.

KarmaPhx · 02-27-2009, 05:33 PM

I would suggest north Scottsdale or old town Scottsdale. Old Town has most of the bar crowd, 21-30 year olds mainly. Scottsdale is one of the more expensive cities to live in, but the area is well kept.

You should check out the area around the 101 and Frank Lloyd Wright, lots of condos and houses around that area.

AzDreamer · 02-27-2009, 06:03 PM

Most folks think of Old Town in Scottsdale when asked about trendy restaurants and bars. Old Town is on E Main St between Scottsdale Road and Brown. The boundaries today have probably expanded some.

There is a green belt running North and South just East of Scottsdale Rd. Use google maps to see a satellite view.

ivanabacowboy · 02-28-2009, 10:37 AM

Other options are the areas around Kierland, Desert Ridge-generally NE Phoenix or North Scottsdale. Or the area down Shea from around Scottsdale to Tatum has a lot of restaurants and so on. This part of town has a lot of shopping, restaurants, resorts and so forth. You won't find a huge "young bar" scene in this part of town-you will find a lot of the trendier restaurants or resorts that have higher end bars where folks hang out and "see and be seen". There are a few "dumpier" places, but not many. There are about 4 or 5 movie theaters within a 5 mile radius. And this part of town is definitely "well kept" as KarmaPhx mentions. That is one of the things that really was like night and day for me when I moved here-from Cleveland lol!

General area I am describing if you want to draw it on a map:
South: Shea Blvd
North: 101 (areas north of 101 get very nice, but may be a bit removed for your housing budget and also seem to be more "family" focused, places like Grayhawk, DC Ranch, Troon and so on)
East: say Pima or Frank Lloyd Wright (FLW "loops" and goes from east/west to north/south and intersects Shea-tho I only draw the east boundary here because well I haven't been much further east and you don't want to get too far from being convenient to stuff)
West: Tatum Blvd

Of course no part of town will be crime free. For the most part, this area would be more property crime (auto theft, folks stealing citrus off your trees, shoplifting, etc) than "violent" crime. I feel safe on the streets at night and will walk to the movies or Whole Foods or whatever if I am so inclined.

Cost of living isn't bad when considering the basic everyday things like housing/rent, food, utilities etc. No, you won't find a $600 a month rental here. But sometimes you get what you pay for. You would be able to do ok on your salary. But trips to the spas can get a bit costly. ;-) Tho there are some things that cost more "just because" of the area. Case in point: we went to a place in Scottsdale for pedicures and manicures. Total: $65. I went down to visit my niece in Ahwatukee (about 30 miles south/southwest). Total for the same services: $30.

Old Town area is nice but seems a bit too "busy" for me. Then again, I am a bit older than you. My niece is 27 and she lived near me until she moved with her boyfriend to be closer to work. She really liked it here. She wasn't into the Old Town scene.

I have lived in this area since September 2007 and visited various times before that. Haven't seen a single snake or scorpion. I saw one spider-the basic kind of house spider you see pretty much anywhere, not some big scarey hairy spider. ;-) The only native wildlife I have seen is a few of the little bitty gecko-ish kind of lizards sunning themselves on brick walls. These are the things that are only like 2 inches long and will not bother you-plus, they eat bugs so they are actually good to have around. I think I saw one coyote, but not sure if that is what it was or if it was just a scraggly dog, didn't get a good enough look.

You didn't say whether you would be renting or buying, but some places to check out to give you an idea:
Any of the rentals at Kierland (there are about 3 or 4 apartment communities right in Kierland-tho their name escapes me at present, Google should find them)
Shade at Desert Ridge
Desert Club (this is where I live-I am basically about 1.5 miles north of Kierland and maybe 3 miles east of Desert Ridge)

Br1tn3y · 03-01-2009, 02:00 PM

I have heard mixed reviews...but just to clarify..."Old" Scottsdale is the same as "North" Scottsdale? Or "South" scottsdale....

In addendum to my first thread...I am looking more for an age group between 25-40ish. I first stated 20-30, but now thinking back that would be too young...man time goes fast...

To be more specific, I will have a roommate who is also an Occupational Therapist. We are looking for a 2 bedroom with two car garage or carports, two bathroom. We will have one English Bulldog who is 1 year and 55# and maybe one cat. We would like to be somewhat close to the hospitals and nursing homes as that is most likely where we will be working, however we would like to also be close to the nightlifeas well (25-40year old crowd).

Thanks so much for your help.

ivanabacowboy · 03-01-2009, 07:24 PM

Old Town is "south". The areas I described are "north". I definitely recommend these areas to start looking based on everything you have said. I am in my early 40s and love where I live. My niece loved living up here too in her late 20s. The complexes I couldnt think of their names at Kierland: Parragon, Legends and Traditions.

Which hospitals are on your list? In this part of town is Mayo Clinic (56th & Mayo). There may be others but I am not familiar with them.

Most rentals have carports or garages, although you will often pay extra for them. Many allow pets, tho their policies differ.

synapse · 03-01-2009, 08:36 PM

I'd recommend somewhere between Kierland and Old Town Scottsdale - those are the areas with the highest concentrations of restaurants and also happen to be next to the very nice bicycle green belt running near Hayden Road.

observer53 · 03-02-2009, 11:00 AM

I don't call Old Town Scottsdale "south Scottsdale".

I call Scottsdale south of Thomas Road "south Scottsdale"... Old Town goes up to, say, McDonald, if we are stretching it, and north runs all the way to Carefree.

azdr0710 · 03-02-2009, 11:39 PM

well, to keep up with definitions, I also call "south Scottsdale" anything south of about Osborn....and I don't call it "Old Town Scottsdale" - I leave that to the tourist brochures and visitors' bureau....I call it downtown Scottsdale....and, to me, a 34-year resident of the "dale", "North Scottsdale" is everything north of about Shea or Cactus...

however, I've witnessed some businesses are now dividing Scottsdale into north and south, only, for delivery and route-planning purposes...in that case, the division line is around Lincoln or so, I think......jesus, some downtown residents would shudder to think they are classified as now living in "south" Scottsdale!!....

and, as an aside, some realtors are now calling the Troon/Pinnacle Peak area the "upper east side"!....a reference to the desirable living area of Manhattan!