Scottsdale Escorts

CITY OVERVIEW - SCOTTSDALE               

For years, it's been famous as a winter getaway. Now Scottsdale, Ariz., is cultivating another reputation: that as a place to live year-round.  With more permanent residents, the city center (ZIP code 85251) has "transitioned from being a seasonal tourist destination to a 12-month, 24-7 downtown," says John Little, executive director of Downtown Scottsdale, a booster organization.

"It's unbelievable," says Sam Fox, president and founder of Fox Restaurant Concepts, a Scottsdale-based concept creator. "Scottsdale and Camelback [downtown's main intersection] has become Main and Main." Both Fox and Little say that close to $3 billion have been poured into developing Scottsdale's downtown over the last few years.

A substantial portion of that has gone toward residential development. In the past couple of years, downtown Scottsdale's housing inventory has tripled, with 2,500 condos, lofts and townhouses added to the mix. And they're not cheap: Home prices range from $600,000 to upwards of $4 million, with prices as high as $1,000 per square foot.

Retail and restaurants are booming along with the residential growth. Downtown's focal point, from which much of the growth radiates, is the Arizona Canal. The 50-mile canal was dug in the late 19th century as part of a larger water distribution project.

OLD MEETS NEW
Scottsdale's downtown still has an Old West flavor, with plenty of Native American jewelry shops, Western-wear clothing boutiques and old-time saloons. Downtown's flagship hotel is the Hotel Valley Ho, a circa-1956 building that was restored to its midcentury splendor in 2004.

More recent retail developments are bigger and more contemporary. The northwest quadrant of downtown's main intersection, North Scottsdale Road and East Camelback Road, is home to Fashion Square, a 2-million square-foot mall housing Macy's, Nordstrom, Neiman Marcus and assorted other retailers.

FROM THE STREET: 
AREA:   Scottsdale, Ariz.
POPULATION:   232,929
MEDIAN INCOME:   $68,053
AVERAGE HOME VALUE:   $525,000
COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE:   Rents from $19 in historic downtown to $90 to $100 per square foot in regional malls

NOTABLE DEVELOPMENTS
SouthBridge, a 115,000-square-foot development comprising upscale retail, residences and restaurants. Upcoming: The Rose Garden, another mixed-use development by South Bridge developer Fred Unger, plus new hotels including The One Hotel and Residences, and Waterview.