North Scottsdale! Anything North of Frank Lloyd Wright Blvd is considered North Scottsdale.
Yesterday the outer reaches, today the place to be! When we first started coming to Scottsdale, Shea Boulevard was essentially the northern part of Scottsdale...and Shea Blvd was just a two lane road that went to Fountain Hills, a newly formed community east of Scottsdale. Shea Blvd essentially ended at 90th Street! In 1984 or thereabouts, Scottsdale Ranch started building at 96th and the rush was on. Cactus Road was a long string of Arabian Horse Farms, today sadly, most of those are gone. Scottsdale Airport was practically in the middle of the desert, now in the middle of air noise disputes. A trip to Crazy Ed's Satisfied Frog (as it was called in those days) seemed to take forever. Rawhide was the thoroughly western experience located in the desert. Today Rawhide is being relocated and sold as lots for more upscale dwellings. Wow, what 25 years can do.
Scottsdale kept annexing and annexing until now it covers approximately 185 square miles. Population in 1980 was 88,412 and today in 2004 it is 202,705, based on the 2000 census. Median age is 41 - so much for the myth that Scottsdale is for retirement only.
Pinnacle Peak is the landmark of North Scottsdale! North Scottsdale is a study in contrasts, admittedly the new luxury is taking over from the Old West, but as long as Greasewood Flats, an old stagecoach stop exists, the Old West will be alive in North Scottsdale. Greasewood Flats, by the way has some really great hamburgers and is very scenic. Across the road the new multi-million Four Seasons Resort. A study in contrasts to say the least.
Sassi - a new Italian restaurant, costing $10,000,000 is special to say the least, set at the base of Pinnacle Peak on 6 acres of desert, it may become as famous as Pinnacle Peak itself.
Pinnacle Peak Patio, another throw-back to the old days, a western steak house where many a business man lost his tie on visits past. The trip was worth it 25 years ago and still worth it today for food and fun!
North Scottsdale, the area north of Frank Lloyd Wright Blvd up to Carefree Highway has awesome desert scenery and even though the area is growing by leaps and bounds, there is every effort to preserve this natural beauty. Many upscale residential communities, such as Grayhawk, DC Ranch, Desert Mountain, Troon, Sincuidados, The Legends and more keep much open space and try to blend with environment. Along with these communities of course there are a multitude of world class golf courses, boutiques, shops and malls to support the increase in population. There are also new restaurants, and resorts. These resorts are desert oriented and very popular for visitors to the area. For a special treat we suggest a visit to North Scottsdale.
To read more about Scottsdale, be sure and visit http://insider-scottsdale.com
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http://insider-scottsdale.com
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