Desert View - Scottsdale, AZ Area Guide

In 1888, Army Chaplain Winfield Scott purchased 640 acres of desert land in the area that is now Downtown Scottsdale. Winfield and his brother farmed the land, planting large citrus groves that gave the town the name of Orangedale. Scott recruited settlers from the East and Midwest, and in 1894, residents honored Scott by changing the growing town’s name to Scottsdale.

Scottsdale incorporated in 1951, with a population of about 2,000 living within a single square-mile area. Excellent weather drew tourists and golfers, and the town expanded rapidly, going through building booms that pushed it northward into the desert. Resorts opened along the Scottsdale Road corridor as seasonal events such as golf tournaments attracted millions of visitors annually. Beginning in the early 1970s with McCormick Ranch, many large-scale planned communities developed in the northern areas of the city, and luxury neighborhoods soon filled the valley floor and mountain slopes around the Airpark.

Located near the cluster of eateries in the heart of the Airpark near the Airpark Corporate Center, Indian Paradise hosts daily lunch and dinner buffets as well as champagne brunches on weekend mornings. Authentic dishes such as goat curry and spicy lamb vindaloo appeal to local tastes with mild seasoning, but the staff doesn't mind to turn up the heat on request. The Lunch Room just off the south end of the airport runway caters to the traditional lunch crowd with subs and sandwiches, including homestyle egg and chicken salad sandwiches that have earned a solid local reputation. Also in the all-American genre, Cold Beers & Cheeseburgers serves just what the name says along with award-winning mac-n-cheese and other comfort foods. Take on the Burger Challenge if you feel up to besting the record set by a hungry diner who consumed a burger stacked with 9 patties that weighed in at over 5 pounds.

Cocktail and nightlife options tend to be clustered along the boundary roads of the Airpark. The Skeptical Chymist serves Irish food and beverages in an atmosphere reminiscent of an old-time Irish apothecary shop. The Dirty Dogg Saloon delivers live rock and roll and a raucous biker atmosphere in a handy location near the intersection of East Shea and North Scottsdale Road.

Private automobiles serve as the primary means of transportation in Airpark as 82 percent of residents use a car to get to work. The streets throughout Scottsdale and most local commercial developments provide ample free parking. Scottsdale Taxi runs a call taxi service in the community. Rideshare companies such as Uber and Lyft serve the area.

Valley Metro, the Phoenix regional public transportation system, provides bus services to the Airpark neighborhood with stops along North Scottsdale Road and several of the main east-west arteries. Flat terrain in the area allows for easy bicycling. Bike paths and dedicated lanes run along nearly all the major thruways, but in the interiors of the residential areas, many dead-end and circuitous streets make for inefficient bike transport. Although multi-purpose paths in the neighborhood provide for recreational walking, the generally long distances between residential areas and shopping or commercial districts do not make for a walkable neighborhood.

The parks in the Airpark neighborhood reflect the upscale nature of the area as a whole. Cactus Park on East Cactus Road caters to fitness buffs with an adjacent aquatic and fitness center staffed by personal trainers. The 17-acre park also contains a large open turf field, a sand volleyball court, a playground and shaded picnic tables. Mescal Park covers 10 acres and features facilities for horseback riding, including a lighted equestrian arena, a large turf area open to riders and a one-half-mile hiking and riding trail. Sereno Park on East Sweetwater Avenue also has an equestrian arena, an extensive array of playground equipment and two ball fields.

Northsight Park lies at the southern end of the Airpark commercial corridor and consists of 19 acres with open turf fields, picnic areas, a playground, and lighted tennis and sand volleyball courts. A short distance east, Thunderbird Park has three soccer and three softball fields on its 10 acres, and it also provides visitors with lighted tennis and basketball courts as well as a playground.

The Scottsdale downtown area to the south of Airpark has a notable park and greenbelt zone located along the Indian Bend Wash. Acclaimed as one of the nation's most outstanding flood-control projects, the 7.5 miles of greenbelt parkland includes recreational facilities, lakes, swimming pools, golf courses and an extensive multi-use path system with 24 grade-separated crossings that let users avoid the traffic of major cross streets.

The cost of living in the Airpark neighborhood rises 30 percent above the national average, and it sits 21 percent higher than the downtown Scottsdale area. A one-bedroom apartment averages $1,029 per month. A gallon of gas costs 16 percent less than the national average, and a bus ticket to downtown costs $2. Basic craft brew runs about $6 a pint, while a 16-ounce domestic bottle can go for $5. Some local happy hours drop these prices by $2 or more.

Although the interiors of the Airpark residential areas support little to no retail or commercial activity, many upscale shopping centers and malls are scattered around the area, particularly along North Scottsdale Road. The Scottsdale Promenade and the Shops at Zocallo directly abut the east side of the Airpark, as does the Scottsdale Quarter, an outdoor mall with upscale shops and restaurants, a cinema, and a fountain. Another outdoor shopping center in the same area, Kierland Commons, features upscale designer shops, restaurants, and bars. A bit farther to the southeast, the large Paradise Valley Mall stands as a regional shopping destination.

Airpark residents have plenty of local grocery options. They may go to Costco at the Paradise Valley Mall or stay closer to home by shopping at Smart and Final, the Walmart Supercenter, Sam’s Club, Albertson’s, or Safeway. Sprout’s carries natural and organic groceries. The nearest farmers market, Scottsdale Old Town Farmers' Market, opens every Saturday with organic and pesticide-free produce, natural meats, seasonal specialties, and many other locally produced food products available.

Specialty shops in the neighborhood include Victor Custom Tack, run by a craftsman who has 20 years of experience producing high-end saddles and other riding gear. Residents come to this home-based shop just off Cactus Road for handmade saddles, halters and bridles that can be trimmed with hand-engraved gold and silver ornamentation on request.

For locals who want to ornament their bodies, Immortal Art elevates tattooing and piercing to a very high level. Ultimate Dive and Travel on East Shea Boulevard takes care of local SCUBA divers with top quality equipment, dive training and dive travel planning. Bear Arms Firearms has new and used guns for hunting and self-defense.