Located in Maricopa County, Scottsdale, Arizona lies just outside of Phoenix. Just under a quarter of a million people call the sun-drenched Western paradise of Scottsdale home. Known as “The West’s Most Western Town,” Scottsdale has built a reputation as an upscale tourist destination with its famous resorts and world-renowned golf courses. With its over 100 art galleries, trendy downtown and public art displays, art and culture also factors heavily into the Scottsdale experience for both visitors and residents.
What was once a parched, vacant swath of desert has, over the 20th century, been carefully converted into an urban and suburban environment, attracting many to relocate to this oasis. Scottsdale is comprised of four main sectors: South Scottsdale, from McKellips Road north the Chaparral Road; Old Town, or downtown Scottsdale; Central Scottsdale, known to many as the “Shea Corridor,” running from Chaparral Road to Shea Boulevard; and finally North Scottsdale. All of these areas provide great commuter access to nearby Phoenix, and all Scottsdale residents are served by Sky Harbor International Airport in Phoenix.
Scottsdale has experience immense growth, and it’s no wonder. With outstanding art and culture venues, an amazingly sunny climate, and more opportunities for luxury housing and more people are choosing to purchase the home of their dreams in Scottsdale!
Scottsdale History
Centuries ago, from 800 to 1400 AD, the Hohokam, or ancestors of the modern Pima Tribe of Native Americans, lived and farmed the region that is now Scottsdale. Archeologists have found that the Hohokam dug over 125 of canals for water to sustain their agricultural pursuits. The first American settlers to this land in 1868 used this very canal system as the basis of a modern canal system for agriculture.
1888 marked the establishment of the first homesteads in the area. For the paltry sum of $2.50 an acre for a 640 acre stretch of land, Army Champlain Winfield Scott and his wife became the first family to live in this land. Originally the town was called Orangedale, and the Scotts farmed citrus, sweet potatoes and peanuts. The town later changed its name to Scottsdale in 1894. 1896 saw the opening of the first school house, and in 1897 the first post office and general store was opened by J.L. Davis.
World-famous architect Frank Lloyd Wright set up his "winter camp" near McDowell Mountains in 1937. This camp is now known as Taliesin West, today housing the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation, a school for architects that is open to the public for tours. Scottsdale, Phoenix, and the surrounding area bear the mark of Frank Lloyd Wright’s timeless influence. Wright designed many buildings in the Scottsdale area. Today, a memorial to this greatest exponent of American architecture stands in North Scottsdale. A major street in Scottsdale is also named for Wright.
Scottsdale was incorporated in 1951 with a population of only 2,000. Today, the City of Scottsdale is the sixth-largest city in Arizona, with a population of about a quarter of a million residents. Scottsdale was named the " Most Livable City" in the United States by the United States Conference of Mayors in 1993 for its unparalleled quality of life.
Scottsdale Parks & Recreation
Scottsdale is committed to maintaining a great quality of life for its citizens through its Parks and Recreation Department. With a number of parks and recreation events, Scottsdale has something to offer everyone! Many of the park facilities can be found in the Indian Bend Wash Greenbelt, a flood control zone that also doubles as green space. Come discover lakes, golf courses, recreational facilities, swimming and an extensive multi-path system for skating, biking, walking, and jogging in Scottsdale!
Cactus Park
This 17½-acre park that offers strength training, general conditioning, athletic training, toning and much more! On-site trainers can help you create your own personal fitness program. You can also find a heated pool, weight room, cardio room, volleyball courts, playground, ramadas (by reservation), and 1 full and 2 half lighted basketball courts.
Chaparral Park and Community Center
Constructed in the Indian Bend Wash, Chaparral Park provides a lush greenbelt for visitors to explore. The park features a 10-acre lake for urban fishing and boating, public swimming pool and diving area, a playground, ballfields, lighted soccer fields, grass volleyball courts, ramadas, a ten station exercise course, a multi-use court (½ basketball court), and a wheelchair accessible fishing pier. Also present at Chaparral is a Community Center containing 2 small classrooms, and 3 restrooms.
Vista Del Camino Park
This 71-acre park contains a spray pad, 2 grass volleyball courts, sand volleyball court, a basketball full court, 2 lakes, 2 playgrounds, restroom, and a softball field. Other unique facilities include horse shoes, an Off Leash Area and a frisbee-golf area. A meeting room and a kitchen are also available. Vista's lake permits fishing and boating.
StonegateEquestrian Park
This unique, 23-acre equestrian facility contains 2 equestrian arenas and a round pen arena, a nature trail, playground, restroom, picnic areas, ramada, and a multi-use room.
McDowell Mountain Ranch Park & Aquatic Center
McDowell Mountain Ranch Park & Aquatic Center is a 35-acre park that offers swimming to the general public, high schools teams, competitive teams, water exercise, recreational teams, swim lessons, aerobics classes, and fitness classes. On site you will find an aquatic facility, fitness center, skate park, 2 ball fields and restrooms.
Scottsdale Local Events
Scottsdale has its share of local events attracting both local residents and international visitors. Below is just a small sampling of the events Scottsdale has to offer!
Scottsdale Culinary Festival
Every April, Scottsdale hosts some of the world’s best chefs at the Scottsdale Culinary Festival. The longest running festival of its kind, this festival is one of the premier culinary events of the year. Over 40,000 people descend on Scottsdale to sample world-class cuisine. The festival features events like cooking demonstrations by some the nation's top chefs to a one-of-a-kind James Beard out of the house dinner.
Scottsdale Arabian Horse Show
Some of the nation’s best Arabian horses compete for prizes at this famed horse show.
Scottsdale Arts Festival
Since 1971, the Scottsdale Arts Festival has showcased the best in arts, crafts and live performance. Held every March, over 40,000 visitors attend the three-day weekend. Proceeds from the festival support the Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts' arts education and community outreach programs.
Scottsdale Arts
Scottsdale is beacon in the desert for the performing and visual arts. You can find a full season of plays and concerts at the Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts. Also home to more than art museums, numerous private galleries, and some of the most famous public art displays in the nation, Scottsdale has become a center for art, especially western and Native American art, in the United States. One of the most notable artistic and cultural sites in Scottsdale is Taliesin West, winter home of famous architect Frank Lloyd Wright. Designated a U.S. National Historic Landmark, the facility now houses the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation.
Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts
The Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts hosts about 200 performances annually. From symphonies to live theatre and more, performances take place in the 838-seat Virginia G. Piper Theater and the 136-seat Stage 2 Theater. Additionally, the 2,200-seat amphitheater on the grounds of the Scottsdale Civic Center Mall, and the 326-seat Theater 4301 at Galleria Corporate Centre play host to other smaller shows.
Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art
Devoted to the art, architecture and design of our time, the Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art [SMoCA] has five galleries showing changing exhibitions, and a growing permanent collection. Some of the outstanding features of SMoCA include an outdoor sculpture garden housing James Turrell's Knight Rise, and Scrim Wall, a substantial curtain of prismatic glass by James Carpenter Design Associates. A wide variety of educational programs and special events for adults and families are offered by SMoCA, including lectures, docent-led tours, workshops and classes.
Scottsdale Public Art
The Public Art Program of Scottsdale is one of the largest and most famous in the nation. The Program seeks to incorporate art in public places in order to strengthen the city's unique cultural and artistic identity and presence. The Program enables integration of the work and ideas of artists into many facets of planning, design, and building in our community. One of the most notable pieces of public art, Love by Robert Indiana can be found in Scottsdale. The Program offers self-guided tour information for viewing all of these great works.
Scottsdale Cultural Council
The Scottsdale Cultural Council maintains and manages all of the art facilities previously mentioned in this section. The Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts, Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art,and Scottsdale Public Art are all owned by the City of Scottsdale, with the City contracting to the Scottsdale Cultural Council for its administration. The Council makes “the arts an integral part of the Scottsdale experience, by offering opportunities for residents and visitors to experience the highest quality the world has to offer in performing and visual arts, and by identifying emerging artistic talent and providing a place for its expression.”
Taliesin West
The home of famed organic architect Frank Lloyd Wright, Taliesin West is a stunning example of the work of this American architectural innovator. From 1937 to his death in 1959, Wright used Taliesin West as a winter home and school. Today, the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation is housed there, and the grounds are open for public tours.
For more information on Scottsdale, AZ visit the official website by clicking here
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