Living IN Scottsdale

Living in Scottsdale
By Anne Sostman | The Brokery | License SA718853000

What Is It Like to Live
in Scottsdale?

Scottsdale, Arizona

Scottsdale is really four cities in one — the walkable nightlife and galleries of Old Town, the high-desert resorts and golf of North Scottsdale, the established master-planned Central corridor, and the up-and-coming South. This is what living here is actually like, area by area: where to eat, shop, hike, stay, and get your morning coffee.

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“There is no single Scottsdale. Where you land — Old Town, North, Central, or South — decides your whole daily life, from whether you walk to dinner to which trail is your Sunday morning. Knowing the difference is the first thing I help people with.”
— Anne Sostman

Distinct Scottsdales, each its own life

100+

Restaurants and bars in Old Town alone

200+

Golf courses across the area

30,500

Acres of protected desert, minutes away

Scottsdale Specialist

Relocation Representation

Neighborhood-Level Knowledge

Off Market Access Available

Published by Anne Sostman

The Overview

Four Scottsdales, One City.

Scottsdale runs about thirty miles north to south, and life at each end is genuinely different. Old Town is the walkable urban core — restaurants, galleries, nightlife, and Fashion Square on foot. North Scottsdale is high desert: guard-gated communities, destination resorts, championship golf, and trailheads at the edge of the McDowell Mountains. Central Scottsdale is established, master-planned family living around lakes, golf, and resort spas. South Scottsdale is the emerging, more attainable, increasingly hip southern end near Old Town and the Salt River.

The single most useful thing a newcomer can do is figure out which of the four fits the life they want — because they share a name and a climate, but little else about the daily rhythm.

Old Town — Walkable & Lively

Dinner, galleries, nightlife, and shopping on foot. The urban heart of the city.

North — Resort & Desert

Guard-gated estates, destination resorts, golf, and hiking at the mountain's edge.

Central & South

Established master-planned family living in the center; an up-and-coming, attainable scene in the south.

Old Town Scottsdale

The Walkable Heart.

Old Town packs more than a hundred restaurants and bars, the region's flagship shopping, and the country's oldest continuous ArtWalk into a genuinely walkable few blocks — the one part of the Valley where you can live without a car for a night out.

Restaurants

Ocean 44, Toca Madera, Zinqué

Ocean 44 for seafood from the Steak 44 family; Toca Madera for high-energy modern Mexican; Zinqué for French-Californian — all at Fashion Square, alongside Nobu, Catch, and Din Tai Fung. Cafe Monarch anchors the fine-dining end.

Coffee

Berdena's, Yellow Spruce, Cartel

Berdena's in the heart of Old Town, Yellow Spruce Roasters for a coffee-to-wine-bar concept, and the Arizona roaster Cartel — the Old Town coffee crawl.

Shopping & Arts

Fashion Square & the Arts District

Scottsdale Fashion Square (Neiman Marcus, Nordstrom, Dillard's, Apple) plus 50-plus galleries in the Historic Arts District and the Thursday-night ArtWalk, the oldest continuous art walk in the country.

Nightlife & Stay

Old Town After Dark

Craft-cocktail lounges, live music, and high-energy clubs within walking distance, with boutique hotels like the W and Caesars Republic in the mix.

North Scottsdale

Resorts, Golf & the High Desert.

North Scottsdale is where the guard-gated estates, destination resorts, championship golf, and best hiking concentrate — a quieter, more expansive, more scenic life at the edge of the McDowell Mountains.

Restaurants

Mastro's & Pinnacle Peak

Mastro's Steakhouse for the polished end, the Western Pinnacle Peak Patio for the old-Arizona experience, and the dining rooms of the resorts and private clubs throughout.

Shopping

Kierland Commons & Scottsdale Quarter

Two adjacent open-air centers — 200-plus stores and 40-plus restaurants between them — form the north's upscale shopping and dining hub.

Hotels & Spas

Four Seasons, The Boulders, Fairmont

The Four Seasons at Troon North, The Boulders Resort with its acclaimed spa, and the Fairmont Scottsdale Princess — world-class resorts and spas that double as residents' amenities.

Hiking

Pinnacle Peak & Tom's Thumb

Pinnacle Peak Park and the Tom's Thumb and Gateway trailheads open straight into the 30,500-acre McDowell Sonoran Preserve.

Central Scottsdale

Established, Master-Planned Living.

Central Scottsdale — McCormick Ranch, Gainey Ranch, the Kierland corridor — is the established family core: mature landscaping, lakes and golf, resort spas, and everything ten minutes away.

Restaurants & Resorts

Gainey Ranch Dining

The Hyatt Regency at Gainey Ranch anchors central dining with chef-driven concepts, while neighborhood spots like Lure Fish House, Village Tavern, and Mendocino Farms round out the everyday.

Coffee

Press Coffee & Cartel

The Arizona roasters Press Coffee and Cartel have central locations — the reliable neighborhood coffee of the McCormick and Gainey corridors.

Outdoors

Lakes, Greenbelts & Golf

McCormick Ranch's lakes and greenbelt paths and a cluster of golf courses make the center unusually green and walkable for the desert.

The Feel

Family & Convenient

Good schools nearby, resort spas, and a settled, amenity-rich pace — the reason Central Scottsdale is a long-time family favorite.

South Scottsdale

The Up-and-Coming South.

South Scottsdale — the southern end near Old Town, ASU, and the Salt River — is the area's most attainable and fastest-changing, with mid-century homes, a growing local scene, and an easy reach into everything to the north.

The Vibe

Attainable & Emerging

Original mid-century homes, no-HOA streets, and the most accessible entry into a Scottsdale address — increasingly popular with younger buyers and first-time Scottsdale owners.

Eat, Drink & Coffee

Local & Growing

A growing run of independent restaurants, breweries, and cafés — including Press Coffee near SkySong — with all of Old Town's dining a short drive up the road.

Nearby

Salt River & Talking Stick

Close to the Salt River, Talking Stick, and Old Town, South Scottsdale trades some polish for value and a central, well-connected location.

The Rhythm of the Year

Life Runs on Desert Time.

Across all four areas, Scottsdale's calendar is unlike a four-season city. The cool months — roughly October through April — are the social and cultural peak: the WM Phoenix Open at TPC Scottsdale, the Barrett-Jackson collector-car auction, Cactus League spring training, and a full season of festivals and patio weather, swelled by seasonal residents.

Summer flips the script. June through September is hot and quiet, reorganized around early-morning hikes, pool afternoons, and travel — the trade for eight months of near-perfect weather, and a season long-time locals quietly treasure for the empty patios.

Winter — The Season

Perfect weather, marquee events, and the fullest version of the city. Also when the real estate market runs hottest.

Summer — The Quiet

Hot, slower, and local. Early mornings and pools, with peak-season crowds and prices gone.

Culture — Year-Round

Taliesin West, resort spas, 50-plus galleries, and a dining scene that never takes a season off.

Common Questions

Questions Buyers and Owners Ask Most.

What is it like to live in Scottsdale, Arizona?

Scottsdale is really four distinct areas. Old Town is walkable and lively — 100-plus restaurants and bars (Ocean 44, Toca Madera, Zinqué, Cafe Monarch), Fashion Square, and the country's oldest ArtWalk. North Scottsdale is high-desert resorts, golf, and hiking (Four Seasons, The Boulders, Pinnacle Peak). Central Scottsdale is established master-planned family living around lakes and spas. South Scottsdale is the attainable, up-and-coming southern end. Which area you choose shapes your whole daily life, from walkability to which trail is your Sunday morning.

What are the best areas to live in Scottsdale?

It depends on the life you want. Old Town for walkability, dining, and nightlife; North Scottsdale for guard-gated estates, resorts, golf, and hiking; Central Scottsdale (McCormick Ranch, Gainey Ranch) for established master-planned family living with amenities; South Scottsdale for the most attainable entry into a Scottsdale address. Each is covered in depth in the neighborhood guides on this site.

Where are the best restaurants in Scottsdale?

Old Town is the dining heart, with more than 100 restaurants — Ocean 44 (seafood), Toca Madera (modern Mexican), Zinqué (French-Californian), Nobu, and the top-rated Cafe Monarch among them. North Scottsdale adds Mastro's and the classic Pinnacle Peak Patio plus resort dining; Central Scottsdale offers Gainey Ranch's resort restaurants and neighborhood spots like Lure Fish House and Village Tavern. The scene keeps growing across all four areas.

What about coffee shops in Scottsdale?

Old Town has the densest coffee scene — Berdena's in the heart of it, Yellow Spruce Roasters (coffee to wine bar), and the Arizona roaster Cartel. The homegrown roasters Press Coffee and Cartel have locations across Central and South Scottsdale as well, so good coffee is never far in any area.

What is there to do outdoors in Scottsdale?

The 30,500-acre McDowell Sonoran Preserve offers 230-plus miles of trails, with Pinnacle Peak Park and the Tom's Thumb and Gateway trailheads in the north. Camelback Mountain anchors the south end of the corridor, McCormick Ranch's lakes and greenbelts sit in the center, and more than 200 golf courses spread across the area. Peak outdoor and golf season runs January through April.

Work With Anne

Which Scottsdale Is Yours?

The four areas suit very different lives. Tell me how you want to live — walkable, gated and quiet, family-and-amenities, or attainable and central — and I'll point you to the right one before you visit.

Or call directly

480.999.9945

What Is It Like to Livein Scottsdale?