Scottsdale: Recreation

Sightseeing

Scottsdale celebrates the life of the West through a variety of attractions. Old Scottsdale hearkens back to pioneer days with its wooden sidewalks, blacksmith shop, mission, church, and the 1909 Little Red School House, now home to the Scottsdale Historical Society Museum. Rawhide Wild West Town is the state's largest western theme attraction, with a replica of a frontier town, stagecoach and burro rides, gunfights, petting ranch, museum, gold panning, and country music and food. Rawhide will close at the Scottsdale location at the end of 2005 and will reopen 35 miles from North Scottsdale. West-World of Scottsdale is a 120-acre equestrian center and special events facility. Many local companies offer trips via jeep, covered wagon, helicopter, and air balloon of the mountains, desert, and canyons surrounding Scottsdale. Day trips can be arranged to Kinishba and Tuzigoot or Canyon de Chelly, which are prehistoric pueblo villages. In Verde Valley, the five-story Montezuma Castle National Monument is a twelfth-century cliff dwelling carved into solid rock by the Sinagua Indians.

Arts and Culture

Scottsdale is a nationally recognized art mecca with more than 125 art galleries, the Scottsdale Center for the Arts, the Scottsdale Artists School, and a variety of public artworks, primarily downtown. Scottsdale has an "ArtWalk" every Thursday night that begins at the Scottsdale Center for the Arts; it offers an opportunity to meet artists and observe their work. The Fleischer Museum is dedicated to the American Impressionism California school of art, which flourished from the early twentieth century until the 1940s. It features landscapes, and architectural, figural, and still life paintings. Cosanti, an Arizona *istoric Site, is a unique complex of concrete structures designed and constructed by Paolo Soleri. Tours of where Soleri Windbells are made and sold are offered. Taliesin West/Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation is an architectural masterpiece and Wright's former home and studio. The world's largest art gallery, the Scottsdale Celebration of Fine Art, features 125 fine artists and crafts persons from across the country. The Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art, located in the city's Old Town district, houses modern and contemporary works from around the world. The House of Broadcasting, Inc. celebrates Arizona's radio and television history.

Other museums of interest in Scottsdale include the Buffalo Museum of America, with collections relating to the buffalo, and the Heard Museum North, focusing on Native American artists.

Scottsdale's showcase for the performing arts is the Scottsdale Center for the Arts, where symphonies and Broadway plays are performed. Scottsdale Desert Stages Theatre presents children's, main stage, and professional productions. The newly renovated Theatre 4301 presents live theatre in an intimate setting.

Festivals and Holidays

Scottsdale's annual Barrett-Jackson Classic Car Auction in January is one of the largest in the world. In February, the Parada del Sol includes a rodeo and ends with the world's largest "horse-drawn parade." Also in February, the Scottsdale Arabian Horse Show—the world's largest all-Arabian horse show—attracts Arabian horse breeders and buyers from around the world.

The Festival of the West, a three-day celebration of cowboy life at Rawhide each March, features western film and television stars, western antiques, western art and music, cowboy poetry, and other events. Also in March, the Scottsdale Arts Festival showcases the work of nearly 200 nationally acclaimed artists. Indian Artists of America showcases 125 of the country's premier talents. The Desert Classic Invitation Team Roping event is also in March.

The Culinary Arts Festival in April showcases local and nationally-known chefs. Scottsdale celebrates the holiday season with the Tree Lighting and Concert at the Scottsdale Mall in December, and with displays featuring more than 500,000 holiday lights at McCormick-Stillman Railroad Park.

Sports for the Spectator

Although Scottsdale fields no major league sports teams, sports fans have easy access to events in Phoenix. Scottsdale is the spring training home of the San Francisco Giants Major League Baseball team. Scottsdale Stadium is also one of the playing sites for the Arizona Fall League, where the stars of the future vie for a shot at Major League Baseball in the Arizona Fall League competition.

Professional golf has an enthusiastic following in Scottsdale. January's Phoenix Open Golf tournament is held at Scottsdale's Tournament Players Club; it attracts the Professional Golfers' Association (PGA) Tour's finest players to one of the most respected national tournaments. All the major senior golfers come to The Tradition at Desert Mountain Senior PGA Tournament at Desert Mountain Golf Club in April. One of Scottsdale's more unique golfing events is the Scottsdale Celebrity Chef Golf Invitational in May.

Sports for the Participant

Scottsdale has more than 500 acres of developed park land, 36 acres of lakes, 37 miles of bike trails, and about 200 miles of non-paved multiuse recreational trails. Many of Scottsdale's 38 parks are located within the Indian Bend Wash Greenbelt, a 7.5-mile-long flood control project that uses a system of parks, lakes, and golf courses as an alternative to a conventional concrete channel. Pools and recreation centers also meet the needs of Scottsdale residents year-round. Residents may participate in youth and adult sports and recreation programs.

There are nearly 200 golf courses in the Scottsdale area, including 28 public golf courses. The Robb Report rated Scottsdale "America's Best Place to Live for Golf" in 2002. The course for P.F. Chang's Rock'n'Roll Marathon runs through Scottsdale and nearby cities, beginning at the Arizona State Capitol in Phoenix and ending in Tempe. Held in January, the marathon attracts thousands of distance runners due to its flat, fast course and live musical entertainment. Tennis, horseback riding, swimming, rollerblading, and fishing are among the other year-round recreational opportunities available in Scottsdale.

Shopping and Dining

Scottsdale has more than 2,500 retail shops with everything from hand-stitched leather boots to designer fashions. Upscale shopping centers such as Scottsdale Fashion Square, Biltmore Fashion Park, and Borgata of Scottsdale feature retailers such as Burberry, Gucci, Louis Vuitton and Tiffany & Company. Old Town Merchants Association, with more than 150 shops and restaurants, captures the flair of the Old West with traditional and southwestern merchandise. Scottsdale Pavilions is a shopping center that offers mass retailers such as Target, Home Depot, and Best Buy. El Pedregal Festival and Marketplace has courtyard amphitheater facilities surrounded by boutiques, galleries and restaurants. Native American arts and crafts are available at Chief Dodge Indian Jewelry & Fine Arts, Gilbert Ortega Gallery of Indian Art, and Iverson's Indian Arts.

Scottsdale has an excellent selection of first-class dining establishments among its more than 500 restaurants. Notable among them are Mary Elaine's in The Phoenician resort and the Marquesa Restaurant in the Fairmont Scottsdale Princess, both of which have earned the prestigious AAA Five Diamonds award. Ethnic offerings include Southwestern specialties, Italian, French, Japanese, Chinese, Polynesian, Greek, Thai, Indian, and Continental cuisine. Mesquite grills abound, and Western fare served in cookout or ranch settings is popular.

Visitor Information: Scottsdale Chamber of Commerce, 7343 Scottsdale Mall, Scottsdale, AZ 85251-9800; telephone (480)945-8481; toll-free (800)877-1117

Scottsdale: Economy

Major Industries and Commercial Activity

Tourism is Scottsdale's major industry and largest employer, providing jobs to 39 percent of the city's workers. Today, Scottsdale is home to more than 60 hotels and resorts with a combined total of more than 12,000 rooms. The city is also home to numerous high-technology firms such as Motorola Research and Development and Medical Operations. In addition, it is the location for a number of regional and national corporate headquarters.

Aviation is one of the fastest growing sectors of the Arizona economy. The Scottsdale Airport/Airpark was begun in the 1960s as a fully planned facility specifically designed to meet the needs of employers with air transportation requirements. By 2004, the Airpark had become one of Scottsdale's top employment centers, with nearly 50,000 people employed in retail, service, technological, and manufacturing industries. The Airpark houses some 2,200 businesses in all with a combined economic impact of nearly $3 billion annually.

Items and goods produced: electronics, wearing apparel, aerial maps

Incentive Programs—New and Existing Companies

Local programs

To encourage commercial development and facilitate the paperwork involved, the city offers developers a "One-Stop Shop" where all the necessary permits can be obtained from one office. The Scottsdale Chamber of Commerce administers The Scottsdale Partnership, which is actively involved in attracting and retaining businesses, offering incentives such as entrepreneurial start-up assistance and free, confidential business counseling. To encourage economic development, Scottsdale recently began a building permit fee waiver program which has spurred investment by hundreds of businesses.

State programs

Arizona is a pro-business state. It levies no unitary tax, no inventory tax, no franchise tax, no municipal income tax, and no sales tax on direct sales to the state or federal government. It has developed targeted incentives to encourage the recruitment of desirable new businesses and to encourage the growth of existing businesses.

Job training programs

A work force recruitment and job training program is administered by the state and provides training and retraining for specific employment opportunities with new and expanding businesses and businesses undergoing economic conversion. Scottsdale Community College offers training classes for local businesses ranging from nursing to the hospitality industry, to computer operations and other skills.

Development Projects

Groundbreaking began in 2000 on the $140 million Scottsdale Waterfront project, a retail, dining, entertainment, office, and residential complex planned on 12 acres southwest of Scottsdale and Camelback roads on the north side of the Arizona Canal. The development will also be home to the Fiesta Bowl headquarters and museum; five acres will consist of public open space that will feature an outdoor amphitheater, recreation paths along the canal, and public art. Phase One of the project is planned for completion by late 2005. In 2004, the City of Scottsdale, Arizona State University, and the ASU Foundation entered into a partnership to develop the ASU Scottsdale Center for New Technology and Innovation on 42 acres of land that was the former site of the Los Arcos Mall. The city agreed to purchase the site from the ASU Foundation for $41.5 million with the provision that the site would be available to the ASU Foundation to develop the ASU Scottsdale Center. The Center will focus on technology commercialization, entrepreneurship, and business development. When completed in 2006, the Center is expected to provide approximately 4,000 jobs and a return of approximately $146 million in direct revenues to the city.

Economic Development Information: Scottsdale Chamber of Commerce, 4343 N Scottsdale Road, Scottsdale, AZ 85251; telephone (480)945-8481; fax (480)947-4523. Scottsdale Economic Development Department, One Civic Center, 7447 E. Indian School Road, Scottsdale, AZ; telephone (480)994-7989

Commercial Shipping

Air freight is handled at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport, a 20-minute drive from downtown Scottsdale. Arizona is crisscrossed by five U.S. interstate highways and by a growing system of state roadways. The interstates permit rapid motor freight delivery because of their by-pass features, no slowdown in the metro areas, and no toll roads or toll bridges. Numerous general interstate and transcontinental truck lines serve the city and state. Although there are no railroads in Scottsdale's city limits, the Southern Pacific and the Santa Fe lines connect in adjacent Tempe.

Labor Force and Employment Outlook

Scottsdale's labor force offers a complex blend of skills, abilities, and experience levels, and more than 100,000 highly educated and skilled workers. Scottsdale's economic base is primarily supported by the hospitality and tourism industries; other supports are business, professional and financial services, healthcare, retail, electronics, and corporate headquarters.

The following is a summary of data regarding the Scottsdale labor force, 2004 annual averages.

Size of non-agricultural labor force: 1,674,800

Number of workers employed in . . .

natural resources and mining: 2,000

construction: 140,000

manufacturing: 130,500

trade, transportation and utilities: 339,600

information: 35,700

financial activities: 137,400

professional and business services: 270,900

educational and health services: 172,600

leisure and hospitality: 160,500

other services: 64,200

government: 220,900

Average hourly earnings of production workers employed in manufacturing: $13.85

Unemployment rate: 4.0% (January 2005)

Cost of Living

The cost of living in the Phoenix metropolitan area, of which Scottsdale is a part, is above the national average.

2004 (3rd Quarter) ACCRA Average House Price: $349,640

2004 (3rd Quarter) ACCRA Cost of Living Index: 122.5 (U.S. average = 100.0)

State income tax rate: Ranges from 2.87% to 5.04%

State sales tax rate: 5.6% (food and prescription drugs are exempt)

Local income tax rate: None

Local sales tax rate: 1.65%

Property tax rate: $9.30 per $100 of assessed value for a Scottsdale resident living within the Scottsdale Unified School District (2004)

Economic Information: Scottsdale Chamber of Commerce, 4343 N Scottsdale Road, Scottsdale, AZ 85251-4498; telephone (480)945-8481

Scottsdale: Education and Research

Elementary and Secondary Schools

The Scottsdale Unified School District (SUSD) consistently receives outstanding support from city voters. Its high school students rate highest in the state on the SAT and ACT tests. The district offers special education services for all handicapped children, including programs for those that are moderately and severely handicapped, that are strategically located throughout the district. An English-as-a-Second Language program is available to help children who are limited in their ability to speak English. All of the district's elementary schools offer some type of on-campus after-school program. Elementary and middle school students with high academic ability are tested for participation in the district's gifted program. Desert Mountain High School offers the International Baccalaureate (IB) program to qualified students. The accelerated courses across all content areas allow students to complete pre-university work for college credit. Sierra Vista Academy, opened in 2003, is a transitional school for grades 4 through 12 that offers a non-traditional curriculum to students who have not experienced academic success in the traditional learning environment. As of 2005, the SUSD had more excelling schools than any other Arizona school district.

The following is a summary of data regarding the Scottsdale Unified School District as of the 2004–2005 school year.

Total enrollment: 26,360

Number of facilities

elementary schools: 20

junior high/middle schools: 7

senior high schools: 5

alternative schools: 1

Student/teacher ratio: between 17:1 and 20:1

Teacher salaries

minimum: $31,160

maximum: $60,933

Funding per pupil: $5,402

The Scottsdale/Paradise Valley area has a number of private academies, college prep, charter day, and child-care schools, including the nationally known Judson School and P.A.L.S. Play and Learn Schools.

Public Schools Information: Scottsdale Public Schools, 3811 North 44th Street, Phoenix, AZ 85018; telephone (480)952-6100

Colleges and Universities

Scottsdale Community College is part of the Maricopa Community College system, the second largest such system in the country. It offers an extensive selection of educational programs including associate's degrees and technical degrees. The college provides training classes for local businesses, continuing education courses, and community service programs. Ottawa University, based in Kansas, has one of several satellite campuses in Scottsdale; it is designed to meet the higher educational needs of adults with jobs and/or family responsibilities. Also located in Scottsdale are Phoenix Seminary, the Scottsdale Culinary Institute, Scottsdale Artists School, and the Frank Lloyd Wright School of Architecture/Taliesin West.

Students in Scottsdale also have access to nearby institutions: Arizona State University, located in adjacent Tempe; Southwest College of Naturopathic Medicine & Health Sciences; and the University of Phoenix.

Libraries and Research Centers

The Scottsdale Public Library System, established in 1960, includes one main library and three branch libraries, two of which are shared-use facilities located on the campuses of Desert Mountain Schools and Desert Mountain High School. The library has more than 800,000 items and 700 periodical subscriptions. The library system has a computer network of more than 200 terminals, 150 of which provide direct access to the Internet. The libraries within the system are the Civic Center Library, Mustang Library, Palomino Library (at Desert Mountain High School), and Arabian Library (on the campus of Desert Canyon Schools). In 2005, construction was expected to begin on the new Arabian Library, an $8.7 million stand-alone facility that will replace the current Arabian Library upon its completion in 2007.

At the Samuel C. Johnson Medical Research Building on the grounds of Mayo Clinic Scottsdale, scientists study molecular genetics, molecular immunology and chemistry, and molecular and cell biology. Construction began in 2004 for the Mayo Clinic Collaborative Research Building, a 100,000 square foot biomedical research facility.

Public Library Information: Civic Center Library (Main Library), 3839 N. Drinkwater Blvd., Scottsdale, AZ 85251-4405; telephone (480)312-2474

Scottsdale: History

Irrigation Leads to Thriving Agriculture Industry

Prior to its founding, the Scottsdale area was made up of barren desert lands, distinguished only by the intricate canals of the Hohokam Indians.

Scottsdale was founded in 1888 by U.S. Army Chaplain Winfield Scott, a Baptist minister from New York. That same year the construction of the Arizona Canal, which provided irrigation to a wide geographic area, was completed by Frank Murphy. Winfield Scott and his brother, George Washington Scott, who shared a dream of developing a thriving town in the desert, first grew citrus and other fruits, peanuts, and sweet potatoes on their land.

Air Quality Attracts Settlers, Manufacturers, Artists

Early settlers included people searching for better health and others who were attracted by the fresh desert air. History shows that many of these people were culturally-minded and nurtured the arts from the beginning. The city was first called Orangedale because of the orange orchards along Camelback Mountain, but the name was changed to Scottsdale in 1894 in honor of its founder.

From 1894 through the 1940s Paradise Valley ranchers drove their cattle through the city each spring and fall on their way to the stockyards or the train depot at Tempe where the cattle were shipped to market.

Modern development began after World War II when Motorola opened a plant in Scottsdale, the first of many electronics manufacturing plants to locate in the area. Artists and crafts persons also became attracted to the city, and the population grew from 2,000 people in 1950 to 10,000 people by 1960. By 1965 the city had grown to 55,000 residents. The city was incorporated in 1951 and received its city charter in 1961.

Through the 1960s the city preserved an Old West look of wood buildings and quaintly lettered signs, calling itself "the West's most Western town." As the "Old West" theme became less prominent, the city began billing itself as the "Arts Capital of the Southwest." Galleries shared the avenues with western wear stores, and the magnificent Scottsdale Center for the Arts was built, permitting year-round exhibits and concerts for residents and visitors.

Scottsdale's area was greatly increased by the annexation of territory north of the city in the 1980s. A great part of this area is made up of uninhabited desert and hilly land, much of which is maintained in its natural state. Although manufacturing remains the state's largest employer, tourism is now the city's major industry.

In recent years Scottsdale has spent almost $4 million on the renovation of the downtown area with new landscaping, entrances, signage and public art, making it a most appealing desert oasis.

Historical Information: Scottsdale Historical Society, Inc., PO Box 143, Scottsdale, AZ 85252; telephone (480)946-0394

Scottsdale: Population Profile

Metropolitan Area Residents (CMSA)

1980: 1,509,175

1990: 2,238,480

2000: 3,251,876

Percent change, 1990–2000: 45.3%

U.S. rank in 1980: 26th

U.S. rank in 1990: 20th

U.S. rank in 2000: 14th

City Residents

1980: 88,622

1990: 130,099

2000: 202,705

2003 estimate: 217,989

Percent change, 1990–2000: 55.8%

U.S. rank in 1980: 141st

U.S. rank in 1990: 139th (State rank: 6th)

U.S. rank in 2000: 99th (State rank: 5th)

Density: 1,096 people per square mile (in 2000)

Racial and ethnic characteristics (2000)

White: 186,883

Black or African American: 2,501

American Indian and Alaska Native: 1,240

Asian: 3,964

Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander: 167

Hispanic or Latino (may be of any race): 14,111

Other: 4,603

Percent of residents born in state: 18.3% (2000)

Age characteristics (2000)

Population under 5 years old: 10,444

Population 5 to 9 years old: 11,188

Population 10 to 14 years old: 11,256

Population 15 to 19 years old: 9,900

Population 20 to 24 years old: 9,798

Population 25 to 34 years old: 28,973

Population 35 to 44 years old: 32,677

Population 45 to 54 years old: 30,544

Population 55 to 59 years old: 13,215

Population 60 to 64 years old: 10,826

Population 65 to 74 years old: 18,581

Population 75 to 84 years old: 11,734

Population 85 years and older: 3,569

Median age: 41 years

Births (2003)

Total number: 2,795

Deaths (2003)

Total number: 2,088 (of which, 17 were infants under the age of 1 year)

Money income (1999)

Per capita income: $39,158

Median household income: $57,484

Total households: 90,602

Number of households with income of . . .

less than $10,000: 4,762

$10,000 to $14,999: 3,375

$15,000 to $24,999: 8,337

$25,000 to $34,999: 9,355

$35,000 to $49,999: 13,076

$50,000 to $74,999: 17,561

$75,000 to $99,999: 10,594

$100,000 to $149,999: 11,907

$150,000 to $199,999: 4,791

$200,000 or more: 6,844

Percent of families below poverty level: 3.4% (25.2% of which were female householder families with related children under 5 years)

2002 FBI Crime Index Total: 10,134