Look for mansions with sweeping views of the Valley. Desert-style luxury homes around golf courses, country clubs and open desert are the norm here. High-end condominiums and apartments near popular restaurants and shops can also be found in this upscale north Scottsdale area. Top-ranked schools and corporate offices are also part of the mix in this neighborhood.
The Loop 101 freeway makes this northern Valley area more accessible to the rest of the region. Scottsdale, Pima and Bell roads are also major transportation corridors for the Scottsdale 85255 neighborhood.
The Scottsdale 85255 area is home to the large planned communities DC Ranch, Silverleaf, Grayhawk and McDowell Mountain Ranch. Smaller neighborhoods in Pinnacle Peak and Happy Valley Ranch can also be found here. The McDowell Mountains are located next to it. Some large employers and corporate offices are based near the area’s southern edge.
The Scottsdale 85255 area has become one of metro Phoenix’s most upscale enclaves. Many of the neighborhood’s homes, including condos, come with price tags above $500,000. Houses are mostly desert style and newer in this area, which is popular with corporate executives, families and second-home buyers.
Home sales and prices in the Scottsdale 85255 area tend to climb more during the first part of the year, when the many events held in the area attract more visitors.
A few of metro Phoenix’s most expensive homes with price tags of more than $20 million can be found in Silverleaf at the base of the mountains.
This neighborhood has one of the highest median home prices in the Valley. The typical new home in the area is selling for almost three times as much as existing houses.
The Scottsdale 85255 area attracts many second-home buyers. The neighborhood also has drawn investors who turn high-end homes into rentals that draw winter visitors. Rental prices, like home prices in this area, are much higher than the Valley’s average.
Expect the luxury lifestyle with golf courses, more high-end eateries and resorts nearby. The Scottsdale 85255 area is next to the majestic McDowell Mountain range and offers both desert and city views. Friends from other parts of the Valley and world will be happy to come visit you to enjoy the sunsets, go out to eat, hike or hit the links in this neighborhood. Living in this north Valley area means longer commutes to other parts of metro Phoenix for jobs. But Scottsdale Airpark is nearby for those who have their own planes or want to have offices nearby.
North Scottsdale’s foothills are road bicycling heaven, with wide roads, plentiful bike lanes and a lot of hills. And the McDowell Sonoran Preserve Gateway Trailhead is smack dab in the middle of these neighborhoods. It connects to a system of 142 miles of scenic trails for hiking, biking, running or nature walking. This is an especially kid-friendly trail system with the Bajada Nature Trail that includes games and activities along the way made for them.
The McDowell Mountains area is highly educated and affluent but among the least racially diverse in the Valley. The neighborhood is one of the few in metro Phoenix with six-figure median incomes. More than a third of the houses there have been built since 2000.
Scottsdale consistently ranks as one of the best-run cities in America. Elected officials generally espouse a business-friendly, fiscally-conservative attitude. The city’s finances are heavily dependent on revenue from sales taxes, which can fluctuate with the economy. Though it suffered cutbacks several years ago, Scottsdale’s budget is balanced, and the city has been able to provide services without significantly impacting residents.
Scottsdale’s high-end amenities frequently draw visitors from other cities. The city boasts more than 40 parks, five public libraries and a recreational greenbelt with 11 miles of walking paths surrounded by lakes. There are three dog parks, including the award-winning Chaparral Park Off-leash Area.
Scottsdale is known for its wealthy population, but low-income and needy residents can still benefit from a host of city-funded programs. These include “Beat the Heat,” a summer donation program benefiting seniors, and “Operation Fix It,” which helps eligible residents maintain their yards and houses.
Many longtime residents fear unbridled growth and the explosion of new high-rises and apartment complexes could detract from the city’s charm and character. Other residents, particularly the younger generation, maintain a more progressive view and welcome most new development, especially in the thriving downtown. Every 10 years, voters have to approve an updated general plan to steer new growth. Voters rejected the 2012 plan.
Scottsdale was originally called “Orangedale” because of its many citrus orchards. In the 1890s, a former Rhode Island banker, Albert Utley, set aside land for the town. But an article in The Arizona Republican called the area Scottsdale after a well-known farmer in the area Winfield Scott, and the name stuck.
