From Snobbsdale to Scottsdale. - 6/29/2024

It's been a long time since I visited Scottsdale after visiting a few times a decade ago. It used to be more of an area that deserved it's punchlines for being stuck up and pretending to be millionaires despite making 100k a year and disliking anyone that would dress normally to come to visit and to enjoy the beautiful premium areas it has to offer. It definitely made me feel uncomfortable to visit and many businesses did not like coming to there at all. Everyone I knew hated it. That is until recently a few times I visited, i noticed a lot has changed for the better. People are more friendly including businesses, there are wealthy people that live there that are actual millionaires who are younger, and there is a lot better places that are built with Mixed Use in mind that has high property values and is actually competing with Tempe and it's neighbors with Office, Restaurants, Housing than losing everyone to it. The only thing I can think of that Scottsdale could use is a Streetcar or a Light Rail System that would be able to connect to Phoenix or Mesa and attract a lot more foot traffic and businesses to it's best areas to show how great of a premium city Scottsdale is including Bus Rapid Transit. I can hope it builds on this than loses the progress it has made from where it lost so long ago.

[Comment on this Posting]

Arizona to enjoy Life - 3/3/2024

My son went to ASU in '99 which is how we ended up here from Northern Illinois. Over the years we came out for vacations and bought a second home until we finally made this a full time home. I have helped many people move here from other parts of the country and I hear no regrets. Besides the beautiful weather (yes even summer with dry heat) the beautiful scenery everywhere, mountains, hiking trails and fabulous golf courses, I love the whole vibe. Most people here are very friendly because most people have relocated from somewhere else and are happy to make new friends. This is the third state in the country for retirement for a good reason.

[Comment on this Posting]

Clean. Safe. Boring!!!!!! - 8/22/2021

I lived in San Jose for 30 years...in the late '50s. I walked thru cherry orchards to school. After college classes, I drove 20 minutes to the beach. San Francisco was 45 minutes away. I moved to Scottsdale for my career. I thought it would be a nice little town to raise a family. It is clean and safe. But it is boring. I thought my children would be safe. But eventually, they too got bored and as teenagers began to get into trouble. Why? Because there is nothing to do in Scottsdale. You have to drive 3 hours to find a forest.

[Comment on this Posting]

RED as red gets. (But redder.) - 11/19/2019

Pros: Livable weather 7 months a year, (Oct. 15-May 15), ample restaurants (though $$$$), resorts to stroll, if you golf, you'll be in heaven. Broad, tidy streets with uplit palm trees, open air cafes and outdoor malls. Gloriously pretty. CLEAN. // Cons: If you're at all politically active and academically minded, and if you're not ultra conservative, you will absolutely suffocate here. I've lived in Scottsdale since 2005, political persuasions were never an issue before the 2016 election but these days, it's gotten downright frightening; House after house, bar after bar, restaurant after restaurant, coffee shops, nail salons and grocery stores, (without exaggeration), with nothing but Fox News on their screens, foul bumper stickers, MAGA hats, low tolerance for any views other than their own, and once long time favorite restaurants converting into beer-type bars catering to the blossoming ultra conservative, boisterous crowds. If that's your scene, come here and jump in. Ride your Harley to town. Spit shine your tattoos. Get your ball caps out. You'll fit right in. // But if you appreciate any degree of racial diversity in your life, of calm, kindness and civic equality, or just love interacting with open minds & people who whose world-views extend beyond US borders, you'll be far better served to base yourself around the ASU area $ much closer to the core of Phoenix where it's a much kinder and more open environment than here. (Or waiting until this political storm can pass. Surely it will. Pendulums do swing.) And Scottsdale did NOT used to be at all like this prior to 2016, so hopefully it will revert to its once easy going and welcoming self. Fingers crossed.

[Comment on this Posting]

Born and raised here in North Scottsdale - 7/30/2019

Born and raised here in North Scottsdale, 29 years old, and you never get use to the horribly fake people that are here. It's all Tesla's and Botox. But putting them aside, it is a great place. Lots of great restaurants, beautiful desert landscape and quite a bit to do. 2 Downfalls of Scottsdale, is Old Town (South Scottsdale) and when the Phoenix Open comes to town (Less then a mile from my house). That's when it turns to SlobsDale. Lol. But GREAT for people watching.

[Comment on this Posting]

Great for sports fans - 5/2/2019

I've only lived in Scottsdale for a little more than 5 years and I love it. First of all, I should say that I am an avid sports fan. Phoenix offers all the sports you could want. I'm a min-pack subscriber to the D'Backs and the Coyotes hockey team, in addition to attending the ASU and Phoenix Cardinals games. The weather for the most part is great - the sun is always out. The summers are hot, pure & simple, but you go from your air-conditioned house, to your air-conditioned car to your air-conditioned restaurant or other shopping need. However, the spring & fall are wonderful - no shoveling snow and worrying about ice on the roads. There are great dining destinations from Mom & Pop places to the most elegant you could want. The variety is great and the local chefs are top-notch. The City of Phoenix is very responsive to the citizens requirements. The streets are swept, the trash collected and contact with the City itself is convenient. Most homes have a pool so much of your time is spent outdoors. I can't myself moving out of here.

[Comment on this Posting]

Douchebaggery Gone Wild - 11/28/2018

I've had the misfortune of living in this sweltering cesspool for seven years now. I wish I could say I've adapted, that the initial misery I first felt when I moved here from the Pacific Northwest, finally wore off, but life is short. Why lie? In fact, it has gotten worse. Never have I encountered a town with such a preponderance of phonies. The douchebags just keep getting douchier every year. Douchebags "bragging" about the money they don't have. Douchebags leasing douchebag cars, pretending they're owned. Douchebags boasting about getting into D-grade clubs in Old Town - if you can really even call them clubs - or their "VIP" status. Translation: In Scottsdale, VIP means you get to sit in a roped-off area full of douchebags trying to impress the other douchebags around them. Yes, in Scottsdale, douchebaggery abounds. It's sad. It's stale. It's over. These people have no clue how pitiful they look, a bunch of nobodies trying their hardest to impress the other no-name desert rats around them. No thanks. I've talked it over with the missus, and it's official: Tonight we're putting the house up for sale and moving the *bleep* out. It can't happen soon enough.

[Comment on this Posting]

Sunshine, Friendliest People, Best Place To Live - 9/17/2018

I have to say this is my absolute favorite place. While I love San Diego and parts of California, I find Scottsdale AZ to have the best people, best climate. Not everyone is how people say they are. Sure, there are a lot of "fake" people obsessed with their appearance, but it's definitely not everyone. It's a melting pot of midwesterners, a few east coasters, a few natives of AZ and others. There's so much culture and such amazing differences in people. I notice they are INSANELY friendly. I'm from the east coast originally, so this place feels like the nicest place on earth. I LOVE that it barely rains. Walking out into the sunshine EVERY SINGLE DAY is worth so much to me. Being from Philly, it's dreary, miserable, cloudy, rainy, snowy most of the year. Scottsdale has won me over. I don't think I'll ever leave Arizona.

[Comment on this Posting]

Worst "city" on earth - 7/29/2018

I moved to Scottsdale from Los Angeles - and then quickly moved back out. It wasn't just the sweltering heat that made me feel like I had entered the tenth circle of hell, but also the people's ghastly personalities. Once, I dared to say "hi" to a neighbor, and she scooped up her gnarly Schnauser and scurried away on the spot. I consider myself a normal looking person, but from her reaction, you would have thought I had some fierce, contagious disease. Total whack job. Another neighbor once "welcomed" me to the neighborhood by banging on my door at 7:30 a.m. to warn me that I'd better tell the landscapers to trim the tree (I had one?) that was growing over the wall into his backyard, or he would have to take matters into his own hands. As if those things weren't bad enough, I was dismayed to discover an abysmal lack of nightlife in my new town. Worse, the few places I did try out were brimming with douchebags. People here brag about money and like to name drop about the D-list celebrities whom they supposedly met one time at a party. Or, businesses here like to go full-on cheeseball and advertise themselves as "celebrity choice" establishments. Uh - forgive me, but WHAT celebrities (real ones, not D-listers or children of actors from the 1980s) actually live here? In L.A., when I told people I was moving here, half of them thought I meant some place up north, not to Arizona. Most people didn't even know where Scottsdale was. They just assumed it was closer to the Bay Area or somewhere else - you know - near a city that mattered. To the pitifully desperate people in Scottsdale who, for some reason, truly believe they are relevant: You aren't. I do wish they would stop trying so hard. People who really have money don't talk about it. Their class speaks for itself. People who really are exceptional don't have to say it. It shines through. So please, knock it off pretending already. Like the saying goes, "If you have to tell people you are something, then you aren't." If there is one thing I do wish people here would learn it's this: Scottsdale matters to no one except for the desperate fools who live there. As for me, I moved out. Good riddance.

[Comment on this Posting]

You all understand why Scottsdale is the way it is - 12/17/2014

Here's the thing, Scottsdale has less people per square mile than say, Phoenix. So each individual is paying higher property taxes. Which takes money. Areas that have money, get a reputation. So I'm a native Arizonan. My youth was Phoenix & Glendale & Scottsdale was "Snotsdale". That was just the way it was. But to others, it was something to achieve. Like how all the rappers brand drop in their raps, many Arizonans aspired to "finally" live where the money was because, that means they have money. But unfortunately that mindset only brings you into circles where people think the same way. I have lived in Scottsdale for 12 years. It is a great place to raise a family and I am now convinced the sad, money & status hungry ghouls are not in my neighborhood. They're all in Old Town or close to it. I don't talk to vapid people and everyone I know is REAL. The people that we associate with are people who actually try to make a difference in this town and that alone changes the game. If you change your goal and the people you associate with you will see a different Scottsdale.

[Comment on this Posting]

Don't Hate - 8/5/2014

All cities have a mixed crowd of people, Scottsdale is no different. Of course the old town bar goers are going to be young and somewhat obnoxious and the cougars at Sapporo make for interesting people watching but there are lots of down-to-earth people in Scottsdale as well. Scottsdale has good schools, lots to do, sunshine, mountains, golf, and more. If you don't like what you're seeing, change your view. Try a new corner or restaurant. Move to a new neighborhood or subdivision. I've been selling real estate in Scottsdale since early 2000. I've met all types and can tell you there are more good people in this town than these comments seem to indicate.

[Comment on this Posting]

People here are trying WAY too hard. - 7/4/2014

It's funny this is on here because I moved here from SoCal recently and was thinking the same thing about the phoniness. It's like they are trying really hard to be like L.A but it's not working out. It's ironic because a lot of people in Scottsdale have an attitude, but don't have the credentials to back it. There are a lot of wannabes in L.A too, don't get me wrong, but you also have a lot of people in the entertainment industry, so you do have a lot of ACTUAL success there. The funny thing is that in L.A, the people tend to be a lot more easygoing and laid back. The attitude here is so much worse and for no good reason. It's like they're overcompensating for the fact that they're seriously lacking. It kind of makes me laugh in a way because I mean, here in Scottsdale - WHO are these people again? Yeah...no one. P.S Hopefully this didn't post more than once. I've been having trouble with this site!

[Comment on this Posting]

I miss California more than words can say! - 6/12/2014

I just moved to Scottsdale from L.A for work, and so far it is nothing like I imagined it would be - it's worse! I can take the heat, no problem. I can take a few bad drivers, I've met more than my share. However, what I cannot tolerate and will never understand is narrow-minded, judgmental attitudes and overall coldness from the people. I don't understand how anyone here is happy. Most of them seem absolutely miserable, and I've found it agonizing interacting with the vast majority of the people with whom I've had the displeasure of meeting. Even something as simple as going to the grocery store turns into some confrontation with another jackazz who thinks they are somehow entitled to treat others poorly. On numerous occasions, I've been looked up and down for reasons I don't understand. I look like I fit "the part" perhaps, but I couldn't be more opposite as a human being - something I'm very grateful for. The other day, for instance, I was minding my own business in the grocery store, and went to grab a box of cereal. Suddenly, some lady shoved into my cart with hers, brushed past me in the aisle and then glared at me, as though I was the one in the wrong. Many times, I have smiled at people, only to be rudely dismissed or met with total coldness. No one here has really gone out of their way to introduce themselves, smile or even bother getting to know me. It's awful. Within my first week of moving into my new house, a neighbor knocked on my door. I assumed he was just wanting to introduce himself, but I was in for a rude surprise. Instead, he said, "I'm Dave from next door. I was wondering when you were planning on cutting your tree that is hanging down over my bushes. You need to tell your landscaper to cut it about four feet." Then he walked off and said, "Have a nice day" with such sarcasm that it was hard not to run after him and smack him. Typically, I refrain from passing judgment on others until they have disrespected me or otherwise given me a reason to speak out against them. I understand that this attitude doesn't apply to everyone, but unfortunately it seems to apply to most - 90% at best. The people here seem to have deluded themselves into believing that they're special, and for reasons I don't think I'll ever comprehend. While parts of Scottsdale are pretty, overall it's pretty boring with absolutely no diversity among the population. I'm really hoping this experience changes over time, but so far it's looking pretty dismal.

[Comment on this Posting]

Awful people - 6/12/2014

I had to move to Scottsdale from Los Angeles for work, and at first I was really looking forward to a new environment and getting to know new people. However, it didn't take long before I realized that the people were going to make it as difficult as possible to get to know. I can't get over the standoffish, judgmental attitude the people around here seem to have everywhere I go. Even at the grocery store, the people seem to be so desperate in trying to impress people and outdo each other. The women are absolutely awful and most (not ALL) of the guys come across like serious douches. It seems like people here really want to be L.A but are failing miserably. Don't get me wrong, you have unpleasant people everywhere, but there just seems to be WAY more of them here than anywhere else. There isn't any diversity, although the people who were born and raised here think there is. I think that's because they don't really understand what it's like living in other parts of the country. A few Hispanics does not constitute diversity. Old Town Scottsdale is packed with wannabes and people trying really hard to look cool. That's the problem here period - the people just try way too hard, and they don't realize how stupid they look doing it. I'm not sure why people think the "scene" here is something impressive - because it's not. It's actually kind of pathetic and sad. The night life is a joke, with just a few clubs in Old Town where people try really hard to convince the person next to them that they're special. I know not everyone is this way, but it just seems like the vast majority of them are. I've been bored out of my mind trying to find fun things to do besides go out to these lame clubs, but there's absolutely nothing here except dirt. It seems like the sun kills everything it touches - including the personalities of the people who live here. It's hard not to cry when I think about what a mistake it was to move here.

[Comment on this Posting]

Just moved here from California and I regret it al - 6/12/2014

I had to move to Scottsdale from Los Angeles for work, and at first I was really looking forward to a new environment and getting to know new people. However, it didn't take long before I realized that the people were going to make it as difficult as possible to get to know. I can't get over the standoffish, judgmental attitude the people around here seem to have everywhere I go. Even at the grocery store, the people seem to be so desperate in trying to impress people and outdo each other. The women are absolutely awful and most (not ALL) of the guys come across like serious douches. It seems like people here really want to be L.A but are failing miserably. Don't get me wrong, you have unpleasant people everywhere, but there just seems to be WAY more of them here than anywhere else. There isn't any diversity, although the people who were born and raised here think there is. I think that's because they don't really understand what it's like living in other parts of the country. A few Hispanics does not constitute diversity. Old Town Scottsdale is packed with wannabes and people trying really hard to look cool. That's the problem here period - the people just try way too hard, and they don't realize how stupid they look doing it. I'm not sure why people think the "scene" here is something impressive - because it's not. It's actually kind of pathetic and sad. The night life is a joke, with just a few clubs in Old Town where people try really hard to convince the person next to them that they're special. I know not everyone is this way, but it just seems like the vast majority of them are. I've been bored out of my mind trying to find fun things to do besides go out to these lame clubs, but there's absolutely nothing here except dirt. It seems like the sun kills everything it touches - including the personalities of the people who live here. It's hard not to cry when I think about what a mistake it was to move here.

[Comment on this Posting]

Horribly unfriendly people - so depressing! - 6/12/2014

I had to move to Scottsdale from Los Angeles for work, and at first I was really looking forward to a new environment and getting to know new people. However, it didn't take long before I realized that the people were going to make it as difficult as possible to get to know. I can't get over the standoffish, judgmental attitude the people around here seem to have everywhere I go. Even at the grocery store, the people seem to be so desperate in trying to impress people and outdo each other. The women are absolutely awful and most (not ALL) of the guys come across like serious douches. It seems like people here really want to be L.A but are failing miserably. Don't get me wrong, you have unpleasant people everywhere, but there just seems to be WAY more of them here than anywhere else. There isn't any diversity, although the people who were born and raised here think there is. I think that's because they don't really understand what it's like living in other parts of the country. A few Hispanics does not constitute diversity. Old Town Scottsdale is packed with wannabes and people trying really hard to look cool. That's the problem here period - the people just try way too hard, and they don't realize how stupid they look doing it. I'm not sure why people think the "scene" here is something impressive - because it's not. It's actually kind of pathetic and sad. The night life is a joke, with just a few clubs in Old Town where people try really hard to convince the person next to them that they're special. I know not everyone is this way, but it just seems like the vast majority of them are. I've been bored out of my mind trying to find fun things to do besides go out to these lame clubs, but there's absolutely nothing here except dirt. It seems like the sun kills everything it touches - including the personalities of the people who live here. It's hard not to cry when I think about what a mistake it was to move here.

[Comment on this Posting]

Just moved here from California and I regret it al - 6/12/2014

I had to move to Scottsdale from Los Angeles for work, and at first I was really looking forward to a new environment and getting to know new people. However, it didn't take long before I realized that the people were going to make it as difficult as possible to get to know. I can't get over the standoffish, judgmental attitude the people around here seem to have everywhere I go. Even at the grocery store, the people seem to be so desperate in trying to impress people and outdo each other. The women are absolutely awful and most (not ALL) of the guys come across like serious douches. It seems like people here really want to be L.A but are failing miserably. Don't get me wrong, you have unpleasant people everywhere, but there just seems to be WAY more of them here than anywhere else. There isn't any diversity, although the people who were born and raised here think there is. I think that's because they don't really understand what it's like living in other parts of the country. A few Hispanics does not constitute diversity. Old Town Scottsdale is packed with wannabes and people trying really hard to look cool. That's the problem here period - the people just try way too hard, and they don't realize how stupid they look doing it. I'm not sure why people think the "scene" here is something impressive - because it's not. It's actually kind of pathetic and sad. The night life is a joke, with just a few clubs in Old Town where people try really hard to convince the person next to them that they're special. I know not everyone is this way, but it just seems like the vast majority of them are. I've been bored out of my mind trying to find fun things to do besides go out to these lame clubs, but there's absolutely nothing here except dirt. It seems like the sun kills everything it touches - including the personalities of the people who live here. It's hard not to cry when I think about what a mistake it was to move here.

[Comment on this Posting]

Crime Index for Scottsdale 85250 - 2/12/2014

Need crime score for above zip code

[Comment on this Posting]

North Scottsdale - 1/17/2014

North Scottsdale is one of the best places to live in Arizona. The communities are friendly and the schools are top notch. There are award winning golf courses and many luxury communities including: Grayhawk, Troon Village, and more. The mountain views are breathtaking and the higher elevation means cooler temperatures. It is a great place to buy a home!

[Comment on this Posting]

Rude, snotty, stupid, unsophisticated, unfriendly - 12/7/2013

I was really excited to be here the first 9 months even though I hadn't found work as a personal chef. I hadn't made any friends, either, which surprised my friends everywhere else. Eventually the place wore on me. I started feeling 'down'. The condo I rented in Oldtown had sewer roaches and it didn't take long for me to realize that my landlords were slumlords. The people in my condo weren't that friendly either. One girl used to come out swinging a bat everytime someone made too much noise. Everyone is backwards here and everyone is "honey" or "sweety" even the job coaches at Wedco call you that (so professional). Well, I've already spent too much time here. I'm not going to let it drag on to 20 years, like everyone else does, and then complain for 20 years. I'm outa here. It's not all it's cracked up to be. Come with a big fortune, and leave with a small one. and age ten years in 1 year, physically and mentally. Really. Wanna die here? Then come and stay.

[Comment on this Posting]