Old Town Scottsdale

Welcome to Old Town Scottsdale

 

 

And welcome to the core of Scottsdale, the heart where it all started and still flourishes. With roots in the 1800s, this area has prominence and longevity. It includes Fashion Square, the Waterfront, SouthBridge, the Entertainment District, 5th Avenue Shopping District, Brown & Stetson District, the Arts District, Historic Old Town, and Civic Center Park. In other words, it has it all. This is where you’ll find the best Scottsdale has to offer in shopping, restaurants, and art galleries. This is a historic charm at its best with that quintessential “Arizona vibe.”
 
As the heart of Scottsdale, it’s a great central location, and as old towns tend to be, it’s very walkable with everything you might want at your fingertips. Old towns were purposely designed this way, and it just adds to the quaint historic charm. This place has somehow managed to keep that “Old West” feel and marry it to ultra-modern living and indulgence with high-end boutiques, designer shopping galore, many museums and art galleries, and fine-dining restaurants with old-fashioned American food all the way to the zenith of exotic ethnic tastes. The housing includes historic homes, modern new single-family homes, cute townhouses, and lush condominiums.

 

Locals truly do have the best of everything here. It could take a lifetime to go through it all, but that’s the idea. Residents are proud of their heritage, which began as citrus farms in the 1800s and has evolved into the chicest center in the west. Just about everything they need is at their fingertips, so daily use of a car is purely optional. When a green oasis is desired, they head to the Civic Center Park (new renovations are almost complete) for 21 acres of shade trees, fountains, a lagoon, an outdoor amphitheater, and public art.
 

Scottsdale Fashion Square is the place for over 200 stores with designer clothing, shoes, handbags, and accessories, although the 5th Avenue Shopping District might challenge that notion. Then, too, the Waterfront has its own charm and stores to explore. All that shopping will build up an appetite, so check out Frank & Lupe’s for authentic Mexican food and a super-fun happy hour.

If you’re a dessert-first person, just make a beeline for the Sugar Bowl and get yourself an ice cream float, which they’ve been making since the 1950s. Enjoy all the Main Street galleries, and don’t miss the Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts with their concerts, dance series, festivals, and art.

 

In February and March, baseball lovers will adore the San Francisco Giants Spring Training in the Scottsdale Stadium, home to the Giants. Don’t miss the annual Parada del Sol, a huge parade, festival, and block party with live music, tons of food, and boutique shopping vendors.

Art lovers will thrill with the Immersive Van Gogh Exhibit, where guests can fall into an almost virtual reality of all things Van Gogh. Speaking of art, everyone loves the Scottsdale ArtWalk every Thursday on Main Street and Marshall Way. Admirers are surrounded by public art, street performances, and artful food and beverages.