South Scottsdale is the original city center and the heart and soul of Scottsdale. It comprises all the neighborhoods in zip codes 85250, 85251 and 85257, from Indian Bend Rd south to the Tempe border at McKellips Rd. It is bordered by City of Phoenix (including a portion of the Arcadia neighborhood) and Town of Paradise Valley to the west and the Salt River Pima Maricopa Indian Community to the east. The Loop 101 freeway runs along its eastern border. The shopping, dining, and entertainment mecca of Downtown Scottsdale and Scottsdale Fashion Square resides at the center of the area, along with numerous luxury resorts. Sky Harbor Airport is a quick drive or rideshare away. Scottsdale was founded in 1888 by its namesake, retired US Army Chaplain Winfield Scott, who bought 640 acres of land where historic Old Town Scottsdale stands today. It was incorporated as a city on June 25, 1951 with approximately 2000 residents, and was primarily an agricultural community focused on citrus, olives, and cattle ranches. The city grew rapidly to over 10,000 during the 1950's, driven by technology companies such as Motorola and their 600,000 square foot semiconductor factory at McDowell Rd & Granite Reef (today occupied by General Dynamics) and the high-paying white collar jobs it brought. Tourism was also a driver, with resorts such as the now-demolished Safari Hotel and the Hotel Valley Ho which is still a local hotspot. This area sports some of the city's oldest and newest homes, from 1950's and 1960's brick/block ranch-style homes to the luxury townhomes and hi-rise condos being built today around Downtown Scottsdale. Most new construction is infill projects as there is little vacant land to build on. A good example is the rebirth of the McDowell Corridor, with over a mile of long-vacant car dealerships and malls being replaced with upscale residential, retail, restaurant, office, and multi-use projects, as well as ASU's Skysong Innovation Center. Other neighborhoods of note are the mid century modern 55+ communities of Golden Keys and Villa Monterey, and famed local architect Ralph Haver's Town & Country Scottsdale. Most of the single family neighborhoods built through the 1970's do not have homeowners associations (HOA) making the area popular with investors and short term rentals - which are allowed, but have recently become more regulated by the city. More recent subdivisions (some gated) generally have HOAs. While there are no master-planned golf communities in this area, there are several public golf courses (Continental, Coronado and Scottsdale Silverado) with course-adjacent homes including the gated Scottsdale Links community as well as the nearby Papago Golf Club. See our Arcadia neighborhood tab for more about the luxury homes being built around The Phoenician Resort and golf course. Amenities include Scottsdale's famed Indian Bend Wash Greenbelt, with multi-use paths traversing from Honor Health at Shea Blvd all the way to Tempe Town Lake, along with three public golf courses, two dog parks, two aquatic centers, a tennis center, numerous sports fields, and multiple lakes. The Talking Stick Entertainment District is at the northern border and includes Talking Stick Resort & Casino, Top Golf, Talking Stick Golf Club, Salt River Fields (spring training for the Arizona Diamondbacks and Colorado Rockies), and a number of other shopping, dining and entertainment choices. Scottsdale Stadium (spring training for the San Francisco Giants), Scottsdale Civic Center, Casino Arizona, the Phoenix Zoo, and Desert Botanical Garden are other major attractions in this area. Resources:
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