Just where is Scottsdale? Hemmed in by Phoenix to the West and the Pima Indian Reservation on the East, Scottsdale is shaped like a 24-mile-tall letter “P” on the map. But unlike most cities, it is difficult to define its downtown. Is it Old Town, full of art galleries and gift shops? How about the out-of-the-way Civic Center? Is Fashion Square the town’s center? Or Kierland? Or Mayo Boulevard? And what is Scottsdale anyway? A world-class destination, most Arizonans think of Scottsdale as a ritzy playground of the upper crust. A common derision is to call it “Snobsdale” or something similar.
Scottsdale, home to 260,000 everyday people and is one-of-a-kind. Scottsdale enjoys a wealth of health care and an embarrassment of riches when it comes to dining. Scottsdale is a lifestyle and a pretty darn good one at that.
Back to geography. Scottsdale Road is the obvious spine of the city. Stretching all the way from the ASU campus in Tempe to Carefree and Cave Creek in the North, everything is related to Scottsdale Road. Because of the 101 Loop running parallel to Scottsdale Road, it remains a very drivable surface street alternative to the freeway. You seldom feel like it’s rush hour and it’s never bumper-to-bumper. Most directions given in Scottsdale begin with Scottsdale Road.
So where is the center of Scottsdale? If Scottsdale Road is the spine, where is the heart? Thirty years ago, it may have been Camelback Road, but so much has happened in North Scottsdale since then. Some may suggest Kierland at Greenway Road, but Greenway only goes West, stopping at the Airport on the East. Perhaps in another thirty years, the middle of Scottsdale might be Scottsdale Road and the 101 Loop, but you could hardly describe it as the middle of Scottsdale today.
No, today the middle of Scottsdale both geographically and demographically is Scottsdale Road and Shea Boulevard. Shea Boulevard stretches from State Route 51 on the West all the way to Fountain Hills and the Beeline Highway on the East. Shea Boulevard connects the 51 and the 101. It is home to the HonorHealth Scottsdale Shea Medical Center and yes, Butterfield’s. Shea Boulevard crosses Tatum, the gateway to Paradise Valley, Hayden Road for when you are really in a hurry and is where Frank Lloyd Wright comes to an end. Shea Boulevard is the other thoroughfare mentioned most often when giving directions in Scottsdale.
Another interesting thing is that the intersection of Scottsdale and Shea is the four corners of four major Zip Codes. It is the Southeast corner of the Magic 85254 zip code. It is the Northeast corner of 85253, which includes the town of Paradise Valley. It is the Northwest corner of 85258, known for its ranches – Scottsdale Ranch and McCormick Ranch. And it is the Southwest corner of 85260, home of the Scottsdale Airpark and Harkins Shea 14 theater.
Yes, Scottsdale and Shea is the center of Scottsdale and you might just keep an eye on what’s happening. A 135-unit luxury senior community was recently completed just south of Butterfield’s and a 345,000 s.f. mixed use redevelopment is planned nearby.
Next time you drive through or make a turn at this major intersection, you might just think “I’m at the center of Scottsdale.”.
– Joseph Callaway