North Scottsdale Communities:
Carefree
Carefree is a rural residential town of approximately 3,700 people, residing in 1,900 homes, slightly more than 8 square miles in area, one of the most popular destinations in North Scottsdale. In addition, it is just an hour drive from downtown Phoenix and Sky Harbor International Airport. It resides in the center of the golf Mecca of the world, and borders the well known night life of Cave Creek. Carefree and other parts of North Scottsdale rises in elevation as high as 3,000 feet, as compared to a 1,100 foot elevation downtown Scottsdale.
Scottsdale is known for Golf (approximately 300 courses), art galleries, fabulous destination resorts and conference centers, restaurants, night clubs, art, entertainment, hiking, boating, horseback riding, spring training, collector cars and shopping. It is consistently named one of the top ten places for lifestyle and job opportunities and one of the most vibrant cities in the country. R
estaurateurs love to try out new concepts here so there is always something new to try. Every major league sport, several championship tournaments and other annual events here draw national attention to the Valley of the Sun. Visitors to events find the climate irresistible and many return part or full time.
Outdoor enthusiasts love the hundreds of hiking trails throughout Scottsdale, boating at nearby marinas, equestrian trails throughout the mountain preserves, biking and golfing. WestWorld provides one of the most notable equestrian centers in the country and Scottsdale has one of the highest boat and jet ownership ratios. The area is ranked in the top five for "wellness" whenever those numbers are published.
LOOP 101
The loop 101 circles the Valley and is arguably the most efficient highway system in the nation. When the freeway heads West minutes, it is just minutes from Kierland Commons & Scottsdale Quarter, the Princess Resort, the TPC Golf Course (host of the PGA Phoenix Open), and WestWorld (host to Barrett-Jackson and popular equestrian events). Neighborhoods north from here are considered “North Scottsdale” - take the Pima Rd or Scottsdale Road exit up to another 45 minutes north all the way to Desert Mountain and many famous golf courses and communities.
NORTH SCOTTSDALE
The first zip code north of the 101 is the renown Scottsdale 85255, popular for how close it is to the city center. Communities here include Silverleaf, Grayhawk, DC Ranch and Lost Canyon, and some of the most expensive real estate in the Valley. 
Living in Carefree, or anywhere in North Scottsdale, is an entirely different vibe than the rest of the Valley of the Sun. There are many gated golf communities, some, like Desert Mountain, so large that you will seldom leave, and with 8 golf courses, restaurants, and clubhouses, along with a fabulous Tennis program, its own Farmer's Market, Golf Club Croquet, State of the Art Fitness Center and Salon, why would you? There are also the towns of Cave Creek and Carefree, with quaint city centers full of Country Western Music, food, wine and the annual Bike Week. The main roads north are Scottsdale, Pima and Carefree/Cave Creek Highway. North Scottsdale is bordered by Tonto National Forest and towns including Cave Creek, Carefree and Rio Verde.
Carefree and North Scottsdale offers spacious lot sizes and Mountainous Preserves offering the best hiking, views and some of the best GOLF in the World. There are nearly 500 Golf courses in Arizona, and over half are here in Scottsdale. The majority of the highest rated are here in North Scottsdale (Golf Link ).
The McDowell Sonoran Preserve located in and adjacent Scottsdale is thought to be the largest urban wilderness area in the United States. In addition, North Scottsdale abuts the Tonto National Forest, one of the most remarkable of the nation’s national forests. At three million acres it is the fifth largest National Forests in America. Tonto is breathtaking, and ranges from Saguaro cactus-studded high Sonoran desert to pine-forested terrain near Payson and along the Mongolian Rim. The variety in vegetation and range in altitude (from 1,300 to 7,900 ft.) offers outstanding recreational opportunities throughout the year, from it's lakes, beaches or cool pine forest. You can find unlimited opportunities for hiking, horseback riding, full boating marinas, camping, and fishing.
Carefree
Carefree is well known for its quaint “downtown” where the streets “Ho” and “Hum” converge for a photo opp! Here you can attend Art Fairs, Wine Tasting and Farmers Markets every weekend from October – April.
Residents adore the natural beauty of the Sonoran Desert, the clean air, light traffic, local resorts and year-round outdoor activities including hiking, biking and riding. The most well-known landmarks in Carefree is Black Mountain. This part of north Scottsdale is also close to Bartlett Lake and Tonto National Forest for an endless variety of boating, trail riding and camping.
Home prices are on the higher end of metro-Phoenix cities in Maricopa County. Crime is in the lowest 25% of the nation. The elevation of Carefree is over 1,200 feet higher than Phoenix-Scottsdale city centers, and residents claim there is a 10 degree differential, a sweet place to be in the summer months. In addition, Carefree has a deep aquafer and has been able to avoid the water issues which have plagued various parts of North Scottsdale as developers raced to join in the growth here over the last few decades. In addition, Carefree has no local property tax.
WORLD FAMOUS EVENT MECCA
Annual events held in Scottsdale include the draw of over 20 NBA Spring Training teams each March, the PGA’s famous “Phoenix Open” each February, and the most well-attended Collector Car Auctions each January. The Superbowl has been hosted several times in
nearby Glendale, with the next scheduled for 2023, there is an annual Tempe Ironman qualifier, the College Fiesta Bowl and P.F. Chang’s Rock & Roll Marathon. Local sports include the Arizona State University Sun Devils and Grand Canyon University at the collegiate level, and professional sports include the Arizona Diamondbacks, the Phoenix Suns, the Arizona Cardinals, Arizona Coyotes, the Phoenix Mercury and Phoenix Rising Soccer. SUPERBOWL 2023 WILL ONCE AGAIN BE HOSTED IN METRO PHOENIX
EVENTS:
- The infamous Phoenix Open Golf Tournament Tournament is played at the TPC Scottsdale golf club each January. Designed by Tom Weiskopf and others, there are two par-71 golf courses. The course is adjacent to the Fairmont Princess Resort.
- The Barrett-Jackson and RussoAndSteele and other Collector Car Auctions are held each January, the busiest time for Scottsdale's Private Airport
- Spring Training throughout the Valley (14 professional teams) each March coincides with many Spring Breaks around the country, so restaurants and resorts are maxed out
- Scottsdale is highly regarded by Equestrians, hosting some of the largest horse shows in the world, as well as an annual Polo event and other activities year round at WestWorld
- Scottsdale Hosts a FashionWeek each year in Old Town
- There are Casino Resorts within a ten minute drive offering Hotels, Concert events, and golf.
SHOPPING:
Popular Scottsdale shopping includes the Scottsdale Quarter and Kierland Commons, the Scottsdale Fashion Square, and Old Town. The new Paradise Valley Ritz Palmeraie is coming in 2022, advertised as the finest shopping and dining experience in the nation.
Homes for sale in Scottsdale
Denise van den Bossche has been a career Real Estate professional in the Scottsdale Valley since 1985, during a time the Phoenix Metro Valley grew grow from a population of 1.5M to the current 4.5 million. She provides regular tours of the local communities and neighborhoods and can be reached at 602-980-0737. Request more information here:
