Overview
The eastern side of Phoenix contains some of the city's most desirable
neighborhoods. The Biltmore area near 24th Street and Camelback Road has
become Phoenix's ritziest intersection. Stretching east, several mid-rise
offices and condos line what is known as the Camelback Corridor. The area
gets its name from the Arizona Biltmore Resort. This Phoenix landmark has
pampered guests since the 1920s. Its lush grounds and golf courses are
surrounded by some of the most exclusive homes in the Valley. East of the
Biltmore area is the Arcadia neighborhood. Located at the base of Camelback
Mountain, Arcadia contains well-kept homes on large lots. Built on former
citrus groves, Arcadia is known for well-irrigated, mature landscaping.
Several yards prominently feature orange, lemon and grapefruit trees as
reminders of the area's past.
The eastern suburbs of Phoenix are generally called the East Valley. The
Northeast Valley is home to Scottsdale, Paradise Valley, Fountain Hills,
Carefree and Cave Creek. The Southeast Valley is home to Tempe, Mesa,
Chandler, Gilbert, Queen Creek, and Apache Junction. Although they are
considered suburbs of Phoenix, many of these cities have quite unique
identities and sizable populations of their own.
Sandwiched between Phoenix and Scottsdale is the small town of Paradise
Valley. Northeast of downtown Phoenix and the Biltmore area (and on the
other side of Camelback Mountain from Arcadia), Paradise Valley features the
most expensive real estate in Arizona, and consists almost entirely of
single-family homes on one acre lots. As a result, the median housing price
reached $1.39 million in early 2006. This town of about 14,000 residents
also has the highest per capita income in Arizona.
East of Paradise Valley and Arcadia is Scottsdale, with the signature
tagline of being "The West's Most Western Town." Known for its world-class
resorts, golf and shopping, Scottsdale is the center of the Phoenix area's
hospitality industry. The city features mostly upscale housing, with a
median housing value of about $570,000 in early 2006. The newest and most
expensive parts of Scottsdale are in the northern parts of the city abutting
the McDowell Mountains, but Scottsdale also has a rather dynamic downtown
area. Nearly 2,000 residential units are under construction in and around
Old Town, with some mid-rise buildings reaching up to thirteen stories tall.
This $2 billion in residential redevelopment is changing downtown
Scottsdale's image of staid art galleries and tourist-oriented shops. For
many years now, downtown Scottsdale has been the hub of ultra-hip nightlife
and fine dining. South of downtown, the southern portion of Scottsdale
contains many neighborhoods dating from the Valley's post-war boom. Plans by
Arizona State University to build a bioscience campus in south Scottsdale
have helped spark a renewed interest in the area.
Located south of Scottsdale, Tempe is the home of Arizona State University
and the Sun Devils. Tempe boasts a vibrant economy, liveable neighbourhoods,
and the Valley's most dynamic downtown. Tempe is second only to central
Phoenix as an employment hub in the Valley. Downtown Tempe centers on Mill
Avenue, where an eclectic mix of restaurants, night clubs and shopping
attracts a wide range of visitors. Local festivals such as Oktoberfest, the
Fall Festival of the Arts, and the New Years Eve Block Party (the largest in
the southwest and routinely ranked as one of the top ten in the country) are
extremely popular on Mill Avenue. High-density residential development has
also taken off in recent years, with at least a dozen residential high-rises
under construction or in the planning phases, ranging up to 30 stories tall.
Just north of downtown, the city has constructed Tempe Town Lake in the dry
bed of the Salt River. The lake's unique urban setting has created a
building boom along its shores. The roughly two-mile-long lake is also the
only place in the Phoenix area where sailboats are a common sight. Arizona
State University is located just south of Town Lake and to the east of
downtown Tempe. With over 50,000 students on its main campus, ASU is now the
largest university in the country. The synergistic relationship between
Tempe and ASU is vital to the city's economy. Beyond downtown and ASU, Tempe
is made up of mostly single-family residential neighborhoods. The city's
housing values have risen dramatically in recent years with many people
drawn to Tempe's central location and homes with mature trees and
landscaping. South Tempe has some of the southeast Valley's priciest homes.
East of Tempe is Mesa, the third-largest city in Arizona with nearly 450,000
people. Known for its affordable, family-oriented neighborhoods and strong
Mormon roots, Mesa is still largely a bedroom community. Downtown Mesa has
struggled to attract businesses and new development; however, the recent
completion of the Mesa Arts Center has raised hopes that the area will see a
turnaround. Following a massive boom in the 1970s and 80s, Mesa is working
on asserting itself as a major player in the Valley and finding ways to step
out of Phoenix's shadow. The area around Mesa's Williams Gateway Airport is
poised to become a major employment hub in the southeast Valley and the
airport hopes to establish regular commercial airline service.
South of Mesa, Chandler remained largely an agricultural community until a
major growth spurt beginning in the 1970s and accelerating through the
1990s. Much of Chandler houses young families and middle-class professionals
in newer stucco and tile developments. With a large Intel presence, the city
has also established itself as a center of the high-tech industry in the
Valley.
East of Chandler is the town of Gilbert. A small farming community of 5000
in 1980, Gilbert is today a city of over 160,000. Despite this dizzying
growth, Gilbert tries hard to retain its small-town feel and agricultural
heritage. The town is largely a bedroom community, but with the completion
of the Santan Freeway (Loop 202), Gilbert is seeing a flood of new economic
development along this future transportation corridor.