Community notes

Aderra

Situated around Stonecreek Golf Course, it's only a 3 minute drive from our house or a 20 minute walk. Also a 3 minute drive or 10-12 minute walk from a brand new, upscale shopping/dining/residential development that replaced a mall, along with some even closer options, so shopping and dining are close by. Elevators. All units have 10-11 ft ceilings, underground parking, and walk-in showers. Some units have golf course views. HOA fees on the low side yet include water/sewer/trash, gas, CATV, and roof. Other amenities include a clubhouse with media room, access to biking/walking paths, and the usual pools and spas. Short walk to bus stop, too.

Anasazi Village

Excellent location that is very close! <5m drive and walkable in 25-30m. MS says units are a mix of nicely updated and minimally updated. Some have nice views of the golf course. Buildings have elevator access to upper floors; parking is carport. Community amenities are nice, including walking paths, walking access to the golf course and cactus garden, and two clubhouses with a media room and pool tables. Right across the street from a brand new, upscale shopping/dining/residential development that replaced a mall, along with some other close options, so shopping and dining are a very short walk away. HOA fee moderately high but not terrible - includes water/trash.

Arcadia Grove

On the edge of the Arcadia “Lite” area, which is an area kind of extending from the original Arcadia neighborhood. It’s a mix of charming, older and newer builds, sort of a trendy spot. It’s about a 20 minute drive from our place, though the major nearby North/South street is also the major street by us, and it's a pretty drive (albeit one riddled with photo radar). Amenities include a clubhouse with a pool table and a pond with ducks 😉. There is a Costco and a Fry's across the street along restaurants, all about a 10-15 minute walk.

Artisan Lofts

No go - from tour on 12/23, bulding corridors are too dark, dorm-like

Biltmore Terrace

HOA fees vary quite a bit and are on the high side, but do include water/trash and roof, and apparently some level of access to Biltmore club? Parking is covered spots.

No go - Sr on 12/23: whole community is just "resort" places, felt like barracks; no nice views.

5/20: Decided to re-eliminate the whole community per phone call. Just not the right feel.

Camello Vista

12-15 minutes away in McCormick Ranch, with lots to do in the area. HOA fees are a little high but are offset a bit by inclusion of water and trash plus roof repair. Seems like most units, even ground-level ones, have stairs, though we've seen at least two that do not. There are also several stairs leading down to the pool area.

El Camino Hermoso

We decided to exclude this neighborhood because the general area isn't very appealing -- above-ground infrastructure, older homes, not much close shopping/dining, etc.

Monterey Ridge

About 16 minutes away; 5-6 minute drive from Mayo Hospital. Close to lots of shopping and dining options, including ~20 minute walk to Scottsdale 101. Moderate HOA.

Optima Biltmore Towers

16-20 minutes away. A great area that’s a mix of residential condos, retail, and office space, with a mall and plenty of restaurants within walking distance. My old office is right across the street (and another building right there has the most expensive office space in the state). The condo building itself sits on the site of the old Cine Capri theater, which was historically notable. Traffic will be a pain around rush hour but relatively fine at other times. HOA fees a little high but do include TV, water/sewer/trash, and gas. Windows are dual-paned and tinted. Garage parking. Potential views are a mix of modern urban, mountain, and some greenery, depending on location and floor. Architectural elements on the unit balconies may hinder standing views a bit more than the typical parapet/balustrade setup, but may also enhance sitting views. Has a very nice rooftop patio with fantastic views, grill, and pool.

Optima Camelview Village

18-20 minutes away, so on the edge of too far. Attractive, modern development of 7-story high-rises utilizing the green terrace concept (has 23 acres of landscaping on a 14-acre site). LEED-certified with high-efficiency windows. Amenities include multiple pools (including an indoor lap pool), media room, clubhouse, 24k sq-ft fitness center, indoor basketball and racquetball courts, pickelball courts, BBQs, putting green, on-site bicycle storage, dog park, and a few on-site shops along with a bistro. Right across the street (accessible via a mid-street crosswalk) from a large, high-end mall that offers tons of shopping and dining options. Parking via parking garage. Views from all units are either of the city (which may include Camelback Mountain) or of the development's courtyards; the latter are unusually pretty thanks to the green concept (trees plus lots of plants on all the balconies). 9' ceilings. HOA fees are moderately high but do include water/trash, gas, and CATV.

Camelview building map
Camelview site plan
Camelview terraces
Camelview HOA resources

Scottsdale Shadows

Development includes several buildings, each of which has its on HOA. Though varying, HOA fees are on the high side and may include air conditioning/heating. It's 16-17 minutes away in normal traffic, 22 minutes or so during heavier traffic. Parking is via underground parking garages under each building. Campus has lots of amenities beyond the usual pool/spa, including tennis courts, a clubhouse with pool and ping pong tables, a library, a theater, a pottery studio, and various community events/clubs, plus free access to the 9-hole par-3 golf course across the street for residents and visiting friends/family. Shared laundry within each building.

Toscana at Desert Ridge

No go - Sr: 12/27: Remove whole community from consideration due to universal lack of views

2/6 update: It's back on the table, as MS thinks some of the units may have better views. "I've not seen any 2 units look the same or have the same finishes in this community, and to keep an open eye on that. If can find right unit, area has most of what he's asking for."

REW: Satellite photos show that fairly recently, new buildings are being added to the development on the west side and NW corner, which shoud offer some nice views in those directions. I don't know, however, if these are ready for occupation.

15 to 20 minutes away depending on traffic conditions. About five minutes away from Mayo Clinic Hospital, and there are quite a few shopping and dining options within walking distance at High Street and Desert Ridge. (As an aside, the theater at Desert Ridge has a particular high-end auditorium that is one of my local favorites. It's where I took Jennifer and her family to see a movie.) HOAs run a little high, but the community areas are quite nice and amenities are plentiful. Those amenities include a billiards room (accessible 24x7) where a blilliards club meets twice weekly, plus a third table elsewhere, table tenniss table, foosball, video games, basic theater setups, and lots of nice public spaces to hang out that are shaded, have tables, grills, etc.  One of the pools is covered, and there are fire features scattered around the ground plus a heavily shaded outdoor gathering place built around a fireplace. Grounds are very nearly kept, feel resort-like. All buildings have elevator access.

Venu at Grayhawk

20-23 minutes away, with Mayo 12-13 minutes away and Desert Ridge shopping center (where we go periodically) about 12 minutes away. Can get cut off a bit from rest of the valley during events like the golf tournament. It's a pretty area not far from the McDowells. Public areas look nice and include a pool table. HOA fees are moderate. People in Grayhawk area, in general, tend to be snobby.

4/11: No elevators, so upper-floor units are not an option.

Villages North

Located about 15 minutes away. It's within walking distance of WestWorld, which is where the Barrett-Jackson car auction and the Scottsdale Arabian Horse Show are held, both of which are world-renowned and considered the "Super Bowl" events of their respective fields. (That said, traffifc in the area can get quite heavy when these events are happening, especially when Barrett and the Phoenix Open, which is also close by, are happening at the same time.) We saw this one, so guessing you have some notes about it.

Vintage at Grayhawk

20-23 minutes away, with Mayo 12-13 minutes away and Desert Ridge shopping center (where we go periodically) about 12 minutes away. Can get cut off a bit from rest of the valley during events like the golf tournament. It's a pretty area not far from the McDowells. People in Grayhawk area, in general, tend to be snobby.