Old Town Scottsdale

Continue your tour of the Arizona area and you will see Camelback and the Tank mountains. We did not stop to hike but we drove thru the area and we did see them. In Old Scottsdale it is a take back to the western vibe that it once was. Yes, there are many stores to pick up your beautiful silver and turquoise jewelry. Find a place to park and get ready to walk the area. You can take the buggy ride, or just pet the horse, it’s up to you. Musicians playing music in one of the areas, beautiful sounds coming from the flutes of those that are playing and CD’s ready to sell. Stop for a cold drink at any of the bars in the area. Check this off your hit list of cities to visit while you are in the Arizona area. Huge modern buildings in the newer area of Scottsdale.

I love this area. It’s forever popping. Its patrons range from the rowdy college students to the posh art enthusiast, and there are businesses which cater to this spectrum.
Hungry? There are lots of eateries from which you can choose: sushi, Mexican, Mediterranean, American, sit down, take-​out, fancy-​schmancy, casual, etc., and there is something for every budget. There’s even an old school ice cream shop and a candy shop for the strike of the sweet tooth.
Got drank? (For you lushes…) Bars by the dozen, for your libation merriment.
Later, you can walk off those calories by strolling through the corridors of Old Town. And more than likely, those boots really weren’t made for walking, so bring comfortable walking shoes because there is lots of territory to cover, as it spans both the east and west sides of Scottsdale Rd, from south of Indian School to Camelback.
Tourist? Tons of shops selling Native American jewelry, art, accessories, etc. Some shops are pricier than others, so if you have the time, shop around.
There are also lots of souvenir shops for your t-​shirt, postcard, magnet, shot glass, etc., gift-​giving desires. Unique souvenirs are also to be found. I found a cool knife with a wolf embedded into both the blade and the handle.
Are you a collector? There are shops that carry rare and hard to find collector’s items (dolls, figurines, art/​paintings/​sculptures, etc.).
Shopping for fashion? There’s everything from couture to hippie.
With salons, tattoo parlors, an angel store, western shops, art galleries, flag store, girly stores and manly stores, etc., and a church, you can satisfy the beauty and tame the beast.
Family-​friendly during the day. Grown & sexy at night. An array of eclectic shops that you won’t find at the mall. Hints of old Wild West are throughout. You can easily spend half of a day wondering around these parts (which is why I typically only hangout here during cooler months), so plan accordingly.
During the day, parking isn’t too bad, but at night it can be trying. There are free public parking lots, just look for the signs. Public restrooms are plenty. Credit cards are widely accepted but there are bank ATMs around the main road (Scottsdale Rd) if cash is needed.
Whether you’re a tourist or resident, young or old, cultured or heathen, there is something for you in Old Town Scottsdale.

Western looking town w/​shops and restaurants. They do have a self guiding walking tour to explore the city. I just took some photos and went on my way.

I had a ton of fun in Old Town Scottsdale. Probably too much fun in fact. This is due to stopping for a drink at many of the bars. There are tons of bars within a few blocks and I had to try many of them. There are all different styles of bars but since it was Old Town Scottsdale I preferred the old western style saloons the best. The others I went to were good as well, but those were my favorite. There is tons of parking and many shops from nice to super touristy. Worth a day, of half day, or few hour visit no matter what you are into.

For people who want to say they’ve been out West and see a real Western town, this isn’t the place. The fake Western motif here doesn’t look like anything but a chintzy shopping area. Scottsdale has the bizarre slogan, «the Wests most Western town». Well it isn’t, it’s like a low level version of Miami without the beaches. This shopping area is an embarrassment. For the real deal, visit small towns in rural areas like Oatman or Bisbee.

tl;dr – This is the natural progression of shopping and nightlife when you’re too old to dress like/​sleep with ASU undergrads on Mill. It’s the poor man’s Los Angeles with a wild wild west flair. It’s where you go to flex (that means show off), and the hotspot for the most extravagant nightlife you’ll find in the state. Have fun.

Awesome shop’s, most friendly people and great food… always a place to go visit while in Scottsdale.

A nice place to walk around and go into shops. The only thing is there are way too many jewelry stores. I would go back!

Very nice area to shop, wander and enjoy local boutiques. Guests always enjoy it here. They have plenty of options to stop for a bite too.

What a really nice place. If you’re in the Phoenix or Scottsdale area, you really must come here. The establishment maintained the Old Town look and feel, yet it is very clean and trendy. There are so many restaurants, shops and art studios here. It’s a great place to stroll in case you don’t want to eat or shop too. Both day and night time offers a quaint view and feel. When I come back to this area, I will always make at least one visit here. So should you.

Old Town Scottsdale is a wonderful boutique shopping area that is a throwback to the era before massive shopping centers and strip malls.
You can casually walk the streets with your family while enjoying eclectic shops, candy stores, cowboy décor and great dining. Enjoy the beautiful Phoenix weather and take a time machine back to the wild west. From Capriotti’s fine sandwiches to Grimaldi’s Pizza and Italian food, there is something for everyone. Just be sure to leave some room for desert at the Sugar Bowl. Also be sure to check the galleries and pottery shops.
There are plenty of nice hotels near Old Town that provide shuttles to the area if you’d prefer to skip the parking hunt.
If you are visiting the region don’t miss out on this Arizona jewel. John Wayne’s ghost seems to wander the streets with a smile. Highly recommended!

LOVE, LOVE, LOVE Old Town! It’s like a step back into the Wild West with modern day amenities. It was my husband’s first time this weekend and I was really excited for him to finally go. It’s a compact part of town, with so much fit into it, that it’s easy to spend a weekend there. Whether you’re browsing the artisan jewelers, visiting galleries/​museums, exploring native pottery shops/​or regular token souvenir shops, or looking for an ice cream, tacos, cocktails, burgers, pizza… they have it all! Parking is mostly street parking, and since it’s such a popular spot with locals and tourists alike, be prepared to hunt for a spot. There’s no way to describe it without experiencing it, so definitely go if you can!

I almost didn’t stop here because I figured it would just be a bunch of touristy junk. Which it is. But it was also a beautiful place to stroll around, people watch, take in a little history, buy touristy junk, sample some food and listen to music. I parked near here to go to Orange Table for breakfast and since it was just up over the hill I thought I’d pop in for some cactus jam or something. What a wonderful place! I was immediately greeted by the soft, jazzy tunes of a street musician. The traffic wasn’t too crazy. There were people everywhere. Lots of fun shops. If you want to find touristy junk, I would probably go here. Be careful, one thing might cost something in one store and be cheaper in another, but all-​in-​all this is a lively, lovely place to wander. It made me cheerful!

I enjoy going to the Old Town Scottsdale (OTS) area. There’s a certain charm about it that I haven’t ever experienced in another Downtown area before – from the really cool Western look of the stores; great public art; wonderful landscaping; friendly people; and just a great all-​around vibe. Besides all the great little shops, restaurants, art galleries, and museums to check out, there are also tons of seasonal events; I’d highly recommend checking the Downtown Scottsdale website before you visit to make sure you don’t miss out on anything really cool (
). Here’s a quick list of some of my highlights (in no particular order):
Shops/​Restaurants:
1) Scottsdale Historical Museum– Pretty cool, little piece of Scottsdale history. The Museum is housed in the original schoolhouse and the whole thing can be seen in 5−10minutes.
2) Bischoff’s Shades of the West– Great little touristy store that’s packed full of Southwestern memorabilia and souvenirs. This a must-​stop for any true Pepper Head; they have a fantastic collection of salsa, hot sauce, spicy jellies, and every other kind of spicy food you could imagine – and even some you can’t!
3) Bootleggers– Very good BBQ spot that’s worth checking out if you’re in the mood for some Q.
Events:
Native Trails– I was fortunate enough to be able to catch the Native Trails show when I was last in OTS. It’s an hour and a half production that features Native American Dancers, Singers and Musicians. It’s pretty great, goes by really fast, and has you wanting more by the end. All the performers are terrific and there’s a nice amount of humor thrown in there for good measure. The event runs every Thursday and Saturday from the January to the first week of April – and the best part is it’s free! Don’t forget to grab some Indian Frybread while you’re there; it’s terrific!
If you’re ever in the Phoenix/​Scottsdale area during Spring Break or any other time of year I highly recommend making your way to OTS. It’s a definite tourist trap, but it’s the best damn tourist trap I’ve encountered. There’s also plenty of parking and it’s free! Do you hear that Bay Area?! Free Parking! Sorry, I hate paying for parking, but I digress. OTS is a lot of fun and there’s lots to see and do and I look forward to visiting when I’m in the area.

We wandered over here after a Rockies game when we were looking for something to do.
It was a great little Western area stuck in the middle of town. All the storefronts look straight from the old movies and it was a very cool little vibe. There’s a ton of crap shops around where you can buy shot glasses, tshirts and any local made in China stuff you want. We even passed a guy dressed like John Wayne who was just a touch creepy.
Ample parking, which was nice.

I really liked Old Town Scottsdale as a tourist and I have a feeling if I lived in Scottsdale I would love it too!
A compact, but diverse area with souvenir shops, art galleries, western wear and tons of restaurants (to name just some of the things you can find).
I loved all the MLB team flags down the street for Spring Training. Plus the vibe of the place was electric. I highly recommend!
Parking is a bit of a pain, but you just have to hunt, you will find a spot!

You can find it all in old town: workouts, juice, ice cream, wine, nightlife, hot breakfast and brunch spots, date night, western gear, boutique shops, coffee shops, art galleries, pairing classes, entertainment, music, festivals… You name it.
Good place to come and have some fun but also a good place to get away from for some peace and quiet.

Great tourist attraction. feature shops, botquies, night clubs, art museums, Good Luck with finding a place to park. I highly recommend valet.
There is so much history in Old Town. You can find historical museums or take a ride on the trolley. My favorites are all the options to dine at after taking a stroll through all the shops.
Farmers Market on Saturday’s with local vendors. That is another great perk about old down many local shops and boutiques with a variety of things to enjoy.

In the daytime, Old Town is a cool destination for boutique shopping, great restaurants, art and culture. In the nighttime, Old Town is your go-​to for clubs, bars, still great restaurants, and people watching.
There are a ton of local shops where you can find anything from doggie sweaters to baked goods to Navajo jewelry to couture fashion to cowboy boots and red-​dirt-​shirts. The restaurants range from chains like Ra and Grimmaldis to local spots like Daily Dose and RnR. The Arts District is a great place for festivals of all kinds and is right behind the Scottsdale Historical Museum. There is something here for everyone!
A free trolly will take you around downtown if you can figure out when and where to get on and off. At night there are plenty of rickshaws to transport you to the next bar, and no lack of cabs to get you home safely.
A day or night on this town will have you digging deeper in to your pockets than if you chose downtown Tempe or even Phoenix, but it is definitely a unique experience.

We have some friends who are long time AZ residents. When we told them we were going to go check out Old Town Scottsdale, they kind of snickered. When I questioned why this choice of activity was so amusing, they revealed that OTS is a bit of a tourist trap.
They seem to have forgotten that I have lived an hour and a half from Orlando most of my life… I’m immune to tourist trap purchase trance.
What is tourist trap purchase trance you ask? Well, it’s when you go to a tourist trap and buy a bunch of useless stuff you don’t need. You get home with all your bags of new toys when you finally snap out of the trance and wonder… What did I just do?
Oh yeah, we’ve all been there. I was confident I’d be okay though.
We arrived and OTS reminded me of a modernized Old West town… with oodles of shops, some restaurants and a candy store.
I got out of the car and the first thing I saw were the brochure booklets with Maps, a Directory and… a Dining Guide. A sure sign of a tourist trap… the ol’ brochure booklet. I’m on to your game Old Town Scottsdale but I’ll play along. I took a brochure.
We walked around peeking inside shops, browsing through a few, but never making eye contact for too long. Oh no… never make eye contact for too long or you’re sure to get pulled into a buying frenzy. We gave the typical, «Oh just looking» response to the shop keeper hook question of, Can I help you find anything? We were doing great. Then came the pipe…
I slipped up in a Native American-​y store. I saw this really cool looking pipe. It was shaped like an ax. I held it and my hand started trembling. I had to have it. It had feathers on it. And it was shaped like an ax. It was so cool.
So I bought a pipe… shaped like an ax… with feathers on it. I mean, c’mon, how many times in your life will you say that? I don’t even smoke.
My verdict is that Old Town Scottsdale is pretty sweet. Although it’s totally a tourist trap, it’s also entertaining and a nice place to come walk around. I didn’t try any of the restaurants on this trip but look forward to coming back. Next time with a little more will power.