North Scottsdale October 18, 2008

Covering the fantastic Plaza Lofts at Kierland Commons, CityNorth and Kierland Landmark mid rise condominiums.

First, I should explain why we called the tour "North Scottsdale" when in fact all three of the properties we toured are actually in Phoenix. Well the two Kierland properties have Scottsdale mailing addresses even though they are in Phoenix and in general I believe that the public perceives them to be in north Scottsdale rather than Phoenix. And for that matter, if we called it the North Phoenix tour I'm not sure most people would understand what we were talking about. So although the naming is inaccurate it made the most sense from a marketing standpoint.

This was the first tour that I intentionally limited the number of people attending. I find it a lot easier to work with groups of 20-30 people versus the 40-50 we've been having lately. It turned out to be a good decision.

By far the highlight of the tour was our first stop to Plaza Lofts at Kierland Commons. Plaza Lofts sit smack dab in the middle of Kierland Commons shopping center with all the great restaurants, boutiques, shops and entertainment. Plaza Lofts offers a true urban experience away from our traditional urban centers. Tour attendees were wowed by the floor plans, the magnificent finishes, and the suprisingly good views. We'll definitely return to tour this great community.

We next headed north and west to 56th Street and Deer Valley Road and CityNorth. Until recently most people would find this to be a very unlikely location for an "urban" living tour. But, with the development of the HUGE multi-phase CityNorth it all makes sense. CityNorth will be literally four times the size of Kierland Commons and will include residential condos, tons of retail, restaurants, entertainment and office space and two hotels. Ultimately this will be a fantastic urban setting. We enjoyed a 30 minute Sales Office presentation and then donned hard hats and toured the still under construction condos. In general the tour attendees really liked the concept but there was disappointment expressed that the building elevations all look the same. My hope is that this is simply a case of seeing the product before its completed and that all will be spectacular once the construction crews leave. We'll see....

Our final stop was Kierland Landmark. This is a two phase, two building, gated, mid-rise community on the east side of the Westin Kierland Resort golf course and a 1/3 mile walk from Kierland Commons. Although its a very nice development many tour attendees remarked that it just doesn't have the "urban walkability" that they are seeking. Nonetheless, it was well worth checking out.

If you want to join us the next time we take a tour then click the "Contact Us" button and register for automated updates. This way you'll receive e-mails about the tours in advance so that you can register for the one(s) that interest you.

As always we owe a huge THANK YOU to Mike Williard, an amateur photographer and very special friend of WeKnowUrban who shot these great photos.

Please visit our "Urban Tour" page to learn about our next High Rise and Loft Condo Tour.

Comments