|
Search
Arcadia Homes For Sale
FEATURED ARCADIA HOME FOR SALE
4612 E. Glenrosa Ave. Phoenix, AZ 85018 In the HEART of
Arcadia
Offered at $265,000 - MLS # 5215911
This enchanting completely remodeled block built cottage
sits in the HEART of Arcadia with up close views in the
backyard of CAMELBACK MOUNTAIN. PLENTY of room for
expansion if desired on this north/south lot! This house
is all about location & decor. High-end remodels on the
same block are selling for over $500k! Walk or bike to
LaGrande Orange, Postino's Wine Cafe, Arcadia Tavern,
The Vig, Zipps, Nook & loads of other restaurants &
shopping. If you like to walk, run or bike, the canal is
2 blocks away! Very close to the 202, 143, 10 & 51
Freeways, The Biltmore, Fashion Square, Sky Harbor
Airport and all in the highly accredited Hopi-Scottsdale
Unified School District! 200 amp electrical panel,
copper plumbing, dual pane windows & 30-year roof
shingle.
The kitchen & bathrooms have a stunning custom remodel.
Granite countertops, custom maple cabinets and terrific
ambient lighting are just a few of the features. The
bathroom has custom hand laid travertine in shower done
by an artist/contractor. Concrete floors new blinds,
great closet & cabinet space & a lot more throughout
home along with a 50-gallon water heater, Yard has full,
custom landscaping, drip & sprinkler system, landscape
lighting, orange & lemon cocktail citrus tree, mature
cacti & huge patio (20x18) & shed. Large laundry room
with plenty of storage (13x4). Fantastic home in a
fantastic neighborhood!
The Arcadia Neighborhood of
Phoenix, Arizona, simply known as "Arcadia," has been around since the 1920’s and is
considered to be one of the premier
neighborhoods in all
of Phoenix.
Arcadia was named a
“Best Place to Live” by Money Magazine. From the
article in CNNMoney dated November 26th, 2002:
"Because
Arcadia
is so highly regarded for its greenery and
high-performance schools, which are in the Scottsdale
system, prices are on the high end: Starter homes begin
at $300,000. Homeowners tend to do a lot of remodeling,
adding much diversity to the once similar-looking homes;
it's not uncommon to see a country cottage adjacent to a
Spanish hacienda. Residents brag about being close
to
Scottsdale's high-end shopping, a world-class
resort, arts centers and good restaurants, as well as
downtown
Phoenix..
"For real proximity to
downtown Phoenix, head for the
Encanto-Palmcroft district, where many houses date
back to the 1920s. But the convenience costs. Smaller
houses and fixer-uppers fetch about $250,000, while
statelier homes attract urban professionals who shell
out $500,000 and up. The neighborhood abuts 200-acre
Encanto Park, another welcome patch of green in this
desert town."
Arcadia is known for its magnificent ranch
style custom homes with a variety of architectural
styles from small ranch homes to sprawling, luxurious
ranch homes with large lots (commonly half-an-acre), lush manicured lawns, citrus trees,
mature trees and Oleanders, irrigated lots, swaying palm
trees, wonderful views of Camelback
Mountain and so much more.
The location is often called "midtown" as it is in the
middle of everything. It's a very short drive to
Scottsdale Fashion Square and Old Town
Scottsdale, just a few minutes to
Sky harbor Airport, two miles to I-10 Freeway, borders
Paradise Valley and Scottsdale and is a very short jaunt
to downtown Phoenix. Additionally, Arcadia homes are
just minutes away from shopping and fine dining at the
Biltmore Fashion Square Park at 24th Street & Camelback
Roads.
The East Side of Arcadia is a neighborhood in
Phoenix, Arizona. It contains some of the city's most
upscale neighborhoods, largely due to its proximity to
the Biltmore area. This area near 24th Street and
Camelback Road has recently gained the attention of
wealthier residents. 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 Hotel. This Phoenix landmark has pampered
guests since the 1920's. Its 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 Camelback East urban village of
Phoenix is entirely contained in this area.
The boundaries of this village encompass opposite
socioeconomic backgrounds, with lower-income
neighborhoods located in the southern part and affluent
neighborhoods located in the northern (and especially
northeastern) part. The southern half of the
neighborhood (generally south of Indian School Road
and/or the Arizona Canal is generally middle-income. The
upper section, including the green Arcadia district
between Indian School Road and Camelback Road, is quite
affluent and well-maintained sharing much in common with
the Biltmore neighborhood, the town of Paradise Valley,
and
North Central Phoenix.
With the
implementation of the Salt River Valley Reclamation
Project after the turn of the century, development of
irrigable lands in the suburbs of Phoenix as large,
rural homesites became a viable alternative land use.
Single, independent construction efforts by some wealthy
landowners were not uncommon. An Alternative and more
ambitious concept was the development of large tracts of
land, specifically for the purpose of creating upper
class, rural estates suburbs.
The concept
involved assembling sizeable real estate holdings from
several owners, then surveying, platting, and marketing
the subdivision. Because assembling the necessary real
estate in the Valley’s relatively mature agricultural
environment was difficult, only one such subdivision
emerged in the central Salt River Valley: the
Arcadia
Subdivision.
The part of Phoenix commonly
referred to as
Arcadia, encompasses the area north of the
Arizona Canal and south of Camelback Road between 44th
St. and Scottsdale Road. However, the first tract of
land platted within this land area was not the original
Arcadia development, but rather a development called
Citrus Homes. First recorded in June 1915 by L.E.
Froman, Citrus Homes was bounded by Camelback Road and
Lafayette Blvd. to the North, 56th Street to the East,
and the Arizona Canal to the South. The Citrus Homes
development contained 25 lots which ran from North to
South with the southern boundary of each lot bordering
on the Arizona Canal.
Located directly North and
Northeast of the Citrus Homes development was the
original Arcadia development first recorded in December
1919. Developed by the Jordan, Grace and Phelps Land
Company and the Charles Keafer firm, Arcadia was bounded
by Lafayette Blvd. to the south, Scottsdale Road to the
east, approximately Rockridge Road to the north, and
44th Street to the west. The physical layout of the plat
was divided into two distinct sections.
First,
the area east of 56th Street was divided into 23 blocks
with each block further divided into 4 lots of
approximately ten acres. Second, the area west of 56th
Street was divided into 18 blocks with the majority of
the blocks further divided into 8 lots of approximately
five acres. One distinct feature of this plat was the
designation of Block L, located north of Camelback Road
and west of 56th Street, as the Arcadia Townsite.
By dividing the
Arcadia Tract into relatively large
five to ten acre lots and mandating that no home could
be constructed for less than $5,000, the developers were
clearly attempting to attract the more affluent
homeowner who wanted to live in a rural setting. In
effect, these large lots were designed to be sold as
small citrus orchards. To this end, Arcadia’s
developers, including Seymour Jordan, Robert Grace, and
Charles Keafer, highlighted the area’s agricultural
potential and hoped that “the purchasers of this land
will engage in the growing of citrus fruits.”
In
order to successfully develop citrus groves in Arcadia,
there had to be a stable source of water from which the
orchards could be irrigated. While Arcadia was located
near the Arizona Canal because of the slope of the land
only the lots south of Camelback Road benefitted from
the water source. Therefore, the developers, led by
Seymour Jordan, formed the Arcadia Water Company in
1919. This organization constructed several large
pumping plants in Paradise Valley capable of supplying
2,100 acres with water. In order to transport this water
throughout the
Arcadia development, an underground
irrigation system was planned. By 1924, construction
crews had laid fifteen miles of underground concrete
pipe in the area. The dwelling which is currently the
Shemer Art Center and Museum was built in 1919 as a
residence for the foreman of the water company.
The original financing for the Arcadia plat had fallen
through by the mid-1920's, resulting in much of the area
being refinanced and replatted by a variety of different
owners between 1925 and 1031. These subdivisions
included Glencoe Highlands (1925), Arcadia Estates
(1926), Arcadia Replatted (1926), Hacienda Allenada
(1930), and Alta Hacienda (1931). Although Arcadia was
no longer under single ownership, for the most part the
new developers still promoted “Arcadia” as a community
for affluent people looking for a rural, estate
atmosphere. Not only did lot size remain relatively
large, ranging from 4 to 10 acres, but minimum cost
restrictions for the construction of homes increased.
Additionally, the agricultural potential of the area,
particularly the cultivation of citrus groves, continued
to be a priority.
There existed several stated
requirements concerning house construction in the
Arcadia Replat. First, the cost of building a house had
to exceed $10,000. This was an increase from a minimum
outlay of $5,000 in the 1919 Arcadia Plat. The cost
requirement was implemented in order to attract only the
most wealthy investors and thereby create an exclusive
community. A second requirement for construction
concerned wood buildings. All wood buildings had to be
stained or painted immediately upon construction.
Additionally, in an effort to establish continuity of
appearance among houses, all new houses were required to
“conform and harmonize with the type and exterior design
of neighboring buildings within Arcadia Replatted.”
One of the charming older homes located on the west
side of the Central Arcadia area was built by Mrs. Jane
Cotton around 1919 or 1924. A later owner had been told
the house was built in 1924, but when cement work for
the porch was done, a 1919 edition of a newspaper was
found in a brick, leading the owners to believe that it
could have been built then. The house is constructed of
brick with hardwood floors, and it also has a basement.
When Mrs. Cotton first lived in the home wild horses
could be seen running along Lafayette Boulevard and
indeed had the right of way.
On the southwest
corner of Lafayette and Avenida del Puente is a home
built in 1935 for Ruth Wendell, who was the original
founder of the Phoenix Crippled Children’s Hospital. Ms.
Wendell was a school nurse from the Globe-Miami area.
When she moved to Phoenix, she was concerned for the
crippled Indian and Mexican children and began caring
for them. The parents of the children she helped wanted
to build a house for her. The lot she purchased extended
from Lafayette Boulevard south to the canal. The home
had cement tile floors, and was made from adobe bricks
that were made on the property. When they were working
on the house, an Indian put a piece of bread in the wet
frame of the doorway. He told Miss Wendell that,
“Whoever entered the house would never go away hungry.”
The 1930's also saw the first of the resorts that
have graced the district, attracted by the affluent,
relaxed residential character of the area as it
developed. The Cook Mansion, built by the Thomas Cook
Travel Agency family, was converted at that time for
this purpose and became the original structure for the
Royal Palms Inn. Others developed in the early years in
the area were the Jokake Inn, the Paradise Inn, and
Elizabeth Arden’s Main Chance retreat, adding to the
ambiance of the area.
In the mid 1950's, Phoenix
growth reached Arcadia. Although most of
Arcadia is now
in Phoenix, the area east of 64th Street is in
Scottsdale.
Zoning originally limited development
to one house per five acres. Large setbacks were
provided around the periphery of the five acre parcels.
By the mid 1950s, a number of residential developments
had begun. One example is the Mountgrove area, formerly
the Sphinx Date Ranch, extending from 46th Place to 47th
Place and from the Arizona Canal north to Lafayette
Boulevard. The majority of the homes were built in 1954
with careful attention to preserving the Sphinx Date
palms, since it was believed that this was the only area
in the United States where this variety would grow.
To
watch for violation of zoning restrictions, the
Mountgrove Property Owners Association was quickly
formed and a declaration of restrictions was prepared
and registered. There was strong feeling of keeping the
area residential and, in 1960, the association
successfully concluded a lengthy objection to commercial
zoning of the date processing plant area on Lafayette
between 46th Place and 47th Street.
The quality
of construction in the late 50's and early 60's in
Arcadia has influenced many people in the area to
renovate their homes rather than relocate to newer
areas. Home values have steadily increased and the few
remaining parcels in the neighborhood have been
developed with high quality homes.
In the late
1980's the Phoenician Resort located at 60th Street on
the north side of Camelback Road was developed. With its
27 hole golf course and luxurious guest accommodation,
it has gained international recognition as a 5 star
resort. The old Royal Palms Inn has also been renovated
with unprecedented elegance. Its location is on the
north side of Camelback Road at Rubicon Drive. Two new
residential subdivisions have been developed in the
1990's. Arcadia Estates is located at the southeast
corner of Arcadia Drive and Lafayette Boulevard. Royal
Palms Estates is developed on what once was the Royal
Palms Inn executive golf course.
The area remains
in demand because of the unique irrigation system,
citrus groves, a quality school system, a strong and
active neighborhood association, proximity to
neighboring communities and relatively easy access to
downtown Phoenix. The natural boundaries of the Arizona
Canal on the south and Camelback Mountain on the north
have kept the area quiet and insulated from traffic.
These advantages are attracting many young families to
the area.
There are two elementary schools in
the area: The Arcadia Neighborhood Learning Center at
4330 N. 62nd Street and Hopi Elementary Schoo at 5510 E.
Lafayette Blvd.
There is one public recreation
area known as Herberger Park at 56th Street and North of
Indian School Road. This park has picnic tables and
tennis courts.
Most of the retail is located at
44th Street and Camelback Road, and between 44th and
48th Street and Indian School Road.
The largest
employer in the area is the Phoenician Resort with a
staff of more than 1000 employees. The location of this
resort is in the vicinity of 62nd Street and Camelback
Road. The second largest employer is the Royal Palms Inn
with 135 employees. The location of the recently
renovated Royal Palms Inn is at the intersection of
Rubicon Avenue and Camelback Road.
The closest police and fire
facilities are located outside the special planning
district. The Squaw Peak Precinct is located at 6206
North 24th Street. The nearest fire station is located
at 4247 North 32nd Street.
A Little History
This desert oasis of beautifully landscaped
Historic Phoenix homes was named for Virgil’s
Arcadia: a peaceful, pastoral region of ancient Greece.
In the early 1920s, the land to the south of majestic
Camelback Mountain went up for sale at 35 cents an acre.
It was mostly sold in 5-acre parcels as citrus
orchards—that is, after the Arcadia Water Company began
irrigating. Today, Arcadia residents enjoy a well-meshed
neighborhood of spacious, architecturally interesting
homes and the lush remnants of the area’s rural past.
More Information on Living In the Arcadia
Area In Phoenix, Arizona
Top Ten Reasons Residents Love Arcadia
Aside from Arcadia being named a “Best Place to Live”
by Money magazine, and it’s not hard to figure out
what’s to love. Here are just ten of the many reasons:
10. Unique spirit of place. According to Where to
Live in
Phoenix, “Arcadia casts a spell like no other
neighborhood in the Valley of the Sun.” Watch the sun
set over Camelback Mountain from anywhere in the area
and you’ll understand why.
9. Irrigated lots mean taller trees, abundant plant
life, and cooler temperatures (by as much as 5 to 10
degrees compared to surrounding areas).
8. The schools are some of the best in the state.
7. Shopping. Nearby Scottsdale and The Biltmore
Fashion Park will satisfy anyone’s taste for art,
fashion, and fun.
6. Dining in
Scottsdale, the
Biltmore area, and nearby resorts offers a huge
variety of flavors and experiences from casual and quick
to five-star elegant. La Grande Orange Grocery and
Pizzeria is a very popular neighborhood eatery with a
plethora of mouth watering dishes.
5. Hiking Camelback Mountain is a favorite challenge
of the fit and fabulous from all over the
Phoenix area.
4. Arcadia News, a neighborhood paper, offers updates
exclusively of interest to Arcadia residents, as well as
classifieds, local restaurant reviews, and (in the
online edition) links to community services.
3. A clean, well-kept cluster of homes tucked between
the best areas of Phoenix and Scottsdale, Arcadia has a
small community feel but enjoys the amenities of a big
city.
2. No tract Phoenix homes for sale here;
Arcadia is all about homes with character.
1. Location, location, and ooh, location. All of the
above, and fast access to anywhere in the valley.
Arcadia is just 10-15 minutes from downtown or the
airport, and just five minutes from the freeway system.
Information In Part Courtesy
of:
Arcadia Camelback Special
Planning District
Final City Counsel Adoption
June 16th, 1999; CNNMoney;
City of Phoenix Planning
Department
200 West Washington Street
Phoenix, AZ 85003
|
Laura Boyajian
Mobile: 602.400.0008
HistoricCentralPhoenix@cox.net
|
