Old Town Tortilla Factory Rides Into the Sunset After 30 Years

Scottsdale lost one of its warmest rooms this month. Old Town Tortilla Factory served its final dinner on August 1. The restaurant shared the news with guests in a short farewell message. Moreover, the timing caught nearly everyone off guard. The restaurant had gone dark for a routine summer break on June 30. Regulars expected the patio to reopen August … Read More

Scottsdale Culinary Excellence Yet Again: Local Restaurant Named Best in the Country

Scottsdale has added another national title to its shelf. Pinyon Coastal Mediterranean was named the No. 1 Mediterranean restaurant in the United States by Yelp Elites, the review platform’s most active and trusted contributors. The honor arrived in a top 25 national guide released last month. Pinyon was the only Arizona restaurant to make the list. The recognition landed just … Read More

America’s Tourism Slump: Scottsdale Is Starting to Feel It

The numbers looked fine last year. More than 11 million visitors came to Scottsdale in 2024, generating a record $3.7 billion in economic impact and supporting over 36,000 local jobs. City officials were justifiably proud. That baseline matters now, because what is happening in 2025 and 2026 cuts directly against it. The United States recorded roughly 4 million fewer international … Read More

Shooting in Old Town Scottsdale Puts STR Problem Back in the Spotlight

Old Town Scottsdale markets itself as a premier desert destination: upscale dining, luxury resorts, high-end retail. So a 2 a.m. gunfight spilling across two locations, resulting in five arrests and an officer-involved shooting, is not exactly the brand. On the morning of May 7, Scottsdale police responded to multiple 911 calls reporting shots fired at a Circle K near Camelback … Read More

Guest Editorial: Negotiating Scottsdale’s Prosperity: A Tale of Two Projects

By Councilwoman Solange Whitehead On the surface, Avala Scottsdale (Modus Companies) and Old Town’s AC Marriott Hotel (PEG) don’t appear related. But both followed a similar path—and show what happens when a Council negotiates hard and delivers prosperity for all in Scottsdale. Both projects are in highly desirable locations—though in Scottsdale, that’s every site. Avala, a single-story, net-zero energy rental … Read More

ParkingGate Reaches its Conclusion with a Resounding Yes Vote. Perhaps We Can Argue About Something More Important Now

By Alexander Lomax Scottsdale’s great parking garage drama has finally ended. After weeks of petitions, protests, and enough civic outrage to fill several farmers markets, the Scottsdale City Council voted 5-2 last Tuesday night to approve the construction contract for the Brown Avenue parking structure in Old Town. Construction could begin as early as this summer, with the city eyeing … Read More

Statement from Mayor Borowsky on Brown Avenue Parking Garage

By Mayor Lisa Borowsky “After 16 months of public discussion, the City Council voted 5–2 on April 14 to move forward with the Brown Street Parking Garage. I am disappointed in this decision. From the beginning, I have raised concerns about the project’s location, cost, and compatibility with the character of Old Town. A three- to four-story parking structure at … Read More

Scottsdale Is Setting the Table: The Newest Culinary Must-Eats in the City

There has always been something quietly confident about Scottsdale’s dining scene; the sense that the desert knows how to throw a party. But 2026 is different. This year, the city isn’t just keeping pace with the country’s best food cities…it’s making a genuine argument for the top of the list. The most talked-about arrival so far is Cielito, the new … Read More