Culdesac sits on the east side of Tempe, a suburb roughly 10 miles from Phoenix, also home to Arizona State University.

During my visit, I met with CEO and cofounder Ryan Johnson. After years of working in the real estate and transportation industries — and traveling to walkable places worldwide — he was inspired to create a neighborhood free of cars.

From New York City to Budapest, Johnson said his travels launched a passion for cities.

"I saw those places and said, 'Wow, this is a much better way to build a city — with thoughtful architecture, great transportation systems,'" he told BI.

Johnson added that developments in the transportation industry, from ride-share apps to public transit systems and electric bikes, have made living car-free possible in places like Arizona.

Johnson, who grew up in Phoenix and currently lives at Culdesac, hasn't had a car in 14 years.

Visitors and delivery drivers can park their cars at Culdesac, but residents cannot.

The company representative told BI that for residents with cars, "it's regulated through their lease agreement that they won't park on-site or on any public streets within 0.25 miles."

Some residents park their cars elsewhere in Tempe, while others, like Johnson, don't have a vehicle. Residents get around on foot, bicycles, electric bikes and scooters. The neighborhood has more than 1,000 bike parking spots.

One Culdesac resident previously told BI that living without a car can be challenging outside the neighborhood, as the surrounding city was built for vehicles.

However, according to the company's website, Culdesac provides residents with a mobility package worth almost $3,000 annually to make transportation easier. It includes a complimentary Valley Metro pass for the light rail that goes through Phoenix and Tempe and discounts on ride-share apps like Lyft and Waymo, a self-driving cab service.

The plaza, located across from the neighborhood light rail stop, is the communal center of Culdesac. It's marked by a sculpture by artist Matthew Salenger that doubles as a canopy.

Thursday nights at Culdesac light up with a public outdoor night market called Little Cholla. The weekly event features live music, local vendors like food trucks, and dancing.

A two-story building in the plaza with giant windows houses the neighborhood fitness center. It has workout classes and is lined with equipment.

From thrifted clothing to unique dishware and candles, there's plenty of local shopping at Culdesac.

According to the company's website, there are more than a dozen micro-retail shops, including a market, a laundromat, a medical spa, an art studio, and a plant shop.

The company representative told BI that the small-business owners at Culdesac are residents, and some even live in their stores thanks to a zoning permit that allows them to do so.

All the stores have kitchens and bathrooms, and some have bedrooms.

In April 2023, Culdesac's Cocina Chiwas opened. It's a family-owned Mexican restaurant serving Chihuahuan cuisine.

It's no secret that the Phoenix area is hot — sometimes dangerously so in the summers. So Culdesac was built to keep pedestrians cool without asphalt — a road material that gets hotter in the sun.

Culdesac intentionally placed the buildings close together to create as much shade as possible.

The buildings' color is also no accident. Culdesac chose white because it reflects sunlight rather than absorbs it.

More than half of the entire property is open, landscaped space.

Culdesac currently has 172 units. More will open in the fall, and the neighborhood will eventually have 760 units.

Studios start at $1,300 a month, one-bedrooms are $1,400, two-bedrooms are $2,100, and three-bedrooms are $2,900 monthly.

Archer's Bike Shop sells manual and electric bikes. And Culdesac residents get complementary services and product discounts.

After my visit to Culdesac, I chatted with Brad Biehl, a 24-year-old resident from Colombus, Ohio. Biehl has lived in the neighborhood for six months. He said one of the best parts of living there is the sense of community.

"We're usually in environments where we walk from our door to our car and from the car into the place," Biehl said. "But here, to go anywhere, I usually pass at least two or three of my neighbors, even when I'm just walking to the light rail right around the corner."

Biehl added that he's optimistic about the future of Culdesac when more residents and retailers come in.

"While there are still not a ton of people here yet, there's way more going on than I would've expected there to be," he told BI. "The number of serendipitous interactions that have taken place with the limited number of residents makes me super excited for what people will experience here."

When I mapped out my trip to Scottsdale, I didn't realize how large the town was.

Downtown Scottsdale, Paradise Valley, and Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport are quite close together — 15 minutes or less by car, in my experience. However, I couldn't miss seeing the luxurious neighborhoods and fine dining in North Scottsdale.

When I booked my tours and reservations, I didn't realize North Scottsdale was about a 40-minute cab ride from the hub area.

I ended up traveling up and down Scottsdale multiple times a day. Next time, I'll plan to spend one full day in North Scottsdale to avoid wasting time and money on cabs.

For my spring trip to Scottsdale, I expected it to be warm, as the area is known to be throughout the year. So, I packed some cooling, quick-dry attire, like the Under Armour polo above, paired with pants made from a similar material.

It was warmer than I anticipated, and this dark navy outfit made me feel like a magnet to the sun.

The outfit was comfortable in the morning and evening, but I would have packed lighter-colored clothing if I had known I'd be battling 90-degree heat in the afternoons.

I also didn't realize that the heat in Scottsdale would feel drastically drier to me compared to the air I'm used to back home in New York.

I thought I could easily walk around all day in Scottsdale. I planned to spend most daylight hours exploring outdoors and walking from neighborhood to neighborhood. But I got dehydrated easily and ran through my 20-ounce plastic water bottle quickly.

Next time I visit Scottsdale in the spring, I'll pack a larger, insulated water bottle and break up outdoor activities in my itinerary with indoor ones to stay cool and hydrated.

Since I spent two nights in Scottsdale and Paradise Valley, I booked one night in each town.

I stayed at the Phoenician in Scottsdale, a 600-acre mega-resort with five pools, a three-story spa, and an 18-hole golf course.

I didn't save enough time in my itinerary for hanging out at the hotel.

I spent most of the day out and about, and by the time I got back to the Phoenician, I was too tired to sit down at the award-winning lobby bar or step into one of the pools.

Before I checked out in the morning, I had just enough time to explore the entire property on foot. I watched others play golf, tennis, and pickleball and longed for another night. This ended up being my biggest regret of the trip because I left feeling like I'd missed out.

After my stay, I realized that a mega-resort is worth the price only if I take advantage of all it has to offer. Since my trip was more about exploring Scottsdale than relaxing, there simply wasn't enough downtime to make it worth booking for just one night.

After getting a preview of the Phoenician's amenities, I'd love to stay again for at least two nights and plan to spend many waking hours there.

From the moment my cab turned into its entrance, the Phoenician felt like a mega-resort. The 600-acre property was dotted with fountains, golfing greens, and several large buildings.

A winding road led to the main building, where the lobby and several accommodations, restaurants, shops, and event spaces were located.

After exploring the entire resort on foot the next day, I got lost on the way back. It took me about 30 minutes to find my room from the far end of the site.

Open since 1988, the luxury Marriott Hotel has gone through several interior renovations. Most recently, the accommodations were redesigned in 2016, and public spaces were revamped in 2018.

The lobby was huge. The warm hues of beige and red paired with geometric patterned fabrics reminded me of the desert landscape and Southwestern style.

The deluxe room I booked typically costs about $800 a night when booked a month in advance, according to a search on the company's website. Business Insider received a media rate for the one-night stay.

I thought the furniture and decor were modern, like in the lobby, but there were more grays, making the beige elements feel like accents.

I had a comfy, king-sized bed across from a TV and storage cabinets holding a safe, a mini-fridge, and a Keurig coffee maker.

The bathroom felt luxurious, with marble flooring and counters. There were two robes hanging inside, too.

The geometric building paired boxy edges with a curvature. I thought it was a neat shape for a hotel.

The complex has five pools, including one water playground and one adult-only pool. The pools are surrounded by lounge chairs, cabanas, and palm trees for shade.

During my stay, there seemed to be enough space for each guest to have a secluded experience. I didn't see crowds in the afternoon.

The resort houses the award-winning restaurants J&G Steakhouse and Mowry & Cotton, and the award-winning lobby bar, Thirsty Camel.

The Phoenician Spa, which won the Forbes Travel Guide Five Star Award in 2024 for the fifth consecutive year, has 24 treatment rooms, a rooftop pool, a fitness center, a sauna, and a room dedicated to peace and quiet. There's also a boutique, a dry bar, and a nail salon.

The athletic club has several tennis, pickleball, and basketball courts.

The course is surrounded by views of the Sonoran Desert.

The garden is behind the main building on a secluded, shaded trail. The short walk is dotted with 250 different kinds of plants.

A road in Paradise Valley lined with hilly fields and grand estates led to the Hermosa Inn. The hotel's entrance was a small, traditional adobe structure just a few yards from the main road.

The six-acre property has 43 casita accommodations in individual buildings of the same design style rooted in history.

In 1936, cowboy and artist Alonzo "Lon" Megargee built the now-hotel to serve as his home and studio until 1941, when it opened as the Hermosa Inn.

Unlike the Phoenician, there's nothing modern about the Hermosa Inn's interior design.

Instead, it transports visitors to the early 20th-century West from the moment they check in, with adobe bricks, wooden beams, and high-quality rustic furniture. The lobby and rooms also showcase some of Megargee's artwork.

Instead of being in a secluded space like at the Phoenician, the gardens lined the pathways around the resort.

Guests can access bikes on the property, but I explored on foot.

It was a peaceful and quiet walk to my room. I passed through archways and spotted fountains and vibrant flower beds.

At the end of the garden path, I had a secluded deluxe casita with a patio.

The room costs about $600 a night a month in advance, according to a search on the company's website. BI received a media rate for the one-night stay.

The interior design was as Southwestern as the lobby, with wooden window shutters and a bed with wooden posts that made me feel like royalty.

Apart from the balcony, this room had all the same amenities as the Phoenician accommodation, from a safe to a mini-fridge.

Apart from the style, the bathroom at the Hermosa Inn was much like the Phoenician's. It was spacious, with a roomy shower and a soaking tub.

The Hermosa Inn has one pool and one whirlpool. During my stay, I saw only a couple of guests using them at a time. Like the Phoenician, the Hermosa Inn also has a spa.

LON's was named the most romantic restaurant in Arizona by Food & Wine Magazine in 2022. It serves breakfast, brunch, lunch, and dinner and has a massive, garden-side outdoor patio as well as indoor seating. LON's Last Drop is the bar next to it, which has an outdoor adobe fireplace.

The underground room is always kept at 57 degrees.

The library is often used for wedding receptions and hosts up to 32 guests.

The fitness center at the Hermosa Inn is small, but this makes sense, considering there are so few guests at a time compared to the Phoenician.

The Phoenician provided so many amenities, restaurants, and activities that guests could spend their entire vacation on the property. The resort is ideal for families and those looking to spend their days playing sports and chilling by the pool.

While much less extensive, the Hermosa Inn provides a unique experience for those looking to appreciate culture, peace, and quiet.