A private patio for you, a pool for the afternoons

The patio

Step out of the living room and you are in a private, block-walled courtyard of about 23 by 16 feet. There is a lounge set for coffee and cocktails, a dining table for the evenings when nobody wants to go anywhere, and a gas grill for spring training tailgates that happen after the game instead of before it. The desert-themed mural on the far wall has become the unofficial photo spot for groups.

Because the patio backs onto the carport rather than a neighbor’s yard, it stays private, and because the community sits a block off the main roads, evenings out here are quiet. Quiet hours at the home run 10 PM to 7 AM, which is also when Old Town’s patios and rooftops are at their best, so the timing tends to work itself out.

The pool

The Casa Granada East pool is a short walk across the greenbelt from the front door: an outdoor pool with lounge chairs and a shaded cabana, shared with the other residents of the community. It is open from 7 AM to 10 PM at the HOA’s discretion and may close during extreme weather. A few honest notes, because we would rather you know before you book:

• It is a shared community pool, not a private one. On a spring weekend you may have company; on a weekday morning you will often have it to yourself.
• It is not heated. The water is comfortable from roughly mid-April through October and bracing the rest of the year.
• There is no hot tub in the community.
• Pool rules, including glassware and guest limits, are set by the HOA and posted at the gate.

If a private, heated pool is the point of your trip, Hideaway is the wrong home and we will say so. If you want Old Town on foot, a real kitchen, three bedrooms and a pool for the afternoons, it is the right one.

Swim season, month by month

Month	What to expect
January Patio season	Not swimming weather for most people. Highs in the upper 60s; the patio is the draw.
February Patio season	Sunny and mild, highs near 70. The pool deck is pleasant for lounging; the water is cold.
March Borderline	Spring training weather. Highs in the mid 70s; hardy swimmers start going in late in the month.
April Swim season	Highs in the low to mid 80s. The unheated pool becomes comfortable by mid-month.
May Swim season	Highs in the 90s. Pool season proper: morning swims, shaded afternoons under the cabana.
June Swim season	Hot, dry, over 100 by afternoon. Swim early, again after 6 PM, and nap in between.
July Swim season	Monsoon season brings humidity and evening storms. The pool is the center of the day.
August Swim season	Similar to July. Pool mornings, indoor afternoons, patio dinners after sunset.
September Swim season	Still hot early in the month, easing toward the 90s. Excellent pool month.
October Swim season	Highs in the 80s and the best outdoor weather of the year. The water starts cooling late in the month.
November Borderline	Highs in the 70s. Pool deck lounging, patio dinners, water too cool for most.
December Patio season	Mild days, cool nights. The grill and the patio get the use; the pool gets admired.

Temperatures are typical Scottsdale averages; check the forecast for your dates.

The lawns and the playground

The townhouses at Casa Granada East face shared lawns with mature trees and walking paths rather than a parking lot, which is why the community feels more like a neighborhood than a complex. The playground next to the pool is where kids burn off the last hour before dinner, and the greenbelt loop is the dog walk.