This is definitely a tourist area so be forewarned. Old Town Scottsdale is an area of downtown Scottsdale full of art galleries, restaurants, and kitschy shopping. The things I love about it include free street parking (with a 3 hour limit) and the fact that its walker-friendly. There is also a free trolley that you can catch to get a lay of the land with stops throughout the area and the mall.
The only minus is that their stuff is geared toward older and/or richer visitors and is very kitschy. I loved it my first time around when I had never been to Scottsdale, but after my recent visit I would be okay skipping it. Nonetheless, visit it at least once.