Many pictures and movies tend to show the Giza Pyramid complex as someplace in the middle of the dessert, seeming to imply that it is a far travel into some remote part of the desert to get there. However many of us have seen the pictures of the pyramids from the other side, where there is a bustling city. Some initial research tells me that there has always been a relatively important city or town in the area of Giza due to its position on the Nile and closeness to Memphis. However I also understand that the Necropolis itself was abandoned at one point or another, with Pharaohs coming back to try and make claims and solidify their rule (see the Dream Steele between the Sphinx's feet).
I guess the long and short of my question is this, was the Giza Necropolis ever really as deserted and remote as some pictures would have us believe?
The area wasn’t always particularly prominent, but there was at least some settlement around it — the area is near the division of the Nile into branches (the location was a key strategic point; an invader would have to pass through this area regardless of which branch of the river they entered from in order to get to the bigger cities in middle and upper Egypt). Memphis wasn’t always a big big city, but it was populated until the Nile shifted further east, which was when Babylon (Cairo’s first precursor) was founded.
That said, the necropolis itself was probably relatively unattended. Memphis is near—less than 10 miles—but not right there. Going back and forth would take a good chunk out of your day. So, the population of the immediate area probably consisted of farmers.
I honestly think the desert view is there to promote the sort of myth ... also, Giza backed up to the base of the escarpment is probably not what most people expect. Nor the combination Pizza Hut/Kentucky Fried Chicken directly across from the Sphinx.
To add onto u/khowaga's answer, here's a previous answer from u/Valmyr5 examining just how desert-y the area was at the time of construction.