City of Palm Springs

If ya’ can’t stand the heat… then take your azz to San Francisco!
Located 60 miles or so east of San Bernardino, let alone 100 miles or so east of DTLA, within the absolutely desolate Coachella Valley, not much, if any negativity can be spat upon this luxurious desert oasis.
Having spent 2 years of my life working for «the man» within the plush Springs of Palm — I consider myself a bit of a guru when it comes to this town.
Fellow Unilocalers, I present to you:
$ $ $ $ $ $ $ _​_​_​_​_​_​Palm Springs_​_​_​_​_​_​$ $ $ $ $ $ $
From North Palm Canyon all the way down to the back roads of Smoke Tree Village, this place is definitely a force to be reckoned with. With the flowing rainbow flags on Arenas, I actually deem this place to be —– the San Francisco of the desert.
#its-​raining-​men-​hallelujah!!!
As a tourist, prior to relocating out this way — well over a decade ago, I’d frequent «The Springs» with fam– and friends vicariously, every other weekend, simply as a getaway from the OC and/​or Los Angeles scenes.
Affording restaurants galore (check out: Las Casuelas Terraza on North Palm Canyon — the margaritas are to die FORRRR!, and/​or Sherman’s Deli — as the pastrami there compels you to bow your head in prayer, or even, Spencer’s, Cheeky’s or Johannes — yazzzz yazzzz…
Boasting endless shopping (both on North Palm Canyon — further down Hwy 111 {the certified Pacific Coast Hwy. of the desert} and Desert Hills Premium Outlets located within Cabazon — a mere 15 min. drive out… alongside El Paseo (Rodeo Drive) out in Palm Desert… and/​or an absurd amount of golfing and high-​end resorts —— this place is a vacationers paradise, IF…
…YA’ COME AT THE RIGHT TIME!!!
It’s no secret that Palm Sprangz’ gets hotter than a baboon’s backside and as a former local, my electric bill from running the a/​c TWINNIE-​FOE-​SEVEN would often rival my car note! Once, my a/​c actually broke and I reserved no hesitation sleeping within my car for a few hours!!!
— - — - Travelers from out of state/​town that know «what’s up» tend to visit between October and February, on up to around May or so, simply as a method around the madness.
Locals refer to these guys as «snow birds» as they travel out just long enough to assist businesses with a brief economic boom, …crowding ALLLLL of the restaurants to capacity while occupying each and every street from dawn to dusk, only to depart overnight leaving the town reminiscent of an absolute GHOST TOWN!
For the unaware, sadly, …there’s NO WAY around the heat. I’ve witnessed temps soar upwards of 130+ degrees within the dead heat of summer and believe it or not, should you think that trekking out after sunset is an option —– I task you to Google the term: MOON-​BURN.
Yes — it’s REAL and yes, it’s a struggle.
Wikipedia will allege that the town occupies all of 94 square miles. Contrary to that theory however, this town isn’t actually all that large. (COUGHS…) Uhm yea. It’s about that big. Lol! Cruising down Tahquitz (pronounced Taah-​keetz) Canyon from Palm Canyon Drive towards the airport and circling around over Ramon to Hwy 111, you’ve seemingly covered the duration of the entire city.
With North Palm Springs up Indian Canyon (a TOTALLY different municipality) as well as Rancho Mirage and Cat– City — BOTH setting the tone for the stellar town of Palm Desert (and LaQuinta… even further out — MOST, tend to tie the cluster together, forming their own theory of Palm Springs’ land mass, however —— such is NOT the case.
The assemblage of these towns ^ ^ is what makes up the entire Coachella Valley (waves finger in air)… So don’t go gettin’ it twisted!
All in all, this town encompasses a bountiful amount of history. From the «old money» down to the celebrity street names. If you can’t find a «Sugar Daddy» here, then you’re probably in need of a make-​over!
The vast amounts of lushness are impossible to miss and the mountains —- Heaven Help Us!
But don’t get über’ sold on all of the glitz in glamour. Geared towards retirees, this town rolls up the red carpet at sunset… Once while traveling home from LA, I phoned Denny’s to order a «Grand Slam» for pick up and at 10pm, it was recommended by the manager that I reroute my travels to IHOP, located in Banning — 20 minutes away.
Wow. Just wow.
In summary, if you’re in search of a COMPLETE change in pace, I’d highly advocate your traveling east on the 10.
* Just be sure to pack a Hawaiian shirt in advance alongside some azz-​less chaps.

Great place to get away for a warm winter vacation. Close but so different than the coastal vibe. PS is working hard to bring back the magic.

I’ve only been here once but I did enjoy myself even though it was a little hot. I stayed at the wonderful, chill and so relaxing Alcazar hotel. I only stayed one night so I didn’t have a lot of time to see and enjoy the town.
I got there around 11am and I knew I wanted something different for breakfast so I went to the Fishermen grill or something. I ordered steak and lobster and really enjoyed being inside with some strong A/​C. I checked out a few stores and then got a milkshake at Great Shakes which was really tasty. Some other places I checked out were Trio which had an amazing bleu cheese burger and tasty drinks. Also Cheeky’s is wonderful for breakfast
I really like Palm Springs and I know I’ll be back in the winter. Plus I have a lot more to see and a lot more places to eat and drink at.

Overall, not a boring city (kind of depending on when you go). We came during off-​peak season, I’m sure this city gets super busy during October-​April. These popular streets are named after OG actors/​actresses, there’s so much to see and do. I mean who wants to name a street after Justin Bieber. I really wanted to tour the Elvis Honeymoon Hideaway, guess I had to call for an appointment. I saw the Palm Springs Walk of Stars, as I walked over them looking for Great Shakes lol. I’m not sure if I will ever visit in August again, as everyone fled town to beat the HEAT!
I love seeing pictures of the Rat Pack, Marilyn Monroe, and Elvis in boutiques, ice cream parlors, Hard Rock Hotel, etc. Is it me or was the statue of Marilyn Monroe no longer there? I was looking for it. Perhaps, I didn’t look hard enough due to the heat, or was I delusional in the desert? Nonetheless, I’m glad I visited Palm Springs in the Summertime, and got to experience the sizzling hot August sun. At least it wasn’t humid like other destinations i.e., Miami, New Orleans, Hawaii, or Asia.

The city is pretty nice the drive from Los Angeles to Palm springs is awesome the dinosaurs, windmills and desert is so beautiful different scenery.

A great vocation to couples and friends! A lot of good restaurants, pans, clubs, pool parties, sun and fun :)

BORN AGAIN!
BACKGROUND:
More than 2,000 years ago, Palm Springs’ first residents were the ancestors of today’s Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians. One of many Cahuilla bands, the Agua Caliente existed as peaceful hunters and gatherers, living off the land, and adapting to the extremes of desert summers and mountain winters. Much of tribal life centered on the lush vegetation and abundant water in the area known as Indian Canyons, site of North America’s largest natural fan palm oasis.
The Cahuilla tribe first encountered non-​Indians in 1774, as Juan Bautista de Anza’s expedition traveled through the area. In 1853, a government survey party mapped Palm Springs and its natural hot springs mineral pool — now the site of the Spa Resort Casino –and established the first wagon route through the San Gorgonio Pass. The Cahuilla culture was decimated with the 1863 smallpox epidemic that killed thousands.
STATS:
Low Desert
Where money retires
Wide streets
Plenty of parking
Lots of eateries & shops
EXPERIENCE:
Up until the unexpected early demise of Former Mayor of PS, Sonny Bono, PS was the place where many of us kiddos went for Spring Break. It was hopin’ and popin’ with so much night life, with restaurants, clubs, and bars, as well as hotel options. After Bono’s death, the town appeared to have descended into a deep economic crisis. Tourism slowed dramatically and caused many stores to shut down and move to the up and coming Palm Desert about 15 miles from PS on the 111S.
PS has a slow and relaxing lifestyle, with plenty of golf courses and casinos, and is where many retire. However, over the past several years, PS picked up the Palm Fronds, swept away the sand dunes, and have brought the city back to life. One visit following dinner with The Crew, a fellow hiker and I went to a few bars and clubs. Neither the clubs, nor bars were packed to the gills, but had enough people to have a good time. On a more recent visit, again, dinner with The Crew on the strip, there seemed to be more people enjoying the nightlife PS offers.
PS may not be hopin’ and popin’ as it did under Former Mayor Sonny Bono’s watch, but neither am I. I enjoyed my relatively relaxing visit to the City of Palm Springs. It’s not excessively crowded, there’s plenty to do during the daytime, as well as in the evenings. The Strip is full of stores, restaurants, clubs, and bars… something for everything. If my final destination is ever Palm Desert, I will be sure to stop in on Palm Springs along the way.

Community | Professional Services
Relatively Close To: Police Department.
Public Transportation: Yes.
Valet Service: No.
Wheelchair Accessible: Yes.
Service Pet Allowed: Yes.
Parking: Private parking lots.
Popularity: Not liked by many residents.
Reason of Visit: Went to city counsel meetings.
Cellular Reception: Yes.
Free Wifi: No.
Outdoor Space: Very limited.
Cleanliness: It’s pretty clean here.
Lighting: Sufficient lighting.
Presentation: Mid century and relatively nice.
Ownership: USA, county services department.
Items Ordered: None
Check-​in Wait Time: 22 minutee
Temperature: °76
Staffs knowledgement of business and or amenities: Council members rarely ever talk to residents when asked direct questions. Unless, your showing how good your lips ate to thier butts.
Overall Service: Needs improvements, very snobby and way to much attitude.
Staffs response on compliments: I did not give one.
Staffs response about complaints: Went unnoticed.
Recommendations:
Two ** stars or less dont consider.
Three *** stars be cautious.
Four **** stars or more highly recommended.
Quick Notes: I have lived here for over 6 years. The city counsel and mayors office has a lot of corruption. I moved here because, its a gay community. However, these people have shown their true colors towards the gay community. All you have to do is read up on two major gay issues the members of the city counsel have made. Police department and the city has been sued because, city hall counsel deny’s requesting police stings at local gay resorts. High school student denied access to prom with their same sex partners. Things like this make Palm Springs City Hall not so hot.
My reviews are structured and rated in many areas. I believe that my experiences will provide consumers satisfactory or acceptable in quality or quantity information.
I hope this particular review has helped you carefully decide whether or not to give this venue your business.
Enjoy, Jonathan

Yo yo yo.
Palm Springs I gotta tell ya, I disliked you from the get go.
As soon as I landed, it was so hot, I said oh hell no!
Turns out it’s not so bad, the people are nice.
Everyone’s smiling with a drink full of ice.
Filled with hotels and casinos, ready for gambling and betting.
A guy turned to me and said, you got that glow, I replied, «Nah, I’m just sweating.»
Living up to its name, an oasis full of palm trees.
Scorching heat, it’d be nice to catch a breeze.
So as I depart from this sweltering desert land
You’re ok in my book, I’ll give you a hand!
Check it.

I fondly recall the first time my husband and I went to Palm Springs in September 2012, about a month before our wedding. We had been exhausted and needed some relief, an escape from the wedding madness and stress. I love weekend trips, stumbled upon a LivingSocial deal for Del Marcos Hotel, and an obsession was born. We didn’t make it back to town until a spur-​of-​the-​moment trip for Independence Day 2013, but after that fantastic Trip #2 we found ourselves in town – big thanks to the Spa Resort Casino for keepin’ the free room offers rolling in! – about once a month up until earlier this year. Moved away from San Diego a couple months ago, but, truthfully, we miss Palm Springs decidedly more than San Diego.
No shortage of activities to do, things to see, experiences to be had. Hiking, shopping, culture, eating, drinking – all fantastic in Palm Springs. And there always seems to be something going on in the community. Don’t miss VillageFest every Thursday evening, and just a couple noteworthy annual events are the Film Festival and the free fireworks show at the stadium on July 4^th. By the way, always pick up those free community magazines and booklets while in town; they’re gold.
I’ve come across reviews in which Unilocalers claim Palm Springs is for old people and gay people. Please. How ridiculous and short-​sighted. Palm Springs is for everyone! People here are incredibly friendly, welcoming, and full of pride for their beautiful city. Palm Springs is gorgeous, as are the striking mountains that border town and the fields of thousands of stunning wind turbines. In fact, after I purchased a new camera last year the wind turbines were what I was more excited to photograph than anything else.
Husband and I throw around the idea of having, hopefully, a vacation home in Palm Springs some day. We’d love to have a more permanent connection to this place. For now though, we’ll savor all the memories!

My first time in Palm Springs! It’s not bad at all! I remember hearing about it and equate being there when I’m retired.
Having visited and driven everywhere and shopped too I can say the crowd’s age is pretty diverse. It’s like Vegas minus the sleaze and blinding neon lights.
Nice roads. Did I say nice shopping? :) Can’t sleep? Casinos are waiting for your wallets to walk in. A great variety of standard California chain restaurants too. But the bonus? Locally owned and operated places to eat are very good. A foodie has to have choices and in this city you won’t hear me complain.
My favorite mall is the open design called the Water something (sorry I forgot:) it’s even got a wine tasting store!
I love Palm Springs. And oh yeah! Our favorite reason? Close to all the beautiful parks that we hiked. Woooot!

I loveeeeeeeeee Palm Springs!!! This place has everything!
— Great shopping on Palm Canyon drive with good prices
— A whole bunch of restaurants to pick from in downtown
— Great spas with good deals (Check groupon always before you go)
— Really nice hotels within walking distance to downtown (Tip: Hyatt Suites is walking distance to everything and right in the middle of downtown) Great hotel!
I go to PS at least 3 – 4 times a year and i love it. Its the perfect getaway from the city and great for couples, groups and spa getaways. The best hotels in my opinion are Colony Palms, Hyatt Suites and Riviera. They are all great places to stay and near everything. If you haven’t been to PS, now is that time to plan a trip.
Tip: If you go right in the middle of summer its toooo hot. Go April/​May or October/​Nov for the best weather. not too hot or not too cold

Beautiful, I see it as the Beverly Hills of the desert.
Living in Apple valley myself, Palm Spring is similar, just with alot more money.
Nothing but high end restaurants and shopping, beautiful landscaping, amazing scenery.
Ranges from warm to scorching hot all year around, winter is my favorite time to go.
The city is pretty small, just over 40.000 residents, so a day or weekend getaway is perfect.
It’s never too crowded, but always full enough to evoke the perfect vacation feel.
I wouldn’ t want to live here, as it is pretty isolated from everything else and pretty humid, but I find myself here having a great meal, shopping like a madwoman and enjoying the warmth a couple times a year.

Whoever came up with the idea of putting a statue of Marilyn Monroe in the center of the Downtown City of Palm Springs should be immediately promoted to the head of his or her own marketing company – genius!
That incredible statue is driving tourism to the center of Palm Springs, driving restaurant and and business sales and re-​invigorating this area.
They even opened a Hard Rock Hotel nearby.
They should keep it up with more interesting statutes. Maybe Bob Hope is next?
–
On another front – it is fun to cycle around Palm Springs but I wish that they had a sidewalk path all the way to Palm Desert so we don’t have to keep getting off the bike and crossing the 111 numerous times because the path just ends. And you cross over for a few blocks and that one ends and on and on and on for 12 miles.

It’s a state of mind.
Come for the tennis, pools, golf, arts, design, and laidback people.
Great town.

I’m going to put my review here and follow the pack as to where most reviews were placed (out of 3 listings).
In one word, Palm Springs is surreal. It’s surreal that it just pops out of the desert floor after 2 hours of driving inland from Los Angeles. It’s surreal that it is backed by a mountain that juts upward some 9,000 feet. It’s surreal that people live here as if it were a far flung suburb of L.A. It’s surreal that it attracts quite a cast of characters, both veritable stars and sketchy people on the make. It’s surreal that it is both decadently rich as well as having swaths with housing that isn’t the greatest and people who are just getting by so they can hang their hat in Palm Springs, though not all of it is expensive. It’s surreal in that there are nice cutting edge buildings next to vapid buildings … and vacant desert lots between them.
I first found this place shortly after getting my driver’s license. It was a blistering summer day and, with some high school friends, we drove down to check out what it looked like, eat in a chain coffee shop, and ride the Aerial Tram. For 3 or 4 months of the year, Palm Springs is hot, much like Las Vegas. According to year– round residents, the heat zaps the energy out of you. I’ve been there in the summer and, if the desert cools down at night, it’s fine. If it doesn’t, it’s not comfortable. The mitigating explanation «but it’s a dry heat» doesn’t cut it. Getting into a parked car that feels like 140 F until the air conditioning cools it down is not pleasant.
Palm Springs and the towns around it seem to house or attract people in 3 major chapters of life. There are the people who grow up there who want out. They might use UCLA or USC as vehicles to accomplish that, settle in L.A., and rarely go back. There are people who come to Palm Springs to live while partying, people in search of cheaper housing costs in a vibrant area, and people who want to live in a tourist mecca. Some stay, but many pass through. (Interestingly enough, I had the same conversation with a merchant in Pensacola FL, on the Panhandle, who indicated that people are chomping at the bit to move there and are then moving out after a year and a half because there’s not much there). Lastly, there are those who come for the final chapter of their lives, retiring here to live in a gated community, play golf, play tennis, eat well, go to the nice libraries and community centers in the area, and get some nip and tuck. At any rate, it seems that the place is a crossroads for transplants and it’s not that hard to insert oneself into the flow of Palm Springs since no one is really from Palm Springs and aloofness to outsiders is not palpable.
I will say that Palm Springs and the towns around it are very relaxing. The fast pace of Los Angeles is nonexistent here. The Palm Springs vibe is much slower. Comparing it to Las Vegas is not appropriate either. There, the pace is now about as frenzied as that of L.A. Palm Springs is sort of a place that is simultaneously fun and on intravenous demerol, figuratively speaking. I recommend checking it out. There is nothing quite like this place.

Whew! Expensive but plenty of things to see and do. I can say one of my pleasures in life during the time I lived in southern California was driving the 111 and just enjoying the surroundings. Bars, nightclubs, art museums, a living desert, and so on and so forth. But the one thing that I didn’t get to experience was the tramway. I’ll bet the views were amazing!

I really want to like Palm Springs more than 3 Stars, but I just can’t do it. There’s so much history here, but I just don’t dig this city that much. Here’s why:
— It’s very far off the freeway, a good 15 – 20 min drive.
— The shopping here is expensive.
— Not as many restaurants here as you’d expect.
+ I do love the variety of golf courses… and good ones too.
+ I feel safe in the city… I can’t imagine that there’s much crime here.
Overall, it’s a pretty average city… but I was expecting so much more.
Return Factor — 60%

As Humphrey Bogart said in Casablanca: «I came here for the waters.»
I thought of that line after reading someone else’s review, because it makes as much sense. We are all entitled to our opinions, but Palm Springs is first and foremost a resort community. Maybe sleepier as compared to the others in the Coachella Valley, I’ll let others decide.
We have been coming to the Valley for nearly thirty years and have always found something new and exciting to do. Whether it’s a new store or restaurant since our last visit, but there’s always something.
The old town section along Palm Canyon Drive, and to a lesser extent Indian Canyon has a lot of nice shops. There are a bunch of restaurants with nearly two hundred Unilocal reviews to choose from: Johannes Restaurant, Spencer’s Restaurant, La Perlita, Rio Azul Mexican Bar & Grill, Wang’s In the Desert, and Las Casuelas Terraza. I could go on, but that’s what Unilocal is for.
I’ve also posted some pictures of the updated tourist map for easy reference. There’s always
if you cannot find it on Unilocal.LOL
Enjoy!

Five stars for the city
But one wet star for the amount of water wasted everywhere.
— — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — –
My wife son and I visited PS between Christmas and new years and had a lot of fun. Highlights are the Aerial Tramway, the Art Museum, a great selection of restaurants, and Robolights — the robot-​vampire-​Santa Christmas display you’ve always wanted to see.
Bottom line — it’s a fun place to visit if you’re only a few hours away.
Now here’s the observation. (You saw the complaint coming, didn’t you?)
Palm Springs is in the desert, as everyone knows. But I have never seen so much water wasted. The hotels have lawns like they were in Ireland. In the morning as i jogged through the city, landscape guys were hosing down the sidewalks at various businesses (including the hotel we stayed at). And there’re streams of water running down the gutters in residential areas from the excess watering from the sprinkler systems.
What’s going on Palm Springers? Y’all might want to take a clue from Tucson. Conserve water. Use a broom or a blower on your walks and courtyards. And replace the topical plantings with desert-​appropriate plants.