Explore Palm Springs, California with Richard Nolan

Richard Nolan

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Over the years, Palm Springs has grown into a destination with a global reputation for first-class resorts and hotels, modern architecture, great restaurants, eclectic shopping, and year-round fun.

The restaurant scene continues to grow with excellent dining at venues such as Trio, Lulu California Bistro, Cheeky’s, and Zini Café Med joining long-standing establishments, including Le Vallauris and LG’s Steakhouse.

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The community vibe is…

As one of the first and arguably the most famous desert resort destinations in the United States, Palm Springs has a celebrity vibe that’s hard to beat.

The lifestyle offered is…

Palm Springs offers residents and visitors opportunity, sophistication, and culture. An attractive destination for visitors and many who will make Palm Springs their home, the city is enriched with history, culture, and more importantly a strong sense of community. No one should miss all that Palm Springs and the Coachella Valley have to offer.

The most popular building type you’ll find is…

Palm Springs has the largest concentration of mid-century modern architecture. Since the 1920’s, visionary modernist architects have designed sleek, modern homes that have embraced the desert environment. The dramatic geographic surroundings of the Coachella Valley inspired a design aesthetic in the middle of the 20th century now called desert modernism.

Notable for its use of glass, clean lines, natural, and manufactured resources and indoor/outdoor spaces, Desert Modernism evoked a lifestyle of simple elegance and informality. Influenced by the dictates of desert living and the intense climate, the style grew out of the architects and designer's adaptive use of inventive materials, modern construction techniques, and new (post-war) technologies and served an enthusiastic and willing clientele.

Talented architects were drawn to the desert by chance and opportunity. They created notable buildings of every type: residential, commercial, civic, religious, hotels, schools, cultural, etc.

Palm Springs architects and developers of the era include:

  • Richard Neutra
  • John Lautner
  • Donald Wexler
  • Albert Frey
  • William "Bill" Krisel, Palmer and Krisel, Inc.
  • William F. Cody
  • John Porter Clark
  • George and Robert Alexander (land developers and builders)
  • E. Stewart Williams

The average home price is…$456,000.

The area’s greatest highlight is...

Palm Springs, a desert city in California, is known for its hot springs, stylish hotels, golf courses, and spas. It's also notable for its many fine examples of mid-century, modern architecture. Its core shopping district along Palm Canyon Drive features vintage boutiques, hip interior design shops, and buzzy restaurants. The surrounding Coachella Valley offers hiking, biking, and horseback riding.

Top events include Palm Springs International Film Festival in January, Modernism Week in February, and VillageFest every Thursday night on Palm Canyon Drive. Complete your visit with a ride on Palm Springs Aerial Tramway to enjoy the refreshing beauty of the San Jacinto Mountains.

The best spots to dine fancily are...Spencer's Restaurant, Copley's on Palm Canyon, Le Vallauris Restaurant, Melvyn’s Restaurant, Jake's Palm Springs, TRIO Restaurant, Workshop Kitchen + Bar, DISH Creative Cuisine, and Tinto.

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Spencer's Restaurant

The best spot to find entertainment is…Bar. As one of Palm Springs newest hotspots, Bar is making a name for itself thanks to its handcrafted cocktails and a wide range of musical performances throughout the week. Local singer/songwriters, jazz outfits, modern rock bands, and hip indie groups are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to live music at Bar.

The best spots to go shopping are...

The world famous El Paseo Shopping District features over 300 world-class shops, clothing boutiques, art galleries, jewelers, restaurants, and much more. All lined along a beautifully maintained picture-postcard floral and statue-filled mile. Known as the Rodeo Drive of the Desert, El Paseo boasts a wide spectrum of stores from Sak's 5th Avenue to individually owned boutiques.

Additionally, retailers of every stripe comprise the Uptown Design District on North Palm Canyon and along the downtown strip.

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El Paseo Shopping Disctrict

The best places to tee off are…Classic Club, Desert Willow Golf Resort, Eagle Falls Golf Course, Escena Golf Club, Indian Wells Golf Resort, La Quinta Resort & Club and PGA West, Marriott’s Shadow Ridge, Omni Rancho Las Palmas Resort & Spa, SilverRock Resort, and Westin Mission Hills.

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Marielle Lafaire

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