Palm Desert Area

[FFC1964]

My husband and I would really like to spend 6 weeks in Palm Desert next winter. There are so many options and I am not sure how to narrow them down. We would like to be in one of those communities that have pickleball, golf and a swimming pool.

Anyone have experience in this area with recommendations of a resort community or areas we could explore? We are clueless.

 

[Accidental Retiree]

My former realtors, avid pickleballers, own a place at Deep Canyon Tennis Club. I’ve driven past and it seems well situated to shopping and dining in Palm Desert.

This gated community also has quite a few listings on VRBO. That’s where I’d start looking.

They have 12 pools and plenty of pickleball and “nearby” golf.

 

[COcheesehead]

Palm Desert is a great area.

 

[FFC1964]

Thank you!! We have visited Palm Desert the last two winters and really feel like we could be there much longer than the week we are there! Just have had no idea where to start so really appreciate information!

 

[audreyh1]

We are also thinking of visiting one February, but it will be just for a week or two, and we mainly need full kitchen, not kitchenette. We don’t care about community activities. We want to visit some of the surrounding desert parks and Salton Sea. We will probably spend some time in Death Valley on the way there. We will be driving from south TX.

 

[FFC1964]

I am wondering if we need to include other close communities in our search. I am really struggling to find anything reasonable for a longer term stay. Or am I looking too early? Any and all suggestions are so appreciated.



Sue

 

[audreyh1]

Palm Desert is a great area.

Anything in particular you’ve enjoyed?

 

[Helen]

I am wondering if we need to include other close communities in our search. I am really struggling to find anything reasonable for a longer term stay. Or am I looking too early? Any and all suggestions are so appreciated.

Sue

You are not too early. We started coming to Palm Springs for a week, then it went to a month. For the last 4 years we've been staying 3.5 months. We have an arrangement with the people who we rent from. They know us and trust us and give us first dibs for the next year and we get a reduced rate.

We found them initially from VRBO. I think a lot of people have that arrangement with their landlords so they get first dibs for the next year, that way they don't spend the first couple of weeks down here looking for a place for next year.

This area is expensive, with winter and spring are peak months to rent. By April people start returning home.

We aren't sure if we will buy here, between the condo prices, HOAs, land lease fees and taxes it's pretty expensive for a second home. We still want to do international traveling.

Good luck, keep looking.

 

[steelyman]

You could always check out the location where The Voice (aka Chairman of the Board aka Frank) rests.

I have no idea how much of this article about the site is true. I do like the music.

https://www.palmspringslife.com/frank-sinatra-grave/

 

[calmloki]

We are about 9 miles away in La Quinta six months out of the year. Very glad to have bought back in the last housing collapse. Renting during the high season feels kinda spendy, and the roads are more crowded than I like during the tennis tournaments or concerts at Coachella. My idea of a good time in PD would be cruising up windy 74 to the overlook (parts of "The Long,Long Trailer" and "It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World" were filmed on 74), or maybe seeing the Living Desert zoo (free first weekend of the month with a BofA branded credit card. Or my favorite - Bombay Beach with its art community. Not your average gallery but art Mad Max apocalypse style on the growing shore of the shrinking Salton Sea. Joshua Tree park of course and there is a great landscape road going there that takes you to Scirocco Summit and the Patton museum for all you tank fans.

 

[calmloki]

Perhaps more in the gated community/pickleball/HOA vein for things to do:
visit the Annenberg Sunnyland estate - a bunch of presidents and Queen Elizabeth thought it was worth seeing. me too. Free to get in, tours available for a fee. Very regimented gardens with ranked cactus (not my cuppa tea). Coda gallery - was in last week and they had an extensive collection that was very worth seeing - but I didn't see the Banksy exhibit that was supposed to be there. Further afield try Borrego Springs and 130 of Ricardo Breceda's metal sculptures scattered all around: https://www.travelyesplease.com/travel-blog-borrego-springs-sculptures/

 

[audreyh1]

We are about 9 miles away in La Quinta six months out of the year. Very glad to have bought back in the last housing collapse. Renting during the high season feels kinda spendy, and the roads are more crowded than I like during the tennis tournaments or concerts at Coachella. My idea of a good time in PD would be cruising up windy 74 to the overlook (parts of "The Long,Long Trailer" and "It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World" were filmed on 74), or maybe seeing the Living Desert zoo (free first weekend of the month with a BofA branded credit card. Or my favorite - Bombay Beach with its art community. Not your average gallery but art Mad Max apocalypse style on the growing shore of the shrinking Salton Sea. Joshua Tree park of course and there is a great landscape road going there that takes you to Scirocco Summit and the Patton museum for all you tank fans.

The Long Long Trailer! I really enjoyed Desi and Lucy’s RV adventure.

We were full time RVing ourselves at the time. But we did not have a trailer!

 

[COcheesehead]

Anything in particular you’ve enjoyed?

In comparison to its more famous neighbors, it’s just classic California desert without the tackiness that seems to have invaded Palm Springs.
We like to hike and eat and there’s plenty of that. My wife is a shopper and downtown Palm Desert has a nice selection of non touristy places she enjoys.

 

[Scuba]

We live in South Palm Springs. There are hundreds of country club communities in Palm Desert and Rancho Mirage. As Helen said, you are definitely not too early. A few communities I know of are Monterey Country Club in Palm Desert, The Springs in Rancho Mirage, and Sunrise Country Club in Rancho Mirage.

Both Palm Desert and Rancho Mirage are good locations allowing easy access to both ends of the desert. La Quinta is nice and PGA West has some nice rentals, but it’s quite a hike from Palm Springs.

If you are interested, I can ask our realtor if he handles rentals or knows a reputable realtor who does. In our neighborhood, the owners who rent seasonally don’t list online. They typically list through a realtor and the listing appears on the MLS.

Feel free to PM me if you have other detailed questions about the area.

 

[calmloki]

Was just in Bombay Beach (census designated place, 180 residents) yesterday - a dozen or more motorhomes parked out on the shoreline holding artists and tourists. Ate at the Ski Inn for the first time. Cash only, no credit cards. I'm no kind of bar goer, but I do like food and Anthony Bourdain praised their patty melt. One got that and liked it a bunch, I went for the Ortega burger, which was made with a perfectly cooked hand formed patty and was excellent. The coleslaw was good and unique, the deep fried Zucchini and onion rings were outstanding. A very limited menu, but we all enjoyed it. Less than sixty bucks for five of us; I checked to see if they split with the kitchen and tipped twenty. I'm a cheap bast*d and felt it was a very good deal.

Supposedly the lowest bar in the US at 220 feet below sea level.

Gotta cruise all the streets and comb the beach to get the town to give up all the quirky art, but well worth it.

 

[COcheesehead]

Not in Palm Desert, close though, best speakeasy/bar/gastropub in Coachella Valley is Paul Bar.
https://www.thepaulbarps.com/