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The city of Palm Desert has transformed itself from a retirement community to the valley’s retail, education and cultural epicenter.

Since incorporating in 1973, Palm Desert has become a community of professionals and upper middle class families. It remains a major destination resort with some of the world’s finest golf courses.

Web sites palm-desert.org cityofpalmdesert.org

Firecliff and Mountain View, two separate golf courses, make up Desert Willow, the city’s public golf course, which has been featured on the cover of Smithsonian, for its water efficiency and environmentally correct landscaping. Golf Digest recently named Firecliff one of “the” places to play, one of only three mentioned in California.

Residents here enjoy a high standard of living and reside within short driving distance to the Valley’s widest selection of stores, its only college campus and its premier center for the performing arts.

The city, about 120 miles from Los Angeles, San Diego and the Mexican border, is home to 43,900 full-time residents and an additional 21,000 visitors and part-time residents in the winter months.

Palm Desert residents live conveniently in the valley’s retail hub. Shopping venues include everything from upscale boutiques on El Paseo (nicknamed the Rodeo Drive of the Desert) to superstores, such as Best Buy, Target, T.J. Maxx and Marshalls. The Gardens on El Paseo, an up-scale mall that opened in 1998, features Saks Fifth Avenue, Anne Taylor, Pottery Barn, Williams Sonoma, Banana Republic and more.

Palm Desert also boasts the valley’s only center for higher education—College of the Desert, part of the California state community college system. It offers academic, vocational and technical training. The campus also is home to the Coachella Valley Campus of California State University, San Bernardino, which offers undergraduate and graduate degree programs.

The unique, unincorporated community of Thousand Palms, which is adjacent to Palm Desert, is a growing part of the Coachella. Valley. This areas attracts young families with its abundant, affordable housing, nearby shopping and great mountain views.

GENERAL INFORMATION
Mayor: Robert Spiegel
City Hall: 73-510 Fred Waring Drive, Palm Desert, 760-346-0611
Population: 43,917
Median Age: 54.6
Median Household Income: $50,911
Average Resale House Price: $197,751
Households with children: 59.9%
Police: 911 (Administration: 760-836-1600)
Fire: 911 or 800-472-5697 (Administration: 346-6234)
Hospital: 911
Chamber of Commerce: 760-346-6111
Post Office: 24801 Hovley Lane
45300 Portola Avenue 800-275-8777

Schools:
Desert Sands Unified School District: 760-777-4200

Public Parks:
Park Dept: 760-347-3484
Cahuilla Hills Park, Edgehill Drive
Civic Center Park, Fred Waring Drive and San Pablo Avenue Palm Desert Community Park,
Magnesia Falls Drive and Portola Avenue
Palm Desert Community Center, San Pablo Avenue
Palm Desert Skate Park, Fred Waring and San Pablo

Libraries:
City of Palm Desert/College of the Desert:
73-300 Fred Waring Drive 760-346-6552

Central Shopping District:
El Paseo, Palm Desert Town Center, Desert Crossings

Central Restaurant District:
El Paseo, and along Highway 111

Gallaries:
El Paseo

Arts and Theatre:
The McCallum Theatre, 73-000 Fred Waring, 760-340-2787
Cinema 10, 72-840 Palm Desert Town Center 760-322-3456
Cinema 3, Palms to Pines, Hwy 111 760-322-3456

Utilities:
Phone Company: Verizon 800-483-4000
Electricity: Southern California Edison 800-655-4555
Gas: Southern California Gas Company 800-427-2200
Water: Coachella Valley Water District 760-398-2651
Cable: Time Warner 760-340-2225
Sanitation: Waste Management 760-340-2113