Palm Desert

While living in or visiting the Coachella Valley, it’s nearly impossible to miss Palm Desert, the Geographical center of the nine desert communities. With unobstructed mountain views, 350 days of sun a year and an environment that encourages an active lifestyle, the city is a magnet for retirees, families and snowbirds alike.

Consumers enjoy options such as the fabled El Paseo: a shoppers’ paradise and home to such retailers as Saks Fifth Avenue, Apple, Louis Vuitton, Kate Spade, Lucky Brand Jeans, Coach and Cole Haan. Also available is Westfield Palm Desert, the only regional mall in the area.

Palm Desert is also “education central,” with three college campuses: College of the Desert; California State University, San Bernardino; and University of California, Riverside.

The city’s must-see attraction in The Living Desert Zoo and Botanical Garden, a wildlife park devoted to desert flora and fauna from around the world – and the proud exhibitor of a collection of model trains that will delight the whole family.

Add to this the arts and culture offerings of McCallum Theatre and it’s easy to see why many consider Palm Desert the heart of the Coachella Valley.

*Desert Publications Inc. (Desert Guide September 2011 Annual Edition)