Desert Cities Archive

Palm Springs at Play

Golf and tennis rule, but other sports — from auto racing to polo to baseball — have helped shape the character of this desert resort town.

By Carolyn Patten

Top Lawyers

When a legal situation befalls you, the safest turn is to a trusted source for quality attorney referrals.

‘We Thought of Ourselves as One Community’

Some of the best history, characters, and color of Palm Springs unfold in its distinctive neighborhoods from the traditional ones developed from the 1920s until shortly after World War II to the midcentury modern enclaves designed by now-iconic architects such as Wexler, Frey, Cody, Palmer and Krisel, and others.

By Sheila Grattan

At Salton Sea, North Shore Yacht Club is Alive!

The 53-year-old North Shore Yacht Club is a midcentury modern treasure and a community treasure. The building, recently redeveloped by the County of Riverside, has become a thriving community center serving the residents of the North Shore community.

Stars Align to Lead

Celebrities discovered Palm Springs long before it was incorporated 75 years ago. Here they let their hair down, relaxed in the sun, and began supporting local civic and charitable activities. For many celebs, it was a natural segue to local politics.

By Sheila Grattan

Women With Vision

The mention of Palm Springs usually conjures up images of Hollywood movie stars, a playground for the rich and famous, or the golf capital of the world -— certainly not a hub of women’s entrepreneurship.

By Rita Strombeck

The Woman Leads

She led an all-women council that changed the financial destiny of the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians and the California resort communities of Palm Springs and Rancho Mirage.

By Sheila Grattan

Men on the Forefront

The expeditions passing through the desert in the mid- to late-1800s saw only arid, barren land. It took vision and grit to see the possibilities of this land. What follows are some of the pioneering men who laid the foundation for today’s Palm Springs.

By Ann Greer

Bringing Presence to the Past

Today’s architects take inspiration from early masters and run with it

By Janice Kleinschmidt

Building on Last Century’s Innovation

In the mid-20th century, desert architects eagerly worked in a new, modern idiom — and Palm Springs provided fertile ground for their brilliant designs

By Michael Stern