Before our eyes, a smorgasbord of retailers continues to serve up bountiful choices for the seasonal flow of visitors and the ballooning number of full-time residents. El Paseo, one of several shopping destinations in Palm Desert, has an indisputable lock on the high end with 300 speciality boutiques, day spas, art galleries, jewelers, and indoor and outdoor eateries.
The Gardens on El Paseo — an open-air retail and dining complex with Saks Fifth Avenue as its nucleus — showcases familiar retailers such as Tiffany & Co., Tommy Bahama’s, and Brooks Brothers, as well as independents such as Gail Jewelers and BB One. Its tranquil gardens create a desertscape median with trails, niches, benches, and even soothing music.
Westfield Palm Desert, located on Highway 111 in Palm Desert, is enjoying a $32 million makeover that includes a beautifully designed Barnes & Noble bookstore and café, as well as some new restaurants and Cinemas Palme d’Or, which screens independent, alternative, documentary, and foreign films. Macy’s and JC Penney represent the department-store category, while nearly 20 new stores — including popular retailers such as Gap, Victoria’s Secret, Disney Store, and Sears — have resuscitated this once-foundering shopping mall.