Palm Springs guide

At 487 feet above sea level Palm Springs real estate is sheltered by the Little San Bernardino Mountains to the north and the Santa Rosa Mountains on the south. The San Jacinto Mountains to the west is the towering Mt. San Jacinto, rising 10,631 feet and home to the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway.

In comparison to the neighboring cities, Palm Springs can definitely boast an abundance of amenities for its residents and visitors. These include a large airport supported by major airlines, over 100 hotels, numerous golf courses, all types of restaurants, waterslides, a large casino that books top acts, night clubs, spas, art galleries and museums, small malls, a downtown full of shops and restaurants (recently renovated), convention center, auditorium, hospitals, banks and brokers, an aerial tram that rises 8,500 feet into the mountains, and lots more!

For residents, parks, playgrounds, a seniors' center, swim center, pavilion with dance floor, tennis center, movies, library, canyon trails, Boys and Girls Club and numerous cultural centers (including the Desert Art Museum, the Annenberg Theater, and Agua Caliente Cultural Museum) offer almost every form of activity imaginable. This city is also host to the Festival of Lights Parade, International Film Festival, and Vintage Auto Races.

Like every city in the Coachella Valley, Palm Springs has seen rapid growth in the last 20 years. However, due to its popularity in the beginning of the 20th century, Palm Springs has many older homes and, compared to the other resort towns, offers more variety in choices and prices.

From sophisticated mansions to comfortable, custom built houses and large developments, homes vary in price and almost always reflect a high level of care. In keeping with the desert theme, homeowners favor desert vegetation and artistically many people express themselves through landscaping and the choice of plants.

View houses for sale in Palm Springs.

Known for diversity in dining, the Village of Palm Springs offers hundreds of restaurants with a variety of cuisines and price ranges. The acclaimed revue the Fabulous Follies, musical offerings at The Annenberg Theater in the Desert Museum and renown talent at the McCallum Theatre for the Performing Arts fill the bill for evening entertainment.

For intimate settings chose one of the piano bars, jazz and supper clubs and coffeehouses throughout Palm Springs. Lively sports and country-western bars can also be found. Village Fest, each Thursday evening, is a year-round street fair with music, arts, crafts and food a shopping extravaganza.

Excellent weather beckons the outdoors enthusiast. Primary pastimes include golf at over 100 courses in the Coachella Valley and tennis courts citywide.

The Heritage Trail is currently being developed for biking throughout the Village and estate neighborhoods. Off-road biking is also available. Hiking trails abound in nearby wilderness areas, California State Parks and Joshua Tree National Park just to the east. Guided tours are offered. Horseback riding, all-terrain vehicles and jeep trips offer exploration from the seated position.

Palm Springs also offers spectator sports such as polo, tennis and golf tournaments like the Bob Hope Classic are enjoyed seasonally.

View websites in Palm Springs of things and places to shop.

The Palm Springs Unified School District is proud to be one of the finest of California's school districts. A team of more than 1,800 outstanding employees is providing a quality education to students in the Palm Springs area - one of the fastest growing regions in California.Currently PSUSD has fourteen elementary schools, four middle schools, three comprehensive high schools, one continuation high school, one independent study program, eight headstart/state preschools, three full-day headstart programs, four childcare programs, and an extensive adult education program. In striving to meet the needs of a diverse student body, the District provides a wide array of programs, including special education, instruction for English Learners, Tech Prep, athletics, advanced placement, SBCP, Title I, school-to work transition, GATE and many other services.

Schools in The Palm Springs Unified School District:

Geography gives the City its famed warm, dry climate. Known for 354 days of sunshine and less than 6 inches of rain, winter temperatures average in the 70s with nights in the mid-40s. The dry desert heat of summer pushes daytime temperatures to the 100s enjoyed by Europeans.