Discover the Charm of Palm Springs: A Guide to Its Unique Neighborhoods

Araby Commons

This neighborhood is close to Southridge, where you can see Bob Hope’s large estate on the mountainside. It includes four midcentury modern condominium communities: Imperial Park South, Coco Caban, Sandcliff, and Marbella.

Araby Cove

Araby Cove neighborhood is located in Southeast Palm Springs, off Araby Road. Araby Cove is a unique, offbeat, and often called bohemian neighborhood of 81 eclectic homes. Because of the hill, many of these homes have great views of Palm Springs and the surrounding mountains. Some homes are cabin-like and date back to the early 1920s. Others range from ranch-style to modern. This neighborhood was formalized in 2007 and comprised mainly of part-time residents' condominium complexes. The area's southern portion is part of “Section 14” – the heart of Palm Springs and an essential portion of the reservation of the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians.

Canyon Corridor

This section of south Palm Springs was undeveloped in 1955. As the city grew, Roy Fey developed this section. He built the Desert Skies Apartment Hotel, one of Palm Springs's first condominium concepts. Another of his famous projects was the Villa Roma complex.

Deepwell Estates

Henry Pearson purchased a plot of land in Palm Springs in 1926 and needed more water to keep his investment thriving. He drilled and drilled until he hit 630 feet below the surface. It was the deepest well in the Coachella Valley, so he named his property Deep Well.  He built a ranch home that became a guest home. The land was sold in the 1950s and subdivided. It holds a large concentration of midcentury modern homes. Architects include Donald Wexler, Howard Lapham, Hal Levitt, John Port Clark, E. Stewart Williams, Hugh Kaptur, William Krisel, Stan Sackley, Herbert Burns, and others. The former William Holden estate is considered among the most architecturally significant homes.

Demuth Park

Demuth has the city’s largest public park, a 61-acre greenbelt, and a Community Center. It was the first neighborhood after WWII to offer much-needed post-war housing. In fact, it was known as the “Veteran’s Tact.” The architecture is more ranch-style homes. There is a mix of residential and business uses now.

Desert Highland Gateway Estates

This neighborhood is in North Palm Springs at the entrance from Indian Canyon Drive. It’s a smaller 18-acre tract with a baseball field, basketball courts, and an equipped picnic area. Here, you will find the James O. Jessie Desert Highland Unity Center.

Desert Park Estates

Noel Clarke opened the Ranch Club on this tract of land in the late 1950s, which sat on 1,000 acres. He decided to develop part of the land and hired Hugh Kaptur, a member of the Ranch Club, to draw up some home designs. He designed about a half dozen models, all low-set homes with gently sloped roofs featuring post-and-beam construction.  Many of the homes were built between 1959 and 1965. There is a mix of styles today, including modern, Spanish Revival, Mediterranean, contemporary, and ranch. The Monkey Tree is one of the area's popular and well-recognized resorts.

El Mirador

This neighborhood was first developed in the 1920s by P.T. Stevens, who built the El Mirador Hotel.  The Desert Inn was already a popular stop with the Hollywood crowd, and this large resort on the north part of town added to Palm Springs's popularity.  Although the resort no longer exists, you can still see the Desert Regional Medical Center tower. Stars build homes in this area close to the resort, which offers dining, entertainment, a large pool, and tennis courts. I

El Rancho Vista Estates

This neighborhood is tucked in the corner of Gene Autry and Vista Chino and comprises 115 midcentury homes. Roy Fey developed it in the 1950s with architects Donald Wexler and Richard Harrison, who designed about 70 houses. Later, 20 ranch homes were added, and in the 1970s, 20 more stylish homes were added. It has one main street with eight branching cul-de-sacs.

Escena

This is one of Palm Springs' newest neighborhoods, with a 450-acre master plan that includes an 18-hole golf course and clubhouse. Alta Verde Homes, Toll Brothers, and Beazer Homes are building in Escena.

Four Season

This was developed from open land around 2005. It is a gated community for active retirees over age 55. There are 476 Mediterranean-style homes with a central lodge in the heart of the complex. The lodge features a café, ballroom, hobby room, entertainment facilities, and fitness center, among other amenities.

Gene Autry

Named for the “singing cowboy” who lived in Palm Springs, the Gene Autry neighborhood is a well-maintained, 100 percent residential neighborhood in northeast Palm Springs. It is distinguished by over 100 homes designed by famous mid-century architect Hugh Kaptur.

Historic Tennis Club

The Historic Tennis Club neighborhood is the beating heart of Downtown Palm Springs. With 11 structures registered as historic, the past and present intersect on every corner. The neighborhood is also home to nearly two dozen boutique hotels, making this part of Palm Springs unique.

Indian Canyons

Originally built in the 1960s, Indian Canyons primarily comprises midcentury-modern custom homes designed by such noted architects as Dan Palmer, William Krisel, Stan Sackley, and others. It was a magnet for celebrities like Bob Hope, Sinatra’s Rat Pack, and many more. The Indian Canyons neighborhood lies near the entrance to a cove protected from the brunt of the desert winds and the full intensity of the summer sun. The area is adjacent to the world's largest grove of wild palm trees.

Lawrence Crossley

Lawrence Crossley is a neighborhood of 68 residents, with an additional 42 homes to be built. The western neighborhood is named after Lawrence Crossley, a prominent African-American businessman who helped develop Palm Springs and maintained strong relationships with different members of the community and the Aqua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians despite the city's segregation.

Little Beverly Hills

Little Beverly Hills is a neighborhood of 84 detached homes and two apartment complexes. The Alexander Construction Company or competing midcentury developer Jack Meiselman built all the detached homes. Legend has it that Bob Alexander named the streets after things he enjoyed, including his Beverly Hills home, so many streets are the same as their famous counterparts.

Little Tuscany

This Italian-named neighborhood began in 1934 when architect Alvah Hicks built seven Tuscan-style homes amidst Palm Springs’ rocky hillside outcroppings. The neighborhood now boasts notable midcentury homes, including the Kaufmann House, the May House, the Edris House, the Palevsky House, and the Kramer House. Little Tuscany is distinguished by its spectacular elevated vistas across the valley floor to the area’s landmark wind turbines.

Los Compadres

Named for the Los Compadres Club and Stables, this neighborhood enjoys a great mix of architecture and beautiful, sweeping views of the San Jacinto and Santa Rosa mountains. By the 1960s, midcentury homes were being built near the Western-style Stables, later joined by Spanish-style homes in the 1970s and 1980s, providing even more interest and texture to the neighborhood.

Melody Ranch

“Melody Ranch” was the name given by singing cowboy Gene Autry to the hotel he purchased in 1961. The neighborhood has grown to include that original hotel (The Parker), the Seven Lakes Homeowners Association, the Oasis Resort, and the Canyon Sands Homeowners Association. Each contributes uniquely to its beauty.

The Mesa

Snuggled into the hillsides of the San Jacinto Mountains in south Palm Springs, sheltered from much of the area’s blazing sun and rushing wind, is the charming Palm Canyon Mesa neighborhood, more commonly known as The Mesa. The area is as eclectic as Palm Springs itself and features a variety of architectural styles, including native adobe, Spanish-inspired, midcentury modern, and contemporary. Famous former residents of this neighborhood include Sonny Bono, Cher, and Rita Hayworth.

Midtown

The city’s most metropolitan neighborhood, Midtown, comprises 960 residences in the northern half of “Section 14” – the land set aside in 1877 by Executive Order of President Grant as the Agua Caliente Indian Reservation. Now home to many hotels, the Convention Center, and the Aqua Caliente Spa Resort Casino and close to the fun downtown, Midtown is the hip, fresh urban neighborhood where Palm Springs stays, plays, and celebrates life.

Mountain Gate

This neighborhood was built in 2003 and is the new “in” neighborhood, as it is the first residential development seen coming into Palm Springs from the north. The neighborhood consists of 450 sophisticated, contemporary residences, with plans for more. Each winding road gives neighbors a different perspective of the beautiful mountains surrounding Palm Springs.

The Movie Colony

In the mid-1920s, Palm Springs transformed from a health resort destination to a residential community. At that time, Hollywood discovered the desert city’s proximity to Los Angeles, and the ‘anything goes’ atmosphere made it a great place to unwind. Notable residents include Gloria Swanson, Rory Calhoun, Marilyn Monroe, Cary Grant, and many more. With a collection of Spanish Colonial Revival and other revival styles mixed with midcentury modern and other minimalist forms, the Movie Colony is as unique as its amazing history.

Movie Colony East

Another neighborhood filled with Hollywood history, Movie Colony East is a mid-century wonderland filled with grand homes by famous architects E. Stewart William, Donald Wexler, Albert Frey, and others. In these beautiful homes lived stars that included Dorothy Lamour, Clara Bow, Bob Hope, and Frank Sinatra. This neighborhood also provides artist Kenny Irwin with an internationally recognized “RoboLights” exhibition- a robot-themed multimedia sculpture garden and light show – enjoyed by tens of thousands of strolling visitors each December.

Oasis Del Sol

Located between Farell Drive and Sunrise Way, this neighborhood is perfectly centered for easy access to the Airport and not far from the bustling, unique downtown. Oasis Del Sol is filled with great single-family homes and businesses, making this neighborhood comfortable for residents and visitors alike.

Old Las Palmas

Old Las Palmas has approximately 290 detached homes at the base of Mount San Jacinto. This neighborhood's homes reflect every Palm Springs development period: old Spanish, Western, midcentury, contemporary, and postmodern construction. Notable residents in this community include Judy Harland, Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz, Leonardo DiCaprio, Kirk Douglas, and so many more. Then and now, ownership of A-listers was so prevalent that every property could claim a Hollywood connection.

Parkview Mobile Estates

Parkview Mobile Estates is a distinguished, attractive, affordable, well-situated, 55-and-older community with character. Parkview differs from most mobile home parks with its unique grouping of styles.

Racquet Club Estates

This neighborhood is known for its style. Featuring post-and-beam construction, soaring rooflines, clerestory windows, open floor plans, and blurred lines separating outdoors and in, the vast majority of the 500-plus single-family homes are iconic midcentury designs by architects William Krisel, Jack Meiselman, and Donald Wexler. Wexler pioneered the strikingly original ‘steel homes’ that introduced prefabricated, steel-and-glass construction of affordable housing explicitly created for the desert and is seen prolifically in this neighborhood.

Racquet Club West

Racquet Club West is prized for its large lots and range of architectural styles. The 460 households include family homes and sizable estates, modest apartments, and luxury condos. Many of these were designed by renowned midcentury architects, and none are very far from Hollywood’s hallowed ground in the desert. The neighborhood also incorporates the famous Racquet Club, where many Hollywood stars frequented to play tennis and lounge around the pool.

Ranch Club Estates

300 beautiful midcentury homes are situated around the Ranch Club, the largest and most popular social club in Palm Springs during the 1950s. Designed by architect Hugh Kaptur, the homes are all low set, with gently sloped roofs, post-and-beam construction, and insulated ceilings.

Sonora Sunrise

This neighborhood successfully combines a relaxing desert ambiance with classic Palm Springs cool. Scenic bike routes and hiking trails nearly surround Sonora Sunrise. It also is home to the Purple Room at the Hotel Trinidad, which Frank Sinatra and the Rat Pack used to host.

Sunmor

Central Palm Springs’ Sunmor neighborhood is a remarkably intact collection of midcentury homes. Most 141 residences still maintain their Modernist rooflines, breezeways, clerestory windows, and other classic architectural features of the 1950s and 60s. During World War II, the western portion of the Palm Springs Army Airfield was located where the original Sunmor Estates tract was later built. You can still see the circular concrete pads where military planes were tied down.

Sunrise Park

Centrally located, this neighborhood is less than 1 mile from Downtown and uptown Palm Springs. The quiet residential area is dotted with midcentury homes, including several post-World War II tract houses designed or developed by some of the era's most innovative and influential names. Sunrise Park is also home to the Camelot Theatre, where many of the city's film festivals are held.

Sunrise Vista Chino

A tranquil enclave in north-central Palm Springs, Sunrise-Vista Chino has various styles of residences, like the unique Sagewood condominiums, the Ranch Club Estates, and the Philip Caplin Vista Sunrise. Today’s residents live in the diversity and convenience of their neighborhood, its colorful history, and its proximity to essential services and downtown.

Tahquitz Creek Golf

Located near the eastern corner of South Palm Springs, this neighborhood comprises condominiums and single-family homes in and around the championship Lawrence Hughes-designed Tahquitz Creek Golf Resort. The neighborhood is adjacent to the scenic Tahquitz Creek Wash, and the 900 homes represent several architectural styles.

Tahquitz River Estates

The neighborhood was first fashioned in the early 1930s to build small Spanish Revival homes. Now, thanks to earthmovers and a bridge, it has expanded to incorporate many modernist homes, quirky motor courts, hotels by noted architects Howard Lapham and Hugh Kaptur, an Albert Frey-designed church, and what may be Palm Springs' first modernist residence—a home dating to 1933 by architect William Gray Powell.

Twin Palms

Twin Palms was the birthplace of large-scale Modernism in Palm Springs. It was the first midcentury modern neighborhood completed by the Alexander Construction Company and the city's first truly modern housing tract.

Vista Las Palmas

Architecture and celebrities continue to make history in this Palm Springs neighborhood. Vista Las Palmas is a stunning neighborhood of iconic midcentury homes. Hollywood celebrities discovered the neighborhood early in the last century, around the same time residential air conditioning was making its debut. Entertainment executives and performers still own homes in Vista Las Palmas today.

Vista Norte

Thanks to its central location and underground utilities, Vista Norte residents enjoy unrestricted views in every direction. The neighborhood comprises approximately 400 single-family, detached residences, some built as early as the 1940s.

Warm Sands

This neighborhood is among the most historic and diverse in Palm Springs. It is approximately one-half square mile and contains historic Spanish-style houses from the 1920s and 30s, midcentury modern homes from the 50s and 60s, and. many historical resorts and hotels with large historical significance.