City Spotlight Series Volume 2: Palm Springs, California
Migration Markets
At the Cynthia Froid Group, we carefully track the cities where new clients are relocating from, and cities where our clients are transferring to for new employment, or purchasing second homes, vacation or investment properties. In the business, we call these cities “Migration Markets.” In this blog post series, we will be highlighting some of the most notable Migration Markets across the country.
360 Days Of Sun-Kissed Weather
In the midst of our Minnesota Winter, we’re dreaming of warm weather! Next on our spotlight series is Palm Springs - a notable migration market where our clients are transferring to for new employment, purchasing second homes or investment properties, or simply heading to for some vitamin D. With 360 days of sun-kissed weather and drop-dead gorgeous scenery, it’s no wonder Palm Springs is like no place else and a comeback as Hollywood’s playground with a growing nightlife, burgeoning art scene and edgy vibe.
to eat:
The Pink Cabana
This all-day gem at the Sands Hotel in Indian Wells boasts a gold-accented bar, palm-patterned wallpaper, retro photography, and cocktails worthy of one’s Instagram feed. Executive chef Jason Niederkorn (formerly of SO.PA) has created a menu with California, Mediterranean, and Moroccan influences. Dishes include a pomegranate-glazed quail, Harissa chicken with saffron potatoes, and a mezze plate.
T&T Innovation Kitchen
One of the Coachella Valley’s best culinary experiences is tucked away in the JW Marriott Desert Springs mega-resort where executive chef Peter Smith serves an artistic, innovative, and ever-changing five-course prix fixe menu on Friday and Saturday nights. The intimate room, accessed through the resort’s main kitchen, features a chef’s counter, as well as communal tables with views of the open kitchen.
Workshop Kitchen + Bar
Here at chef Michael Beckman and restaurateur Joseph Mourani’s seven year old farm-to-table spot, look for locally sourced small plates, like a shaved Brussels sprout salad tossed with persimmons and walnuts, as well as heartier offerings like a duck leg confit, house-made sausages, and a wood-fired ribeye for two with bone marrow butter.
Sandfish by Engin Onural
Chef Engin Onural brings super-fresh sushi (nigiri, sashimi, maki rolls) and a selection of internationally-influenced dishes to his Uptown restaurant and whiskey bar. The sleek space brings together Scandinavian and Japanese elements with its concrete walls, natural woods, and groovy fish-scale tiles behind the bar. Don’t sleep on the impressive Japanese whiskey selection.
to drink:
The Amigo Room
The Amigo Room is dark, hip and infinitely grungy! Take a selfie with its taxidermy bear and try out the Palm Springsteen: rum twofold, lemon juice and strawberries. Visit on Wine Down Wednesdays to get half-off of all wine bottles or buy a round of buddy brews—$5 pints from 5:30-11 p.m. every Sunday.
Draughtsman
With a name calling back to classical architecture, the gastropub’s Ionic Order is made up of a column of great ingredients like tequila, mezcal, lime, pink peppercorn hibiscus syrup, yellow chartreuse and IPA foam. The industrial concrete, modern design with golden accents of Draughtsman’s interior feels edgy and exclusive. The bar’s countertop is decorated with the designer’s original blueprint plans for the space.
Escena Lounge and Grill
For living your “Mad Men” dreams with the postmodern, retro style, Escena Lounge and Grill is a lunch favorite—and for $10, bottomless mimosas are the perfect drink to complement your golf course views. Every Wednesday, select wines are half-off!
High Bar
High Bar’s views are unbeatable! Located seven stories up in the Kimpton Rowan Hotel, guests have a bird’s eye view of the city, the local mountains and clear blue skies. If you aren’t a hotel guest, don’t worry—the bar opens for the public at 5 p.m. The Highway 111 incorporates some local flavors by adding roasted dates, bourbon, demerara and bitters.
to do:
Two Bunch Palms Spa
A personal favorite of the team from Cynthia Froid Group, Two bunch Palms has long been renowned for its healing treatments and oasis in the dessert. This should be top on your list when visiting Palm Springs to replenish, reconnect, and revive.
Palm Springs Aerial Tramway
Trek a couple of minutes onto Tramway Road as you roll into Palm Springs and you’ll come across this classic canyon-hugging gondola ride. Board a rotating car inside an angular 1963 station and after 10 minutes and a double-digit temperature drop, you’ll find yourself facing the entirety of the Coachella Valley below. Linger with a stop at the mountaintop restaurant, café or lounge, or hike deeper into the San Jacinto Mountains.
Palm Springs Air Museum
This air museum showcases primarily World War II as well as Korea- and Vietnam-era combat aircraft. You’ll find more than 40 flyable and static planes across three warehouses, from the B-17 flying fortress to the F-4 fighter jet, as well as a couple of aircraft on the tarmac, like the C-47 and PBY Catalina Flying Boat. The museum also offers a limited number of high-priced flights aboard the C-47 Skytrain and P-51 Mustang.
Palm Springs Art Museum
This midsize museum houses a collection of contemporary paintings, sculpture and art glass from the likes of Henry Moore, Robert Motherwell and Helen Frankenthaler as well as West Coast artists like Sam Francis, Mark di Suvero and Edward Ruscha. Exhibitions often focus on the cultures and themes of the desert: Modernism, Native Americans and the American West. The museum also operates a satellite location in Palm Desert as well as architecture and design center in downtown Palm Springs (both are free).
Take a DIY architecture tour through Tennis Club
Palm Springs is brimming with handsome mid century modern homes. Keep in mind that most of these are private abodes, so you can’t exactly knock on the front door. But cruise around some notable neighborhoods, from Tennis Club to Araby Cove, and you’ll spot plenty or architectural gems along the way. Highlights include the Del Marcos Hotel, Elvis’s Honeymoon Hideaway and the Edris House.
PREFERRED AGENT IN PALM SPRINGS, CA
Reach out to Brady Sandahl for all of your Palm Springs real estate needs: