California

Once a health resort and then the winter stomping grounds of film moguls and movie stars, including Bob Hope, Frank Sinatra, Kirk Douglas, Clark Gable and Carole Lombard, Palm Springs, California (population 49,000) is roughly two hours east of Los Angeles.  In the early- and mid-20th century, this desert oasis embodied all that was golden about California, and the resort ambiance and warm weather, combined with new Hollywood money and celebrity, created a fabulous bohemian playground where the nightlife glittered, the alcohol flowed and nearly anything went.
	But, like the last rays of a California sunset, the city's Hollywood hideaway allure began to fade, and by the late 1970s and early 1980s, the movie stars had been replaced by vacationers and retirees.  Today, the town is but one in a continuous stretch of many, including Indio, La Quinta, Indian Wells, Palm Desert and Rancho Mirage, in the Coachella Valley.   Even without the Hollywood glamour, though, Palm Springs remains a pleasant desert city (but some areas need a little attention).     The cost of living is 20% above the national average, and the median home price is $265,000.  The crime rate meets the national average.  Of the residents, 55% are age 45 or better.
Much of the residential architecture, known as "Desert Modern," is quintessential mid-20th century Southern Californian.  Homes with open design floor plans, flat roofs, swimming pools and large expanses of glass are common.   Many neighborhoods have developed organizations that regularly work with the city to address community issues.  The city also has a list of affordable apartments, some of which, including Palm Springs Pointe and Vista del Monte/Vista Serena, cater to seniors. With a beautiful location at the base of the San Jacinto Mountains, and with other mountains all around, hiking, biking and camping are never far away (the nearby 13,000-acre Coachella Valley Preserve has springs, mesas, desert dunes, hiking trails and riding trails).  Streets are lined with palm trees, and the ambiance is relaxed.   A lot of the shopping is of the boutique variety, particularly along Palm Canyon Drive, which caters to tourists, but a mall and big box stores, including Wal-Mart, Target and Costco, provide the basics. The city plays up its past movie star glory, with a "Walk of Stars" downtown, streets named after Hollywood film legends and tours of movie stars' former homes.  Sonny Bono, of Sonny and Cher fame, was even mayor here.    The city is ethnically diverse, as is most of Southern California, and it is gay-friendly (with the fifth largest percentage of gay households in the nation).
Cultural amenities are somewhat limited (some people say Palm Springs is actually boring), although the Palm Springs International Film Festival still brings a few A-list celebrities to town each June.  The Palm Springs Follies is a campy musical review starring people age 58 to 82.   VillageFest, a farmers' market/street fair with good food, happens each Thursday evening.  The Spa Resort Hotel and Casino downtown attracts both residents and vacationers.  The Palm Springs Public Library has book clubs (including one that meets while drinking wine), interlibrary loan, computer classes and free wifi.  There are thirteen golf courses, most with amazing views, 130 hotels and lots of parks.   Pool parties still seem to be quite popular.   Within two hours, residents can enjoy downhill skiing (Bear Mountain), the beach, wineries (Temecula) and big city amenities (Los Angeles).
T The Mizell Senior Center is a non-sectarian community center with a wide selection of activities ($25/year membership).    Programs include exercise classes, support groups, congregate meals, health screenings, Medicare counseling, meals on wheels, table games, legal assistance and more. Desert Regional Medical Center is the primary medical facility.  It is award winning - U.S. News and World Report named it the third best hospital out of 41 in the Riverside-San Bernardino metro area.  It has 367 beds, is accredited by the Joint Commission and is a designated trauma center.   Medicaid and Medicare patients are accepted. SunLine Transit Agency, based in Thousand Palms, provides public transit and makes stops at the senior center, the Palm Springs Mall, the Social Security office and the Desert Regional Medical Center.  The fare is $1 but people age 60+ ride for $.50.  SunDial provides on demand curb-to-curb paratransit service.  Amtrak serves the city with trains to Los Angeles and Tucson, Arizona.   Palm Springs sits at the edge of the Mojave Desert, and daytime summer temperatures soar into the low-100s (the highest recorded temperature so far has been 123 degrees).  Even though the heat is dry, and air conditioning is everywhere, many people cannot tolerate it and escape to cooler climates from May to September (outdoor swimming pools in July and August can feel like hot tubs). Winter temperatures are in the 70s and even 80s (but nights can be chilly).  The sun shines 325 days of the year, and as they say, it never rains in Southern California.  Except it does, a few inches a year.   And the San Andreas fault, which runs through the Coachella Valley, is nearby.

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Much of the old glamour is gone, and an earthquake could strike at any moment, but Palm Springs still beckons, with its unique architecture, hot, dry climate, good hospital, active senior center, diverse culture, public transit, mature demographic and laid back lifestyle.  It is a place to consider for retirement.

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