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RANCHO MIRAGE, CA 92270
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INCORPORATED IN 1973
24.7 SQ.MILES
MAYOR: GORDON MOLLER
17,057 PEOPLE FULL TIME / 13,300 SEASONAL
MEDIAN AGE: 54
MEDIAN HOUSEHOLD INCOME: $80,000
1 MILLION VISITORS PER YEAR
350 DAYS OF SUNSHINE
ANNUAL RAINFALL 5.23"
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Steeped in rich history and with a setting it took two languages to describe, Rancho Mirage sits prosperously at the heart of the CoachellaValley. Nearby mountains -- namely Mt. San Gorgonio and Mt. San Jacinto -- block most coastal weather patterns and help ensure the areas 350 days of sunshine each year.
Those natural benefits, plus skilled planning and insightful development, result in the Rancho Mirage we enjoy today. Its 17,000-plus full-time residents and 13,000 seasonal residents share the city as a resort destination with more than a million visitors annually. An exquisite quality of life is underscored by country clubs, resorts, spas, shopping, dining and medical facilities -- each of world-class quality -- to make the city a dream destination.
Rancho Mirage is a 21st Century city, but it holds a legacy of Native American and European cultures. Inland routes brought the first Spanish to the valley in the late 18th Century to develop and sustain missions. The United States acquired the area in 1848 as part of the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, and it took several more years for the first surveyors to arrive.
They are credited with the "mis-naming" of the Coachella Valley , where surveyors found a multitude of conch shells left from an ancient sea that once covered this desert valley. Government officials transcribed the notations as "coachella" instead, and the valley was so named.
The Bradshaw Trail (now Highway 111) and trains ferried humans through the area where native desert bighorn still wander. Starting in the 1920s, visionaries such as Bert Davie and E.E. McIntyre began to see a future for this desert oasis.
"Rancho Mirage" came about from the Spanish "rancho" and French "mirage" in a name that now so aptly describes the mix of traditional and luxury influences that highlight the city. In the 1930s, however, it was simply the promotional name given to parcels by developers Louis Blankenhorn and Laurence Macomber.
Planned development began in the post-War era, spurring residential and resort communities that now enjoy worldwide acclaim. Thunderbird Country Club, oldest of the grand clubs (and namesake to the Ford model), began operation in 1951. It was followed shortly thereafter by Tamarisk Country Club. DesertIsland, the Springs, Sunrise, Mission Hills, Rancho Las Palmas and Morningside round out an array of world-class facilities. In the older clubs, youll find designs from Mid-Century Modern architects such as William F. Cody and Richard Neutra. They designed and built many of the Valleys distinctive and inspiring Mid-Century Modern residences , which are hot on the market today. See my special page on Mid-Century Modern .
Search all homes for sale in Palm Springs in our local MLS or see our latest blogs in www.modernhomesblog.com
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Shopping & Commerce
Spend a few moments in Rancho Mirage, and youll gain an appreciation for its commerce -- retail, dining, services and mixed-use developments.Easy access to Highway 111 and the Interstate 10 corridor helps ensure a business environment thats as vibrant as it is beautiful. The Valley finds countless shopping opportunities in Rancho Mirage, resulting in per capita sales far exceeding the local and state averages.
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Many dining choices along Restaurant Row are found at The River at Rancho Mirage, a open-air shopping center and waterfront. You'll find Roy's, Fleming's, PF Chang's, The Cheesecake Factory, Babe's and many more.
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The Cheesecake Factory at the "River" in Rancho Mirage. Spend a few moments in Rancho Mirage, and you'll gain an appreciation for its commerce -- retail, dining, services and mixed-use developments. Easy access to Highway 111 and the Interstate 10 corridor helps ensure a business environment thats as vibrant as it is beautiful. The Valley finds countless shopping opportunities in Rancho Mirage, resulting in per capita sales far exceeding the local and state averages.
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See Map 
Under the palms of Rancho Mirage, you'll find the finest in products and services.
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Desert European Motorcars offers patrons first-class service and the finest automobiles to be found: Porsche, Audi, Range Rover, Bentley & Rolls Royce. It's the highest-volume Rolls Royce dealership in the world.
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Ligne Roset features European, modern-contemporary furniture with clean lines and timeless styling. |
Spa Las Palmas ,
a sanctuary for renewal. Offers treatments such as European mineral baths, Native American purification and rituals from Bali, Indonesia. |
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Leisure & Recreation
Many of the world's greatest recreation facilities call Rancho Mirage home. Enjoy holes at the city's prestigious Golf courses and resorts, or tennis. Get away from the everyday at these resort hotel offerings:
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Rancho Las Palmas
Friendly club atmosphere with 25 tennis courts, eight of which are lit for night play. A nationally-acclaimed resort with 450 rooms, luxury amenities,meeting/function space, sparkling pools & spas, golf, tennis and restaurants. |
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MissionHills Country Club
Good tennis players and a variety of court surfaces. It is the only club with two grass, four clay and 20 hard-surface courts. |
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The Westin Mission Hills
Surrounded by the Mission Hills Country Club, this 360-acre resort features 512 rooms, meeting / function space and a family atmosphere. Moroccan styling is enhanced by the surrounding desert wildflowers and painted canyons. The Resort & Spa recently added 26 Million in upgrades.
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An oasis of luxury overlooking world famous Palm Springs below from a striking mountain plateau. It has 240 rooms, 31 suites, state-of-the-art conference facilities, plus a spa and tennis center. The Ritz Carlton will be the only five-star resort in the valley and is due to open hopefully early 2011.
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Gaming The Agua Caliente Casino offers full amenities with six restaurants, a caberet-style lounge, more than 1,000 gaming machines, 46 tables and a high-limit area. The recently expanded Casino complex is adding a 2000 seat entertainment venue which will allow to bring some of the biggest names to the valley.
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Rancho Mirage Neighborhoods:
Ike's Park : Includes Wilshire Palms, Ivy League Estates and Mirage Estates developments.
Clancy Lane: Rancho Mirage's top neighborhood - Includes the gated Clancy Lane Estates and the new Bella Clancy community, Clancy Lane South, Mission Ranch, La Renaissance and Bridalwood developments, as well as the ungated Rancho MaAana neighborhood.
Lakeside: Includes the gated Lake Mirage and La Terraza developments.
Riverwest: Is the neighborhood just west of the River at Rancho Mirage. Includes the gated Parkview Villas and Desert Village developments and all streets off of San Jacinto Dr.
Magnesia Falls: Includes the entire ungated Magnesia Falls Cove, Chalet Palms Apartments and Whispering Waters condos as well as the large gated and private Blixseth Estate.
Rancho Las Palmas: It encompasses the Rancho Las Palmas Country Club and Marriott's Rancho Las Palmas Resort.
White Sun: Includes the White Sun, Estates at Rancho Mirage East & West, Parkview frontage developments and Magnesia Falls Dr., Rancho Rd., Barbara Dr. and Joshua Rd. Northeast of Highway 111.
Annenberg Estate: The famed Annenberg Estate known as Sunnylands, where so many United States presidents have met other heads of state.
Tamarisk Rancho in Rancho Mirage
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Tamarisk Rancho is a premium neighborhood located in the heart of suburban Rancho Mirage adjacent to the Tamarisk Country Club. There are two clusters of 16 Mid-Century Modern homes enclosing groomed, park-like green belts with tranquil views of mature fruit trees and date palms that may predate the development.
The 45-foot swimming pool at the center of this private oasis in the South cluster was advertised in 1958 as "one of the finest in Palm Springs." It was the scene of al fresco cocktail parties hosted by the likes of Barbara Sinatra, Groucho Marx and other Hollywood talent from in front and behind the camera.
Tamarisk Rancho is architecturally significant as a well designed and intact example of a property type apparently unique to Rancho Mirage and the Coachella Valley area. These are planned unit developments of privately owned single-family residences sharing grounds and a swimming pool (a Cooperative).
The three basic roof configurations are flat, low-pitched front gabled, or butterfly. The exteriors are stucco, natural rock, board and batten. Each house is approximately 1,900 square feet plus a garage, in a 3 bedrooms/3 bathroom floor plan, or 2 bedrooms plus den and 2 bathrooms.
Original windows are aluminum-framed casement, sliding, and floor-to-ceiling glass. Some elevations have clerestory windows. Rafters are visible beneath deep eaves. The rectangular houses have open floor plans with indoor-outdoor access through large sliding glass doors. Exterior and interior chimneys are thin brick or natural rock.
Tamarisk Rancho South was developed by Lou Halper's Devon Construction Company in 1958. Architecturally, the homes were clearly influenced by William Krisel and Dan Palmer's designs for the Alexander Company. According to Krisel himself, Lou Halper paid Krisel to do the overall master plan, then Halper's in-house architects designed the various houses. Not surprisingly, the completed homes bear a striking resemblance to the Palmer and Krisel Alexander homes being constructed at the same time in the Twin Palms area of Palm Springs.
Among the Cooperative SFRs in Rancho Mirage, the Tamarisk Rancho (and Tamarisk Fairway on 10th) properties are the best remaining examples of the type in terms of condition, architectural style, integrity, setting, workmanship, and association. The only alteration to the grounds is the relatively minor fence enclosure of the pool. As an excellent example of this new type of Modern tract housing that characterized Rancho Mirage from the late 1950s to the late 1960s, the Tamarisk Ranchos appears eligible for designation as a historic district.
The history of Tamarisk Rancho centers around a small group of the founding members of the Tamarisk Country Club: developer Lou Halper, City National Bank owner Al Hart, comedian Groucho Marx, producers Alfred Tugend and Harry Robbin, and attorney Philip Eisendrath. Instead of each building custom houses along the golf course, they decided to have Lou Halper build modest
houses around a communal park and swimming pool on property one block west of the golf course.
Other Tamarisk Country Club members purchased houses at Tamarisk Ranchos including agent Jules Goldstone, Oscar-winning producer/screenwriter Larry Weingarten, J.A. Minow, Joseph Checkers of Chicago, Oscar-winning director Alfred Lushing, Hal Meyers, and attorney Hy Raskin. Raskin had co-chaired Adlai Stevenson's election campaign and later served as West Coast campaign manager for John F. Kennedy. Many were also members of the Hillcrest Country Club in Los Angeles.
Barbara Marx purchased the Groucho Marx' house after her divorce from Zeppo Marx and it remained in her name after her marriage to Frank Sinatra.
Resource:
State of California Resources Agency
Department Of Parks And Recreation
Thunderbird Heights in Rancho Mirage the "Playground of the Rich and Famous"
Thunderbird Heights is a gated hillside just across from Thunderbird Country Club. The neighborhood, established in the 1950's, offers a diverse mix of classic Mid-Century Modern homes, remodeled classics, and new construction, most of which were built in the sixties and seventies.
Centrally located in Rancho Mirage makes Thunderbird Heights a very desirable neighborhood. Rancho Mirage's restaurant row is just down the road, and the popular River shopping dining and entertainment complex is nearby. Most homes have panoramic valley and desert views with large lots and living quarters.
A convenient tunnel under Highway 111 directly connects residents with the Thunderbird Country Club. Thunderbird Country Club offers a par-71 classic course. Although one of the oldest courses in the desert (remodeled in 1987), it is still THE place to be for the rich & famous, including celebrities.
Homes in Thunderbird Heights vary widely in price. You should expect to pay between 1 and 10 million for some of the most elite homes in a famous area.
While many neighborhoods can boast new construction and different amenities, you will find what you need and want in the "playground of the Presidents". It comes with charm from years past, from its older style homes to many rich and famous inhabitants that sometimes spread scandal throughout the community.Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz were instrumential in forming the exclusive Thunderbird Heights tract in Rancho Mirage, once the home of President Gerald Ford and his wife Betty.
In the early 1960's, Frank Sinatra was outraged over a scheduled trip to Palm Springs by President John F. Kennedy. Peter Lawford, rat pack crony and brother-in-law to the President, told Sinatra that the President would be staying at Bing Crosby's residence. Sinatra's links to organized crime and other disreputable people concerned Bobby Kennedy, the President's brother and attorney general, who did not want the President to stay with Sinatra as a result.
Sinatra was livid with the decision of the Crosby residence - the "other" singer and a Republican. Sinatra had also installed a heliport and extra phone lines in his home in preparation for the visit.
Bing Crosby's legendary guarded enclave in Thunderbird Heights has been well preserved and updated for today's living. The "Crooner" himself enjoyed desert living, including his love for golf. The actor-singer helped establish the Thunderbird Country Club. Bing Crosby sold his golf course lot in 1952, and purchased the first house in what became Thunderbird Heights with his first wife Dixie Lee. After Dixie Lee's death in 1952, Bing Crosby and his four sons (Gary, twins Dennis and Phillip, and Lindsay) continued to enjoy the estate until moving to a ranch home in Palm Desert and his marriage to his new wife and actress, Katherine Grant.
Howard Lapham was a modernist architect who designed homes for California's wealthy and movie elite. Many Lapham homes were in Thunderbird Country Club and Thunderbird Heights. Architectural Digest has featured Lapham: Hyatt von Dehn Residence (1960, Thunderbird Heights), Kiewit Residence (1960, Thunderbird Country Club), Clarke Swanson Residence (1961, Thunderbird Country Club), and the remodel of the Thunderbird Country Club clubhouse (1961).
Lapham's most famous renovation was the ultra-modern facade of the Chi Chi nightclub in 1959. In 1970, Lapham built the Cook House, known as Ichpa Mayapan for its Mayan theme, atop Thunderbird Heights. The Cook house was featured in the film Desert Utopic, Mid-Century Architecture in Palm Springs.
or simply would like more information about these hard to find homes, contact us today so you don't miss this opportunity. Homeowners Association fees in Thunderbird Heights are very affordable. If you're looking for a name gated community, Thunderbird Heights must be on your list.
Read the news about Rancho Mirage in the local "Desert Sun!"
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State-of-the-Art Medical Care
Rancho Mirage is building upon the prestige of the Eisenhower Medical Center. |
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Three medical and wellness centers of world renown are among those located in Rancho Mirage:
| Eisenhower Medical Center & Annenberg Center for Health Sciences |
Offers comprehensive care on a 100-acre campus in Rancho Mirage. The valley's only not-for-profit hospital, EMC holds a 261-bed hospital, specialty services and treatment facilities. Annenberg Center provides continuing education through facilities that include a 500-seat auditorium with satellite services to the Eisenhower campus.The new 250 bed Walter and Leonore Annenberg Pavilion at Eisenhower Medical Center will be the only hospital in the Palm Springs Valley to meet the latest California earthquake standards when it opens early 2010. The 215 Million addition will include state-of-the-art intensive care, coronary care and cardiac surgical units. Eisenhower was named in the top 5 percent of all hospitals in the USA.
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| Barbara Sinatra Children's Center |
A non-profit center dedicated to advocacy for abused children. The center provides care to victims of physical, emotional and sexual abuse through comprehensive programs and coordination with authorities at many levels.
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| Betty Ford Center |
Provides treatment for dependence on alcohol and other drugs, the pre-eminent provider in the field. The Betty Ford Center emphasizes family involvement in the recovery process and has treated more then 40,000 patients.
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R A N C H O M I R A G E R E A L E S T A T E S P E C I A L I S T
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RANCHO MIRAGE IMPORTANT LINKS AND TELEPHONE NUMBERS:
SHERIFF: 911 (Administration:760-836-1600)
FIRE: 911
HOSPITAL: 911
CITY OF RANCHO MIRAGE : 760-324-4511
CHAMBER OF COMMERCE : 760-568-9351
POST OFFICE: 800-275-8777
PALM SPRINGS UNIFIED SCHOOLS DISTRICT : 760-416-6000
DESERT SANDS UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT : 760-777-4200
PARK DEPARTMENT: 760-324-4511
VERIZON PHONE COMPANY: 800-483-4000
ELECTRICITY: SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA EDISON: 800-684-8123
CABLE: TIME WARNER: 760-340-1312
GAS: THE GAS COMPANY: 800-427-2200
WATER: CVWD: 760-398-2651
WASTE MANAGEMENT: 760-340-2113
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