Celebrity-approved neighborhood 20 miles from Palm Springs
Surrounded on all sides by acres of golf courses and man-made sparkling lakes, Bermuda Dunes is a desert oasis 20 miles, or 30 minutes, from downtown Palm Springs. Hollywood celebrities like Clark Gable, Cary Grant and Debbie Reynolds once called the area home in the 1960s, putting down roots in mid-century California ranch-styles next to the Bermuda Dunes Country Club, which John Sloan, a Realtor with Keller Williams and a long-time Coachella Valley resident, calls the area’s main appeal. “The club was famous for hosting the Bob Hope Classic for decades,” he says. The neighborhood is unincorporated and therefore allows short-term rentals; some homeowners list their properties for part of the year on platforms like Airbnb. According to Sloan, those who stick around during the summer months have grown accustomed to high temperatures. “I’ve been here in the desert for 26 years. I keep my car running during the summer so I can go from an air-conditioned car to an air-conditioned house. People tend to be early birds or wait to go out until after sunset,” he says. Considering the picturesque views of the San Jacinto Mountains to the west, many find the few weeks of 100-degree days part of the trade-off.
California ranch-styles and custom properties on Yucca Lane
In Bermuda Dunes, prospective buyers will find mostly single-story ranch-styles with Spanish-influenced tiled roofs and attached two-car garages. Single-family home prices range from $600,000 to just under $900,000, and many of the more expensive properties have in-ground swimming pools, ideal for escaping the desert heat during the summer. On Yucca Lane to the west of the neighborhood, residents can build custom homes. Here, a 2-acre lot can sell for upwards of $1 million. According to Sloan, some residents even keep horses.
Top-rated Desert Sands Unified School District
Students are incorporated into the Desert Sands Unified School District and can attend James Monroe Elementary, which received an A from the educational review site, Niche and Colonel Mitchell Page Middle, which earned a B. Palm Desert High was awarded an A and boasts a graduation rate of 98% along with two dozen AP courses to choose from.
Shopping and dining along Washington Avenue
Washington Avenue is home to shopping options like Albertson’s Grocery Store or, just across the street, Ralph’s Fresh Fare. Locals enjoy Mario’s Italian Cafe, a regional chain known for its authentic Italian pasta and cozy atmosphere. Or, for classic diner food, stop by Goody’s Cafe Palm Desert. Other retail options are accessible in La Quinta down south. “All of the cities in the Coachella Valley area conjoined, and it’s easy to hop from one to the other,” says Sloan.
Golf courses and the city of festivals
The former site of the Bob Hope Classic, the Bermuda Dunes Country Club, along with its 27-hole golf course, was designed in 1958. It continues to be one of the neighborhood’s most distinguishing features, and members spend sunny days teeing off under the shadow of the San Jacinto Mountains. Three miles south of Bermuda Dunes is the Indian Wells Tennis Garden, home to a 16,000-person stadium and the Indian Wells Open (also known as the BNP Paribas Open), held annually in March. Indio, also known as “the city of festivals,” is 5 miles from Bermuda Dunes along Country Club Drive. There’s the Palm Springs Kennel Club Show in January, Stagecoach in April and the International Tamale Festival in December.
Nature preserves and playground closer to home
Just under 10 miles north of Bermuda Dunes across California Route 10 is the Coachella Valley Preserve, a sanctuary that spans nearly 20,000 acres. Walking along one of the area’s many trails, visitors may spot endangered fringe-toed lizards (they “swim” through the sand to escape predators), flat-tailed horned lizards or giant palm-boring beetles. Beyond, find Joshua Tree National Park. A bit closer to home, the City of Palm Desert Freedom Park has a popular playground and a pickleball court.
Private airports, public buses and nearby medical care
A privately owned facility open to the public, Crown Aero (Bermuda Dunes Airport) is located at the eastern border of the neighborhood. “The airport is small enough that you won’t hear the sound of engines from your home,” says Sloan. Most residents (those who don’t own private planes), will drive approximately 15 miles, or 25 minutes, to Palm Springs International Airport. From here, 12 airlines fly to over 30 nonstop destinations. Bermuda Dunes residents can also use the public bus system, SunLine Transit, which stops along Washington Street and travels south all the way to La Quinta. Six miles from the neighborhood along Highway 111 in Indio is the John F. Kennedy Memorial Hospital, which offers general surgery services, diagnostic imaging and women and infants care.