Surrounded by golf courses and desert vistas, La Quinta offers resort-style comforts in a luxurious Coachella Valley suburb. Founded as a resort community in 1926, La Quinta is one of the many Coachella Valley retreats that have flourished since their founding — this one earning the nickname "The Gem of the Desert” because of its popularity with the who’s who of Hollywood stars. “There’s an area called the La Quinta Resort that’s been around a long time, and back in the day, it was one of the big places for Hollywood stars to visit,” says John Sloan, Realtor with Keller Williams Luxury Homes. “The nickname comes from that, but also because the city is considered a premier playground for active living with a lot of golf courses, high-end retailers and the serenity of the desert.” Housing in La Quinta is mainly single-family, with Spanish- and Mission-inspired contemporary and ranch-style homes being the norm. Midcentury modern and Pueblo-style houses can also be found. Many residences sport landscaped yards with views of nearby fairways. Unit sizes range from 900 square feet up to 16,000 square feet. Condos and apartment buildings are also available. Houses typically sit along open cul-de-sacs and avenues, though some gated communities exist, too. Massive mansions and palatial estates sport giant inground pools and private courtyards. “What’s interesting about La Quinta is that in many of the areas, especially La Quinta Cove, there are no streetlights,” says Sloan, a 26-year resident of Palm Springs whose realty office is based in La Quinta. “The city really wants residents to be able to enjoy the stars at night, so they left the lights out.” Price tags in the area can be a bit lofty, ranging from the $600,000s to the $900,000s, with expansive estates ranging from just over $1 million to nearly $9 million. Served by the Desert Sands Unified School District, students can attend Benjamin Franklin Elementary School and La Quinta Middle School before enrolling in La Quinta High School. Offering specialized academies with programming for medical health, public service, culinary arts and information and communications technology, La Quinta High has an overall Niche grade of A-minus. Franklin Elementary and La Quinta Middle both have a B. Large palm and desert pine trees shade La Quinta's streets, parks and nature preserves. Grab a seat and soak in the lake and mountain views from Civic Center Campus Park near the La Quinta Library. La Quinta Park is the largest in the city, offering a playground and a skate park, as well as a seasonal splash park for residents wanting to beat the heat. Experience the stark beauty of the Coachella Valley and the Santa Rosa Mountains at Fred Wolff Nature Reserve, and since La Quinta is a resort community, several golf courses and country clubs offer stunning fairways and recreational centers. “There are also a lot of hiking areas that residents like,” says Sloan. “Andalusia has the Cove and residents can do their hiking on the Cove Trailhead.” Shopping outlets and quality eateries are abundant in the city, particularly in the Old Town Mall section. Clothing boutiques such as Elizabeth & Prince and unique grocers, including La Quinta Olive Oil Company, sit in the bright-walled, Mediterranean-styled open shopping center lined with tall palms. Grab groceries from the Grocery Outlet or The Certified Farmers’ Market in Old Town La Quinta, which is open on Sundays from October to May, while national franchises like Target and Costco Wholesale offer quality foodstuffs and other essentials. After shopping, you can sample French and American staples at Mimi's Cafe or grab a plate of authentic Mexican fare at La Casita or RD RNNR. Big on golfing, La Quinta is full of courses that host events, with PGA West hosting the 2024 American Express PGA Golf Tournament. SilverRock Park hosts the city’s Concerts in the Park series each year, and Art on Main Street brings the creatives to Old Town La Quinta and local artists display and sell a variety of art from paintings to jewelry to photography and much more. Highway 111 runs through the northern section of the community, with Interstate 10 just a stone’s throw away, offering residents access throughout La Quinta and to the surrounding areas. The city is also implementing the La Quinta 2035 General Plan that looks to evolve and expand the Highway 111 Corridor with the addition of the 49-mile multimodal CV Link connecting Palm Springs and Thermal. La Quinta is a city full of resorts, country clubs and golf courses that cater to its higher-end residents. Most clubs, like Mountain View Country Club, La Citrus Club at La Quinta Resort and The Quarry at La Quinta, require memberships for use, while SilverRock Resort does not. Learn more on the La Quinta city guide.