I'm interested in moving to the dessert area (Los Angeles, Victorville: short sales, new home)

[Ivorian]

My husband and i took a ramdom trip to palm spring in 2005 and palm dessert in 2007. we fell in love with the Palm spring area. we want to move there. the cost of new homes due to forclosure and short sales seem afordable.we are a young couple he's 40-i'm 30. i'm african he's black and hispanic. I did notice there's very few blacks in the dessert area or did i miss something?If we move there i feel like the jobs are all in LA what's the traffic like in the morning? what's life like in the dessert area for young couple that likes to have fun?

[booz30]

I WOULD LOVE SOME DESSERT PLEASE

[Twinkle Toes]

You mean the DESERT area.

You will probably not want to drive into LA every day from the Palm Springs area. Depending on the time you leave the desert, you could spend up to 4 hours in traffic - one way! My husband drives into LA from La Quinta twice a week but you have to time it just right. He typically leaves the house about 5:30 a.m.

You may not find as many black people here as you would in Los Angeles, but they are here. We really have a mix of a lot of different people here. What type of work do you do? You may be able to find work here in the valley. I work in Palm Springs.

As far as fun goes - there are a lot of different things to do here. Obviously, if you like to hike we have numerous hiking trails and other outdoor activities. But it does get really, really hot here during summer so you won't be spending a lot of time outside during the sumer months. We have dancing, but I still travel outside the valley to dance. It just depends on what you like to do. There is something for everybody here.

[EscapeCalifornia]

Originally Posted by booz30

I WOULD LOVE SOME DESSERT PLEASE

I hear its pretty sweet out there.

[Fontucky]

There's plenty of black people in the desert... the high desert.

[Ivorian]

Originally Posted by Twinkle Toes

You mean the DESERT area.

You will probably not want to drive into LA every day from the Palm Springs area. Depending on the time you leave the desert, you could spend up to 4 hours in traffic - one way! My husband drives into LA from La Quinta twice a week but you have to time it just right. He typically leaves the house about 5:30 a.m.

You may not find as many black people here as you would in Los Angeles, but they are here. We really have a mix of a lot of different people here. What type of work do you do? You may be able to find work here in the valley. I work in Palm Springs.

As far as fun goes - there are a lot of different things to do here. Obviously, if you like to hike we have numerous hiking trails and other outdoor activities. But it does get really, really hot here during summer so you won't be spending a lot of time outside during the sumer months. We have dancing, but I still travel outside the valley to dance. It just depends on what you like to do. There is something for everybody here.

4 HOURS??? wow
i am a hair stylist my husband is the HVAC(Heating,Ventilation,Air Conditioning)field.
He loves the outdoor , i'm in between

[Ivorian]

Originally Posted by Fontucky

There's plenty of black people in the desert... the high desert.

what's consider the high dessert?

[Twinkle Toes]

Ivorian, he's probably talking about Yucca Valley/Joshua Tree area. But he may lso be talking about the Victorville/Hesperia/Apple Valley area. The Coachella Valley (Palm Springs area) is considered the low desert. The high desert gets really cold and it snows there. The low desert gets really hot during summer and it doesn't snow here.

[DesertDweller3]

"Twinkle Toes" is right... as far as minorities are concerned, there are a lot more Hispanics than there are African Americans. Even with that said, Palm Springs is wildly eclectic in terms of its residents so neither of you should not feel out of place in any way.

Traffic isn't that bad in the morning. Aside from I-10, the main artery that connects the valley is Hwy 111. It can really get congested when we're in peak season because there are so many snow birds that flock here in the winter, but luckily, it doesn't affect the morning commute too much. I drive across town every day so I go from one end of the valley to the other and have no problems whatsoever.

Night life is another story though. It might be a bit of a culture shock if you're a young couple used to LA nightlife, but there is enough of a variety in terms of things to do. Twinkle Toes mentioned plenty of outdoor activities such as hiking, etc., but Palm Springs also hosts the annual Film Festival (very, very well known), there's a lovely theatre (McCallum Theatre), casinos with a ton of headliners, there are quite a few lounges and the like on the main strip in Palm Springs but nothing toooo exciting to speak of here in the desert. The area out here is a little more on the sleepy side (which I actually prefer) but there is certainly enough to do.

Seeing that you are a hairstylist, you should not have any problems finding work... even with the economy and downsizing that's going on everywhere. The area is known as a resort destination and always seems to have opportunities for anyone in any kind of service industry. As for your husband, with HVAC, I doubt he would have much of an issue finding employment either. People freak out when it gets a little chilly in the winter after they their heater won't work (even though they use it for two weeks a year HA) and break down and pay whatever it takes to fix their air conditioner in the summer because the heat can get quite unbearable.

I wish you both luck in your new adventure!

[Fontucky]

Originally Posted by Twinkle Toes

But he may lso be talking about the Victorville/Hesperia/Apple Valley area.

Bingo.