When considering Palm Springs real estate, minds tend to drift to midcentury modern architecture, xeriscaped gardens, and swimming pools. But, for a while anyway, the area’s real estate offered opportunity to an often overlooked niche of our society: the nudists. That’s right, nudists and naturists have been buying property in Palm Springs for decades, meeting like-minded residents who agree that nothing’s more fashionable than the original birthday suit. But those days may be dwindling as trends evolve.
Nudism Comes to Palm Springs
The Greater Palm Springs area has long been recognized as a bastion of open-mindedness where people are free to be themselves. And, yes, sometimes that means shedding inhibitions… and clothing. Case in point: in 1962, television repairman Gordon Dixon and his wife, Terry, decided to shutter their Los Angeles business and follow their dream. And that dream just so happened to be founding their own nudist colony. Of course, this was easier said than done.
But fate seemed to shine where the sun doesn’t in 1963 when the couple found an ad for 80 acres of Palm Springs real estate, including a tiny cabin, swimming pool, and access to more than enough fresh water. With the help of some very understanding family members, the Dixons raised the funds they needed to purchase the property before settling on the unassuming name of Desert Garden Ranch. In 1964, it opened as Palm Springs’ first nudist resort, and members steadily signed up. It even inspired others to chase their unrealized dreams of naked splendor.
The Thigh’s the Limit
Three decades later, the Palm Springs naturist scene was much more defined, established, and even expected. One of the area’s most recognized clothing-optional resorts, the Desert Shadows Inn, opened to guests with a mere 11 rooms before ballooning into a nine-acre property complete with a full-service spa, bar, and restaurant.
Oddly, it’s a pedestrian bridge that firmly put the Desert Shadows Inn on the map for naturists. The Lee R. Baxandall Bridge, erected in 2003, allowed guests to privately cross a public road without needing to don apparel. Unsurprisingly, it earned the nickname “The Bridge of Thighs”.
Finding a Place in Palm Springs Real Estate
In Palm Springs, a naturist lifestyle isn’t strictly limited to accommodating resorts. Just across the road from the Desert Shadows Inn, the Desert Sun Condominium Association became known for offering townhouses and condos to those looking to permanently reside in a clothing-optional community. Located just about a mile from downtown Palm Springs, the Desert Sun brings convenience to the naturist way. But nothing’s permanent, even in Palm Springs real estate.
The Move Away from Nudity
In recent years, the naturist landscape of the Greater Palm Springs area has been changing. Located just beside the aforementioned townhouses and condos, the Desert Sun Resort was purchased with the intention of moving it away from a nudist resort, bringing an end to decades of naturist-friendly accommodation.
It’s since been rebranded as Casa Palma, a family-friendly establishment divorced from the Desert Sun Condominium Association. The Desert Sun Resort’s rebranding now leaves Corona’s Glen Eden Sun Club as the sole resort in Southern California still associated with the American Association for Nude Recreation (AANR). Palm Springs will always have its history, but it’s a far cry from the naturist enclave it was just a few decades earlier.
Don’t Reach for the Towel So Soon
Still, the inherent diversity of the area continues to make Palm Springs real estate an option for those seeking enough open-mindedness to live their best, most unconventional life. That could be a passion for midcentury design, world-class golf, or enjoying the day wearing nothing but a smile. And, in Southern California, where LA couldn’t sustain a nude beach, that’s saying something! The remaining naturist communities emphasize that this really is a city for everyone. Just make sure to invest in some strong sunscreen.
With a brand that says as much as JohnHart’s, Senior Copywriter Seth Styles never finds himself at a loss for words. Responsible for maintaining the voice of the company, he spends each day drafting marketing materials, blogs, bios, and agent resources that speak from the company’s collective mind and Hart… errr, heart.
Having spent over a decade in creative roles across a variety of industries, Seth brings with him vast experience in SEO practices, digital marketing, and all manner of professional writing with particular strength in blogging, content creation, and brand building. Gratitude, passion, and sincerity remain core tenets of his unwavering work ethic. The landscape of the industry changes daily, paralleling JohnHart’s efforts to {re}define real estate, but Seth works to maintain the company’s consistent message while offering both agents and clients a new echelon of service.
When not preserving the JohnHart essence in stirring copy, Seth puts his efforts into writing and illustrating an ongoing series entitled The Death of Romance. In addition, he adores spending quality time with his girlfriend and Romeo (his long-haired chihuahua mix), watching ‘70s and ‘80s horror movies, and reading (with a particular penchant for Victorian horror novels and authors Yukio Mishima and Bret Easton Ellis). He also occasionally records music as the vocalist and songwriter for his glam rock band, Peppermint Pumpkin.
