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Dick Sakowicz

Your Palm Springs Realtor

760.861.0952 | [email protected]

Palm Springs and Rancho Mirage on World Stage for US – China Summit

June 6, 2013 by Frances Sakowicz Leave a Comment

palmsprings-SunnylandsPalm Springs and Rancho Mirage on world stage for US – China Summit:  Final preparations are underway at Sunnylands in Rancho Mirage for the two day conference with President Barack Obama and President Xi Jinping of the People’s Republic of China. Both presidents are arriving here from other meetings; President Obama will arrive on Friday afternoon at the Palm Springs International Airport, and President Xi Jinping is expected this afternoon at Ontario International Airport where he will receive a military reception by Marines from Twentynine Palms.

With hopes for strengthening US-Chinese relations, the two men will come together at Sunnylands, dubbed the “West Coast Camp David”, on Friday for a private dinner that evening. In-depth discussions will continue on Saturday through midday. It’s expected that their meetings will include such thorny issues as North Korea’s Nuclear Program, and Chinese targeted cyber-attacks on US Corporations and on US National Security. Hopes are high that a mutual trust can be established  between these two important world leaders so that they can work together to promote world peace and facilitate vital international agreements.

China Summit at Sunnylands Estate

Sunnylands has been hosting important national and international  conferences and events since the mid-1960’s when diplomats and philanthropists Walter and Leonore Annenberg first had the home constructed for their annual “winter retreat”. Sunnylands has hosted no less than seven US Presidents (until today), British Royalty, and other world leaders. While the Reagans are perhaps the best known visitors there (they spent every Christmas there during his presidency), President Bush once hosted a state dinner on the estate, a rare departure for these events usually held in Washington.

Through a Trust established by the Annenbergs and now maintained by their children and grandchildren, the mid-century modern home was restored and refurbished, and it reopened in 2012. Now Sunnylands  will  continue to serve as a retreat for high-level meetings. A grand and luxurious estate, Sunnylands includes a pool, 11 lakes, a tennis court, and a nine hole golf course which can be played as 18 holes. The extensive grounds also include nine acres of cactus and rose gardens.

The estate was opened also to the public in 2012. Admission to the gardens and newly built Reception Center is free, and there are guided tours available for a fee which includes both the grounds and the home itself. I highly recommend the tour, as much of the Annenberg’s art collections -including Chinese art and cloisonne, many personal photos and collections and papers remain on display. It makes for a fascinating visit and I highly recommend it. For specific hours and information, go to Sunnylands.

Filed Under: Blog, Palm Springs Homes for Sale, Palm Springs Real Estate News Tagged With: Annenbergs, Palm Springs, President Obama, President Xi Jinping, Rancho Mirage, Sunnylands, US-China Summit

The Future of Retro Palm Springs

October 31, 2012 by Frances Sakowicz Leave a Comment

In case you missed it, this month’s issue of Food and Wine (October 2012) ran a four page tribute to our “famously retro California resort town”. The title was intriguing – The Future of Retro Palm Springs. The author points out that while we are known for the Rat Pack and Hollywood celebrity era and our Mid-Century architecture, some of our young chefs are bringing new excitement and fresh flavors to the Palm Springs food and hotel scene. The talents of Tara Lazar and Marco Rossetti have brought three new hot spots. They are Cheeky’s (always a long line there), Birba, and the newest, an Asian fusion restaurant – Jiao. All three are located in the Uptown Design District. And something I’d heard only recently is that they opened a small boutique hotel called Alcazar, in the same block. They also share some of their recipes, which you will undoubtedly want to try if you’ve ever eaten in one of their restos. Yum!

The Future of Retro Palm Springs
The article also pays tribute to some of our other trendy spots for shopping and eating, also found mostly in the Uptown Design District. The arrival of young innovators and fresh ideas are bringing new flair and that aura of glamour to Palm Springs. These shops offer an eclectic mid-century design mix of furniture, accessories and clothing boutiques. And if you should you find your way down to Indio, Lazar and Rossetti suggest you taste the flavors at the El Mexicali Café, a  family business there of many years. Their recommendation is sterling – they had El Mexicali cater their own wedding! The revival of the Uptown Design District continues to attract the national spotlight, and we know why! I’ve written before about the excitement of some of the fun new restaurants and shops here and was happy to read more about us in The Future of Retro Palm Springs in Food and Wine.

**Be sure to check out Dick’s new real estate blog about Palm Springs Real Estate trends on our web site – dicksakowicz.com/blog **

Filed Under: Blog, Buyers/Sellers, Palm Springs Cultural Events/Festivals, Palm Springs Lifestyle News, Palm Springs Real Estate, Palm Springs Real Estate, Palm Springs Real Estate News

Palm Springs Hosts the AOPA Aviation Summit

October 9, 2012 by Frances Sakowicz Leave a Comment

This Wednesday, October 10, Palm Springs hosts the AOPA Aviation Summit* with their kick off of an exciting Parade of Planes, a signature event of their summits. Dozens of planes will taxi under their own power from the Palm Springs International Airport through the streets of the city over a two mile route to the Palm Springs Convention Center. These planes will be displayed on the streets surrounding the Convention Center during the event.

The Summit officially begins its program on Thursday, October 11 and runs through Saturday, October 13. Pilots, aviation industry representatives and plane enthusiasts numbering in the thousands will convene in Palm Springs for 3 days of fun, with many interactive educational seminars – including one on how to use your iPad in the cockpit using apps to pull up flight paths, weather conditions. There will be a flight simulator which will allow you to sit in the cockpit and “fly”.  Some events will offer pilots actual flight opportunities with those pilots who’ve brought their own aircraft. There will even be a hot air balloon ride option. Overall, 400+ exhibitors will display their aviation supplies,gadgets, and interactive displays in the Convention Center. Special social events are numerous and include a Night for Flight with the proceeds going to charity. There is even a sweepstake to win a Tougher than a Tornado aircraft.

Harrison Ford will give the Keynote Address for Friday. Joining Harrison in the celebrity category will be well known pilots and celebrities in the aviation field. One event that I thought would be especially interesting is a presentation on the use of airplanes in the movie industry, with examples given from specific blockbuster films.

We welcome our guests to Palm Springs for the AOPA Aviation Summit! With the significant investment our city has made in upgrades since AOPA’s last time here in 2006, they chose to come here again, both this year, and also in 2014. It’s all good for Palm Springs Real Estate owners. Now, one last thing – if you miss seeing the Parade of Planes on Wednesday, you’ll have a second chance on Saturday afternoon from 3 to 5pm when they taxi back to the airport for their flights home.

*Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association.

Filed Under: Blog, Palm Springs Cultural Events/Festivals, Palm Springs Properties for Sale, Palm Springs Real Estate, Palm Springs Real Estate News

Palm Springs Rolls Out New Enticements

June 20, 2012 by Frances Sakowicz Leave a Comment

“A Youth Serum for Palm Springs,” proclaimed the New York Times in last Sunday’s June 17th edition. They went on to laud the newest hotel and restaurant arrivals in Palm Springs.

With the installation of trendy shops for art, clothing and antiques along with new hip restaurants, Palm Springs rolls out new enticements, especially in the Uptown Design District which has become a lively destination in the last few years. Then last summer, our Downtown welcomed the instantly successful restaurant Lulu to the corner of Palm Canyon and Amado, where the neighboring Zin, not to be outdone, reconfigured to create an inviting outdoor dining terrace, and the Kaiser Grill across the street joined in with its own makeover.

So this past Sunday when the Times pronounced South Palm Springs newly chic with the arrival of  its new hotels and restaurants, it seems we’ve now gotten all our bases covered. The Ace Hotel moved into the former Howard Johnson a couple of years back, bringing a new vibrancy to the South End, and they do seem to keep perennially booked. The Ace offers lots of incentives for guests – a welcome policy for pets, taco parties by the pool, film festival parties and great concierge services. And next door, Koffi – long an institution in North Palm Springs, opened their second location, in a sparkling white building where they serve up the same great coffees and paninis. But that’s not all. The developers of the Ace Hotel cast their eyes on the drab green-painted Holiday Inn at the corner of Palm Canyon and Sunrise Way, a few blocks down. Now they’ve transformed it into a hip and vividly colored hotel that’s all the buzz and christened it The Saguaro. The Times called the Ace our “first hipster nightlife hub” and now the Ace’s creators have given us a second “hipster hub” with their opening of The Saguaro.

The Times goes on to list some little jewels of shops like Mr Cox, for vintage clothing, and also recommends our very newly opened restaurant, Jiao on N. Palm Canyon Drive in a corner of the Corridor Shops. The owners of Jiao had already opened their wildly popular Cheeky’s, and then Birba, just a few blocks up. In the new Jiao, they serve up their own twist on Asian fare, with the experience enhanced by their art installations and musical entertainment. It’s on my list!

Palm Springs once again has transformed herself into a chic weekend retreat, and for those of us who live here year round, it’s all good! See A Youth Serum for Palm Springs for details.

Filed Under: Architecture/Design, Blog, Palm Springs Lifestyle News, Palm Springs Real Estate News

Peace in the World Starts with Me

December 22, 2011 by Frances Sakowicz Leave a Comment

I was reading a blog with a holiday greeting from a friend, entitled Peace in the World Starts with Me. It’s short but I found it so moving that I wanted to share the words with all of you. The author is Mary Lore and here is the link – Start with Me. I hope it will speak to you as well. Tonight, from our Palm Springs home to yours, where ever you may be,  I wish you peace, health, and happiness now and throughout the coming year.

Filed Under: Blog, Palm Springs Lifestyle News, Palm Springs Real Estate News

College of the Desert West Valley Campus in Palm Springs

November 28, 2011 by Frances Sakowicz Leave a Comment

It’s tremendously exciting for our community that Palm Springs and College of the Desert are collaborating on the development of the new College of the Desert West Valley campus here in Palm Springs. Back in 2004, voters approved Measure B, a bond issue of $346 million, which includes a mandate for development of an east and west Valley campus. Then in 2007, Palm Springs was chosen as the location for the West Valley Campus. In 2010, a tract of 119 acres in north Palm Springs, located on the northwest corner of Indian Canyon Drive at Tramview Road, was acquired by Palm Springs from the Bureau of Land Management and transferred to the College of the Desert.

Construction has now begun for Phase 1 which includes the infrastructure for the entire site. Already some classes for this campus’ curriculum are being held here in rented space. The construction of Phase 1 will bring hundreds of new jobs to Palm Springs, as will the campus itself when it opens at the Phase 1 completion in 2014. In addition, new support services will undoubtedly develop around the campus, and more will come as the remaining three phases are developed. Along with new jobs, the new campus will bring a young demographic, injecting new vitality into the greater Palm Springs area.

West Valley Campus of College of the Desert
The West Valley Campus curriculum will focus on four main disciplines – Hospitality and Tourism, Media and the Arts, Allied Health, and Sustainability Technology. Roughly half of the acreage will be devoted to a GreenPark for sustainable energy-generating systems. The campus is being constructed utilizing green technology to the extent that it will be totally self-sustaining from its inception and will even generate energy surpluses to sell back into the grid. Sustainability needs for our desert environment will only become more important as we move into the future. It’s the aim of Palm Springs leadership to develop a green economy and to attract clean technology companies to our city. The collaboration between the City of Palm Springs and the West Valley Campus of College of the Desert will be a powerful catalyst for future development here in Palm Springs.

Filed Under: Architecture/Design, Blog, Palm Springs Lifestyle News, Palm Springs Real Estate News

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Contact Dick

760.861.0952
[email protected]
RE/MAX Desert Properties
1775 E. Palm Canyon Drive Ste. #610
Palm Springs, CA 92264
California BRE # 01719083

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Contact Dick

“DickSakowicz” 760.861.0952
[email protected]
RE/MAX Desert Properties
1775 E. Palm Canyon Drive Ste. #610
Palm Springs, CA 92264
California BRE # 01719083

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