Here's a two-week look-back of our favorite quotes from Nicholas Snow's popular “PS I love you because” column. Learn why some of your favorite people love one of your favorite places!
We clearly all love Greater Palm Springs!
When my first “best of” compilation (this one) was published, I realized there wasn't enough diversity in my column… When I publish next weeks' “best of” edition Part II, I think you'll agree there's been great improvement! As you read this exciting column, if you feel there are people and viewpoints that aren't represented, please note the “how to submit” paragraph at the bottom of the page (and tell your friends!). It is my goal to be as inclusive and expansive as possible.
With this said, I am so excited to have selected my favorite answers from 30 columns! I hope you enjoy reading this “best of” edition as much as I have loved putting it together for you.
Much love,
Part II is linked from the bottom of this page.
…the generosity of the people here is so inspiring! Having served on probably 10-12 local non-profit boards of directors, I am constantly amazed at the amount of money our friends are willing to commit to the betterment or our community and those less fortunate than ourselves.
…Dick Haskamp, Owner, StreetBar
…of the Lifestyle – If anyone ever says there is nothing to do in Palm Springs, I will show them a calendar. It can be as busy or not as you want it to be. You can hike, go to a museum, enjoy a film festival, live music, see great theater at the McCallum or Annenburg or just sit at home or relax with friends. There is a huge variety to the desert that I think is unrivaled.
…Brian Vatcher, Co-Owner, Brighthaus Marketing
…Our sunrises and sunsets. Palm Springs has some of the most beautiful sunrises and sunsets. The skies, the hues, the way the light and color dance on the mountains… all are spectacular, and every day is different. Every day as the sun sets I’m reminded how lucky we are to live in such an amazing place.
…Mark Jones, Co-owner, Brighthaus Marketing
…LGBT-friendly places everywhere. For a town of our size, we're ridiculously blessed to have so many LGBT-owned, operated, and friendly businesses. As a younger queer woman, sometimes it's not easy meeting friends, but it's kind of cool knowing that one trip to Toucans can lead you to find new buddies, or even the love of your life (it's happened to me!)… and taking a stroll downtown hand-in-hand with your partner won't attract unwanted stares or attention.
…Alexis Ortega, Integrated Communications Associate, Desert AIDS Project
…Everyday is like being on vacation, Relax, Pool, Cocktails, REPEAT!
…Kerry Hendrix, Executive Director, Desert Business Association
…of Palm Springs' modern architectural heritage. I appreciate the preservation that is taking place. By embracing, documenting and sharing it with the rest of the world, Palm Springs has become the destination for mid-century architecture.
…Kurt Cyr, Designer (above right)
…of the Artists in Residence (and visiting!). A burgeoning art scene has quickly emerged bringing with it world-renown painters, sculptures with art galleries popping up virtually everywhere. On any given night you can see a new exhibit meeting like-minded people who thrill at chatting about art and its changing landscape. This has inspired me to sing in the Palm Springs Gay Men’s Chorus as well as its Barbershop Quartet and again take up playing the guitar. Of all the aspects I love about Palm Springs this is the one that brings me the most joy.
…Jeff Hocker, Producer and VP of Marketing, Hocker Productions
…You have been my home for 25 years and I can't imagine living anywhere else.
…Andy Linsky, Realtor
…The natural energy from the San Jacinto Mountains recharges my batteries day in day out. You can catch me gazing west at every opportunity.
…Ron DeHarte, President, Greater Palm Springs Pride
…you have a walking-friendly, cute downtown that gets better with every renovation.
…Jill Gover, Ph.D., Director of Mental Health Services, The Center
…of the new younger element. I don’t view the younger people coming here as a bad thing. They have fallen in love with Palm Springs for the same very reason people who have been coming here for 30-40 years fell in love with it. As I was leaving Cleveland back in 2005, I told friends I was moving to the Palm Springs area, and one of the questions someone asked me in a joking manner was, “Are you retiring?” The valley isn’t just for retirees anymore and the younger people are breathing new life into the area, especially in Palm Springs.
…Brian Blueskye (Above right), Assistant Editor, Coachella Valley Independent
…You gather people. Whether people come here for a weekend, for a season or for a new life, you create a wonderful space for people to gather and to do life together.
…Mike Thompson, Executive Director, The Center
…You still party like it’s 1959. Whether is a martini at Melvyn’s (a classic Palm Springs experience) or a craft cocktail at Workshop Kitchen + Bar in the Uptown Design District, this is a place that knows how to mix a good drink. Sinatra’s crowd knew it, and soon, so will DiCaprio’s. Bring on the Coachella crowd, multi-venue pool parties like Splash House, properties like Ace Hotel & Swim Club, and events like the Palm Springs International Film Festival and Fashion Week El Paseo, and it’s easy to see why many tourists keep coming back and some ultimately move here.
…Steven Biller, Director of Marketing, Coachella Valley Economic Partnership
…I enjoy working with the City of Palm Springs. In my capacity of Commissioner on the Palm Springs Sustainability Commission, I get to work on things that matter to me but more importantly, they matter to the citizens of this community. The work I do on the Non-Motorized Transportation Subcommittee is very rewarding because I’m and avid cyclist and because I can ride around the city and see the fruits of our work knowing we’ve made cycling safer for everyone.
…Vic Yepello, Realtor/Community Organizer
…I love your Volunteer Culture and all of your signature charity events. The volunteer culture means that even if you aren’t a Richie-Rich, you can go to the most high falootin’ events in the valley if you are willing to do some grunt work. You can see the beautiful Sunnylands estate if you volunteer to pick the olives during season. You can spend hours with puppies crawling all over you at the Palm Springs Animal Shelter. I’ve seen some of the best shows by volunteering backstage at the Annenberg Theater. You can pass appetizers at the HRC Garden Party, work at a water station at the Desert AIDS Walk or help with set-up before the glam Evening Under the Stars event. Volunteering, all the cool kids are doing it.
…Shann Carr, Producer/Comedian
…I have met so many new friends it makes my head spin. My husband and I have met and become friends with so many in Palm Springs and also international travelers we meet… We have more friends than we have ever had in our lives.
…Debra Hovel, Shoe Designer / Entrepreneur
…Palm Springs is a “big” small town. Everything is within an easy driving distance and the town is small enough so that it's easy to meet a wide variety of people and yet large enough to give you breathing room when you want it.
…Dave Murdock, Leatherman
…of the embracing, accepting nature of this community. I was a little late to coming out, long harboring what I know now was a completely irrational fear of disappointing others. Here, in this wonderful locale, I can be proudly fabulous and stand among a fiercely determined and self-confident community that encourages and celebrates what’s unique and special about each one of us as individuals.
…Jeffrey Norman, Director of Communications and Public Affairs, McCallum Theatre
…life here is great with fantastic weather. The weather is usually always the way it should be. We have sunshine almost every day of the year. We have beautiful winters, summers, falls and springs. You will seldom need much more than a sweater in a town that has no idea what winter blues are like!
…Thomas Smith, Author
…of your spectacular Sober Community. You may be fortunate enough to not need a 12-step recovery program, but for those of us who do need one (or more!), especially LGBT-friendly meetings, we couldn't live in a better place (Just ask visitors who remind us about how great the recovery is here).
…Nicholas Snow, Journalist / Multimedia Entertainment Activist
…We are a city of Dog Lovers. And in the words of Frank, “I only have eyes for you”. I am the very proud parent of Luigi and Gioia who also love living in Palm Springs! You may find the three of us taking a casual stroll around the neighborhood, visiting with many of our four-legged friends, or just checking out how cool the mountains may look each day. We also love that we can just hang at many of the fine restaurants or shop at many of the wonderful boutiques that call Palm Springs home!
…George Nasci-Sinatra, Special Events & Development, Mizell Senior Center
…of the fact I have a true sense of belonging here in Palm Springs. I walk around every corner and I can see someone that I know and care for and they care for me. My work allows me an opportunity to work alone side some amazing people and build great relationships with guests. Living in Palm Springs reminds me of that TV bar “Cheers”…where everyone knows your name….
…Willie Rhine, Restaurateur, Eight4Nine Restaurant & Lounge
…. you care. You care about your children, the elderly and those less fortunate. As a community, we’re focused on ensuring that our schools provide the best education to our children, that our seniors are an integral and valued part of our lives, and that we take care of those who are struggling. This is probably what I love about you most.
…James Williamson, Palm Springs Unified School District Board Member
…We as a community ignite and follow a spirituality that learns, directs and assists in positive ways every day.. Rumi lives here. And so does the man whose heart and soul I love. Christopher Zander. Rumi says… “Yesterday I was clever, so I wanted to change the world. Today I am wise, so I am changing myself.”
…The late, great, much missed George Zander, Longtime Political Activist
Photo by Curry Mendes
…we are gonna film a movie here. The city itself is alive and a beautiful place for sex, romance and intrigue, the setting for our 16th film, a thriller “Die Angelo, Die”. It lends itself to be captured in all its glory and we will do that with the support of local residents and friends.
…Stacy Codikow, Founder of POWER Up
Steven Henke and Amanda Lepore photo by Alexis Hunter
…of the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians. The Coachella Valley has a unique and rich history because of the Cahuilla people discovering it thousands of years ago. The Agua Caliente Cultural Museum is one of my favorite local places to bring visitors and its annual fundraiser ‘Dinner in the Canyon’s is pure magic.
…Steven Henke, Marketing Manager, Desert Sun Media Group
…you're the best little city in America. Nowhere else can you do so much, know so many, be as involved, and have so much fun as in Palm Springs. With great cultural institutions such as the Palm Springs Art Museum and the Palm Springs International Film Festival & ShortFest; oodles of restaurants and specialty shops; hundreds of volunteer opportunities; a vibrant LGBT community; and a love of its architecture and future; it rivals many much larger cities.
…David Gray (above right), Principal, Gray Public Relations & Marketing
…You’ve assembled the most amazing cast of characters I’ve ever met. I’m so fortunate to have made such a great group of interesting, quirky, crazy, kind, loving, generous, and beautiful friends since my very first visit to the desert in 1996.
David A. Lee, Writer / Photographer
…I love a tourist town! I spent many years in small communities who based its livelihood on tourism. It’s always been great fun to provide tips to both friends and visitors whom I meet looking for those places both on and off the beaten path. Gay Desert Guide allows me to get that information out to the masses in a variety of ways.
…Brad Fuhr, Founder / “paperless” Publisher, GayDesertGuide.com
…you give the LGBTQI youth a safe place to be, and inspire them maximize their potential in a healthy and supportive environment that nurtures individuality and creativity.
…Thomi Clinton, Transgender Activist
So there you have it! How lucky are we to live and/or visit this Desert Oasis?! I love all of you and am so grateful to call Palm Springs home!
Big Hugs,
Click here for “PS I love you because” Part II
Want to be featured in the “PS I l love you because…” column?
To be considered, email me (Nicholas Snow, SnowbizNow@gmail.com) your top five answers (they can be short or long) to the statement, “PS I love you because…” and/or “PS I love you because I enjoy…”, along with two or three biographical paragraphs. Also, send some photos of things you love about the area including, ideally, you doing something you love in the area. Your submission does not guarantee publication. Thanks!