Even though we have a permanent population of +400,000 people in the Coachella Valley, the County government and private employers have to look outside the area for up to 80% of there higher level technical and managerial employees.  That percentage will change over time as our regional college campuses gear up and produce an ever expanding pool of local candidates, but for now it is true.

With the current statistic in mind, it would be interesting to here what people who don’t live in the Desert would have to say about moving here to take a job.  I wonder if there are days in the Midwest and Northeast when people say, “I just can’t take this snow anymore!”  Actually, we say that here too, but then we step into the rotating Tram Car at the mountain station of Palm Springs Ariel Tramway and we are back to the desert floor is 5 minutes (not to rub it in or anything like that, of course). 

Resort areas are terrific places to live because locals get the benefit of the entertainment base that supports a much larger tourist audience.  Although a long time Desert resident, I have lived in a couple of other touristy places.  Everyone has heard of Las Vegas, right?  I lived there when corporate ownership of casinos just began to be permitted, and watched the charm of the bigger than life casino owner personas fade as every aspect of the resort experience began to be recognized as a profit center. 

In complete contrast, I also lived for several years in Morro Bay, along the central coast of California.  At that time Sailing Magazine described it as a, “fishy little sleeping village”, and with a population of 8,000 that was an apt description.  I think everyone in Fresno had designs on retiring to Morro Bay and tormenting the City employees; I only saw the vanguard of that effort before leaving.  In the Desert you can live pretty much anonymously or out in the public eye as you choose.

As it exists today, one apt tourist description of the Coachella Valley would be a “Laid-back Las Vegas.”  We have Indian casino gambling if you want it, but it is not intrusive like Las Vegas, with slot machines in supermarkets and gas stations.  Check us out if you haven’t already.  You may just want live (and work) here also.