Cathedral City is unlike many other Coachella Valley cities because it is not positioning itself for only upscale development. It wants to appeal to a wide range of residents and to build a rich social fabric with families that will enjoy sharing their cultures and backgrounds through community activities.
The city is well situated as the neighbor to Palm Springs and it is the third largest city in the Valley with more than 45,000 residents. It is the destination of pleasant neighborhoods, championship golf courses, luxuriant country clubs, diverse shopping and infinite business potential. It is also the home to four elementary schools, two middle schools and one high school.
Cathedral City received its name in 1850, when Colonel Henry Washington of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers discovered that the area’s canyons resembled the interior of a grand cathedral. Later, four developers had the same impression of the land and in 1925 they constructed the area’s first official subdivision, Cathedral City.
The City Council was determined to see an active city center. They wanted to create a heart of the city and as a result the downtown core of the city is now a colorful and inviting, people friendly complex that houses City Hall, and IMAX theater, the Mary Pickford Theater, shopping and restaurants. At the center there is a whimsical fountain called the fountain of life, it has become the gathering spot for families and a backdrop for civic events. The fountain was designed by local artist Jennifer Johnson. Now the Civic Center is poised to welcome new hotels and restaurants, an ecologically sensitive golf course, as well as new retail, commercial and office tenants to the greater downtown area.
New housing has sprouted between Ramon Road and Interstate 10, while Cathedral City Cove has become a desirable area for homeowners happy to make fashionable renovations. Rio Vista Village has been planned out to attract people looking for a more traditional lifestyle with front porches and tree lined streets. The new Urbanist architectural trend comes to the Valley with this approved tract of 1,350 proposed homes, a master planned community that will contain apartments, neighborhood shopping, a recreational center and an elementary school.
www.cathedralcity.com
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