Interrupting My Regular Scheduled Blogging:

Just a few weeks ago, I wrote a "Welcome (To Palm Springs) Wagon Letter" to Leonardo DiCaprio. In the note, I listed some of my favorite old school places to dine, drink + overall have a Palm Springs specific grand old time.

One of the places I suggested which was not old school but embodies the Old School Palm Springs vibe, were Monday Nights at The Ace Hotel.

Every Monday Night for 4 years, Entertainer Extraordinaire Linda Gerard hosted Monday Night Sissy Bingo at The Ace Hotel.  Linda passed away last Friday here in Palm Springs.

Linda was the reason to drag yourself out on Monday Night - Linda was the reason that made the week all the better, you got to laugh with her, get serenaded by her, and possibly win a prize or two.

Linda was not your run of the mill Bingo caller. She was the hostess with the mostest and then some. 

We all loved Linda and were all touched by her infectious energy. We knew her physical health had taken a beating, and when I blogged about Sissy Bingo 2 weeks ago, I did so with the hopes that this was just a rough patch and she would be back at some point with her trademarked Linda Vengeance.

Just last year after she was diagnosed, she appeared at a screening of a documentary called Bingo Night, in which she was featured.

Linda belting out some of her favorite tunes - can be purchased here at The Ace Hotel online Shop

Linda wasn't just the hippest Bingo Caller this side of the Mississippi, she was a Hollywood Actress, A Broadway Performer (Understudy to the likes of Barbra Streisand!!) , Provincetown Cabaret Star, West Hollywood Nightclub owner, Bon Vivant, an Auntie Mame, and an all around Grande Dame.

Read Linda's New York Times Obituary here. 

The Ace Hotel Will be closed this Monday the 31st in honor of Linda - Their statement on Linda here

Donations can be made in honor of Linda to The Orphan Pet Oasis Shelter of Palm Springs.

RIP Linda + Thank You.

Living in Palm Springs: A Different Take on Mid-Century Homes

For those of you that may not know, I moved out of a 1200 sq foot Alexander Mid-Century home with a pool and into a 1988 Airstream Trailer which I renovated this past Summer/Fall.

I call my home The Silver Suitcase®

And, yes, my residence is in a Trailer Park.

Here's a taste of the before:

And here's a taste of the after:

I don't mess around. 

I always had a fascination with the trailers growing up, so I thought why not give it a whirl? I'll live in the trailer for at least one year to get the full experience.

I had loads of fun making the airstream over and reactions from people have been huge.

One of the phenomenas of having a unique home is when I send out an invite to have guests over, my RSVP "Yes" rate hovers around 98%.  

Having had so much fun, and receiving requests from clients and people from afar (Hi London!) I have embarked on doing a few more on my down days. 

So, meet the newest additions to my Silver Suitcase® Family:

Silver Suitcase® # 2: My Baby 1966 Safari

Design is all in the Details, people!

Nice spare tire in the foreground

And here she is, cleaned out and with a base coat of paint

Paint really is the miracle drug. 

 Silver Suitcase® # 3:

1949 Spartan Mansion

This is a big undertaking, but I can't wait.

Renovation is really all in the attitude!

And finally, my summer cottage:

Silver Suitcase® #4:

1960 Park Model

Look at those bones, would you??

I just started on Baby Safari, and with a lot of work and some luck, I am hoping to have all three done by August at the latest.

To keep up with the renovations on my Airstreams, follow my blog 365 Days in An Airstream.

Happy Travels, indeed. 

A 10 Second Hollywood History in Palm Springs: American Gigolo Version

American Gigolo was on the other night and lo and behold I had forgotten about this pivotal (and dark) scene that takes place in the Canyon Club area of Palm Springs

Richard Gere's character Julian Kaye drives to Palm Springs as a favor to service the client of a pimp/friend.

Here is the mid-century home as it appears in the film with the Julian Kaye character driving up in his Mercedes 450 SL.

And how it looks today:

The front has obviously been rearranged. A lawn was put in, as well as the driveway being moved to the left. The Canyon Country Club has some incredibly beautiful and tasteful homes and most were preserved to their original mid-century design. 

Now I'm a little obsessed to see the inside!

Road Trip!

Hello Tucson!  

I love going on Road trips, and one of the easiest and swiftest is from 

Palm Springs to Tucson, Arizona 

The city has some incredible and pedigreed mid-century homes, as well as important buildings that are steeped in historical signifigance.

and

I would be remiss not to mention the NEON!

Do you see this great neon?! 

These are along the historic Miracle Mile. Click here for more info on their preservation 

efforts + organized walks through the area

Isn't this terrific? 

More info here on Tucson's Mid Century Scene

If you ever find yourself in Tucson, do set aside some time to take tours and learn about their incredible mid-century history. 

The Countdown to Coachella Music Festival 2014 Begins!

My Coachella Action Adventure Set came in and it only has a wristband and a paper snail with directions to glue glitter to it.

Here's the snail they speak of from last year:

And here I am last year in one of my many Coachella Approved outfits 

in front of the 

Snail:

Bring it on, Coachella! 

HOLLYWOOD IN PALM SPRINGS EDITION: Are the "Who's Who" of Hollywood Fueling Home Prices??

The Hollywood Reporter devoted a section on Palm Springs in their March 14 Magazine Edition. In the various pieces, Hollywood Heavy Hitters were asked to weigh in on Palm Springs living.

One piece that jumped out (of course) is a view of the Palm Springs Real Estate Market; and because it's the Hollywood Reporter, there's a lot of name checking and bold faced names of who live/have homes here; in addition, the article discusses the price surge in mid-century homes, with an angle on Hollywood's "elite" pushing the prices up.

Are mid-century homes selling? Absolutely - for instance, just last week, we had a listing for $1.2M that sold within 6 days of being on the market.

Are there still bargains to be had? Yes. Are they becoming fewer and farther between? Yes.

Is it the Hollywood Elite pushing prices up? I think the better question is:  Have we seen a younger set of Hollywood/Start Up/Creatives from LA, SF, Seattle, London + NYC recently?
Oh, YES. Absolutely.

Listen, the Hollywood Stars and the power players have been coming here since the 1920's. That is not going to change any time soon. They in turn attract others, and so on and so forth.

The Reporter also did a nice profile on Suzanne Somers 73 acre compound which, by the way, is A REAL honest to God compound complete with hiking trails, and trolley.  Major bonus points for the Albert Frey designed guest house! If you have some extra cash laying about, I suggest you look into it.

On the opposite end of the Real Estate spectrum, the Reporter looked at the Who's Who of Hollywood who live in Big Horn Golf Club.

Big Horn photo courtesy of BigHornGolf.com

Big Horn is everything mid-century is not. (Love your movies, Mr Weintraub!)

The magazine looked at new restaurants in the area cloaked under the guise of where to eat during Coachella.

Seriously? Have they ever been to Coachella? Dining out is truly the last thing on your mind. Between seeing the bands, the parties and travel time, who has time to eat? Don't get me wrong - keep the list, because it's a great one. Just an ambitious goal on the weekends of Coachella.

Speaking of dining out and drinking, The Reporter did a piece on the Hollywood regulars and where they like to eat and what to do - a nicely compiled list, though it can't compete with my list of Palm Springs old school eating and drinking spots that I did in my Welcome Wagon Letter to Leonardo DiCaprio. :) The Hollywood Reporter's list is great - keep it bookmarked, along with mine.

The article gave a nice shout out to Wil Stiles Shop which I love  and in a different piece  they talk about the the Grand Dame of Palm Springs Style,Trina Turk.

Photo of Trina Turk Courtesy of LA Times

Trina has been the unofficial ambassador of Palm Springs for over 20 years. Her original shops on Palm Canyon Drive are the epitome of Palm Springs Style. She has Mr Turk for the Men, Trina Turk for home and of course Trina Turk for women. You can never go wrong with Trina. Never.

Another shop is Deja Vu Vintage Finery  a must stop for vintage clothes at reasonable prices.  (Trina mentioned this shop as one of her favorites in her Reporter interview during Film Fest)

Photo Courtesy of Deja Vu Finery

Speaking of Style, some of my favorite Home Decor shops they missed (understandably so; otherwise, the article would be pages + pages long.)   

Modern Way in Palm Springs. Courtney will steer you right. And if he doesn't have the piece you desire, he will know how to get it. 

Hedge In Cathedral City for mid century furniture + home accoutrement. They have incredible finds, at really reasonable prices. Great fun shop.  

Colin FIsher Studios in Cathedral City has an eclectic mix of modern, abstract, figurative, and traditional paintings + sculptures. Curated beautifully.

And lastly, a nice write up on the latest hotels which have gone up/are going up including Hard Rock Hotel + Arrive Hotel.

The Hollywood Reporter's section on Palm Springs is a well thought out and well researched love letter to our wonderful town. Bravo!

The Palm Springs Welcome Wagon: Leonardo DiCaprio Edition!

Hi Leo,

My name is Matthew, 

and I'm one of your neighbors in Palm Springs.

Okay, maybe not a next door neighbor; but where I'm from, in a small town you welcome the new neighbors, regardless of distance.

I live in a vintage airstream called The Silver Suitcase™ that I bought off of ebay and renovated last August; I just purchased 2 more, which I blog about.

(Crazy, right?  I went from 1200 sq ft to 240 sq ft. and have had more fun parties here than I ever had before.)

Anyway, it seems like every major publication has announced your Palm Springs purchase. We knew you had bought a house, but kept mum.

Until now, as it's evident the cat is out of the bag, so:

WELCOME TO Palm Springs! 

I do hope you enjoy your time here. It's pretty great, if I do say so myself.

To get your feet wet, here are some of my favorite, mostly Old School, Dining and Drinking spots in Palm Springs:

Sunday Afternoon: Melvyn's is a must do. Nothing better for a civilized afternoon with cocktails, the trio of musicians and a tuxedo'd maitre'd - yes, even when it's 120 degrees out and you're wearing board shorts with a t-shirt, Brian the Maitre'd will be there to greet you and welcome you to all of Melvyn's glory with their perfectly made Sinatra approved cocktails.   (Btw, they are hosting a special Dinner with Gavin MacLeod on March 19th!)

photo courtesy of Melvyn's/Ingleside Inn

Sunday Night Dinner:  Lyon's English Grille: Has been open since 1939 and on Sunday's there's The Nat King Cole Set. Nothing is better. King Henry Cut? Prime Rib?

Photo Courtesy of Lyon's English Grille

Monday Nights 7:00pm: Sissy Bingo at the Ace Hotel in the Kings Highway Restaurant with bingo caller extraordinaire, Hollywood Legend, Linda Gerard. Prizes are awarded, and if you're lucky, Linda will serenade you. Linda, Cocktails, Dinner, Bingo, and Prizes? Doesn't get much better than this. On a Monday night, people!

Photo courtesy of Ace Hotel

How awesome is Linda?!

Photo courtesy of Ace Hotel

Any Time Breakfast, Lunch, or Dinner: Billy Reed's!
When you want to dine in old school warmth where everyone looks good -  no matter the wear and tear on your face, this is the place to sit back in an old school bar chair (with arms!) and order a chilled Martini or Manhattan done by a seasoned pro.

Photo Courtesy of Billy Reeds

Order the Liver and Onions, Prime Rib or Chicken Picatta and finish off with the best Cake and Pie in town. They also serve Breakfast and Lunch. BONUS: You can order off any of their menus at any time. And, yes, cocktails, will be served at 8am if you so wish.

Lunch + Dinner: La Tablita Mexican Restaurant in Cathedral City is the place to go if you want Mexican. Open for lunch at 11, close at 10 - full bar, and really outstanding Mexican food + Cadillac Margaritas. Worth the drive/Taxi. 

Photo Courtesy of La Tablita/Facebook

Any Day for Lunch: Tyler's!

Photo Courtesy of Tylers.com

I love the simplicity of Tyler's. Sit outside under the canopy or grab one of the 10 seats inside. They have a simple menu of burgers (veggie and turkey too), fries, sandwiches, malts, milkshakes with everything freshly made to order. 11- 4 daily + cash only. Get the "SomerSized" named after Suzanne Somers!

Lastly, a few things to keep in mind:

• Don't turn on the misters when it is 85 or above, all it does is produce humidity - not cute, nor cooling.
• The pool takes 24 hours to heat up  - keep in mind if you want it heated by the time you get out here.
• If your friends want discretion, put them up at Ruby Montana's Coral Sands Inn. Ruby's is the vault of all vaults. Trust me. You can find her here and here. She's on the border of the Las Palmas neighborhood.
• Palm Springs to Rancho Mirage is 20 minutes. Don't let anyone tell you any different.
• Coachella is about 45 minutes by car from Palm Springs. Don't let anyone tell you any different.
• The Sun Bus stops at Melvyn's - not that you would ever use it, but I love that tid bit. Makes me laugh every time.
• We have taxi's.
• Sunscreen. Highly recommended.

Modernism Week Wrap Up Finale!

Everyone at The Paul Kaplan Group and myself are all still recovering from 2 weeks of whirlwind parties, open houses, vintage trailer shows, opening night receptions, fashion shows, desert lounge crawls, home tours, a curated "yard sale", a web series I took part in for The Desert Sun- not to mention the months that went into planning - and of course, we've already started coming up with new events for next year, which we're all really, really excited about.

If you didn't make it out to Palm Springs this year, definitely come out for Modernism Week 2015; I guarantee a great time.

The Week ended in a pretty spectacular way for me at the Modernism Week Vintage Trailer Show: 
My home, The Silver Suitcase™ was given the award for Best Modernism Trailer!

Pretty Snazzy, right? Woot! Woot!

(that's Mona, organizer extraordinaire of the Vintage Trailer show!) 

Modernism Week Wrap Up Part 3: Vintage Trailer Show!

The Modernism Week Vintage Trailer Show had an incredible turnout this year!

The Event had 34 trailers in addition to my home, The Silver Suitcase™ which I relocated  to the Hilton Hotel Parking lot for the event.

If you've ever been, you know Vintage Trailer People are really fun! If you ever run into someone that owns one of these, I guarantee a good time. These are the happiest people I know.

There's just something about owning a home on wheels that demands joy!

Enjoy the pics!

Thank you to Cliff Uyeda for the wonderful pictures! cliff@uyeda.net

The Entry Way to all things Vintage Trailer!

Scooter + Trailers? Don't mind if I do!

Glam Traveling, Trailer Style!

Yellow: The PERFECT Palm Springs Color!

Two Tones!

(See? Yellow, again!) 

Look a little closer...

See...

The Dog Trailer! HA!

Al Fresco dining, anyone? 

Love the area rug!

Lounging...

Dreamy, right?

photo courtesy of Gregg Felson NBC 4 NEWS

If you missed the show this year, do try and make it in 2015. NBC Channel 4 in LA said it's worth the trip!

Otherwise, you can see more pics on the Palm Springs Modernism Week Vintage Trailer FB Page or on my other blog about living in my airstream!