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| Neighborhood History |
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 This history of the neighborhood plays a vital part in the identity of its residents. If you have lived in the neighborhood for many years, the neighborhood history is a heartfelt reminder of days gone by.
If you have just come to call the neighborhood home, it is a way to learn more about the new community you have joined. We would love nothing more than to be able to share the history of neighborhood name with all who reside there. If you are interested in writing a brief history of the neighborhood to share with the community, please contact us! |
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La Quinta, California
La Quinta is a resort city in Riverside County, California, specifically in the Coachella Valley between Indian Wells and Indio. The population was 23,694 at the 2000 census. It is growing at a rate of approximately 110% every ten years, making it one of the fastest growing cities in California. The Robb Report credits La Quinta as the nation's leading golf destination (a claim that is also made on behalf of Scottsdale, Arizona). Among those destinations is the La Quinta Resort and Club, a resort dating to 1926 and famous as the spot in which director Frank Capra penned the screenplay of Lost Horizon. Recently, the city's new SilverRock Golf Resort will be one of three golf courses for the 2008 Bob Hope Chrysler Classic hosted by comedian/golfer George Lopez, and soon to be hosted by Arnold Palmer.
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| History
The area of La Quinta was first established in the early 18th century by Spanish conquistadores under the command of Captain Juan Bautista De Anza, as the fifth resting point for travelers along the route from present-day Mexico to the San Gabriel Missions of Los Angeles and present-day Riverside and San Bernardino 60–100 miles away. The words 'la quinta' are Spanish, translating to 'the fifth'. More specifically, the word 'quinta' is known in Mexico as a type of hacienda. Spanish and later Mexican settlement in the 'East Valley' (Eastern Coachella Valley) was sparse, most residents were members of the indigenous Cahuilla tribe. The earliest records of any inhabitation of La Quinta and other communities was in 1823, after Mexico declared independence from Spain but the area was annexed by the United States in 1848.
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| Modern Development and Incorporation
In 1927, Walter Morgan established the La Quinta Resort at the northern section of 'Marshall Cove', as a type of secluded hideaway for nearby Hollywood's celebrities and socialites. The Resort was the site for the Coachella Valley's first golf course, coinciding with the construction and pavement of State Route 111 in the 1930s. Further expansion of Washington Street in the 1950s and 1960s connected La Quinta with US Highways 60 and 99 (became Interstate 10 in the 1970s).
As nearby desert cities grew to capacity, La Quinta's growth rose dramatically by the mid-1990s, which led to its incorporation as a city in Riverside County in 1982. In the 1980 census, La Quinta had 4,200 residents, then increased to 11,215 by 1990 in the city's early phases of residential area growth. Once predominantly a part-time community until the early-1990s, more full-time residents live in La Quinta to make it possibly more populous than Palm Springs by 2006, according to some demographers.
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| Santa Rosa Mountains
The most prominent feature of the La Quinta area is its Santa Rosa Mountains. Visitors to Disney's California Adventure in Anaheim, California can be treated to a brief glimpse of the foothills in one of the park's attractions: Soarin' Over California. The 'Palm Springs' segment of Soarin' Over California was actually shot at the world-famous PGA West golf complex in La Quinta. The Santa Rosa Mountains (California) are nestled against the golf course and can be seen easily in the segment.
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| Climate & Population
According to its nearest neighboring city, Indio, California, La Quinta has an approximate yearly average temperature of 89.0F (High) and 57.9F (Low). In the summer it reaches temperatures of 110 on a daily basis.
La Quinta Population – 2000 census: 23,694
La Quinta Population – 2005 estimate: 38,232
The median age for La Quinta is 36 years.
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| Economy
Tourism - The city enjoys a healthy tourism industry, especially during the cooler winter months in which 'snowbird' tourists arrive. The most prominent industry is golfing with more than twenty golf courses, including the world-famous PGA West, which has hosted prestigious tournaments such as The Skins Game, Bob Hope Chrysler Classic, The Grand Slam of Golf, The Legends of Golf, as well as the PGA Tour Qualifying School. La Quinta has increased the number of retail shopping centers, both discount (Target and Home Depot), and high-end retailers (Kohl's and Stein Mart) brought millions of revenue dollars to the city, and the city council hopes for La Quinta to share a reputation for shoppers like Palm Desert (El Paseo) and Palm Springs (the Village and Palm Canyon) by the end of the decade.
La Quinta and nearby Bermuda Dunes are home to large numbers of senior citizens come to buy a home for the winter or year-round to enjoy the amenities provided by the city's golf clubs, tennis courts and recreation halls. The area's country clubs and golf course communities known for large percentages of retired part-time and full-time residents are Bermuda Dunes, Indian Springs, La Quinta (Hotel, Lago, Citrus and Dune courses), Mountain Vista, the Traditions of La Quinta, the Village at the Palms and PGA West.
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| Notable Residents
The city has been home to a number of celebrity residents, including Merv Griffin. Griffin was the driving force behind the annual La Quinta Arts Festival, one of the country's leading plein air art shows. There is also a restaurant owned by professional golfer Arnold Palmer and another owned by actor Clint Eastwood in La Quinta.
Additionally, the musician/actor Tyler Hilton was a former resident of La Quinta, and attended La Quinta High School. La Quinta is said to be hometown of actress Vanessa Marcil, but her official web site states Indio is her birthplace and attended Indio High School. Colonel Mitchell Paige is a World war II Medal of Honor veteran resided in nearby Palm Desert had a middle school in La Quinta named for his honor. Actress Samantha Lockwood was born in La Quinta and went to Palm Valley High School. NFL Football player Jeff Webb went to La Quinta High School, though he lived in Indio. Richard Dreyfus has small residence there, built five years ago.
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