I was born & raised in Palm Springs 70's-early 80's... I can say that the city & area has changed a lot over the years. Some for the better & worse. Depending how you look at it. Most of the Coachella Valley has grown. From Cathedral City to Indio, you can see the difference. As for Palm Springs, well not all of the things happening there is for the better. Now I have to say that they have made MAJOR improvments on the weekly night life on the town. As a kid growing up, when the sun went down on a week night, the city shut down till the sun came up. Being able to eat outside was a PLUS, the Thursday night Village Fest was outstanding, and stuff like the PS Air Muesum is a good addition to the things to do in the desert.
The one thing that makes me mad about PS is they let parts of the downtown to be run down and many places are out of business. And rents are very HIGH...so it is hard for some businesses to make it. But the beat goes on.
With all that, I still LOVE Palm Springs. That is why I still visit every year. I might live here in Washington State, but I still consider Palm Springs Home
David