Is Palm Springs Flirty or Dirty?
Is Palm Springs Flirty or Dirty? The short answer is both (and everything else you can and can't even imagine in between)! Everyone is here in Palm Springs for a good reason. Whether you've decided to retire here, vacation here, live here part-time or full-time, Palm Springs is a treasured destination for so many people. Everyone is here because they want to be – and that's a recipe for people who are a lot more pleasant to be around than the average community. Since gay men are practically the majority here at this point, there's a lot of fun to be had in the modern gay desert…
Is Palm Springs Flirty or Dirty? The short answer is both (and everything else you can and can't even imagine in between)! Read on, boys...
Everyone is here in Palm Springs for a good reason. Whether you've decided to retire here, vacation here, live here part-time or full-time, Palm Springs is a treasured destination for so many people. Everyone is here because they want to be – and that's a recipe for people who are a lot more pleasant to be around than the average community. Since gay men are practically the majority here at this point, there's a lot of fun to be had in the modern gay desert.
When a gay friend comes to Palm Springs for the first time, wondering what to do first, I like to ask, "Do you want something flirty or dirty?" In my experience, there is no third option. Everyone is excited to be here and eager to engage with what makes Palm Springs so special and unique. This inherent openness creates an ever-flirtatious dynamic all around – especially between gay men – that is as harmless as it is enticing.
Everyone flirts in Palm Springs. Drag queens flirt with you during at Ross Mathews Dragtastic Bubbly Brunch at V Wine Lounge. Store clerks flirt with you at GayMart USA as they help you pick out your new swimwear. You can flirt with the other boys in the pool at your clothing-optional resort. You can flirt with your waiter while you're having dinner at Eight4Nine Restaurant & Lounge. You can flirt with your bartenders at Hunters Palm Springs and all the boys along the way when you're barhopping throughout the Arenas District after dinner. And you can even flirt with the baristas at Koffi the next morning.
I've also quickly learned never to assume anything in this town. For instance, it seems to me that if you're a gay couple in Palm Springs, you are in some sort of open relationship unless proven otherwise (at least for the long weekend). That's the line where flirty meets dirty in my book because depending on the "vibe" of things, the new friends you just met 5 minutes ago sitting at the bar at Blackbook (my personal favorite social bar) might just invite you over to their place later that night to enjoy some more cocktails and naked pool time in their salt water saline pool. Did somebody say cock(tails)?
It's just as easy for flirty to go dirty should you choose. Palm Springs has over twenty (20) LGBTQIA+ resorts and guest houses, and at least 14 of them are gay clothing-optional resorts. Some of these clothing-optional resorts also offer day passes for men only, like All Worlds Resort in Palm Springs and CCBC Resort Hotel in Cathedral City (aka "Cat City" as the locals refer to it). Day passes (also available at night) at clothing-optional resorts for men only are the greater Palm Springs version of a gay bathhouse experience.
Of course, there's also some dirty fun to be had on the side here and there, like at the Barracks in Cat City or the Tool Shed in Palm Springs. They both host a variety of themed nights, like "Underwear Night" (Wednesday's at the Barracks and Thursdays at the Tool Shed), where anything goes after enough drinking, flirting, and jock-strap eye-candy everywhere.
So the next time you're here in Palm Springs, do you want it flirty or dirty? I suggest you start with flirty and then see where things go from there. Either way, just get into it. Embrace it. Openness and sex-positivity is the heartbeat of connecting with new people out here. And in a town this vibrant with affluent professionals, creative influencers, and fellow gays from all walks of life, you never know who you're going to meet next and how they might shape your life for the better.
Image by Christian Buehner
Best Gay Shopping in Palm Springs
From mid-century made modern home goods to gaycation fashion, Palm Springs is brimming with gay-owned and LGBTQIA+ businesses to patronize (along with some brand names that we all not-so-secretly love as well)…
From mid-century made modern home goods to gaycation fashion, Palm Springs is brimming with gay-owned and LGBTQIA+ businesses to patronize (along with some brand names that we all not-so-secretly love as well).
Mens short shorts are the unofficial gay dress code here in Palm Springs, so leave those straight-boy shorts at home and show us some thigh, handsome. You can start building your ST33LE Brand short shorts collection at Division Palm Springs until you've got every color of the rainbow under your belt (literally under your belt).
And while you're exploring the downtown area's signature boutiques (realizing how sexy your legs really are in those new short-shorts), be sure to check out some of our favorite spots too...
Mens Clothing
Division Palm Springs hosts a contemporary collection of tank tops, button downs, swim wear, and those highly coveted short shorts I mentioned above. If you really want to dress the part of an experienced Palm Springs gay, this is the place to shop – and it's right in the Arenas district.
GayMart USA proudly touts itself as America’s Favorite Gay Superstore. Swimsuits and underwear of all flavors are their specialty, but they've also got some fun cards, gifts, and adult novelty items (did someone say poppers)? GayMart is also in the heart of the Arenas district.
Bear Wear curates a nice selection of mens fashion, jewelry, and gifts. Philip ‘n Bruce always look forward to assisting you with your apparel needs – big men, small men, all men. And you guessed it – it's in the heart of the Arenas district.
Mr. Turk Menswear presents a swank modern resort interior that features 1970s styles with vintage flair at boujie prices. A bit further north on North Palm Canyon Drive, Mr. Turk is the baby spoon to Trina Turk Palm Springs.
Adult Gifts & Sex Shops
Rough Trade Gear Palm Springs has the hottest mens street, fetish, sport, and play gear – right in the heart of the Arenas District.
Gear Leather & Fetish has some of the best fetish goods from the world’s top makers for men who play hard. They're located on East Sunny Dunes Road, so grab a drink at the Tool Shed next door for some inspiration first.
Art, Gifts & Inspiration
Destination PSP offers uniquely fun and originally-designed merchandise. Their stylish, modern designs reflect the mid-century heritage of the Palm Springs experience. We particularly love their MCM (Mid-Century Modern) t-shirts and tissue box covers!
Just Fabulous Palm Springs is an modern lifestyle boutique offering a wide array of gifts, books, home decor that are as fun as they are inspiring.
Queertique Palm Springs is a queer lifestyle shop championing primarily independent queer artists unique art, apparel, goods, vintage and more. Be sure to take a selfie in their glamorous oversized dressing room (and then tag them in it obviously)!
The SHAG Store is the retail store for the artworks and merchandise of artist Josh Agle (aka SHAG). His style represents the vintage Palm Springs highlife, and every print is always hand signed and numbered by Shag himself.
Christopher Kennedy is Mid-Century made Modern. His home furnishings and interior design embody modern luxury and vibrant Southern California glamour.
Rancho Relaxo has a mission to inspire and delight, focusing on local artists and artisans who celebrate the spirit of Desert Modernism in their signature fashion, accessories, home decor, and gifts.
Home Furnishings & Accessories
H3K Home is a gay-owned operation specializing in design consultation, but they have a uniquely colorful showroom of Desert Modern home furnishings and accessories that would brighten anyone's day. We particularly love their Palm Strings Collection.
PS Homeboys are staging specialists with an inspiring showroom in the Arenas District that specializes in Mid-Century meets Modern home décor.
Wabi Sabi Japan Living is an ode to the “impermanence and imperfection” of Japanese art and design, featuring home goods and imported specialty groceries from Japan and Asia.
Consignment / Resale / Thrift Shops
Revivals is where all the conscientious gay locals shop, donate their furniture and appliances, contribute their art and jewelry, and volunteer their time. That's because all four (4) Revivals Stores and locations here in the Coachella Valley donates 100% of its profits to support comprehensive healthcare at DAP Health (the Desert AIDS Project) to the tune of over $1 million a year. Now that's what I call health "care"!
Misty's Consignments has room after room of professionally staged "venuets" filled with designer furniture, fine art, and more. It's an ever-rotating inventory wonderland for even the most discerning gay man (myself included)!
Antique & Vintage Furniture Shops
Antique Galleries of Palm Springs is the newest, largest, and best source for antique, vintage, and retro everything in the Coachella Valley. You'll find all sorts of random things here.
Palm Springs Vintage Market is a wonder to behold on the first Sunday of each month (8:00 am to 2:00 pm). Located at the Palm Springs Cultural Center (formerly Camelot Theatres), it has the best collection of Southern California sellers of vintage and antique furniture, art, clothing, jewelry, and home furnishings for any mid-century design enthusiast!
Wellness
The Men's Spa at La Dolce Vita is the only place where you can stay gay in town that includes a spa exclusively for gay men.
The Men’s Grooming Spot waxes where others don't. They also offer men’s massage, skin care, hair, and men’s nails with a "cool spa vibe" as the only complete men’s spa in the Coachella Valley.
World Gym Palm Springs has been referred to as the gayest gym in the world more than once since we've arrived here in Palm Springs. Think every type of gay (especially daddies and bears) wearing next-to-nothing and proudly keeping it "the" gay gym in town. Did somebody say cruising?
Daddy's Barbershop serves the LGBTQ communities and our allies with “old school barbering” and modern, sexy haircuts – right in the Arenas District.
Sunny Dunes Barber Shop is a no-frills, three-chair shop run by well-seasoned male barbers at a reasonable price.
The Vault Dispensary and Lounge promises to deliver the finest cannabis dispensary experience you can find. Their consumption lounge even features fun events, like Legendary (digital) Bingo night, hosted by comedian Deven Green & Ned Douglas!
Brand Names
Don't worry, boys – there's an H&M Palm Springs right here in the heart of downtown too for those of us who crave the familiar side of retail therapy.
West Elm Palm Springs is right next to H&M as well, so go seek some inspiration there while you're at it. Just consider supporting a local brand as well (unless you really need that sickening lamp that only West Elm can provide).
The Desert Hills Premium Outlets & Cabazon Outlets are side-by-side and just a quick 20-minute drive west of Palm Springs if you get that outlet itch. The Desert Hills Premium Outlets are the real highlight between the two, featuring all the name brands we love.
Palm Desert Shops is a great resource for where the bougier shops are. In fact, Palm Desert is where everything bougie and corporate is.
So, What's The T?
Why the Palm Springs Guys? The truth (the T) is that we wanted to create the kind of platform we were originally looking for ourselves before we moved here. There are lots of great resources available for all things gay here in Palm Springs, but none of them offered the kind of local flavor and local intel in one place that we were seeking…
*If you’re as obsessed with RuPaul's Drag Race as we are, you already know that 'The T' is another term for 'the Truth.'
If you didn’t know, well, you’re welcome.
Hey, Guys! We are Gregory and Glen (aka the Palm Springs Guys).
Consider us your new local guides to Gay Palm Springs. We’re pretty new to the high desert ourselves, so we invite you to explore the wonders of this Gaytropolis along with us, hand-in-hand (aww).
Why the Palm Springs Guys? The truth (the T) is that we wanted to create the kind of platform we were originally looking for ourselves before we moved here. There are lots of great resources available for all things gay here in Palm Springs, but none of them offered the kind of streamlined local flavor in one place that we were seeking. The Palm Springs Guys is our take on Gay Palm Springs!
While we may be new full-timers here ourselves, we hope our fresh perspective and new discoveries will become your secret weapon to Gay Palm Springs travel and pleasure. We can’t wait to share everything we learn with you along the way – all the hidden gems and the not-to-be-missed – so that you can eat, play, and stay gay here in the greater Palm Springs desert of Southern California.
The best way to follow along is through our What's The T? newsletter (which you can sign up for below)…
Like you, the pandemic served up some serious transitional realness for Glen and I – from Maryland to Marilyn (with a few places in between). If you’re curious to learn more about our backstory, check out our about page.
For now, here's some food for deep thought. After three (3) months in Palm Springs now, we are surrounded by shining examples of pride everywhere we go. Beautiful layers of pride to replace outdated layers of shame.
We’ve come a long way as gay men, but there’s still so much shame we carry in the queer community. That’s why it matters to celebrate who we are. That’s why gay communities that flourish in destinations like Palm Springs are so important – and why destinations like Palm Springs are only baby steps in the right direction in acknowledging generations of shame and struggle.
Glen and I are 40 years old now. We’ve been lucky in both our lives, but we’re finally PROUD to be who we are. We are no longer ashamed – and we’re reminded of that every day out here so far.
Come visit us sometime!
Cheers,
Glen & Gregory, The Palm Springs Guys
😎🌴🍸🏳️🌈⛰🏜
