Where Mid-Century Magic Meets Desert Tranquility
Oasis de Sol is a neighborhood where the winter sun lingers a little longer, palm trees sway in the breeze, and just before the sun dips behind Mount San Jacinto, you’re transported back to a time when Palm Springs meant vacation. That’s Oasis del Sol — 490 homes sprinkled across Palm Springs’ central east side, quietly living up to its name in every sun-drenched way.
How It All Began
Before it became Oasis del Sol, this stretch of Palm Springs was simply a collection of residential tracts taking shape through the development ambitions of the 1950s and 1960s. Among those tracts was Alejo Palms Estates, a 57-home development built between 1959 and 1960 by Jack Meiselman in collaboration with architect Jack Moyer — one of several Meiselman-era projects that would lay the foundation for what this neighborhood eventually became.
It wasn’t until 2016 that the area received its formal identity. Having received official certification from ONE-PS in 2016, the residents chose the name “Oasis del Sol” — a name that captures the area’s essence perfectly: a fertile refuge providing sustenance in the desert.
The Architecture: A Mid-Century Dream Team
This isn’t just another Palm Springs enclave where midcentury gets slapped onto a real estate listing as a selling point. The bones here are real.
Most homes were built during the 1960s and 1970s by some of the most prominent names in Desert Modernism. From post-and-beam stunners to butterfly-roofed beauties and Mediterranean-inflected retreats, every block is a reminder of an era when architecture wasn’t an afterthought — when form and function actually danced together under the desert sky.
The architect roster reads like a mid-century dream team:
- Jack Moyer collaborated with Jack Meiselman to build Alejo Palms Estates, a 57-home development constructed in 1959–1960. Moyer’s signature flat as well as butterfly roofs — along with multiple floor plans and elevations that gave the impression of custom-built homes despite being part of a large tract development.
- Charles Du Bois (pronounced “do bwah”) designed the Desert Lanai condos (1962–1964), 22 units across six floor plans with a Polynesian-influenced “Tiki” aesthetic inspired by servicemen returning from the South Pacific. It remains one of his most celebrated contributions to the city.
- Hugh Kaptur, who first apprenticed with Wexler and Harrison before partnering with Larry Lapham, designed the Desert Dorado Estates — an enclave of cul-de-sacs north of Alejo Drive featuring over 200 homes. Kaptur brought genuinely forward-thinking touches like dual sinks in primary bathrooms and electric kitchens.
The Meiselman Registry currently lists 15 documented Meiselman homes in Oasis del Sol, which is only a fraction of the total, so we hope homeowners will register their homes.
Meiselman’s Firsts — Right Here
For anyone who follows Meiselman’s legacy, Oasis del Sol holds a special place in the archive. It was the neighborhood where Jack Meiselman introduced the first cement curbs, the first cement driveways, and the first cement sidewalks in a Palm Springs residential development — a standard that other builders quickly adopted citywide. It was also among the first Palm Springs neighborhoods to bury most of its power lines, which is why residents enjoy largely open, unobstructed views of the San Jacinto Mountains that other neighborhoods can’t offer.
The Homes: What to Expect
Oasis del Sol’s single-family homes are great examples of mid-century Palm Springs homes -one-story, generously sized, and built for indoor-outdoor living. Most run between 1,200 and 2,100 square feet, with three bedrooms and two bathrooms, and sit on lots that typically range from 9,000 to 11,000 square feet. That’s enough room for the private pool that most of these properties include, plus palm, olive, and citrus trees, covered patios, and that effortless indoor-outdoor flow that defined mid-century modernism.
The condos follow a different model — units generally range from around 1,000 to 1,500 square feet, and most condo communities offer their own shared pools and tennis courts.
A Purely Residential Neighborhood
Oasis del Sol is a 100% residential neighborhood — exclusively single-family homes and condos. No apartments. No storefronts. That’s a big part of why it feels the way it does — quiet, intentional, genuinely neighborly. The commercial conveniences are all close by (groceries and dining are only a mile north along East Vista Chino, or 3 miles to downtown Palm Springs), but none of it intrudes on the neighborhood itself.
What Does It Cost? Market Values
Oasis del Sol sits comfortably in the mid-range of the Palm Springs real estate market — accessible enough to attract first-time buyers and polished enough to attract the attention of serious MCM collectors.
Single-family homes currently range from approximately $740,000 to $1,500,000, with a median sale price in the neighborhood around $840,000 based on recent transactions. Meiselman homes that have been fully updated and restored with new plumbing, new electrical, and solar systems, command a premium within that range.
On the condo side, prices generally range from around $450,000 to $700,000 depending on size and updates, with a current median listing price for condos around $600,000.
One notable dynamic: the City of Palm Springs has enacted a moratorium on short-term rentals, capping vacation rental permits at 20% of the homes in each neighborhood. Oasis del Sol is one of the few neighborhoods in the city that hasn’t yet reached that cap, meaning it’s one of the few neighborhoods where a short-term rental permit is still obtainable. Whether that matters to you as a buyer or not, it’s a fact worth knowing because it affects your resale value.
The Sweet Spot
Location-wise, Oasis del Sol sits close enough to downtown to walk or bike, far enough to feel like a true escape. Ruth Hardy Park, with its playgrounds and tennis, basketball, and sand volleyball courts, is about a mile to the west. Groceries, dining, and everyday errands are all within a mile to the north along East Vista Chino.
The neighborhood is bordered on the east by Farrell Road, on the south by Alejo Road. It’s close to the Palm Springs International Airport — but it’s not on the direct flight path, so it doesn’t have more jet noise than people in other parts of the city.
Notable Residents
Oasis del Sol has attracted its share of interesting people over the years.
Television character actors Chris Alcaide (Gunsmoke, Bonanza) and Roberta Maxwell (Brokeback Mountain, Dead Man Walking) have both called the neighborhood home, along with Owen Sean Lavery, a principal dancer with the New York City Ballet; Kellie Greene, a Grammy-nominated composer who performed for President Reagan; and Gil Lambert, a Vaudeville performer who later became Bozo the Clown. Many other well-known residents prefer to stay quietly incognito — which is, as they say, exactly how they like it.
Among the neighborhood’s most active current residents is Jeffrey Bernstein, who relocated from Manhattan to Oasis del Sol and founded Destination PSP — the first store in the Coachella Valley focused exclusively on mid-century modern merchandise. Bernstein served as Chairperson of the Oasis del Sol Neighborhood Organization before being elected to the Palm Springs City Council in 2022 and serving as Mayor of Palm Springs in 2024.
Do you own a Meiselman home?
If you live in Oasis del Sol and own a Meiselman home, we’d love to hear from you. Join the Registry and help us document your home.
The Meiselman Registry is the definitive digital archive for Jack Meiselman’s mid-century modern homes in Palm Springs. Explore our full property directory or learn more about our mission.
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