A New Look for Palmdale
Palmdale has changed dramatically since its incorporation in 1962. There have been many changes and improvements over the years, with more to come.
After the construction of the Palmdale City Library in 1977, a revitalization program got underway that saw the creation of the Palmdale City Hall complex, including the development services building that houses the city’s public works, planning, building and safety and economic development departments in order to provide permit processing and development assistance in one place.
Exciting new housing projects got underway with the creation of the Courson Connection, located between 9th Street East to 10th Street East, and Avenue Q-9 to Avenue Q-12. The latest developments include Courson Colony East and West, which will offer veteran preferred housing, an artist’s loft/workshop, amphitheater and the refurbishment of Courson Park’s pool.
The Avenue S Improvement Project was completed in 2017, widening Avenue S from two to four traffic lanes from Highway 14 to 47th Street East. It also features a Class I bikeway.
The future of Palmdale is very bright. Over the next two decades and beyond, Palmdale will undergo a remarkable transformation to become a city of tomorrow. The California High Speed Rail project is underway, with a station planned to be operational in Palmdale around 2031. It will connect with the Xpress West High Speed Rail system from Las Vegas, making Palmdale the only city in the nation with two high speed rail systems converging in one location. Development of and connectivity with the Palmdale Regional Airport and other local modes of transportation including the High Desert Corridor, Metrolink, Amtrak and Antelope Valley Transit Authority will create new and exciting opportunities for our future, including transit orientated development of the downtown areas surrounding the multi-modal station, with a focus on creating a destination — a desirable place that would provide a wide range of opportunities for existing and future residents and workers.
Retail & Restaurant Center of the High Desert
With an average household income of $73,482, Palmdale residents have the discretionary income that attracts new retail chains and restaurant owners. This is why major retailers like Trader Joe’s, Target, Barnes & Noble, Lowe’s, Sam’s Club, Super Wal-Mart, Kohl’s, Bed, Bath & Beyond and Ashley’s Furniture Store, Hobby Lobby, Turner’s Outdoorsman, Tractor Supply, Home Goods and many others have located and continue to locate in Palmdale.
The Antelope Valley Mall is the regional shopping destination of the high desert. Located on the corner of 10th St. West and Rancho Vista Blvd, there are more than 130 specialty shops and restaurants, including national retailers such as Dillard’s, Forever 21, JCPenney/Sephora, Macy’s, Sears, Dick’s Sporting Goods and H&M. For a complete list of shops and restaurants, visit www.av-mall.com.
The Antelope Valley Auto Center offers car dealerships with many makes and selections of vehicles including Rally Kia, Rally Hyundai, Rally GMC (which also offers Chrysler and Cadillac), Antelope Valley Nissan, Antelope Valley Volkswagen, Robertson’s Palmdale Honda, Camacho Mitsubishi and Camacho Auto Sales. CarMax has also made a great addition for previously-owned car consumers.
Do you like to dine out? Palmdale is the place for both the best chains and mom-and pop-eateries. From Yard House, Olive Garden, Red Lobster, Dog Haus, Claim Jumper, Five Guys, Red Robin and Chili’s to local favorites Fresco II, Medrano’s, Lee Esther’s, Poke Junction, Las Originales Mexican Grill, Lucky Roxy’s La Cuchina Perianez, Goldfish,
Fire Island Grill and Pink Fish Poke, there is a menu to satisfy ever craving. For a complete list of restaurants, visit www.cityofpalmdale.org.
Visitors who stay in Palmdale for business or for softball and soccer tournaments have several excellent hotel choices. Embassy Suites, Holiday Inn, Ramada, Courtyard by Marriott, Hampton Inn, Residence Inn, StayBridge Suites and Hilton Garden Inn have long been mainstays. Two new hotels, Home 2 Suites by Hilton, and Element by Westin, the first of its brand in California, opened recently. Plans for two more hotels and a conference center are in the works.
Twenty years ago, the only shopping on 47th East between Ave S. and Ave. R. was the now defunct Pearland Market. Today, Palmdale’s east side “Miracle Mile” is home to national retail stores, restaurants, gas stations, gymnasiums, auto parts stores, bakeries, banks, drug stores, ice cream parlors, electronics, hardware and more. National names like Lowe’s, Vallarta, Home Depot, Big 5 and Super Target (the only Super Target in the Antelope Valley), as well as local favorites such as Ni Hao, Michoacán Ice Cream, and Waffle Kitchen make this up-and-coming retail center their home. More growth and development is on the horizon.
The craft beer movement has spawned hundreds of local breweries around the nation, and two of the newest are now open in Palmdale.
Transplants Brewing Company, 40242 La Quinta Ln., Unit 101, features “ales for the unrooted,” and focuses on hoppy west coast ales and creative specialties. For more information, visit their website www.transplantsbrewing.com.
Lucky Luke Brewing Company, 610 W. Ave. O, is devoted to the art of quality craft beer and the great people brought together by it. www.luckylukebrewing.com
Neither brewery serves food on site. You may bring food or have it delivered to you. Menus are available at each location.
For wine lovers, Baracoa Lounge presents an outstanding selection of wines from California, Europe and Latin America. In addition, it serves delicious Cuban food and offers entertainment on weekends. They are located at 853 Auto Center Dr., Ste. F. For more information, call (661) 265-9463 or vistit their website www.baracoalounge.com.
Generating jobs for Palmdale
Palmdale’s industry is diversifying. Known for years as the aerospace capital of the world because of the large presence of major aerospace companies, the city is now seeing a diversification of industry. Companies such as Patton Steel, U.S. Pole Company, Vision Engineering, Kinkisharyo, Sinclair Printing and Delta Scientific Corporation play a major role in the local economy by providing hundreds of jobs.
The medical sector has been contributing to Palmdale’s economy as well. The opening of Palmdale Regional Medical Center in 2010 generated the demand for more medical offices and labs. Plans for the Oasis Wellness center, offering a continuum of care adjacent to the medical center will further that growth.
Although Palmdale’s industry is diversifying, the City still enjoys a prosperous relationship with top defense contractors located at U.S. Air Force Plant 42. Whenever possible, the city lobbies the federal government to award contracts to local aerospace companies in an effort to keep jobs in Palmdale. Local aerospace companies include The Boeing Company, Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Company and Northrop Grumman. In fact, the new B-21 “Raider” contract that was awarded to Northrop Grumman has been an economic catalyst that
will provide benefits to our nation’s defense program and Palmdale, bringing thousands of jobs for years to come.
The Aircraft Fabrication and Assembly Rapid Training Program (ARTP), an innovative collaboration between the City of Palmdale, Antelope Valley College, America’s Job Center of California, Northrop Grumman and aerospace partners, was one of three winners of the Partnership for Industry and Education contest presented at the California Economic Summit.
Palmdale’s foreign-trade zone, covering 1,440 acres of industrial properties, offers businesses a competitive edge in the global economy. The Palmdale trade zone offers both large and small international businesses outstanding opportunities that can help cut costs, reduce, defer or eliminate duties and improve a company’s cash flow. For more information, call (661) 267-5125.
Located at 38510 Sierra Highway in Palmdale, America’s Job Center of California transforms lives by helping people to build in-demand skills and make connections to find good jobs. The job center focuses its programs on industries that are hiring and can offer career path jobs, such as health care, financial services, technology and trades. For more information, call (661) 265-7421.
The Small Business Development Center’s areas of expertise are access to capital, procurement, marketing, accounting and bookkeeping, management and human resources. A development center representative is available by appointment to meet with local businesses. Call (661) 294-9375 for a free counseling appointment.
Health & Wellness
Recognizing the importance of quality health care, the city strives to provide facilities to meet the needs of all its residents. Palmdale Regional Medical Center opened in 2010 and provides state-of-the-art diagnostics, treatment and rehabilitation for its patients.
The South Antelope Valley Health Center, located on the southeast corner of Palmdale Boulevard and 40th Street East, serves thousands of patients a month.
Kaiser Permanente’s Palmdale medical office building on Avenue S serves the Antelope Valley’s 77,000 Kaiser members along with its Lancaster facility.
L.A. Care, an independent public agency created by the state of California to provide health coverage to low-income Los Angeles County residents, opened a facility in 2016. The 7,000-square-foot center in Palmdale will deliver culturally appropriate health education services and programs with an emphasis on chronic disease management, prevention of asthma, diabetes, and weight management (obesity prevention).
Medical center/office locations:
Palmdale Regional Medical Center
38600 Medical Center Dr.
(661) 382-5000 • www.palmdaleregional.com
Sierra Medical Group
39115 Trade Center Dr. • (661) 434-1573
www.sierramedicalgroup.com
South Antelope Valley Health Center
38350 40th St. East
https://dhs.lacounty.gov/wps/portal/dhs/southvalley
Kaiser Permanente
4502 E. Ave. S
(661) 555-5555 (office) • (877) 554-4404 (appointments)
www.kaiserpermanente.org
High Desert Medical Group
38209 47th St. East • (661) 285-2101 • www.hdmg.net
L.A. Care
2072 E. Palmdale Blvd. • www.lacare.org
Housing & Real Estate
Palmdale offers a variety of master-planned communities ranging from first-time buyer levels to executive-type homes. Retail stores, schools, parks, riding and hiking trails, a public 18-hole golf course, a lake and other public amenities are adjacent to these communities. Families of all income levels have the opportunity to own a dream home.