Palm Springs sister city? Committee considering agreement with San Miguel, Mexico

The city of Palm Springs is exploring a new relationship with a potential "sister city" in Mexico.

San Miguel de Allende is located in Mexico's central highlands in the state of Guanajuato, about 4 hours from Mexico City.

The city has risen to the top of the list of potential sister cities for Palm Springs under consideration by a committee made up of Palm Springs business people, tourism officials, LGBTQ advocates, and others. Downtown shop owner and city council candidate Jeffrey Bernstein is leading the charge.

"We invited a number of stakeholders throughout the city, from the Chamber of Commerce, arts, LGBT organizations, hospitality – to get their input," Bernstein said "And there was great support."

For the last year the group has been narrowing their search for a sister city with the goal of generating economic development through tourism and cultural exchanges. The group has found that many in Palm Springs already travel down to San Miguel.

Mark Prior and his husband bought a home in San Miguel last year, where they now spend about a third of the year.

"There seems to be this cross current for some reason that's flowing and has just opened its doors," Prior said. "These are straight couples, gay couples, all over the place."

He said a cross-cultural exchange is already happening with a strong Mexican influence in the valley, but he's hoping to see more.

"I think there's probably lots of opportunities," Prior said "You see it already in the artistic community, and it's the kind of thing that we should really be exploring."

Bernstein said officials in San Miguel have shown interest in a partnership with Palm Springs, and now it's up to city council to take the next steps.