La Presa, CA

La Presa sits on the southern slope of East County, an unincorporated community of about six square miles between Spring Valley proper to the north, the San Diego neighborhoods of Jamacha-Lomita and Bay Terraces to the west, and the Sweetwater River valley and Bonita to the south. Its name, Spanish for the dam, points toward Sweetwater Dam and the reservoir behind it, just outside the community. From 1970 to 1990 the census counted all of this as Spring Valley, and only in 2000 did La Presa appear as its own place. The 91977 ZIP code and the Spring Valley mailing name stayed. The housing story is one of steady postwar growth across rolling ground. Single-story ranch houses dominate, two-story tracts and townhomes came later, and homes on the reservoir side pick up long views of water and mountains. Paradise Valley Road, along the western edge, has the most distinctive food. The center at 8300 Paradise Valley Road and the blocks around it hold a Filipino grill, a lumpia shop and a Filipino bakery. Green space starts at the southern edge. The Bonita Golf Club, at 5540 Sweetwater Road, lies inside the community, and the Outta Bounds Sports Bar & Grill shares its address. Nearby, Sweetwater Summit Regional Park climbs above the reservoir with a campground and trails for hikers and riders, and Sweetwater Regional Park continues downstream into Bonita. Getting around depends on State Route 125, which connects north to La Mesa and south through the South Bay, and on State Route 94 toward downtown San Diego. A car does most of the work. Nearly every errand sits on a wide arterial, and the lack of a walkable center leaves the community without an obvious place to gather. From the hills above Sweetwater Road, the land drops toward the river and the golf course, a green line that marks where East County gives way to the South Bay.