Carriage Hills South, Richmond, CA

Carriage Hills South sits just below its northern twin, and the DNA is the same: large, multi-level custom homes from the late 1980s, its own homeowners' association, and streets that climb rather than run straight. What you are buying into here is the quiet. This is a hillside, cul-de-sac kind of neighborhood where the loudest thing most afternoons is the wind coming off Sobrante Ridge. The views are the headline, and they earn it. From the higher lots you get long looks across the valleys toward San Pablo Bay. Sobrante Ridge Regional Preserve is the neighborhood's backyard for hiking and dog-walking, and the recreation around Kennedy Grove and the San Pablo Reservoir is a few minutes' drive away. The honest catch is the one that comes with any of these eastern hill pockets. You are committed to driving for groceries, schools, and just about everything else, and the winding approach roads were not built for speed. If you want polish, space, and a view, and you do not mind the car dependence, Carriage Hills South delivers it.