Eastlake Woods, Chula Vista, CA

On the high ground at the northeastern edge of Eastlake, Eastlake Woods is the Chula Vista neighborhood where the streets climb north of Otay Lakes Road and run out at the shoreline of Upper Otay Reservoir. The Eastlake Co. planned it as the estate section of its 3,200-acre community, with about 420 production homes and a ring of custom lots. Houses in Eastlake Woods run large, many past 4,000 square feet, with private courtyards, outdoor fireplaces and windows aimed at the golf course, the city lights or the mountains. The custom sites range from roughly half an acre to more than an acre, so a few streets mix one-of-a-kind designs with the builder plans. The association keeps pools, cabanas, an activity room and courts for tennis, pickleball, basketball and volleyball. Upper Otay is the unusual neighbor. The City of San Diego runs it as a catch-and-release lake for anglers on foot, barbless lures only, with float tubes allowed and no boats, open Wednesdays and weekends. Salt Creek Community Park on Otay Lakes Road adds 24 acres of soccer fields, a gym, a skate park and walking paths, and Montevalle Park sits just over the line in Rolling Hills Ranch. Food and drink cluster in the Eastlake Design District, the showroom blocks along Showroom Place and District Place right below the neighborhood. Chula Vista Brewery pours its own beer from a kitchen with a dog-friendly patio and stays open late. Lolita's, a South Bay taco counter going since 1984, has a storefront on District Place for carne asada fries and rolled tacos. Groceries mean the Vons at 2250 Otay Lakes Road, down in the Eastlake shopping strip, and most other errands follow Otay Lakes Road or Eastlake Parkway. State Route 125 lies to the west for trips toward the rest of the county. Nearly every outing starts with a drive. The hills are the price of living in Eastlake Woods. Walking to the brewery is easy going down and a real climb coming home, and nothing on these streets sells coffee or milk. On a weekend morning, though, you can stand at the top of the neighborhood and watch anglers working the reservoir shoreline below.