Fairbanks Ranch, Fairbanks Ranch, CA

Behind white stucco gatehouses with red tile roofs, Fairbanks Ranch spreads across the San Dieguito River valley just south of Rancho Santa Fe, in the North County hills of San Diego County. Past the gate, the county road gives way to quiet lanes, horse fences and glimpses of water. Fairbanks Ranch homes are custom estates rather than tract houses, around six hundred of them, set well back on big lots behind landscaping and long driveways. Styles lean Mediterranean and mission, with tile roofs, courtyards and pools, and a few larger places add stone towers and rows of palms. Several separate gated enclaves make up the community, so one street can feel quite different from the next. Open space is built into the plan. Parkland and trails wind between the lots, an equestrian center feeds riders onto bridle trails, and small lakes catch the evening light. For a longer outing, the county's Lusardi Creek Preserve lies just outside the community, with a stretch of the San Dieguito River Park's Coast to Crest Trail running through it. Two small shopping centers on San Dieguito Road handle the everyday stops. At Fairbanks Village Plaza, Little Hidden Bakery turns out cakes, pies and breakfast plates, and The Ranch Market and Deli next door makes sandwiches at the counter. A little west at Del Rayo Village, Cocina del Rancho serves big plates and margaritas, and the Rancho Santa Fe Farmers Market sets out produce, flowers and live music on Sunday mornings. Just past the western edge, Chino Farm sells the day's harvest at its Vegetable Shop on Calzada del Bosque, and chefs such as Alice Waters have praised what it grows. A full grocery trip usually means Trader Joe's in Carmel Valley or the stores on Via de la Valle, and Interstate 5 is a drive west along Via de la Valle. Every errand needs a car, and there is no transit worth planning around. Having nearly everything behind a gate keeps the streets calm, though it also means a separate drive for each errand and few chances to bump into the wider area on foot. What residents get is room, a riding trail at the end of the lane and strawberries picked that morning, sold just down the road.