Green Valley, Poway, CA

Twin Peaks, the rocky double summit visible across much of central Poway, sits inside Green Valley. The neighborhood fills the hilly ground between Twin Peaks Road and Lake Poway Road, north of the city's center, with Rancho Bernardo over the western line and Old Coach and the lake to the north. Homes here have more elbow room than the tracts closer to Poway Road. A lot of the houses went up in the 1970s, stucco ranch and two-story plans with valley views, some on lots of half an acre or more, and it is common to pass horses in a corral on the drive home. Streets climb and curve with the terrain rather than running in a grid, so the feel changes from one cul-de-sac to the next. Silverset Neighborhood Park is the everyday green space, eleven acres with a baseball diamond, soccer, a fitness loop and basketball hoops. It is also the easiest way onto the Twin Peaks Trail, a rough 3.6-mile route through the hills that rewards anyone willing to handle the steep parts. The Twin Peaks Road Trail follows the southern edge for walkers and runners who want something flatter. Lake Poway sits just past the northeast corner, and from there the Mount Woodson Trail gains about 2,000 feet on the way to the peak. Restaurants are thin inside Green Valley, and that suits the setting. The Darling Dough Co. runs a small bread shed on Espola Road, selling organic sourdough in small batches with grab-and-go pickup. Just south across Twin Peaks Road, The King's Craft Coffee Co. roasts its beans every week at its Espola Road shop and adds breakfast sandwiches and acai bowls. Old Poway Park and its Saturday market sit a little farther south. For bigger errands, the Target center at Pomerado and Twin Peaks covers most needs, and Poway Road has the supermarkets. Espola Road and Twin Peaks Road are the main ways in and out, and Interstate 15 is reached through Rancho Bernardo to the west. A car comes with the territory. The same hills that make the views also make the roads steep and the walk to any shop a long one. What sticks with people is how quickly a weekday can turn into a hike, with the trail up Twin Peaks starting a short drive from the front door.