Joshua Ranch, Palmdale, CA

Joshua Ranch sits on the ridgeline at the far western edge of Palmdale, and the view is the whole point. It's a gated enclave of newer homes where the Antelope Valley spreads out below the back patios and the foothills climb right behind them. The homes come from City Ventures, sold in collections called Sandstone and Skyridge. Lots run noticeably bigger than in the tracts down the hill, and the grading and street work went in by phases, so a few pockets are still filling in. Trails were part of the original plan, with hiking paths running along the ridge inside the community. For a longer outing, Ritter Ranch Park's 4,000-plus acres of ranch roads and open hillside start off Elizabeth Lake Road, and dogs on leash are welcome there. Most errands happen along Rancho Vista Boulevard, where a Vons and a Starbucks share a center with Angkor Restaurant, a sit-down Asian kitchen the city's visitor bureau lists among local picks. To the north, the center at Avenue N and 50th Street West has a Smart & Final and Perkies Coffee Haus. Every trip starts in the car. Commuters drop down to the Antelope Valley Freeway for the run toward Santa Clarita and Los Angeles, and that drive is the everyday cost of living this far west in the city. Neighbors in Ritter Ranch and Anaverde share the same foothill setting but not the gate or the elevation. Buying in Joshua Ranch means trading convenience for the ridgeline itself. From the upper streets, the whole valley floor fits inside a single living room window.