La Loma, Modesto, CA

La Loma is Spanish for the hill, which is a generous name for ground this flat. The neighborhood sits just east of downtown Modesto, bounded roughly by Yosemite Boulevard and Dry Creek, with La Loma Avenue and El Vista Avenue marking the other limits. The neighborhood association describes La Loma as a place that builds community through friendship and teamwork, and its native plant garden and pollinator festival show how that plays out in the parks. Stucco ranch houses are the most common home, with Spanish Revival and Tudor-style places scattered among them, so the streets read as mid-century with a few surprises. Dry Creek supplies the outdoor life. A paved path links Kewin Park, Thousand Oaks Park and East La Loma Park, where you will find disc golf, basketball and tennis courts, and the trail carries on for nearly five miles along the water. Many walkers start from the lot where Coffee Road meets Scenic Drive. Eucalyptus and oaks line the banks, which makes the stretch good for birdwatching, and Creekside Golf Course is open to the public. Moose Park, a dog park, sits just outside the boundary. Yosemite Boulevard is where the neighborhood eats and shops. Sno-White Drive In is an old-school stop for burgers and shakes, Holy Land Bakery and Sciabica's olive oil and gourmet foods share the same stretch, and Bottoms Up Espresso handles coffee. The E and J Gallo winery complex sits just outside the boundary along the same boulevard. Super Star Food Store and Phoenix Market are among the Latino markets nearby. StanRTA has stops on Miller Avenue and on Yosemite Boulevard, and downtown is a short drive away. The boulevard is a working commercial road, so the quiet blocks are the ones set back from it. Walk the creek path early on a spring morning and La Loma feels like a different place from the strip.