Marie Kerr, Palmdale, CA

Marie Kerr is Palmdale's big shopping district with homes tucked behind it, the stretch around the Antelope Valley Mall and the 10th Street West corridor where much of the valley comes to run errands. Living here means the grocery store, the movie theater and a long list of restaurants are closer than anywhere else in the city. Housing sits on the residential streets set back from the retail frontage, mostly single-family tract homes on standard suburban lots. The name matches the big city park just to the west, and the blocks feel like classic Antelope Valley suburb once you turn off the main roads. Trader Joe's, Sprouts Farmers Market, Aldi and a Smart & Final Extra all sit within a few blocks of each other along 10th Street West and Rancho Vista Boulevard, so a grocery run can easily cover three stores. For food with some local personality, Baracoa Cuban Restaurant on Auto Center Drive does Cuban plates, Pinkfish Poke on Trade Center Drive lets you build your own bowl, and Armani's Mediterranean Cafe on 10th Street West serves Mediterranean plates. The retail footprint leaves little room for parks inside the neighborhood, so walks and weekend games happen at Marie Kerr Park on 30th Street West, a 57-acre spread with a pool, a walking path and the Palmdale Amphitheater, a short drive west in Rancho Vista. The Antelope Valley Freeway runs just east, so the commute south starts within minutes. On a Saturday afternoon, Marie Kerr residents can knock out groceries, lunch and a movie without ever getting on the freeway.