Mount Helix, La Mesa, CA

Roads start to bend and climb on the western slope of Mount Helix, and the slice of that slope inside La Mesa city limits is where this neighborhood sits. Most of the mountain lies in the unincorporated county, so this is the city's own share of it, a few minutes uphill from the Village and Grossmont Center. Houses on the La Mesa side of Mount Helix take their cues from the terrain. Lots are bigger and less regular than on the flats below, with driveways that curve up from the street, retaining walls, decks pointed at the view and older homes from the 1940s and after mixed with later custom builds. Lake Helix is the surprise. A gated enclave of 29 homes from the 1970s wraps a small private lake, where residents paddle-boat and fish catch-and-release from their own dock. For a big outdoor payoff, the summit is close. Mt. Helix Park, run by a private foundation just across the line in the unincorporated part of the mountain, has a stone amphitheater, a white cross and views that reach the Cuyamacas, the Lagunas and, on a clear morning, Table Mountain in Mexico. The Easter sunrise service there dates back to 1917. Plenty of neighbors simply walk the narrow roads, which carry little traffic but have almost no shoulder. Eucalyptus Park sits at the bottom of the hill on Bancroft Drive. Food is down the hill. Dark Horse Coffee Roasters on Palm Avenue, known for its cold brew, is the closest coffee most mornings, and La Mesa Bistro & Bakery on La Mesa Boulevard does hearty breakfasts. Valley Farm Market on Campo Road, a family butcher shop and barbecue counter in business since 1956, is just over the line in the Casa de Oro area. Errands mean the car. Walmart Neighborhood Market and Peet's are on Grossmont Boulevard, Trader Joe's is at Grossmont Center, and Interstate 8 and State Route 125 are both close. Walking anywhere means a steep climb home, so most trips start in the driveway. What you get in return is height. From a back deck on this side of the mountain, the lights of the city and the rest of the county spread out to the west every evening.