Park El Monte, El Monte, CA

Park El Monte sits south of the 10 Freeway in El Monte, a residential district of wide, curving streets and lower-scale single-family homes, with the Flair Park office district and El Monte station along its northern edge. Garvey Avenue runs through it as a long, busy food corridor. Homes in Park El Monte are mostly single-story houses from the postwar era, set along streets that bend and loop instead of following a strict grid. The street layout gives the blocks a calmer feel than the older parts of the city north of the freeway. Pioneer Park on Santa Anita Avenue is the big local park, with ballfields that host Little League, and smaller spaces like Lashbrook Park and Fletcher Park sit inside the neighborhood. Daikokuya El Monte is a branch of the Little Tokyo ramen shop, and its spicy miso bowl is a common order. Cafecito Bakery and Cafe, a Mexican bakery a few doors west, is the neighborhood coffee stop, with pan dulce, tamales and espresso drinks. Superior Grocers on Garvey handles the weekly shop, and Flair Drive has a Starbucks, FedEx Office and a few quick lunch spots for the office crowd. Commuting is one of the neighborhood's strengths. The downside comes with that access. Homes near the freeway and the busway hear constant traffic, and Garvey backs up at rush hour. In Park El Monte, the curve of the home streets and the pace of Garvey feel like two different towns, and they are only a few minutes apart.