Peacock Village, Arcadia, CA

Peacock Village takes its name from the birds that stroll its streets, peafowl drifting over from the Los Angeles County Arboretum into front yards across this corner of west Arcadia. The neighborhood runs between Michillinda and Baldwin avenues, from Huntington Drive up to Colorado Street, and its curving layout feels different from the grid around it. The streets bend on purpose. Only a few entrances connect to Colorado Street and Huntington Drive, so through traffic mostly stays out and the inside blocks stay quiet. Mature trees arch over wide roads, and lots run a little larger than the Arcadia average. Homes are older and well kept, mostly traditional ranch houses along with Colonial and contemporary designs, sized to their lots rather than pushed to the edges. Fewer supersized rebuilds have landed here than in some parts of town, which keeps the streetscape consistent. Hugo Reid Park, at Michillinda Avenue and Hugo Reid Drive, is the local gathering spot, with Little League diamonds, a tot lot, tennis courts and batting cages next to Hugo Reid Elementary. The Arboretum's gardens and Baldwin Lake are a short drive away on Baldwin Avenue. Just south across Huntington Drive in Santa Anita Village, the H Mart plaza handles groceries, noodles and bakery runs, and Fika Fika Coffee next door roasts its own beans and serves salmon toast and waffles. Westfield Santa Anita, with Din Tai Fung and a long food hall, sits a few minutes east on Baldwin Avenue. The birds are the tradeoff. Peafowl are a delight on a quiet afternoon and a nuisance in spring, when they call loudly at dawn and nibble at gardens. Folks in Peacock Village tend to accept both sides, and it's common to see one perched on a roof ridge like it owns the block.