Quail Valley, Palmdale, CA

Quail Valley wraps around Pelona Vista Park on Palmdale's south side, and that 73-acre park is the center of gravity for the whole area. Its many soccer fields carry most of the weekend action, and the outdoor National Fitness Court gives anyone a free full-body circuit. The homes are mostly single-family tract houses on the streets off Tierra Subida Avenue, the road that ties this side of the city together. Most of the neighborhood is residential, with the foothills of Anaverde rising to the southwest and the older grid of Palmdale spreading out to the north and east. For dirt under your shoes, the trails threading through Anaverde are a short drive, and the Amargosa Creek Trail near Elizabeth Lake Road and 25th Street West runs more than two miles past wildflowers and birds in spring. There is little retail inside Quail Valley itself, so errands mean a quick drive. The closest center is along Tierra Subida Avenue in Anaverde, which has an Albertsons, Trio Coffee House for coffee and gelato, Poke Junction for build-your-own bowls and Danish Donuts. The tradeoff is simple. Nearly everything beyond the park takes a car, and there are few restaurants within walking distance. The Antelope Valley Freeway is the route out for the commute toward Los Angeles. What stands out about living here is how much the park shapes the week, from Saturday soccer to evening laps on the paths with the San Gabriel foothills behind the fields.