Rancho Encantada, San Diego, CA

Rancho Encantada also goes by Stonebridge Estates, and plenty of people simply count it as part of Scripps Ranch. It occupies the far eastern fringe of San Diego, about as far inland as the city reaches, with Poway above it, Scripps Ranch on its western side, the Miramar air station below and open county land rolling away to the east. The neighborhood is a collection of builder tracts with names like Calabria, Montoro, Viscaya, Tiburon and Astoria, along with Toll Brothers homes that absorbed what were once custom-home lots at The Viewpoint. The homes line Stonebridge Parkway and the streets that branch off it. For civic matters it falls under Scripps Ranch, sharing its planning group and civic association. The setting is the real attraction. Stonebridge Park and Sycamore Canyon Park serve the streets inside, and the Sycamore Canyon Open Space Preserve reaches into the neighborhood from the east, with Goodan Ranch just past the city line. Preserve land runs right up to the subdivisions. Lake Miramar and its paved loop of almost five miles sit a few minutes west in Scripps Ranch. There are no shops or restaurants inside the boundaries. Daily needs mean heading north into Poway, where the centers along Scripps Poway Parkway have a Starbucks, Thai and sushi counters and a string of casual Mexican spots, a quick drive from home. O'Brien's Boulangerie on Stowe Drive in Poway bakes French breads and pastries each morning. Bigger grocery runs go to Scripps Ranch or Poway, and Scripps Poway Parkway leads west to Interstate 15. A Walk Score ranking once put Rancho Encantada dead last in the city for walkability, and that matches the map. Every errand starts with the car. The return on that is a set of quiet dead-end streets, with the Sycamore Canyon preserve as the view out back.