River East, El Monte, CA

River East spans El Monte's northeast side, from the family restaurants and markets along Peck Road down to Ramona Boulevard, the route the old Red Car once followed. Burritos La Palma, near the north end of Peck Road, is the name most food writers mention first. Housing in River East changes as you move south. The northern blocks around Lambert Park are established single-family streets with deep lots, and some still lack sidewalks, which gives them a semi-rural feel. Closer to Ramona Boulevard and Zamora Park, multi-family planned developments take over. Zamora Park on Penn Mar Avenue was rebuilt with more than a hundred trees, native plantings in place of lawn, a splash pad, an amphitheater, and fitness equipment along its walking paths. Lambert Park on McGirk Avenue is the neighborhood park up north. Food on Peck Road leans Mexican and casual. Burritos La Palma makes small burritos on tortillas pressed in house, and its birria burrito is the order. Weekly's 2015 Tacolandia, the shop won the traditional taco award. Flo's Coffee Shop, a few blocks south, is the classic breakfast diner for eggs and coffee. Errands are easy by car. Payless Foods on Peck Road and Sam's Club on Ferris Road cover groceries, the Norwood Library sits on Peck, and Ramona Boulevard and the 10 lead toward the rest of the San Gabriel Valley. Walking works for a coffee or a library trip, less so for a weekly shop. A morning in River East can start with a walk around the lake at Peck Road, then end with a birria burrito at La Palma before most of the city has had lunch.