Robertson Road, Modesto, CA

To understand Robertson Road, a large stretch of southwest Modesto, eat your way along Crows Landing Road. Las Morenas Taqueria is known for burritos in handmade tortillas, El Pollo Feliz does chalupas and street tacos, Mariscos La Roca adds seafood, Birrieria Chito serves birria, and Jose's Mexican Restaurant has a sit-down menu. Taco trucks and carnicerias fill the gaps in between. Independent shops outnumber chains along these blocks, and weekend mornings bring a steady stream of shoppers to the markets and bakeries. Single-story stucco ranches and Spanish-influenced Craftsman houses make up most of the housing, many of them on modest fenced lots. Smaller pockets inside the district carry older names, among them Bret Harte, Parklawn and Rouse. Robertson Road Park has soccer fields and picnic tables, Mark Twain Park offers a jogging path, a playground and more soccer, and James Marshall Park has baseball and softball diamonds. Fairview Park adds another patch of green, and Bellenita Park is one of the access points to Tuolumne River Regional Park along the river, which gives walkers a green edge to the district. Weekends are the busiest time. Chain fast food shows up on the main roads, but the local kitchens are the draw. Cardenas Markets and a long list of independent Latino markets handle groceries, and butcher counters such as U-Save Meat Market, Carniceria Michoacan and Yosemite Meat Co. Are easy to find. StanRTA buses run on Hatch Road and Crows Landing Road, and downtown Modesto is a short drive up Highway 99. The district is so big that it has no single center. Shops and parks sit across a wide grid, so crossing it usually takes a car. Arrive hungry and plan a loop. A Saturday lunch between the markets and the trucks on Crows Landing Road is the best introduction to the area.