Skyline Ridge Estates, Monterey, CA

Skyline Ridge Estates is a small cluster of homes in Monterey, perched high enough on the hillside that the bay is part of the daily view. It is a compact subdivision rather than a grid of through streets, and it reads as its own enclave. The houses are mostly large two-story places built in the late 1980s, with fireplaces, big decks and mature trees, on lots that can reach about a quarter acre. Skyline Ridge Estates carries a modest homeowners association, and the decks and living areas are arranged to catch the outlook. Homes here change hands rarely because there are not many of them. Outdoors is the strongest suit. Veterans Memorial Park lies just past the edge of the subdivision, with its campground, hiking trails under Monterey pines and bay views from the high points. Huckleberry Hill Nature Preserve is close beside it, an 81-acre preserve with established trails through the pine forest, and Via Paraiso Park and Quarry Park add smaller green spaces a little farther down the slope. The campground at the park runs year-round on a first-come basis, so weekends bring a few tents and trailers up the road. On a clear afternoon it is easy to be on a trail within minutes of leaving home. No restaurants or cafes sit nearby, so meals and coffee mean driving down toward Old Town. French-owned Parker-Lusseau makes quiches and pastries at a counter on Hartnell Street but is closed on Sundays, and the in-house roasters at Captain + Stoker, over on East Franklin Street, put a breakfast menu behind the counter. The nearest full grocery is the Safeway across the line in Pacific Grove, about three quarters of a mile away, and Jefferson Street and Highway 68 are the usual ways to reach the rest of town. Every errand starts with a drive down the hill, and the upside is that the trails are already at your doorstep.