South Lancaster, Lancaster, CA

South Lancaster is organized around a park, softball and YMCA complex on 10th Street West, surrounded by a working mix of houses, shopping centers and light industry between Avenue K and Avenue M. A large share of the city's everyday shopping sits inside its borders. Blocks near Sierra Highway and 10th Street West hold older single-story ranch houses, while the streets toward 20th Street West fill in with later stucco tracts on curving streets. Business parks and RV service yards sit in pockets around 6th Street West and 3rd Street East, so a quiet residential street can end at a row of warehouses. Steve Owen Memorial Park is the outdoor center of gravity. It has the Bark at the Park dog area, and it sits beside the Big 8 Softball Complex and the Antelope Valley Family YMCA, which together keep the corner busy with games and practices most evenings and weekends. Two homegrown drinks makers are based here. Bravery Brewing, a veteran-owned brewery on 8th Street West that has been pouring in Lancaster since 2012, runs a taproom with its own pizza kitchen. Antelope Valley Winery on 20th Street West makes wine, beer, cider and mead on site and hosts comedy nights and live music. Errands are the strong suit. WinCo Foods and Lowe's anchor the east end of Avenue K, Sprouts is on 15th Street West, and Remy's Oriental Market is also on 15th Street West. Nearly everything is a short drive, and Downtown Lancaster is just to the north. On a summer weeknight, the liveliest spot in South Lancaster is usually that one stretch of 10th Street West where the ball fields, the YMCA and the dog park all sit side by side.