Southbrook, Fairfield, CA

Southbrook sits in Cordelia, the western edge of Fairfield, where Interstate 80 and Interstate 680 come together. It is a small residential area, and most of what happens here happens at home. Most houses in Southbrook date to the 1990s and later, and sizes run from roughly 1,100 to 3,400 square feet. Single-family homes of three to six bedrooms are the norm, and condo and townhouse groups are mixed in, so a range of household sizes can find a fit. There are no big surprises in the streetscape, just newer tract construction that has had time to settle in. Cordelia Community Park, on Gold Hill Road, is the main outdoor draw, with a dog park, tennis courts, a Little League field, a volleyball court, fitness stations and walking paths. Ridgeview Park and the dog park nearby add more room to run, so people with dogs have plenty of choices within a short ride. Inside Southbrook the list of businesses is short, with Vino Finders, a wine bar, the only name on the map. For dinner, most people head toward the Green Valley blocks along Business Center Drive, where Palm Thai Bistro is one of the sit-down options. The Edwards Fairfield movie theater is under a mile away for a night out. Groceries mean a drive, and Safeway on Business Center Drive is the usual stop. The Fairfield Cordelia Library is on the same side of town, so borrowing books does not mean crossing the city. The freeways are the reason many people choose Southbrook, since the Bay Area, Sacramento and the wine country each lie in a different direction from the same junction. Eating out and errands both start with the car. That is the main adjustment here, and the compensation is a calm cluster of residential streets next to a good park.