Standiford, Modesto, CA

Standiford is where Modesto goes to shop. Costco, WinCo, Save Mart and Safeway all sit inside its lines, and Vintage Faire Mall, which has anchored the area since the late 1970s, stands where Sisk Road, Dale Road and Highway 99 come together, so shoppers from across the area pass through and weekends are the busiest days. Behind the commercial strips, the housing is suburban single-family streets with small parks tucked between them, including Davis Community Park, Muncy Park and Woodrow Park. A couple of turns off the main roads and you are among driveways and lawns. Central Modesto lies to one side and Pelandale and Sherwood Forest to the other, so Standiford works as a hinge between the older and newer parts of the city. The Standiford Trail is the best outdoor asset, a paved path of a few miles that begins at Sisk Road and runs east toward Wesson Ranch Park. A loop around Chrysler 99 Park doubles as trailhead parking. Akitaca Crab serves crab and lobster, and Fumi Sushi has built a following on inventive rolls, including a hot Cheeto version. The Afghan, Indian and Asian grocers and restaurants give these retail strips more variety than a typical shopping district. Culture Coffee Bar on McHenry Avenue is the laptop-friendly pick, known for drip coffee, espresso drinks and avocado toast, and a Giacomo's drive-thru on Standiford Avenue handles the quick macchiato. Food shopping goes well beyond the big boxes. Kabul Express Supermarket and Indian Bazaar stock Afghan and Indian staples, and buses serve the mall. Nearly everything else is a drive, with Highway 99 right there for trips beyond Modesto. Traffic near the Highway 99 interchange is the price of living beside this many stores. Out on the trail loop at Chrysler 99 Park, though, there is a quiet corner that has nothing to do with shopping.