Sylmar, Los Angeles, CA

Sylmar is the top of Los Angeles, the northernmost neighborhood in the city, tucked against the San Gabriel Mountains where the 5 and 210 freeways meet. Its name blends the Latin for forest and sea, a nod to the olive orchards that by the early 1900s made up one of the largest olive groves in the world. The housing reflects that rural past. Large lots with corrals and room for horses remain common, alongside postwar ranch houses, mobile home communities and newer multi-unit projects built where half-acre parcels have been split up. Residents have pushed for years to keep the houses, horses and orchards mix intact. Wilson Canyon Park on Olive View Drive has a loop of just under three miles with lizards, rabbits and birds along the way. El Cariso Community Regional Park covers close to 80 acres, and the public El Cariso Golf Course sits alongside it. Stetson Ranch Park ranks among the city's equestrian parks, and bridle trails climb into the San Gabriels from the edge of the neighborhood. Food is casual and mostly local. The Nethercutt Collection on Bledsoe Street is a local surprise, with classic cars and mechanical music instruments on display. Errands cluster on Foothill Boulevard and Glenoaks, with Vons and Vallarta near each other. The Sylmar/San Fernando Metrolink station links to downtown, and freeway access to Santa Clarita and the rest of the Valley is quick. Fire is the tradeoff. Sylmar is where the city grid gives out and the San Gabriels take over, and a surprising number of streets simply end at the foothills.