Torrey Highlands, San Diego, CA

Torrey Highlands is a newer San Diego neighborhood in every sense. City voters approved its plan in 1996 and most of the houses went up after 2000, filling a compact, mostly residential stretch along State Route 56 between Rancho Peñasquitos and Pacific Highlands Ranch, with Black Mountain Ranch above it and Del Mar Mesa below. Because it was planned all at once, the place has a consistent look. Homes in Torrey Highlands are recent builds in planned subdivisions such as Torrey Del Mar, and the plan capped the total at about 2,600 homes. Close to a third of the land was set aside for parks and open space, and another large share for schools, so green slopes and campus fields break up the rooftops. Torrey Meadows Park, on Torrey Meadows Drive, is the main neighborhood park, and Torrey Del Mar Park serves the homes of that name. Longer hikes are close by, with the Black Mountain open space just east in Rancho Peñasquitos and Del Mar Mesa along the southern border. Most errands and meals happen in one center on Highlands Village Place. Vittorio's has been serving casual Italian food there since 2003, and regulars come for the lasagna and fried calamari and for its monthly five-course wine dinners with local and regional vineyards. 56 Thai Cafe, a family-run spot in the same center, cooks Thai comfort food with Northern Thai specialties. Peet's Coffee handles the morning rush, and Vons anchors the plaza for groceries. Daily life runs on SR-56, the freeway that cuts straight across the neighborhood. Westview High School sits inside the boundaries, part of the Poway Unified district, and a second small center on Camino Del Sur adds a taco shop and a pizzeria. With just two small shopping centers, anything beyond groceries and dinner means a drive to Carmel Valley or Rancho Peñasquitos. Because everything here is so new, very little of it is waiting on a remodel.