Northern California Dreamin'

You don't have to go far to have it all. Whether it's a rural neighborhood with easy access to big-city amenities, or one with stellar schools, or plenty of natural scenery with abundant opportunities to experience the great outdoors (yes, golf, too) a mere stone's throw away, or a place loaded with history or small-town charm—it's here. We invite you to read about and explore some of the region's top neighborhoods. You might find your perfect new home. Or, it may just get you thinking about where you'd like to land in the future.

Enjoy the tour—and dream on.

Solano County

OLD TOWN SUISUN

Established during the California Gold Rush, when hay scows and steamboats slipped through the slough en route to Sacramento or San Francisco, Old Town Suisun is now the site of more recreational vessels such as motorboats, sailboats, kayaks and canoes. The slough and its basin are the focal point for the redevelopment of downtown Suisun that began in the early 1990s and which continues today.

"It took a lot of years to get things moving in the right direction, but they're doing that now," says Cliff Hemler, who has lived in Old Town since 1948 and was raised by the community after the early death of his parents. "I knew if I ever did anything wrong I'd get my butt kicked all the way to Texas Street."

Now a real estate agent for Century 21 Distinctive Properties, Hemler says that you might still find a fixer-upper for $350,000, though they are becoming increasingly rare. A new house overlooking the water sells for about $850,000.

Ed and Connie Tualla built a home on the waterfront in 2001. Retired postal workers with grown children, the Tuallas now run a custom embroidery shop called Teams by Design on the first floor of their 44,000-square-foot live-work space. "The neighborhood is quiet and the city keeps it clean," says Connie.

Residents of Old Town Suisun enjoy sunset walks on the waterfront promenade, a wide variety of ethnic restaurants, the park with free public events hosted by the city, live performances at the Harbor Theatre, and easy access to Amtrak's Capitol Corridor train and Interstate 80. Located below the Pacific Flyway and adjacent to the Greater Suisun Marsh, bird lovers enjoy sharing their days with snowy egrets, diving cormorants, honking Canada geese and swallows arriving in spring. —Aleta George

ARCHITECTURAL HERITAGE DISTRICT, VALLEJO

When Randall Sexton began looking for a house after renting in San Francisco's North Beach for 23 years, he knew that he wanted to live in a place with a history. "I'm a pilgrim from the East Coast. It's in my DNA," he says.

After looking in several East Bay cities, Sexton and his partner, Carol Neilson, settled on an 1868 Greek Revival home located at the western edge of Vallejo's Architectural Heritage District. In 2004 they paid $377,000 for their cozy two-bedroom with a view of the Napa River. They hung sheetrock over the plaster lathe, knocked out a wall to open up the kitchen and dining area, and refinished the floors. An award-winning artist, Sexton applied a new palette of pleasing colors.

Sexton and Neilson agree that the best part about living in the Heritage District is the neighbors. "People are friendly," says Sexton. "You can have a conversation with the clerk in Safeway, and the people behind you don't get mad." He also likes the proximity to downtown, a slice of Vallejo that "feels like you're in a '60s time warp." The ferry terminal is a quarter of a mile away (Neilson often commutes to San Francisco by ferry), and a weekly farmers market sells the region's fresh produce.

Judy Schilling of Exit Realty in Vallejo says that home prices in the district start at $350,000 for a small three-bedroom, but adds that you can still get a mansion for under a cool million-$950,000-if you're in the market, with the median home price being $550,000. The Heritage District showcases a cross section of architectural styles, including Gothic Revival, Queen Anne, Craftsman and Dutch Colonial. "The biggest selling point for the district is that it's a true neighborhood, plus you get to live in a great house," she says. —Aleta George

VALLEY GLEN, DIXON

When Kevin Johnson, a Century 21 Distinctive Properties Realtor, searched for a house in 2004 to accommodate his family of 10, he chose to buy in Valley Glen, a new subdivision in Dixon. At the time there were only 30 to 40 houses in the fledgling community. Now there are 250 houses in a planned development that will eventually reach 800 homes.

Johnson particularly likes the large lots of 8,000 to 15,000 square feet, with their trim, tidy landscaping. The houses, painted in muted tones of clay, sand and summer sage, range in size from 1,800 to 4,000 square feet and sell for between $500,000 and $900,000. "Bottom line is that it's a lot of house for your money," he says.

After living in Vallejo for eight years and in Fairfield for 13, Johnson is happy with his choice. Dixon, he says, is a good place to raise a family, and he enjoys the small-town atmosphere. "I can stand on the corner of the town's main intersection and wave at half of the people going by because I know them," he says.

Downtown Sacramento is a mere 15-minute drive from Valley Glen, Sacramento International Airport is 25 minutes door-to-door and the Dixon May Fair is within walking distance. Valley Glen builder Pulte Homes is now preparing to build Wisteria, a community of 45 houses ranging in size from 1,600 to 2,500 square feet, within the Valley Glen subdivision. —Aleta George

RANCHO SOLANO, FAIRFIELD

When Chief Solano sold Gen. Mariano Vallejo the 17,754-acre Rancho Solano land grant 150 years ago, the terrain looked much different than it does today. But the oak-studded rolling hills that covered much of the land remain at the edges of the Rancho Solano community, and residents like it that way.

Homeowners say Rancho Solano's uniqueness is due to the protected open space surrounding the area. Kevin O'Rourke, Fairfield's city manager, has lived in "the Rancho" since 1997. He loves the views of the cattle grazing among the oaks and the quiet. He relaxes on his back patio at night while viewing the moon and stars. "I come from Southern California, so living in Rancho Solano is like I died and went to heaven," he says.

Rancho Solano is 15 years old, with houses still being built, says Realtor Gloria Koch of Country Estates, Inc. in Green Valley. Located minutes from Interstate 80 off Waterman Boulevard in Fairfield, it consists of a series of gated communities, with homes ranging from 1,800 to 5,000 square feet, selling between $550,000 to $1 million.

At the center of the community is the Rancho Solano Clubhouse, with a public golf course, reasonably priced tennis courts offering lessons for kids and adults, a swimming pool, and restaurant facilities for weddings and parties.

Not all residents golf, however. Ann Cousineau, director of library services for Solano County Library, likes living there for the quiet, the open space and her good neighbors. "It has all the advantages of city life in a country setting," she says. Another perk is that she never has trouble finding a housesitter when she travels. Her friends jump at the chance to stay at what they call "the time share." —Aleta George

Napa County

YOUNTVILLE

Not all that long ago, Yountville was considered the boonies. The small mid-Napa Valley town—more like a village, really—was and is still home to the sprawling California Veterans Home on the hill (where half the town's population of about 3,300 still resides). On the shadier side of memory lane, the hamlet was also home to more than a few bars and brothels. Most of the homes were what today might generously be called "fixer-uppers." To say that has changed dramatically would be an enormous understatement.

Yountville now has within its compact borders a roster of famous restaurants, including chef Thomas Keller's world-renowned French Laundry. There is a dynamic town government, active civic groups, shopping, wineries, annual festivals and fairs, a golf course, fine art galleries, banks, an elementary school and more. These days, house prices seldom dip below the $800,000 to $1 million mark for "starter homes."

"Yountville is a small town in the heart of the Napa Valley that has become an increasingly popular destination for visitors to local wine country attractions, and many who come initially only for a short stay are deciding they want to spend more time there," says Barbara Allen, a sales associate with the Pacific Union Real Estate Group.

"During the past several years, this has resulted in a strong demand for residential properties and double-digit, annual price increases [in real estate] that even the recent trend of higher interest rates has yet to dampen," she says. "For the moment, at least, eager buyers far outnumber sellers, with local agents scrambling to find attractive properties for their clients. The old real estate adage that location is everything obviously holds true in Yountville." —Charles Neave

AMERICAN CANYON

American Canyon is among Napa County's newest neighborhoods. It has only been in very recent years that a full-service grocery store, offices and shops have appeared, and the town hall and post office are still new additions. Home prices range from the low $400,000s to almost $900,000. Lot sizes tend to be around 6,000 square feet and up.

"The city of American Canyon has been the area's boomtown since 1999, with thousands of new subdivision homes being built," says David Barker, a real estate agent with RE/MAX Napa Valley. "The convenient location for commuters makes the area attractive to buyers who want larger, newer homes. Compared to the rest of the Bay Area, I believe that American Canyon homes offer excellent value for the money."

The city, which currently has a population of about 14,000, is being transformed, with plans in hand for a new high school by 2010. The widening of American Canyon Road is currently underway, and a new shopping center called Canyon Corners is now under construction, along with a multi-use development at Napa Junction, which will include a Wal-Mart Supercenter. Many other changes and developments are scheduled that will transform American Canyon over the next few years.

From an aesthetic point of view, more and more wineries are planting vineyards on the hillsides to the east of Highway 29, the main thoroughfare that connects American Canyon with the Napa Valley communities and tourist destinations to the north. The roads to the interstate highway system and the Vallejo Ferry Terminal—which is used by commuters who work, shop and play in San Francisco—head south, into Solano County. It is this easy access to multiple forms of transportation that makes American Canyon so attractive to many professionals and business owners.

With so much of American Canyon comprised of new homes, the sense of community is still a work in progress, but it is moving along steadily even as the construction of future neighborhoods continues. —Charles Neave

BROWNS VALLEY, NAPA

Some three decades ago, when a new, rapidly growing class of professionals began arriving in the city of Napa, many of them eschewed the old Victorians for a more countrified location, one within easy distance of downtown and its amenities. It lay in the hills just a few miles west of Napa in the suburb now known as Browns Valley.

Still filled with plenty of parks and quiet streets, with a school and a small shopping plaza with a popular restaurant, it continues to grow, though at a relatively measured pace, and enough open space still remains to make it seem almost rural. A string of very large and expensive new homes stretches to the southwest, toward the back road to Sonoma County, yet remains out of sight for most residents, who seem to prefer a more modest approach to life in Browns Valley. Home prices range from $555,000 to $2.5 million.

According to Lani Cooke, a broker associate at RE/MAX Napa Valley, "When I got into real estate almost 25 years ago, Browns Valley was still a developing, but very desirable, area to live in. One of the attractions then as well as now is that it offers an excellent grammar school, which draws young families.

"Browns Valley has continued to grow into an area that attracts the 30-something crowd, and the neighborhoods reflect an old-fashioned, small-town atmosphere where you are likely to find neighborhood block parties on Independence Day. I don't see the demographics changing anytime soon," she says. "It seems that Browns Valley will continue to be an area where people choose to raise their families." —Charles Neave

Yolo County

EL MACERO

At first glance it's hard to believe that the unassuming, single-story ranch-style houses of El Macero sell for a million dollars. But in this quiet neighborhood tucked away off Mace Boulevard just outside the city of Davis, the sweeping golf course with its mature trees, plus forested pockets of birch and redwood cul-de-sacs, create a mood of living at the edge of an East Coast forest glen, adding a spacious feeling to the neighborhood.

On closer inspection you realize that the large homes are custom built, individually styled, and sit on lots of up to three-quarters of an acre. El Macero is outside the Davis city limits and not subject to Davis zoning laws, which has resulted in larger lots and homes. "El Macero has a rural atmosphere in a country setting, but is close to downtown," says Realtor Mary Ann Trongo of Century 21 Trongo & Associates in Davis.

Sacramento is only 11 miles away, and Nugget Market, downtown Davis and the Mondavi Center for the Performing Arts just minutes away. "The houses sell themselves and fly off the market," she adds. "The current price, though it's changing all the time, ranges from $970,000 to $1.65 million." Trongo recently sold a house for $1.2 million, and the new owners scraped the house off the lot and built a new one, which she says is the going trend in El Macero.

Founded by a dozen charter members in the early 1960s, the private and exclusive El Macero Country Club golf course provides a wooded and airy view to many residents. Dave Heard built his house in 1987 and raised several children there. Though he's not a golfer, he likes the open environment and large lots. As for Trongo, she says if she ever moved out of rural Yolo County, El Macero is the only place she'd consider living. —Aleta George

BRIDGEWAY LAKES, WEST SACRAMENTO

Located in West Sacramento's popular Southport area, the new Bridgeway Lakes community is made up of four neighborhoods that will, in time, total 600 homes. Think of it as one large community in the making.

Built around a scenic 32-acre lake, with a community boathouse for events or neighborhood get-togethers, plus a ball park and a preserve, it also integrates bicycle and walking paths. The streets are designed like a village around the lake and are bordered by several neighborhood parks.

Homes at Bridgeway Lakes range in price from around $300,000 into the $700,000 range, and stretch from a bit over 1,500 square feet to close to 4,000. Many of them also have the added luxury of being right on the waterfront. It is this serene setting that attracts so many families to the development less than two miles from upscale stores and specialty shops, and the popular Club Pheasant restaurant.

"Bridgeway Lakes is less than a mile from West Sacramento's newest high school, which is slated to open in 2008," says Sue Williams of Meritage Homes. "With the recreational and community facilities attached to the schools, and the physical education and athletics center and adjacent swimming pools, it includes a performing and visual arts center, plus a two-story science and industrial technology building and stadium." -Charles Neave

THE HERITAGE AND HERITAGE PARK, WOODLAND

Located in the southwest portion of Woodland, two new developments are currently under construction. Called The Heritage and Heritage Park, they are situated west of Highway 113 and south of Interstate 5, about 12 minutes from Sacramento International Airport, just a little more than four miles from the city of Davis and in close proximity to UC Davis, Sacramento and the San Francisco Bay Area.

The two projects are also near a new, upscale shopping center and a new high school. As touted in informational literature, they have "all the freeways and none of the traffic." This, in itself, is a major selling point, when the sprawl of commuter traffic is clogging so many areas throughout the state, including Sacramento.

With a total of 400 custom homes on 160 acres, a typical lot ranges from 8,000 square feet to approximately double that. Home prices range from $750,000 to $1.2 million; currently 28 homes are nearing completion.

"Heritage and Heritage Park offer large lots and custom homes in a setting similar to the gracious neighborhoods of older valley communities," says Dave Taormino, co-owner of Coldwell Banker Doug Arnold Real Estate in Davis. "In Heritage Park, Monley Cronin Construction is drawing upon its combined 50 years of custom home building and knowledge of vintage home design to create a hundred individualized homes, including some homes with energy and comfort features, certifying them as 'Energy for Life Homes.' "

Both developments strive to re-create the small-town atmosphere that so many people, quite a few of them new home buyers, find so desirable. —Charles Neave

Sacramento County

ROLLINGWOOD, FAIR OAKS/ORANGEVALE

With homes that back up to the American River or the Parkway Recreational Area, an entire network of bike and hiking trails, water sports and much more, Rollingwood in the Fair Oaks/Orangevale area seems to have something to offer almost everyone.

"With home prices that range from $400,000 to over a million dollars, Rollingwood draws a wide range of people, from young families to Intel executives, and everyone in between," says Tami Paraker, a Realtor with Kraft Real Estate in Fair Oaks. "It's a real mix, but the wonderful school system dictates families, and the educational system is key for this area.

"What is special and really unique about the Rollingwood area is that you feel like you are in the country, with Lake Natoma for sailing, boating and rowing and the American River for spectacular kayaking and great fishing," she says. "It takes you away from the city world when you are there, which is particularly attractive for active families. There is also a great sense of community spirit. The Fourth of July parade is a major event, for instance, and Halloween is special for every age, ranging from young children to people who have lived there for 30 or 40 years."

Many properties have fabulous views, whether it is of the Sierras or the Big Sky vistas, or of the open parklands. Plus, there is an abundance of wildlife—everything from wild turkeys to soaring hawks. There are stables for horseback riding as well, despite the fact that Sacramento is only a 20-minute drive away on Highway 50, and there is light-rail service in Folsom. You can even ride your bike to work over special trails. It is close to shopping, restaurants and professional offices, though on weekends, most Rollingwood residents seem quite content to stay right where they are, in their own exceptional neighborhood. —Charles Neave

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