Crest Park

“As soon as we moved in, a lot of our neighbors introduced themselves in the first week,” says Morgan Liberatore, four-year resident of Crest and owner of Morning Owl Fine Art Photography based in the neighborhood. “There’s a lot of generational families living in Crest.” Roughly 25 miles east of downtown San Diego, Crest is a small hilltop community with beautiful views, a McDonald Family Farm and a gas station that sells the neighborhood’s best pizza. Crest homes come in an incredible variety of prices, styles and sizes. The median home price in Crest is $830,000, up 12% from the previous year. But prices can range from $255,000 for a three-bedroom manufactured home to $5.5 million for a five-bedroom Mediterranean villa. “We bought our house in 2020, and it’s increased at least 45% in value since then,” Liberatore says. “We purchased it from a family trust and one of their requirements was that it had to be bought by a family. So ours wasn’t even the highest offer.” As with much of Southern California, Mediterranean and Spanish Colonial stylings are the predominant aesthetic, but modern homes are becoming increasingly popular as the area is developed. Though a small community, Crest Sky Lodge North offers a gated community of manufactured homes. The prize of the neighborhood, though, is its position. Crest sits atop a hill surrounded by rocky, rolling terrain, and many of its homes come with stunning views of the Southern California landscape. Crest School offers kindergarten through 8th grade classes to students as part of the Cajon Valley Union School District. Crest Elementary offers before and after-school care and earns a B on Niche. At A-minus-rated Granite Hills High School, students can join the Granite Hills Eagles football team, which won the 2022 California State 2-A football championships. The school also offers any other sport sanctioned by the California Interscholastic Federation, and the marching band regularly plays in annual parades and events throughout the area. La Cresta Restaurant and Caffe is Crest’s only restaurant, and it’s also a spot for residents to gather for the weekend. “Fridays and Saturdays, they normally have a live band in the parking lot or inside,” Liberatore says. For the best pizza, Liberatore says residents should head to the neighborhood’s gas station, Crest Foods. “You can also grab anything from the liquor store. Even milk, eggs and avocadoes,” she says. “And there’s a farm that sells all sorts of goodies. It’s called McDonald Family Farm. It’s one of the generational families in the area.” For more extensive grocery trips, there’s Albertsons on Broadway or Walmart on Camino Canada. Even as a small community, Crest offers residents a couple of parks to enjoy. South Lane County Park offers 10.5 acres of trees, grassy fields and hiking trails. Plans are being developed to upgrade the park to provide more amenities, and construction is scheduled to begin in 2025. At Nancy Jane County Park, residents can join a pickup game, hit the playground or enjoy a picnic in the shade of the gazebo. Since Crest is somewhat tucked in the hills, the closest public bus stop is six miles away, at the intersection of Camino Canada and Los Coches Road. Walkers may want to exercise caution as sidewalks are rare, and many of Crest’s roads are narrow stretches of dirt and gravel. However, with Interstate 8 less than five miles away, Crest drivers have relatively easy access to interstate travel. With downtown San Diego less than 25 miles away, Crest residents are a drive away from the city’s biggest events. However, Crest’s surrounding area offers smaller community events like SDSUxCSUSM Vietnamese Culture Night at Grossmont College and yoga classes at the Crest Community Association Clubhouse. According to data from Risk Factor, all of the homes in Crest are at risk of being impacted by wildfires over the next 30 years. In 2003, a wildfire occurred in Crest, covering more than 1,000 square miles. The risk of recurring fires is expected to increase in the area over the next 30 years.

Across its blanket of mountain vistas, Harbison Canyon holds a range of rural properties just northeast of San Diego. It’s also known for its highly rated schools and proximity to stunning California wilderness. Gregg Phillipson, Realtor with Keller Williams Realty who has sold homes in the area for more than 30 years, says, “Harbison Canyon is very private, very rural. It’s the outback of San Diego while being close to the city. And because it’s not a planned development, there’s a big range of property and lot sizes in Harbison Canyon. You’ll see everything from small ranch-style homes on a quarter-acre to custom multi-million-dollar homes on 10 acres.” In rural residential Harbison Canyon, residents can find acres of wilderness on which to build for under $200,000, or charming 1930s country-ranch-style homes that have been completely remodeled for around $750,000. Buyers will also find newer builds from the late 2000s with natural-hue stucco exteriors and sweeping backyard mountain views. Contemporary homes built in 2019 or later tend to have a Spanish Colonial flair and cost around $800,000. Buyers will also find custom estates with amenities like private solar fields and resort-style infinity pools that go for closer to $1.5 million. One of Harbison Canyon’s best assets is its miles of hiking trails through Crestridge Ecological Reserve, which have entry points on residential streets. From the south side of the neighborhood, residents can trek to a visitor center to learn about the reserve’s flora and fauna. This 2,800-acre span connects the Lakeside Ecological Reserve to San Diego Wildlife National Refuge. Residents can expect to spot eagles or Cooper’s hawks across the open sky or possibly glimpse coyotes or deer. Residents can follow trails northwest to the 40-acre Flinn Springs County Park to relax, picnic on the law or play at the playground and ball fields. Locals love Mary Etta’s country-style café right beside Flinn Springs County Park for everything from coffee to a quick bite to cocktails and comfort food. Residents can also stop in for burritos and tacos at Rosarito’s Mexican Food or Texas-style barbecue at Grand Ole BBQ Flinn Springs. Residents don’t typically mind driving short distances to expand their shopping and dining choices. There are convenience foods at the small Rainbow Farms Market in Crest and an Albertson’s to fulfill larger grocery runs just 6 miles west. “And while you don’t have malls or fancy restaurants within Harbison Canyon,” says Phillipson. “You can drive just up the road to Alpine or Rancho San Diego for cafes or groceries, or shop at the Parkway Plaza mall in El Cajon less than 10 miles west. It’s country living, but everything you need is close by.” For the community’s youngest students, school options included either Crest, Rios or Shadow Hills Elementary, all of which have an overall B grade on Niche. Students then move on to Los Coches Creek Middle, which has an overall B-plus on Niche. Older students attend Granite Hills High School, which has an overall A-minus on Niche. Granite Hills High boasts a championship wrestling team, and a new $7 million performing arts center, named The Boz in honor of director Barry Bosworth who directed the Eagle Theatre program for 30 years. Interstate 8 borders the northern border of the community, offering ease of travel to San Diego's major employers, dining, retail and entertainment. Mountain View Road also connects residents to the nearby communities of Crest and El Cajon. When residents need to travel outside the San Diego area, they’re just about 35 miles from San Diego International Airport. While city amenities are still convenient, Harbinson Canyon offers space and serenity in San Diego’s outback.