Lathrop

Set about 11 miles south of downtown Stockton, East Lathrop is home to over 23,000 people, many of which are families and young professionals moving here for economic opportunities. "The city is growing," says Jay Singh, a Realtor with Landstar Realty Group who’s been selling real estate here since 2007. "Several new businesses just opened along I-5 near Target, and more jobs are coming to the area now that Ashley Furniture got approval to build a new warehouse. Tesla's warehouse is not far away, and new restaurants are going up, too." Neighborhood greenspaces support active lifestyles, event centers keep folks entertained throughout the year, and access to nearby Interstate 5 makes it easy to travel here. Along East Lathrop’s sidewalk-lined streets, contemporary, four-bedroom Craftsman-style homes built between the 1990s and early 2000s have brick or stucco exteriors and range from $500,000 to $650,000. Many feature three-car garages and front yards with at least one mature willow or palm tree, and rows of shrubbery separate property lines; a few here have fenced-in backyards. In the southern end of the neighborhood, newly constructed traditional Spanish Revival-style homes and contemporary bungalows with private pools and solar power systems sell between $700,000 and $1 million. Students can attend Manteca Unified district schools like K-8 Lathrop Elementary, which earns a C-plus from Niche, then continue to Lathrop High, rated an A-minus. Here, students can join the Family, Career, Community Leaders of America, a national student organization focusing on family life and career preparations. Activities in this club provide opportunities to practice skills learned from life management, fashion design and child development classes. Lathrop Road and Louise Avenue are the neighborhood’s main thoroughfares, linking neighbors to parks and restaurants. Interstate 5 borders the neighborhood to the west, which leads 11 miles north to downtown Stockton, and about 60 miles north to Sacramento; locals can get to the San Francisco Bay Area 70 miles west via Interstate 580. Those traveling southwest toward San Jose can catch an ACE train from the Lathrop/Manteca station 3 miles southeast, and San Joaquin Transit buses make stops south along Louise Avenue. Biking or walking dogs is easy here with sidewalks lining most residential streets. San Joaquin General Hospital – offering inpatient services, including pediatrics, obstetrics and surgical care – and the Stockton Metropolitan Airport are within 7 miles north. Five miles south of Woodfield Park, the family-owned Sizzler Steak House has served prime slices of beef to patrons in cozy, leather-back booths since 1958. Their menu has expanded to include steak and seafood combos, barbecue ribs and an all-you-can-eat salad bar. For faster takeout options, head to the Lathrop Food Plaza west between Harland Road and I-5, where food trucks with LED lights and music offer Vietnamese sandwiches, crepes and tropical fruit smoothies; outdoor seating is also available here. Shoppers can browse retailers like Kohl’s at the Stadium Center shopping mall just north of State Route 120, before grabbing groceries at Save Mart or Sprouts Farmers Market off I-5. Neighborhood greenspaces sit centrally between Thomsen Road and Long Barn Drive, and are accessible by car, bike or on foot. Bordering the Lathrop Community Center, 10-acre Manuel Valverde Park offers basketball courts, picnic tables and a baseball diamond, with exercise equipment next to the playground. Friends can toss a frisbee under the shade of mature oak trees here, while kids beat the summertime heat at the park’s splash pad. Less than a mile north, Woodfield Park’s basketball court and soccer field invite both team leagues and solo gameplay. Lathrop hosts over 52 family-friendly events throughout the year, mostly held at the Generations Center west of I-5. One of the largest celebrates the city’s incorporation every July 1st, featuring live music, carnival rides and fireworks. In September, locals gather for an evening of laughs at what’s known as Comedy Under the Stars, where comedians – some featured on Comedy Central – perform clean skits. Alcohol is prohibited at all events, as Lathrop is a dry town.