Lincoln

Just 30 miles from California’s state capital, Verdera Village is a luxury suburban getaway. The keystone of this gated community is the Catta Verdera Country Club, which is one of the most sought-after in the fast-growing town of Lincoln. “It’s the only 4.5-star private golf course in Northern California, and the views are breathtaking,” says Hayden Hill, a Realtor with Compass Realty, who has years of experience in the area. “Golf carts are not only encouraged to be driven around the community, but the cart paths also extend outside of the community to dozens of local restaurants and shopping centers.” Nearly half the residents have a college degree, which is much higher than the national average, and the neighborhood has a 1 out of 10 CAP Index Crime and Safety score, meaning crime is lower than the national average of 4 out of 10. Right in the middle of the neighborhood sits Catta Verdera Country Club, one of the area’s finest golf courses. The award-winning course has hosted professional events, including LPGA tournaments. The 18-hole course also has a driving range and a practice area where members can get tips from club pros. The club also hosts private events and weddings throughout the year. Locals can also head to Boulder Ridge Park, which has views of the Sierras and Mount Diablo, walking paths and large covered play areas for children. Picnic tables are also covered and serve as a good spot for an afternoon picnic. The Catta Verdera clubhouse offers a variety of dining. “It’s an awesome blend of elegant and quick, casual dining,” says Hill. Quixote's has a more casual bar atmosphere, while Madelena's has a formal dining room. Other dining options in town are found off Twelve Bridges Road. Here, locals can find lots of dining variety, including Urbano’s Mexican Grill, Orchid Thai and Zakuro Japanese Steak and Sushi. Sprouts, Target and Raley’s are all big box stores where residents can easily stock up on groceries for the week. While other retail shopping is sparse in Verdera Village, downtown Lincoln is just a few miles away, with plenty of boutique shopping opportunities. Large modern Mediterranean-style homes built in the last 20 years have views of the Catta Verdera fairways. There are a range of lot sizes throughout the neighborhood, but lush landscaping and well-manicured lawns are the common denominator. Homes have spacious interiors, backyard swimming pools and upscale detailing like stone accents and wooden garage doors. Houses start around $1.3 million and range up to over $3 million for new builds. Wide, well-paved sidewalks are great for exercising or walking the dog, while residents are just as likely to see golf carts as they are cars on the residential streets. Kids in Verdera Village head to Western Placer Unified schools, beginning at Twelve Bridges Elementary School, which holds a B-plus overall ranking on Niche. Twelve Bridges Middle also has a B-plus Niche score. Teens go to Lincoln High School, which also has a B-plus Niche rating but holds an A-minus in student diversity. Niche notes Lincoln as being a top college prep school and one that is great for athletes, with a new sports complex built in 2005. Students also have the opportunity to participate in a traveling choir. Verdera Village is served by Placer County Commuter Express and the Dial-A-Ride program. For those who prefer to drive, it’s only about 8 miles from Rocklin, 14 miles from Roseville and 30 miles from Sacramento. Interstate 80 makes it easy to commute to other Northern California destinations like Lake Tahoe or the Bay Area.

Sun City Lincoln Hills is a 55-plus community that offers its residents access to athletic recreation, clubs, classes and a wide range of entertainment options. Residents enjoy playing golf and visiting the area’s restaurants. The community is close to a plethora of retail and dining options in Roseville, Rocklin and downtown Lincoln. “The area is more affordable than Rocklin and Roseville because the houses are further from Downtown Sacramento,” says Susan Richards-Slavik, a realtor who sells homes in the area for Coldwell Banker Realty. “The area is becoming more developed every year.” Sun City Lincoln Hills has over 6,700 single-family homes and 80 condominiums. Approximately 11,000 people live there. The homeowners form a community association to self-govern Sun City Lincoln Hills. Two-bedroom, two-bathroom early 2000s stucco-exterior homes with attached garages are generally valued between $470,000 and $710,000. Three-bedroom, two-bathroom early 2000s Spanish Colonial-style homes are valued between $740,000 and $1 million. A two-bedroom, three-bathroom late 1990s single-family home with an in-ground swimming pool and patio large enough to throw parties on is valued at $1.1 million. A one-bedroom, two-bathroom condo is valued at $340,000. Many children attend Twelve Bridges Elementary School, which has 61% reading and 60% math proficiency. Children often move on to Twelve Bridges Middle School, which has a 27-to-1 student-to-teacher ratio. Both schools have B-plus Niche ratings. Many teens move on to Lincoln High School, which has a B-plus Niche rating and a 93% graduation rate. Lincoln Hills Golf Club attracts community members with a 36-hole course and a bar and grill where people enjoy beer and cheeseburgers. Many locals are within walking distance of small community parks like Stone House Park, a greenspace with benches, a picnic table and young sycamore trees. The 55-plus community has 27 miles of winding fitness trails that allow residents to cross through woods or loop around ponds. Residents enjoy the babbling brooks that flow throughout the neighborhood. Sun City Lincoln Hills also offers residents access to bocce courts, pickleball courts, a softball field, tennis courts, horseshoe pits, picnic tables and a barbecue area. The community is home to a popular wedding venue called the Orchard Creek Lodge. The community is also home to the Kilaga Springs Lodge, which features a café, a Zen garden and a spa. The Spa at Kilaga Springs rests on the site of natural springs that were discovered by miners in the early 1900s. Locals appreciate the spa’s facials and massages. The community offers clubs for residents interested in activities like photography, painting, Scrabble and line dancing. Residents can take classes in subjects such as art, computers, dance, finance, music and sewing. The community is also home to two fitness centers where residents exercise on stationary bikes and perform water aerobics. The neighborhood is home to Meridian’s Restaurant, which features made-from-scratch dishes like buttermilk pancakes and huevos rancheros. Locals also enjoy the restaurant for its happy hour. Residents travel less than half a mile to the northeast edge of the community along Lincoln Boulevard to shop and dine. The area includes Sterling Pointe Center, where residents purchase cooking ingredients and other essentials at Raley’s. The shopping center is also home to eateries such as Mountain Mike’s Pizza and Salad Works. Along Lincoln Boulevard, residents shop at Lowe’s Home Improvement and get their cars fixed at Firestone Complete Auto Care. The area has fast food options like McDonald’s and Burger King. Locals travel less than 2 miles to Lincoln’s downtown to enjoy the happy hour and live music at Dillian’s Bar & Grill. Nine miles south of Sun City Lincoln Hills, Westfield Galleria at Roseville is a big attraction for shoppers. The 1.3 million-square-foot mall is home to a Macy’s, a JCPenney, a Tiffany & Co., a Gucci, a Louis Vuitton and several other retail options. The community offers bus trips for residents to go wine tasting in Amador, see theatrical performances in San Francisco and visit casinos in Lake Tahoe. The community includes a ballroom, a presentation hall and an outdoor amphitheater. Each month, residents select their entertainment itineraries from lists of options, including comedy shows, dances, musical concerts and movies. Four miles southwest via Highway 65, Thunder Valley Casino Resort offers over 3,000 slot machines, a poker room and a spa. Residents travel 2 miles north to watch plays at the Lincoln Theatre Company. In Rocklin, residents watch new and old films at Cinemark Century Blue Oaks Theatres and XD. Many folks drive to the Golden 1 Center to see the Sacramento Kings play basketball. Residents enjoy watching the Lincoln Potters, an independent collegiate baseball team, play at McBean Stadium, 2 miles north of Sun City Lincoln Hills. Residents travel 6 miles northwest via Highway 65 to access Lincoln Regional Airport. People travel 10 miles south to Roseville via Highway 65. They travel 12 miles south to Rocklin via Sierra College Boulevard. “Traffic on Highway 65 is the biggest issue,” Richards-Slavik says. “The county is working on traffic improvement, but with all the people moving there for affordability, Highway 65 can be backed up at times.” Placer County Transit provides a bus service with multiple bus stops on the northwest side of the community on 1st Street and 3rd Street that connect residents to Lincoln’s downtown. Many residents navigate the streets of Sun City Lincoln Hills using golf cart lanes. The community is filled with sidewalks.