Menifee

Tucked away in the heart of the Menifee Valley, Sun City is a vibrant, lively community for homeowners looking to settle down and enjoy retirement. "It's peaceful and quiet, yet active. If you want to be involved, there are lots of community events. If you want to hop in your golf cart and drive around to everything, you can do that," says Tiffany Williams, part owner of Williams Realty Group, who has sold several homes in the neighborhood. "It has beautiful amenities such as pools and bocce ball. It's a perfect retirement community." Developed in the 1960s by Del Webb, this four-square-mile 55+ community has everything residents need to stay active in retirement. There are various clubs for different activities, several sports available and a pool and spa where residents can relax in the hot California sun. And if homeowners ever need to leave the neighborhood—which is rare—Interstate 215 is just east of the community, providing an easy route to nearby cities in Southern California. Sun City residents have several recreational amenities as part of the civic association, adding fun to everyday life. The neighborhood's clubhouse is at the corner of Cherry Hills Boulevard and Sun City Boulevard. Here, residents can gather with friends for a round of lawn bowling or bring their paddles for a game of pickleball. This area is also home to multiple pools, giving residents a spot for aquatic exercise or relaxing by the water on warm days. The civic association also provides residents with a shuffleboard court and horseshoe pits. There are several public parks around the neighborhood, including Spirit Park. This city green space has two basketball courts, three tennis courts and playgrounds, making it a popular spot to spend time with the whole family. Outdoor lovers will enjoy visiting Roy W. Kabian Memorial Park, just 4 miles west of the neighborhood. This 640-acre open space has miles of hiking and equestrian trails for visitors to explore. A shopping center on the neighborhood's east side gives Sun City residents easy access to everyday necessities and popular dining destinations. Locals can pick up groceries at Vons or Stater Bros. on Sun City Boulevard. Other stores in this area include Dollar Tree, Rite Aid and Walgreens. Castañedas Mexican Food is a popular casual spot serving Mexican dishes like tacos, burritos and carne asada fries. This counter-serve eatery is an ideal stop when locals want something quick. Black Bear Diner is a regional chain located on Bradley Road. This rustic, mountain-themed restaurant is open seven days a week for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Residents enjoy traditional diner food like pancakes and chicken fried steak. Just south of the neighborhood, residents have more shopping and dining options at Menifee Countryside Marketplace. This strip mall is home to several fast-food restaurants as well as stores like Target, Kohl’s and Lowe’s. Other supermarkets in this area include Aldi and Ralphs. Homes in Sun City are primarily modest ranch-style houses built from the 1950s to the 1990s. Most homes have two to three bedrooms and are one story. Many homes around the neighborhood have Spanish influences, such as tile roofs and stucco siding. Spacious built-in garages are common, and sidewalks line the streets, connecting neighbors throughout the community. Tyler Hungerford, leader of the Hungerford Team with Keller Williams Riverside, says housing prices are another big draw for buyers in Sun City. "The housing prices are reasonable. You get to downsize into something with your own yard, your own place, and still not have to pay an arm and a leg," he says. Homes in the neighborhood typically cost between $300,000 and $600,000, depending on the number of bedrooms. HOA fees for Sun City are relatively low, costing residents about $33 per month. Buyers should be aware that Sun City and the rest of Menifee have a high risk of wildfires due to the dry land and open natural areas around the neighborhood. The Sun City Civic Association provides several activities and events for residents each week, which can be found on the association's website under the events calendar. Locals can get together with their neighbors for clubs focusing on activities like ceramics, line dancing, woodworking, bridge and tai chi. The community also has a weekly farmers market each Saturday morning near the lawn bowling courts. Sun City residents have several ways to get around the neighborhood and the surrounding city of Menifee. Two bus routes from Riverside Transit serve the community—the 61 and the 74. The 61 route has stops on McCall Boulevard and Murrieta Road and can take residents north to Perris or south to Temecula. Route 74 has stops on Sun City Boulevard, Bradley Road and Cherry Hills Boulevard and takes residents east to the city of Hemet. Interstate 215 is just east of the neighborhood and gives residents a route south to Murrieta or north for 25 miles to Riverside. Chester W. Morrison Elementary School, Menifee Valley Middle School and Paloma Valley High School serve the Sun City area. The elementary school is rated a B by Niche, while the middle school is rated a B-plus. Paloma Valley High School gets an A-minus rating and serves approximately 2,900 students. The school offers career pathways in media, engineering, computer programming and automotive systems.

Centrally located in Menifee, Paloma Valley is one of the newest neighborhoods in this quickly growing city. The area gives residents a feeling of suburbia in the city, with everything from tract housing to small farms. In fact, the neighborhood is divided between densely populated housing developments in the northern portion and more spaced-out homes on several acres in the southern part. Originally inhabited by the Pechanga band of the Luiseno people, the Spanish claimed the area in the 1700s. Today, the influence of both groups can be seen and felt in the area’s architecture and nearby town names, like Temecula and Murrieta.<br><br><br>“The community i super popular because there’s new construction with open concept kitchens, and builders are bringing in new turnkey houses. Lot sizes are a little bigger, so you feel like you’re getting more for your money. It’s a nice place to live where you can walk your dog and enjoy the parks,” says Karen Myatt, Realtor with Century 21 Masters and 35 years of real estate experience. “The entry-level price has been going up, but there’s still some options here.” While detached single-family homes make up most of Paloma Valley, there’s still a good variety of housing styles. Estate homes on large lots sit among more modest tract housing or semi-rural residences on several acres. Spanish-Revival designs and ranch-style dwellings were chosen to maximize space while protecting residents from extreme desert temperatures. Many combine the two styles, keeping a single-story design and incorporating stucco walls and red-clay roof tiles. Winding streets end in cul-de-sacs where homes often have front and back yards. Houses sell for a median price of $600,000 after 30 days on the market, although housing prices range from $520,000 to $885,000 for ranch-style and Spanish-inspired residences.<br><br><br>Students can attend Niche B-plus-rated Evans Ranch Elementary, B-plus-rated Menifee Valley Middle and A-minus-rated Paloma Valley High. Ranch Elementary educates almost 800 students from kindergarten through fifth grade. Paloma Valley High works with Mt. San Jacinto Community College to provide college credit for English, math and history courses.<br><br><br>Bordered by the 215 Freeway, Paloma Valley is served by major local streets like Murrieta Road or Newport Road, which has the area’s only bus stops along it. It’s a car-dependent neighborhood six miles from the Menifee Global Medical Center and 47 miles from the Ontario International Airport. Sidewalks run throughout the northern portion of the area, although there are very few in the southern part.<br><br><br>Gale Webb Action Sports Park rests next to the Paloma Valley High School. The park invites people of all skill levels to try its 22,000-foot bike track and trails. This is Southern California’s largest bike park and was given the Award of Excellence by the California Park and Recreation Society. Marsden Community Park spans just one acre but packs a lot into a little space. There’s a half-basketball court, a tot lot, a jogging path and picnic areas with grills. In Paloma Valley’s southern portion, Greer Ranch offers 200 acres of hiking and biking trails through the foothills. The location is very popular on the weekends, and hikers should be aware of wandering onto mountain biking trails.<br><br><br>The neighborhood has fast casual and quick service restaurants along Newport Road, along with a Sprouts Farmers Market, an organic grocer. Local spots like the Breakfast House Los Tejabanes serve Mexican and American classics, while Donut Star has fresh pastries from early morning to late evening. Menifee Countryside Marketplace rests at the edge of the neighborhood and is separated from the adjacent Menifee Town Center by the 215 Freeway. Both offer an assortment of large and small retailers, eateries and supermarkets. Neighborhood residents can find home goods, clothing, veterinary services and Ralph’s grocery.<br><br><br>The neighborhood has over a dozen Protestant churches and lies less than eight miles from Islamic and Buddhist worship centers.<br><br><br>Paloma Valley has a high chance of flooding, earthquakes and wildfires. To mitigate these hazards, the city is working to update infrastructure to current California building code standards, coordinate communication between municipal departments and promote public awareness and outreach.

Built in 1968, Quail Valley spread up from the Canyon Lake community into the rolling hills. This tranquil, rustic neighborhood is chiefly residential, but just outside of it are community activities in Menifee and access to Interstates 15 and 215. Its location at the northeast tip of the Temecula Valley means Quail Valley is close to towns along the Interstates as well as mountain and lake recreation. “Quail Valley is a fast-growing area in the ‘burbs. A lot of people come from L.A. or San Diego,” says Mark Evans, real estate agent with TSG Premier Realty, specializing in the southern California region. <br><br>Along the edges of the neighborhood, Quail Valley homes are built on winding hillside avenues. Straight, narrow roads that run east to west make up the center of the neighborhood, and they tend to not have sidewalks. Many of the homes incorporate design touches typical of the Spanish style, whether it be terracotta tile roofing or smooth stucco exteriors with earthy color schemes. Contemporary new builds and ranch-styles are common. Prices begin at $240,000 for an 800-square-foot 20th-century home and peak at about $830,000 for a 3,000-square-foot 21st-century home. Manufactured homes and plots of land are also available in Quail Valley. <br><br>Students may attend Quail Valley Elementary, rated B on Niche, Hans Christensen Middle School, rated B and Paloma Valley High, rated A-minus. The high school partners with Mount San Jacinto Community College to offer dual enrollment classes in English, history, math and American Sign Language. <br><br>Quail Valley is part of the newer City of Menifee within Riverside County. Homes are located in between Interstates 15 and 215, so residents can make a straightforward commute south to Murrieta or Temecula. “The traffic’s a nightmare, but people live with it because of the quality of life,” Evans says. Going north, Ontario International Airport is about 43 miles up Interstate 15. Additionally, the Riverside Transit Agency bus route occasionally stops along Goetz Road, taking passengers to Menifee, Murrieta and Perris Station Transit Center. Menifee Global Medical Center is less than 7 miles east.<br><br>Quail Valley is predominately residential, but nearby grocery stores like Canyon Lake Market and Stater Bros. Markets serve the area. Restaurants such as Mi Pueblo Authentic, serving Mexican cuisine for breakfast, lunch and dinner, are a short drive away. The Canyon Cowboy is the place to go for a night out, offering country-style eats and weekly live music performances. Plenty of chain cafes and restaurants are also available within a short distance from Quail Valley.<br><br>On the hiking and biking trails in the hills surrounding Quail Valley, people “aren’t supposed to ride dirt bikes or offroad vehicles, but you’ll see horses and paragliders in the area,” says Cassandra Borja, Realtor with Coldwell Banker serving Southern California with over 20 years of experience. Further north lies the Roy W. Kabian Memorial Park, an expansive 640-acre park crisscrossed by more hiking and equestrian trails that come alive during springtime foliage blooms. Residents can also head to La Ladera Park for the baseball, soccer and tennis facilities. Though the neighborhood borders Canyon Lake, this body of water is private and not accessible to Quail Valley residents. So for a day on the lake, residents can head to Lake Elsinore, just southwest of the neighborhood.<br><br>Residents can stay up to date on local happenings through the Quail Valley Community Group. The group meets quarterly and often hears from guest speakers, like officers from the Menifee Police Department. The group also alerts residents to events throughout the year, such as annual Quail Valley Clean Up, the family-friendly Menifee Multicultural Festival, and the free Thanksgiving meal hosted by the City of Menifee.<br><br>While Quail Valley hillsides are very susceptible to wildfires, “homes are not in the fire zone,” Evans says. Still, clearing brush away from properties is a good practice for fire prevention. Additionally, residents can also sign up for Alert Menifee to be notified of public safety emergencies, and refer to Genasys Protect, an interactive map that shows local evacuation routes.