Mentone

In the foothills of southern California’s San Bernardino Mountains, residents of Upper Yucaipa-Rolling Hills dwell in a quiet suburban community amid a vast rural landscape. Yucaipa means “green valley” in the language of the native Serrano people, and a walk down one of the long residential streets in Upper Yucaipa-Rolling Hills will convince any local or visitor of how apt this name is. Hundreds of Spanish-influenced homes line hilly lanes flanked by green lawns and sidewalks, with the towering mountains forming a stunning backdrop. This purely residential community is an oasis of greenery and quiet just a few miles from the majesty of the imposing San Bernardino Mountains, and competitively priced homes make this community a compelling choice for people looking to live within a 2-hour drive from Los Angeles and a half-hour’s commute from San Bernardino. Realtor Jose Sepulveda, a REMAX agent specializing in the Inland Empire region, says of Yucaipa, “There are some really incredible views. You’re surrounded by the San Bernardino National Forest, and the city sits about 12,000 feet higher than neighboring Redlands, helping to create the occasional snowfall.” Upper Yucaipa -Rolling Hills is a predominantly residential area, with warrens of quiet streets branching off from Bryant Street. Residences are split between single-family houses and manufactured or mobile homes. Stucco walls and Spanish tiles adorn the multistory mission and Spanish revival-style dwellings of the avenues and cul-de-sacs, with expansive one-story ranchers closer to the area’s parks. Mobile and manufactured home parks offer single-story housing options for less expensive prices. This housing variety also accounts for diverse homebuying options; manufactured homes sell for between $50,000 and $130,000, while larger homes sell for up to $1 million. Students attend a school district with favorable ratings from Niche, including the B-rated Ridgeview Elementary School, the B-rated Park View Middle School and the B-plus-rated Yucaipa High School. Yucaipa High offers its own unique selection of “academies,” including a biomedical program, with the goal of providing students with career training in addition to a solid education. This neighborhood contains the Yucaipa Regional Park, home to the local community center as well as campgrounds and other recreational amenities. Visitors can take a stroll by the playgrounds and tall trees as they watch clouds drift and sail down the sloping mountains; RV and tent campgrounds invite locals to make the most of Yucaipa’s abundance of nature. Right in the center of the area is a subsection of the San Bernardino Mountains called the Crafton Hills, which offer miles of hiking. Adventurers can trek up the area’s ridge trail, a moderately challenging route, to reach Zanja Peak. The color and expanse of the San Bernardino Valley are on full display to hikers, with the town in view and the even-higher San Bernardino Mountains looming to the east. Upper Yucaipa-Rolling Hills is primarily residential, though some small stores offer goods and services. For an in-home touch, Firewife Bars and Jars offers natural soap products. In Downtown Yucaipa, Stater Bros. Markets can help stock the kitchen, and it's adjacent to several franchise cafes and restaurants. Sepulveda adds, “One of the things that many residents of Yucaipa do enjoy is the small-town feel that you get here. It offers that close, small-town feel where many of the residents feel that they know everyone in town. It is possible that you may see a few familiar faces at the store, the gas station, or maybe some of the events that they host here in town, like concerts, parades, and farmer’s markets.” Proximity to Downtown Yucaipa and the nearby urban hub of Redlands just 10 miles away gives residents access to the best of the Inland Empire, but with quiet open spaces to call home.