Norco

The Riverside County town of Norco is made for an equestrian lifestyle, rightfully earning the nickname Horsetown USA. Residents may feel like they’ve stepped onto the set of an old Western film as they peruse the street’s Western-wear shops, saloons and eateries. Jewels Farmer, Keller Williams Realtor and Norco resident, speaks warmly of the neighborhood. "People don’t realize we’re here, this big horse community in the middle of Southern California. And we're like those typical small towns in the Midwest. We all know each other and know what's going on," she says. Instantly noticeable, the grand Santa Ana Mountains provide the perfect backdrop for Norco's outdoorsy image. There are also many recreational areas. Hawks Crest Park includes a corral and hitching posts, an arena, playground and picnic tables. Sitting just outside the northwest border of the neighborhood is Silver Lakes Sports Complex for soccer and horse shows. In northern Norco, a diagonal swath of the Santa Ana River runs east to west. Most housing in the area is made up of single-family homes. One-story 1950s ranchers are common, and they average three bedrooms and two baths on flat lots. Modern single and two story homes built in the early 2000's line Norco hills that are spacious with large floorplans and beautiful amenities. "The houses have large lots and you can have up to five horses per half acre," Farmer says. She also talks about Norco's rule of maintenance when it comes to animal keeping. "Only so much of a property can be developed, and a certain percentage has to be kept for animal keeping and crops." Home prices in this area tend to begin around $600,000 for a unit with two beds and one bath. They can go as high as $2.5 million for a larger home with four beds and three baths. According to Farmer, there are lots of local events held in Norco Farms throughout the year. "Because it's a very patriotic community with lots of military and firemen, we have big Veterans Day and Memorial Day events. Lots of community events. We have Horse Week, the Norco Fair, and Day of the Cowboy. There's a lighted parade at Christmastime where everybody puts lights on floats, which are usually golf carts, tractors and horses," she says. There are plenty of local restaurants to choose from in the neighborhood. Senor Tacos dishes up authentic Mexican food while Norco's Famous Sixth Street Deli & Grill features a large sandwich menu and lots of hot entrees. Residents can pick up groceries at Stater Bros. Markets or Grocery Outlet. Students can attend schools in the Norco-Corona School District. Sierra Vista Elementary School was given a B-plus rating from Niche while Norco Intermediate School, which teaches grades 7-8, was given an A-minus. Norco High School has a B-plus rating and has a popular local following with its football team, the Norco Cougars. To drive the neighborhood’s focus on horse-riding home, sidewalks are scarce, hitching posts are common and some of Norco’s 140 miles of horse trails run right through the neighborhood. "There's hitching posts in front of everything. Even if you go to Taco Bell! The buttons are high on crosswalks for that reason," Farmer says. The neighborhood is also centrally located off the 15 Freeway and is between state routes 91 and 60. From these state routes, residents can commute to major cities like Los Angeles and popular destinations like Disneyland in Anaheim.

Meandering the streets of Norco Hills, you won’t find many sidewalks. Instead, like a scene from a Hollywood Western, horses trot a roadside trail system spanning more than 100 miles in this quiet neighborhood that proudly embraces its rural identity. Fifty miles east of Los Angeles on the south side of Norco, this Riverside County town operates as an equestrian historic district that bills itself as Horsetown, USA. Among street named Harness Lane and Stirrup Way, it’s not uncommon to see a horse and rider ambling through the Starbucks drive-thru. “Norco is kind of a unique animal,” says Mayor Kevin Bash. I think it’s because we fight hard to keep our semirural lifestyle, and we’re willing to sacrifice some of the things a lot of city folks think they want.”