Santa Clarita

In the late 1980s, Saugus and three neighboring communities merged to form the City of Santa Clarita. Named after Saugus, Massachusetts, this SoCal area maintains an identity that’s entirely its own. “It’s a great little neighborhood tucked into the mountains,” says Georgia Rios, communications specialist with the City of Santa Clarita. “The schools are great, we have many beautiful parks and a lot of people who work in the community also live here.”<br><br>The houses in Saugus are much more architecturally varied than those found closer to Los Angeles, and range from bungalows, ranches, and colonial homes in older sections, to the larger tract homes found in newer developments — many of which trade yard space for square footage. You’ll see four-bedroom craftsman-style homes priced around $900,000 and Spanish-style estate homes that are going for $1.1 million and higher. There are also a few gated communities with homes fetching $1.6 million. <br><br>Saugus Union School District, which has a B+ rating from Niche, serves the elementary population with a total of 15 schools. Mountainview Elementary School is a California Distinguished School and a National Blue Ribbon School with a focus on rigorous academics and civic learning. Seventh- and eighth-grade students can attend Arroyo Seco Junior High School where their well rounded educational experience includes technology and culinary courses as well as improv and robotics clubs. Saugus High School, rated A by Niche, offers students a wide range of vocational, college-prep, AP and honors courses. Students and staff also benefit from an active parent-teacher organization that supports school programs and sponsors a senior scholarship.<br><br>Saugus is home to more than a dozen parks, ranging from small but scenic playgrounds and dog walking spots like Bouquet Canyon Park, to large city parks with hiking trails, like Haskell Open Space or Central Park. “Central Park is a big pull for our area with lots of places to walk,” Rios says. “The space is often used for concerts in the park and festivals such as the Boots & Brews Country Music Festival.” If you want an all-day outdoor experience, nearby Placerita Canyon State Park has a nature center with regular events for kids, fantastic views of the valley, and dozens of miles of hiking trails that extend into Angeles National Forest. <br><br>Wherever you live in Saugus, just about every house is within a few minutes of an Albertsons, Ralphs, or Smart & Final. There are also a number of specialty supermarkets nearby, including Sprouts, Trader Joes, and Filipino chain Seafood City. General retail is more centralized, mostly on either side of the Santa Clara River Basin, where you can find big box department stores like Walmart, Home Depot, and Ross Dress for Less, as well as Westfield Valencia Town Center, a large mall with a variety of smaller shops and boutiques. <br><br>The area’s restaurant scene includes a few mid-range chains like Islands restaurant and Stonefire Grill, a few breweries — Pocock is the local standout — and Mexican restaurants ranging from take-out joints like Guanatos Tacos to more upscale places like Sabor Cocina Mexicana. “The Original Saugus Café is a true community staple,” Rios says. “It was the first restaurant in LA County and still has an old-timey vibe.” Here you can order omelets, Belgian waffles and a variety of lunch specials.<br><br>Saugus is home to a number of small local events each year, ranging from outdoor concerts in Central Park to community Easter egg hunts. “Saugus has a strong community vibe, and a lot of our teachers and first responders are also residents,” Rios says. There are also a couple of events that draw people to Saugus from out of town. The annual Boots & Brews Country Music Festival celebrates Santa Clarita’s country history (once upon a time, the area was mostly ranches), and regularly brings in major talents such as Brad Paisley. Each winter, tourists come from all over L.A. to visit the Christmas decorations in north Saugus, particularly those at Wakefield Winter Wonderland — a small enclave of houses on Wakefield Court that take holiday spirit to a whole new level. <br>For everyday fun, there are also a number of entertainment options in Saugus. The Cube skating rink hosts youth and adult hockey leagues while MB2 entertainment, a pocket-sized amusement park, offers mini golf, go karts, laser tag, and duckpin bowling. If you’re looking for a full-size amusement park, Six Flags Magic Mountain is just down the road in west Santa Clarita.<br><br>Residents of Saugus can access the 5 to the west and the 14 to the east. There are also bus stops, operated by the City of Santa Clarita transit, peppered throughout the area. If you’re looking for a SoCal suburban lifestyle where neighbors often become friends, Saugus might be your ideal.

Tucked away in one of Santa Clarita’s most picturesque elevations, Golden Valley Ranch is a neighborhood of brand-new gated communities with front-row access to thousands of acres of natural scenery. Located in the eastern reaches of the city, it includes a shopping center, fire station, elementary school, park, and the 55-and-over Verano community. <br><br>“New construction is a big deal,” says Realtor Zach McReynolds, owner of NextHome Real Estate Rockstars. “They’re all pretty modern with open concept style interiors. It’s very family friendly.” <br><br>Within the residential landscape, home styles include elegant ranchers, five-bedroom Mission Revival stunners, earth-tone stucco mansions, modern farmhouse designs and bright two-story Coastal Prairie style homes in the Verano community. These homes are brand-new — all built in the last decade, with some constructed as recently as 2021. A two-bedroom rancher typically costs between $650,000 and $750,000, while larger homes with more square-footage can cost between $1 million and $1.5 million. The neighborhood centers around the Aliento Terrace Clubhouse, featuring large farmhouse patios and elegant stonework. The Clubhouse offers residents a fitness center with panoramic views, an event lawn, bocce court, outdoor fireplace, and extravagant swimming pools with private cabanas. <br><br>The Dogwood Gated Community Park offers pups a flat open space to run and play, peppered with low boulders for resting. The main trailhead for Bothwell Memorial Park invites residents to hike and bike through hills overlooking the valley. There are plenty of trails that will take you deep in the Golden Valley Ranch Open Space, a 900-acre preserve of chaparral-covered slopes and oak woodlands that stretch across the nearby ridgelines. For a short, strenuous hike, you can trek to the top of Horse Peak, the highest point in Santa Clarita at about 2,400 feet. <br><br>Elementary age students in Golden Valley Ranch attend Golden Oak Community School, a public elementary school on the neighborhood’s northeastern edge. Golden Oak’s active PTA helps host book fairs, dances and assemblies. Upperclassmen attend highly rated schools like La Mesa Junior High and Golden Valley High, both of which hold “A” ratings from Niche, an online school review site. “We’re seeing an influx of people moving to the area, and schools are a big part of that,” McReynolds says. <br><br>In the Plaza at Golden Valley, residents can shop nearly 50 stores including Kohls, T.J. Maxx, Target and Bed Bath & Beyond. The shopping center also offers fast food options, office supply stores, professional services and salons. Eateries here include national chains such as Panera and Chili’s. Locals can also dine on subs and pizza at Tomato Joe’s Pizza and Taps, or opt for open-flame charburgers at the Habit Burger Grill. Nationally famous Crumbl Cookies is also here, baking gourmet sweets for in-store purchase or delivery in signature pink-box multipacks. Head just a few minutes north and you can shop at big box stores and grocers like Costco and Stater Bros. Markets, a go-to destination for fresh produce and meats. <br><br>Not a neighborhood known for hosting festivals or a calendar of weekend events, Golden Valley Ranch focuses on maintaining its oasis atmosphere. It also borders Antelope Valley Freeway, easing your commute whether you’re heading north to the desert or south to Los Angeles. With brand-new homes in a beautiful, natural setting, life in Golden Valley Ranch is designed to deliver convenience and refreshment.