Visalia

Shannon Ranch, located a couple of miles north of Downtown Visalia, is a planned community young in homes and residents alike. “It’s a newer sub-division, but it has a really welcoming feel,” says Realtor Joanna Torres of Modern Broker, who is also a Shannon Ranch resident. “The residents are young, but they have a lot of pride in their homes and are active with block parties and big celebrations for every holiday.” The median year built for a home in Shannon Ranch is 2006, while the median age of a resident is 31. People over the age of 65 make up just 8% of the population in Shannon Ranch, compared to 18% nationally. While young, homebuyers are firmly putting down roots as 86% of residents in Shannon Ranch own property. Houses in Shannon Ranch are newer than homebuyers can find in the rest of Visalia. Most of the homes were built in the 2000s and are largely custom contemporary builds. Many have stucco facades and barrel tile roofs. Prices range from $360,000 to $600,000, making it one of the more expensive areas in Visalia. Houses sit on quiet residential roads. While lot sizes are narrow, many feature large backyards and private pools. Parking is easy as homes have driveways and attached multi-car garages. Trees shade the wide sidewalks, making it an easy neighborhood for dog walking. With over 34% of the population being under 18 years old, local schools are important to Shannon Ranch parents. Kids in Shannon Ranch attend the Visalia Unified School District. Those living east of Mooney begin at Riverway Elementary, which has a B-minus Niche grade. Those west of Mooney head to Shannon Ranch Elementary, which has a B-plus Niche rating. Next is Green Acres Middle School, which holds an A-minus Niche rating. Niche named Green Acres a Standout Middle School. “All three of the schools are within walking distance to most of the homes, so parents can have their kids walk to school all the way up to high school,” says Torres. Teens go to Golden West High School, which holds a B-plus Niche ranking and was named one of the top 15 high schools in Tulare County by Niche. Sports fans love living near the Riverway Sports Park located on the neighborhood’s east end. The massive park has four baseball fields, four softball fields and 10 soccer fields; it serves as a major venue for youth sports. The park also offers a splash pad to cool off during the summer and playground equipment for children. There are several small neighborhood parks scattered throughout Shannon Ranch, and many of these feature small grass areas and playground equipment. Those looking for indoor exercise can head to Planet Fitness, located off Walnut Avenue. There are plenty of spots to grab a bite to eat off North Dinuba Boulevard. Foodies can hit Mountain Mike’s Pizza for a slice or full pie. Shanghai Chinese is a local favorite with a relaxed vibe. Figaro’s Mexican Southwestern Grill has outdoor patio seating perfect for enjoying a margarita in the sun. There are also plenty of nationally recognized chain spots to grab a quick meal along Dinuba Boulevard. Residents can get grocery shopping done at Save Mart or head to Target to pick up a variety of household items. Retail shopping is just a few miles away in Downtown Visalia. Getting around town is easy, as Visalia Public Transit has bus stops all throughout Shannon Ranch. The neighborhood is just a couple of miles from Highway 99, which provides access to Fresno 40 miles north.

Downtown Visalia is an action-packed and growing neighborhood, where everything is just a few blocks off Main Street. “Visalia has been ranked as one of the happiest cities in the country,” says Susan Cardenas with RE/MAX Success, who has nearly a decade of experience in Visalia. “We’re welcoming so many new people and new businesses, so the growth is just going to continue to flow out from Downtown.” Visalia’s growth has been seen nowhere clearer than in its now vibrant Downtown district. Main Street and the surrounding areas have been infused with a bounty of spots to eat, drink and shop. Within a few blocks, residents can check out a children’s museum, a Minor League Baseball game or see a concert. Main Street is the spot for dining and shopping in Downtown Visalia. Foodies can hit Fugazzi’s Italian for classic pasta dishes, pizzas and specialty cheesecakes. For elevated Mexican favorites, locals hit El Tarasco, which has tableside mixology for cocktails on Friday nights. Diners are greeted by a life-size Samurai warrior manikin at Sushi Kuu, and Hong Kong Lum Lums is a hip spot for Chinese food with exposed brick and modern overhead lighting. Sequoia Brewing has dozens of brews on tap for beer lovers, and Competent Coffee is a local spot known for fancy lattes, donuts and outdoor seating. Ziaya’s Gift Shop has candles, jewelry and more and is one of many boutique shops off Main Street. Grocery shoppers can hit the Smart and Final off Main or head south of Highway 198 for access to Walmart. There’s plenty of action in Downtown Visalia. Locals can head to Valley Strong Ballpark to catch a Visalia Rawhide game. The Minor League team has called Visalia home since 1946. “Fans, especially families, come out for the fireworks after Friday night games,” says Brooke Buhl of Houstir Realty, who has a decade of experience. The historic Fox Theater shows classic movies and is also the go-to spot for concerts and plays. Kids can explore the ImagineU Children’s Museum, and movie lovers can check out the newest blockbuster hits at the Regal Cinema. The Tulare County Library has events throughout the year, like scavenger hunts and book clubs. There are many small parks throughout the neighborhood with playground equipment and greenspace for those looking for fresh air. Most of the homes in Downtown Visalia are ranch-style builds from the early 20th century with brick or stucco exteriors. Prices range from just under $200,000 to $350,000. Many older homes are on large lots with space for a private pool in the backyard. Mature oak and palm trees shade the sidewalks, which make it easy to walk to local attractions. Residents may have to park on the street, as not every home has attached garages. Neighbors may come and go, as over 70% of the population rents. Despite the high rental rates, there are few apartment buildings in the neighborhood and most rent houses. Kids attend the Visalia Unified School District. Many will either begin schooling at the C-minus-rated Highland Elementary School or the B-minus-rated Mineral King Elementary School, according to Niche. Next, most students head to Valley Oak Middle School, which has a B-minus Niche rating. Most teens will attend Golden West High School, which has a B-plus grade on Niche. Niche praised Golden West for having some of the best teachers in the state, and the Golden West Trailblazers boys’ soccer team is a perennial power, winning many district titles in the past 10 years. Downtown Visalia is bordered to the south by Highway 198. Locals can take this road to Highway 99, which provides access to Fresno and the rest of the San Joaquin Valley. The Visalia Public Transit bus system has frequent stops all over Downtown for quick travel around the neighborhood.

Northeast Visalia is a quickly growing suburb located 40 miles south of Fresno. “This is the part of town that is still growing,” says Lisette Sabrina, a Realtor with Keller Williams Central Valley who has sold over 25 properties in the area. “All of the development is happening north of 198, so the northside is where people want to be.” The neighborhood is not just young in terms of construction. The median resident age is 33, and 32% of the population is under 18. Prominent Highway 198 borders Northeast Visalia to the south and leads directly to the downtown area, which has vibrant restaurants and breweries. The highway also provides quick access to Highway 99 for those who commute up to Fresno for work. Northeast Visalia is a cluster of subdivisions and of the over 1700 homes, the overwhelming majority were built over the past two decades. On the west side, there are plenty of midcentury ranch-style homes, while the eastern end has more modern, trendy farmhouse and Spanish-influenced homes. Prices range from $300,000 for an older property to nearly $700,000 for a five-bedroom new build. “Anything under $500,000 will go off the market quickly,” says Sabrina. Homes feature driveways and multi-car garages. The homes have backyards that have enough room for a private pool. The streets are quiet, and the sidewalks are wide, so walking the dog is easy. The St. John’s River Trailhead is located in northeast Visalia. Locals head to the four-mile trail for walking and jogging with a great view of the St. John’s River. Near the river is Harrell Grove, which has a playground and an off-leash area for dogs. Mill Creek Park has community grills and picnic tables for an afternoon lunch. The park also has a soccer field and an open play area. Just to the west is downtown Visalia, which features a movie theater and the ImangineU Children’s Museum. Kids in the neighborhood head to the Visalia Unified School District. Those living north of Mill Creek begin at Golden Oak Elementary, which has a C-plus Niche rating, while those south of the creek go to the B-minus-rated Mineral King Elementary School. Nearly all the kids in the neighborhood then go to Valley Oak Middle School, which has a B-minus Niche ranking. Golden West High School holds a B-plus overall ranking and is noted for having great teachers and student diversity. The boys' soccer team at Golden West has won nine of the last 10 league championships. There are a few eateries located west of the neighborhood on Houston Avenue. Locals can grab fast-casual Mexican favorites from Taqueria Don Taco. Krathom Lek is an Asian fusion restaurant with a laidback atmosphere, while Me n Ed’s Pizzeria is a casual spot for pizza and sandwiches. For a quick cup of coffee to start the day, locals visit The Human Bean. Houston Avenue is also home to grocery stores like Foodmaxx and Mercado Sol Del Valle. The neighborhood is just minutes from downtown, which has plenty of other dining and shopping options. The neighborhood is served by Visalia Transit, and there are frequent bus stops along the busier streets in Northeast Visalia, including Houston Avenue and Millcreek Parkway. Highway 199 borders the neighborhood to the south and provides access to Fresno in under 45 minutes. Others can take weekend trips to Sacramento or Los Angeles, which are both about three hours away.

Southeast Visalia is an ever-growing, diverse neighborhood with great proximity to the restaurants and shopping that make the southern half of the city desirable. “Whenever we talk about southern Visalia, we always talk about how close it is to the retail and dining scene,” says Jayne Willis of Real Estate by Design, who has over 15 years of experience in the area. “We have first-time buyers, move-up and move-down buyers in the neighborhood; it’s really a mix of everything.” The neighborhood is about two miles east of Mooney Avenue, which is the retail hub of Visalia, featuring many big box outlets. Southeast Visalia is also just minutes away from downtown, which is the culinary center of Visalia. There is one major shopping center with retail and dining options in Southeast Visalia, but the majority of the neighborhood is residential. Homes in Southeast Visalia range from ranch-style bungalows to larger Mediterranean builds with the vast majority being built in the 2000s. Prices range from $315,000 for a two-bedroom rancher to over $600,000 for a five-bedroom new build. “Visalia has grown like a circle over the past 20 years, so the larger, newer homes are further to the southeast from the center of town,” says Willis. The neighborhood is comprised of planned communities. These clusters of homes sit on quiet residential streets and feature multi-car garages for easy parking. Large backyards are great for entertaining and are big enough for private pools. Sidewalks are wide, well-paved and shaded by valley oak trees, making it comfortable to walk the dog or head down to a neighbor’s house for dinner. The large neighborhood is served by the Visalia Unified School District. Kids living south of Walnut Avenue attend Annie R. Mitchell Elementary, which has a B-minus Niche score. North of Walnut and east of Lovers Lane, children go to Mineral King Elementary School, which has a B-minus Niche rating, while those west of Lovers head to Pinkham Elementary School, which holds a C rating. Most kids attend Divisadero Middle School, which has a B-minus ranking, while Golden West High has a B-plus ranking. Golden West was ranked one of the top schools overall in Tulare County and one of the best in all of California for student-athletes by Niche. The majority of the shopping and dining takes place at Mary’s Vinyard Shopping Center in the neighborhood’s northwest corner. Locals can kick the day off with a latte at Jammin’ Java or grab a dessert from Goodies Cookies & Cakes to satisfy that sweet tooth. Round Table Pizza is the go-to spot for pizza in a relaxed atmosphere. Those looking for Pad Thai and other favorites can grab a booth at Thai Basil. Grocery shopping is always convenient with Save Mart and Walmart locations. Boutiques and other retail shopping are available just a few miles away. There are plenty of parks in the area where locals can go and have some fun outside. Kiwanis Park features a playground for children, a basketball court, and a skating area for skateboarders and rollerbladers. Seven Oaks Park is where locals can get out for some disc golf action and let pets run free in the off-leash dog area. Finally, Burke Park is home to a playground and open green space for throwing around a football or setting up a picnic. Blueprint Fitness is the spot to pump iron when it’s too cold to exercise outside. Movie theaters, bowling alleys and more are just north in the downtown district. Southeast Visalia is served by Visalia Transit buses. The fixed-route service has stops along all the major roads in the neighborhood. The neighborhood is bordered to the north by Highway 198, which provides direct access to Highway 99, making it easy to get on the road and head to Fresno for work.

Oval is an old neighborhood east of downtown Visalia that is hoping to turn its fortune around. “The city is trying to make some improvements,” says Sylvia Brown, a staff member at the Catholic School of Visalia. They recently improved the roads and put in a few crosswalks.” The small neighborhood stretches just a few blocks in each direction and is comprised of homes and office buildings. Not many settle in Oval, as nearly 80% of the population rents. Oval is an extremely young neighborhood; the median age of residents is 29, and 36% of the locals are under 18 years old. Only 53.2% of residents 16 years or older are in the workforce. Oval has a CAP Index score of 7 on a 1-10 scale compared to the national average of 4. With the neighborhood dating back to Visalia’s early days, it’s no surprise that the median age for a home in Oval is 1946. Some of these homes are grand Victorian builds with panoramic porches and wood trim that date back to the early 1900s. However, these don’t stay on the market long. “The historical homes are always selling and off the market fast,” says local Realtor Sarah Case of RE/MAX Success, who has 20 years of experience in the real estate industry. More often available are ranch-style homes with attached garages and modest yards. Houses typically range from $280,000 to $400,000, while Victorian homes and larger investment properties may have higher price tags. Kids in Oval attend the Unified Visalia School District. The first stop is Highland Elementary School, which has a C-minus overall grade on Niche. Divisadero Middle School has a B-minus Niche rating. Divisadero has invested in a Mathematics and Reading program called i-ready, which will help students learn inside and outside of the classroom. Mt. Whitney High School has an A-minus overall grade and is one of the top schools in the county. All three schools are outside the neighborhood’s geographical boundaries, so walking to school is not an option. Catholic School of Visalia is a K-8 private option off N. Court Street. Just under 50% of residents over 25 years old have high school diplomas, which is far lower than the Visalia average of 86%. Locals can head to Village Park off of 3rd Avenue for open green space and a playground. Just to the east of the neighborhood on Douglas Avenue is Soroptimist Park. This larger park has a basketball hoop, an open play area and a multi-purpose field. Wittman Village Community Center has indoor basketball courts and group fitness classes. The Ice House Theater is a spot where locals can take in plays and concerts. Just to the south is the Tulare County Library, a movie theater and the ImagineU Children’s Museum. Many of the neighborhood’s restaurants are within walking distance of the houses in Oval. Carniceria Y Taqueria Nueva Italia is a popular lunch and dinner spot with birria and menudo specials. Just down the street is Maxi Raspados, where locals can head for ice cream or shaved ice on a hot summer day. For those looking for Vietnamese, Pho n’ Seafood has classic Pho and Bahn Mi. Grocery shopping is easy with a Smart & Final shop just south of the neighborhood off Center Avenue. There are plenty of other retail and dining options. Visalia Transit serves Oval and the rest of the city. The fixed route system has frequent stops along 2nd Avenue, 3rd Avenue and Locust Street. Highway 99 is just south of the neighborhood and provides easy access to Fresno.

North Visalia is a quiet and charming suburb close to downtown with plenty of space. “The city is growing year after year and expanding to the north where there’s room for more new builds,” says Marco Gonzalez-Esparza, Realtor with Keller Williams Realty Tulare County, who has sold over 70 homes in the area. “You’re close to all the major dining, but it feels like a small town, and it’s a great place to call home.” North Dinuba Boulevard cuts down the middle of the neighborhood and provides direct access to downtown, which is about two miles to the south — a drive of, usually, about ten minutes. Neighbors are likely to get to know one another, as well over half the population owns property. Residents tend to be younger, with a median age of 31, and 34% of locals in North Visalia are 18 years of age. Classic ranch-style, midcentury homes are popular in the southern half of the neighborhood near Oval Park and Downtown Visalia. These houses range from $250,000 to $350,000. Further to the east and north, newly built Craftsman homes are in the $400,000 to $500,000 ballpark. “The price point is great considering how close you are to downtown,” says Gonzalez-Esparza. The neighborhood is made up of subdivisions on quiet residential roads. Houses have yards shaded by large oak trees and attached garages. Large lots allow for private backyard pools. The roads often end in cul-de-sacs, and wide sidewalks make it easy to walk the dog or head down to a neighbor’s house. A bunch of schools serve North Visalia, but all are a part of the Visalia Unified School District. Many will attend Riverway Elementary, which has a B-minus grade on Niche. Others attend Four Creeks Elementary or Crowley Elementary, which both have C-plus grades. The majority of kids in the neighborhood attend Valley Oak Middle School, which has a B-minus rating. Golden West High School has a B-plus overall ranking and has A-minus grades in student diversity and teacher quality. The Golden West Trailblazers boys’ soccer team has won the district championship many times in the last decade. The Riverway Sports Park, on the far north end of the community, is home to many youth sporting events. The complex has 10 soccer fields, four baseball fields, four softball fields and three playgrounds. The park also features an interactive splash pad and plenty of picnic tables. Fairview Village Park, smaller but more centrally located, has playgrounds and a walking trail. The St. John’s Trail is a four-mile paved course that’s popular with local walkers and joggers. The trail follows the St. John’s River and has scenic views. Also in the neighborhood is the Manuel Hernandez Community Center, which has an indoor basketball court, fitness classes and dance clubs. For those who want to spend an afternoon in the true wilderness, North Visalia is a little less than an hour away from Sequoia National Park. "It's one of the best parks in the country," says Gonzalez-Esparza. The Orchard Walk Shopping Center is the go-to spot for retail and dining in North Visalia. The mall is home to Figaro’s Mexican Grill, a casual Mexican joint with outdoor patio seating. A few doors down is Mountain Mike’s Pizza, which has had dine-in and carry-out service since 1978. At the Northside Shopping Center, shoppers can grab groceries from Food 4 Less or grab a scone and latte from Cypress Bakery. South on East Houston Avenue features Krathom Lek Thai Restaurant and Food Maxx. Target’s location on the north end of the neighborhood provides locals with plenty of everyday conveniences. Just a couple of miles south, in downtown, residents can grab a beer at Sequoia Brewing, a glass of wine at Cellar Door or explore one of the dozens of eateries off of Locust and Court Streets. North Visalia sits just a few blocks north of Highway 198, which provides quick access to Highway 99. Locals can use these highways to commute to Fresno for work or head on a weekend trip to Los Angeles or the Bay Area. For more local travel, Visalia Transit buses have frequent stops on all the neighborhood’s major streets.