Via el Rocio, Mission Viejo

In Mission Viejo, it really seems like they built the streets and houses around a bunch of parks. Near my sister’s street, Via El Rocio, near Trabuco and Alicia, there are 3 pretty good sized parks. And, if her kids get bored of the jungle gyms, basketball courts, volleyball courts, softball diamonds and all of that open space, they can bike on up to Mission Viejo Lake to swim or boat. Pretty amazing.
Her move there was obviously calculated, not just for the parks, but, also for the completely central location. Within 5 minutes of her house: the freeway, the lake, her dentist, her doctor, Ralphs, CVS, Big Lots, Trader Joes and a decent selection of family restaurants including her favorite sushi place.

Her kids belong to the YMCA which has a beautiful facility a short bike ride away. Further down the road are the Shoppes at Mission Viejo – for major shopping – which is just across from the Kaleidoscope – for movies and other family entertainment.

The nice thing about her neighborhood is that it feels as if it is far away from the crowd. Bordered by park land on the east and south, and with no direct access from the major streets, her neighborhood enjoys very low traffic flow and a sense of security for the kids who roam freely.

It is south Orange County, so the houses are fairly big, all 2 story with lots of palm trees and swimming pools. Still it’s an unassuming neighborhood full of friendly people who enjoy the quiet suburban life.