San Andreas Rd, Rio del Mar

San Andreas Road is the perfect, new, modern, development community, with one extra bonus that differentiates it from similar, more culturally void areas in other parts of the nation: it is near the beach. Seascape Village is right around the corner, and the Pacific Ocean is less than a five-minute drive away (depending on where you are coming from). With the 1 right there, it is almost as easy to get to hip and happening Santa Cruz as it is to get to the lovely, seemingly remote beaches in Aptos.

The down side, of course, is that large, modern homes in affluent beach communities are going to be expensive. San Andreas is certainly no exception. While nearby Seascape Village is cool, with a couple of great food options and delicious margaritas at the Mexican restaurant, it is no substitute for the nightlife of other nearby towns. I could see kids here being bored if they do not go to the beach all the time, and young adults being even more bored unless they choose to go into Santa Cruz. But if nightlife is what you are seeking, why not just live in the thick of it? There are plenty of people who would kill to live here.