East Shelldrake Cir, Woodward Park

I happened to be visiting someone in the area so I got curious about the Best Street in California and supposedly one of the best streets in the entire country and I must say that on seeing it I was underwhelmed. That is not to say that this isn't a very nice place to live and one that I am sure most of the people here really like, but the best street in the state it is definitetly not. First of all, its just a circle, with maybe four houses on it. Second, it is one of those planned neighborhoods with the manacured lawns that makes you feel like you are living in the Stepford Wives. Its like everything just feels more than a little bit overly manacured--too lacking in authenticity to really appeal to our sense of the beautiful.

Fresno is just too flat to be called beautiful no matter how nice a house is. In a planned neigbhorhood like this there is just too much of the same to really appeal to the imagination. I also visited it a couple of weeks ago when the weather was still relatively cool in the Bay Area. I can only imagine what a furnace it is around now. I would take almost any street closer to the ocean than one in land where the temperatures sore.

And, unfortunately, whatever the attractions of Fresno may be, a mecca for fun seekers it is not. I mean, what can you do in Fresno that you can't do in a million other places in the United States. And think of all the things you can't do. Where is the museum that you can go to? Where is there a cool park with odd types to go hang out with? Where is the cool little coffee house (I don't mean a Starbucks or a Peets)? I mean I really don't see how this street can compare the to hundreds of much more interesting, more compelling and more authentically unique streets in the Bay Area. (I am not even completely convinced it is the best street in Fresno or even in its own neighborhood.)

Perfect location. Woodward Park is 1/4 mile away, Catholic Church, Gold's Gym, fine and casual dining within walking distance as is a highly desired Valley Oak Elementary School. A river walking path is located nearby. The street is in the Woodward Lake community development. A private lake is the centerpiece of this development where community member can use paddle boats or row boats for exercise of to fish. There is a community pool with tennis courts, basketball court and a community center with an exercise gym. What more could a neighborhood offer?