I’m not so much of a bubble snob as to turn my nose up at the other pockets of good living in and around Los Angeles.  There are other ideal places to live and raise a family in comfort around here. People do it everywhere, of course, and what’s comfortable for one family might not be so for another. But the universal goal is to find a place that has affordable homes, good schools, and access to shops and recreation areas. (And I would add plenty of parking, please.)

Whenever I go out of my house, drive around Agoura Hills in my car, take a hike in one of our surrounding hills, or simply look out of my office window at Ladyface Mountain, I marvel at the beauty of this area, and I mentally pinch myself (because actually pinching myself would hurt) because it seems like a dream that we landed here.

Valencia’s planned communities seem custom-made to welcome people and make them feel at home in a similar way.

Valencia, otherwise known as “Awesometown,” is north of the San Fernando Valley on the 5 freeway. You might have heard of Magic Mountain? Yeah, it’s up that way. The town prides itself for having the nice neighborhoods, the dubious access to Los Angeles area jobs (you know, despite the traffic) and a growing center of industry right in town, and top-rated public schools. We have family friends who live there. I have seen the beautifully maintained planned walkways and community pools and lovely homes that foster neighborhood activity and outdoor living – if our friends’ kids are any proof, the children in Valencia play a lot of sports. There are more than 30 miles of walkways in Valencia.

Three new neighborhoods in the West Hills section of Valencia are being unveiled by builder D.R. Horton next Saturday, April 20, at the Al Fresco Street Festival, which will feature live music, prizes, and model home tours. Some of my pals from the blogging world will be there giving presentations on style, decor, and entertaining!

Highgate in West Hills will feature spacious single–family homes priced from the high $500s with three to five bedrooms, three and one-half to four and one-half bathrooms and approximately 2,638 to 2,994 square feet of living space – these homes are perfect for a growing family.

Priced from the mid $600s, single-family homes at Belmont in West Hills feature approximately 2,892 to 3,705 square feet of living space with three to six bedrooms and two and one-half to five and one-half bathrooms. In addition, new homes at Belmont in West Hills offer D.R. Horton’s HomeShare home, which includes a separate living suite, including a bedroom, full bath, kitchenette and living room with a private entry – perfect for extended family or visiting guests.

Monument in West Hills offers single-family homes ranging from approximately 3,519 to 3,949 square feet of living space from the low $700s. With four to six bedrooms, three and one-half to five and one-half bathrooms and D.R. Horton’s HomeShare home with separate living suite and private entry – these homes are functional for the entire family.

All of these neighborhoods come complete with a new paseo – the carefully crafted network of trails, walkways, and bridges that Valencia is known for.  For more information about the Al Fresco Street Festival or to poke around and dream about living in such a gorgeous new home, visit Valencia’s blog.

This is a sponsored post. And how awesome that I get to use “Awesometown” in a sentence!