Communities and Neighborhoods in Riverside, CA

Here is some information on some of the neighborhoods in the area:

Grand: A fair number of the homes here were built prior to 1950 and development peaked in the decade following World War Two. The limited land in Grand has prevented much further development. Tequesquite Park marks the northern edge of this neighborhood and the Martha McLean Anza Narrows Park marks the southwestern edge. Grand has an amazing variety of terrain, with hills in the east, flat lands in the center and a steep slope down into the Santa Ana River basin. This mix offers great opportunities for outdoor recreation.

Downtown: The downtown neighborhood exists as a kind of microcosm for the entire city. Land uses range from low-density residential to high-density apartments and from small commercial buildings to large industrial sites. About a quarter of this region is devoted to natural open space and Fairmount Park is a main attraction for picnicking and outdoor recreation. Lake Evans presents water recreation and its proximity to the heart of downtown make it unique in the cities of today. Many of the downtown buildings maintain local and national historical significance and represent exemplary examples of a variety of historic architectural styles.

Arlington Heights: The focus of this region has always been agriculture and one can still see vast tracts of orange groves and crop fields. Arlington Heights is the meeting place for the Riverside of yesterday and the Riverside of today. The agricultural lifestyle, so key in the growth of the city, is integrating with the modern suburban ideals and creating a unique intersection of natural and man-made terrain. The residential population of this neighborhood is small and spread widely over the land and half the homes here were built between 1960 and 1980. Arlington Heights has one of the lowest residential densities to be found in the city and nearly all of the lots are multi-acre residences.

Canyon Crest: Canyon Crest is one of the largest and most diverse neighborhoods of Riverside. Its diversity is found both in its topography and in its diversity of residents. Most of the development in the neighborhood reflects modern subdivision design and nearly all the land is developed for low-density residential uses. The hilly terrain has shaped development and creates some beautiful views of the surrounding area. The Canyon Crest Town Center is the economic focus for the area and caters to the large student population in the nearby apartments.