Rancho Santa Fe is a quiet escape blanketed by a thick forest of eucalyptus trees and the soft chorus of birdsong. A highly-wooded community in the otherwise dry mediterranean climate of San Diego county, Rancho Santa Fe features citrus and olive groves, sprawling hilltop estates with fabulous views of mountains, oceans, and valleys.
Located just a 5-minute drive from the Del Mar racetrack, Rancho Santa Fe became a hotspot for Hollywood celebrities during Hollywood’s golden age, thanks to Bing Crosby. Rancho Santa Fe is home to many historic properties. The most famous of these is the ranch of Theodoso Osuna, a Spaniard who traveled to San Diego in the 1780’s, and whose son became the first “alcalde,” or mayor of San Diego in 1834. Bing Crosby bought the “Osuna Ranch” in Rancho Santa Fe and opened up the Del Mar race track the same year.
Although the celebrities of the golden age of Hollywood have long since gone, Rancho Santa Fe continues to attract a prestigious segment of homeowners. Rancho Santa Fe tops the list of richest communities in the United States. In a list of 100 highest-income places with at least 1,000 households, Rancho Santa Fe ranks at number #1. Also, according to CNN Money, Rancho Santa Fe is ranked number one in the US with the highest percentage (96%) of million-dollar homes.
Today, Rancho Santa is made up of many small, but distinctive neighborhoods. Some areas, such as Fairbanks Ranch, The Crosby Estate, The Bridges, Rancho Santa Fe Farms, and the Del Mar Country Club, are communities associated with the golf courses upon which they’re built around.
In 1927 residents formed the Rancho Santa Fe Association and adopted a protective covenant to insure the “preservation, maintenance, development, and improvement of property” in Rancho Santa Fe. Ever since, the central core of Rancho Santa Fe proper has been called “The Covenant.” This is the location of the Rancho Santa Fe Village, with it’s centerpiece property of The Inn at Rancho Santa Fe, set above a grassy knoll overlooking the main street.
It’s also the location of the community center, library, art guild, tennis club, the Roger Rowe elementary and middle school, Rancho Santa Fe golf course, and various businesses, shops, and restaurants. By popular demand, there is no direct mail delivery within The Covenant, as residents prefer to gather at the post office to collect their mail and interact with neighbors.
Rancho Santa Fe’s architectural inclinations are pre-dominantly of the Spanish colonial style – white adobe accentuated with Spanish tile situated upon large ranch-style properties. Large, lavish estates open up to luxuriously fashioned interiors, complete with courtyards and verandas. Rancho Santa Fe is also a popular town for horse owners. One finds many stables and corrals upon private properties and the area is home to over 50 miles of horse and hiking trails.
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