Small city along the 101 Freeway surrounded by Salinas Valley farmland
Amid the patchwork quilt of fields blanketing the Salinas Valley, small cities crop up at odd intervals along the 101 Freeway. Greenfield is one such town, a quiet farming community carved out of the rural landscape sandwiched between the Gabilan and Santa Lucia mountains. “It’s a small town in the middle of farmland. There’s not that much here, but the homes are affordable, and the scenery is gorgeous,” says Leslie Arauz, a Realtor with Valley Real Estate Services who has sold multiple homes in Greenfield. For some, it’s just a stop along the highway into San Jose or San Francisco to the north. But for residents, Greenfield has everything they need away from the city, with local markets and restaurants along El Camino Real and parks scattered throughout.
A Signage of Greenfield, California.
A local cyclist going around Greenfield, California.
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Colorful ranch-style homes line the city blocks
Greenfield has a wealth of established homes along the gridded streets near the heart of town in vibrant rows, with some new constructions on the outskirts. These houses come in all shapes and sizes, though ranch-style and Mission Revival homes are popular, with some even combining the two into single-level tiled-roof constructions. Most homes have petite but neat yards tucked behind narrow sidewalk strips, with trees of all kinds planted to beat the summer heat. A fixer-upper two-bedroom cottage on a more modest lot might sell for as low as $210,000. On the upper end, a four-bedroom home with a spacious lawn, fenced-in backyard and a garden can list for $700,000. The median price for a single-family home in Greenfield is $497,000.
The beautiful mountains near Greenfield, California.
This two story home has a beautiful front balcony in Greenfield, California.
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Restaurants and markets along El Camino Real
Local markets line El Camino Real, Greenfield’s main thoroughfare, with others right off the 101 Freeway. Residents can pop in La Princesa Market or Rancho San Miguel Markets for everyday produce and pantry needs, or head make the 35-minute trek into Salinas for big-box stores like Walmart, Home Depot and Kohl’s. Residents grab dinner at El Rinconcito Restaurante y Café, which has vibrant décor paired with rustic wooden tables and is popular for its giant micheladas. For a quick bite, La Plaza Bakery and Café is where locals stop in for pan dulce and coffee on the go.
El Riconcito Restaurante Y Cafe offers the best enchiladas in Greenfield, California.
El Riconcito Restaurante Y Cafe is a great place to take your family to eat in Greenfield.
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The town comes together for the annual Harvest Festival
El Camino Real is typically a busy road, but one day a year it shuts down completely. On the third Sunday in October, the Greenfield Harvest Festival takes over the street; all day long, the community comes together to celebrate the fall season with local vendors, live music and activities for the whole family.
Future Farmers of America attend King City High
Greenfield is zoned to three school districts: Greenfield Union Elementary School District, South Monterey County Joint Union High School District, and King City Union School District. Kids attending King City schools can start at Del Rey Elementary and Chalone Peaks Middle, which both score a C-minus from Niche. Students then graduate from King City High, rated a B-minus by Niche. The high school offers many agricultural sciences courses and has had a Future Farmers of America chapter since 1929, which today has been ranked as the No. 3 chapter in California.
Greenfield, California has a lot of agriculture land surrounding the city.
Cool off at Oak Park’s swimming pool
In addition to multiple neighborhood parks, the city has one community park: Patriot Park, home to the Greenfield Community Center. This park has ample sporting facilities, and on weekends, there’s always sure to be something going on at the soccer field or the baseball diamond. Families will also enjoy Oak Park, which has an admission fee of $1.50 per person but offers plenty of shade beneath sprawling trees for picnicking. It also boasts a large playground for entertaining the kids and a swimming pool complete with slides, perfect for taking a dip on hot days.
Patriot Park has a basketball court to master your shooting skills in Greenfield, California.
The local library in Greenfield, California.
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Traveling to other cities along the 101 Freeway
Located along US Route 101, Greenfield is approximately 35 minutes or 35 miles from Salinas. “People live in Greenfield, but they drive into Salinas for things to do and major events like the rodeo. Monterey has even more since it's on the coast, but it’s a little further, about an hour away,” Arauz says. San Joe is even farther, about 95 miles to the north, or 135 miles to San Francisco, making both cities within reach for a day trip. For those who want to get around without a car, Monterey-Salinas Transit buses have stops along El Camino Real that run from King City to Salinas.
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Disclaimer: Certain information contained herein is derived from information provided by parties other than Homes.com. Our sources include: Accuweather, Public Records and Neustar. All information provided is deemed reliable, but is not guaranteed to be accurate and should be independently verified.
