This thread has developed into 2 distinct topics; Santee as a city and Sky Ranch as a community.
I’ve lived in the North La Mesa (Lake Murray Blvd by Navajo) area for nearly 10 years, about 15 years ago, and traveled to Santee frequently for shopping. Now I’m also a Santee resident since last year, residing in the Riverwalk community. I can tell you from a personal experience that Santee has come a long way.
It’s true that Santee is still not as modern-looking as cities along the I-15 (MM, Poway, RB, RP, SR or CM). There are still many old strip malls and commercial properties, but Santee is modernizing rapidly. In addition, Santee is also committed to the recreational needs of its citizens, developing/improving several parks and facilities, such as the YMCA sports complex, which is just across the street from my community.
Shopping is great and much less congested than MM or CM. Target, Walmart, Home Depot, Lowes, Best Buys, Kohl’s, Bed Bath & Beyond, Costco are all within 1/2 mile of each other. There are very few high-end or boutique shops in Santee, as most businesses target mid-income families.
As for dining, it’s pretty much the same picture with mostly franchise/chain restaurants, such as Olive Garden, Outback Steakhouse, Applebees, etc. But there are many local eateries that are quite good as well.
Santee is not LJ and will probably never be, but I’ve no doubt that in another 10-15 years it will be as modern and sophisticated as the above-mentioned cities along the I-15. Older properties along Mission Gorge, Cuyamaca, Carlton Hills and Magnolia are being torn down and replaced with new buildings. The 52 extension (scheduled to complete by the end of this year) will greatly relieve the traffic on Mission Gorge, to avoid the same fate as MM Blvd and CM Rd (congestion all day long).
Now as for Sky Ranch, it’s really about what’s important to you. I looked at it and liked some of the properties but to me convenience to shopping, accessibility and low monthly HOA are more important than the exclusiveness of being on a mountain top or a great view. There aren’t too many similar new communities in SD nowadays so for some it’s worth the price.
