Rancho Santa Margarita Homes & Lifestyles

I love Rancho Santa Margarita’s Town Center. In fact I like the entire layout of Rancho Santa Margarita. But the master planners really got it right with Town Center.

To promote RSM’s “Urban Village” theme, Town Center was designed with the intent to draw community members together for dining, shopping, leisure and entertainment. Back in the 80’s when Town Center was a wide expanse of unimproved land, it was difficult to imagine an inter-connected mini-city with a bustling central core. But fast-forward to present day and Town Center is doing exactly what the planners had envisioned. It’s attracting the villagers.

Town Center is home to a wide variety of retail businesses with some being larger chains like Target, Bed, Bath & Beyond, Borders, Big 5, Trader Joe’s and Kohls; and some smaller specialty shops such as Lilies & Lilacs (designer resale boutique), Casa de Campo (furniture), The Toy Shoppe and Uncorked Wine Boutique.

Town Center restaurants cater to just about every taste and style. There are restaurants for casual and relaxed dining, order-at-the-counter eateries and wind-down-from-the-long-day-at-work establishments where you can grab a quick cocktail or glass of chardonnay before your meal.

Just about everything you need can be found within this 250-acre area. There are banks, medical offices, beauty salons, City Hall, the Library, an art gallery and a car wash. There is even an Edwards Theater with six cinemas. Town Center - convenience at its finest.

In addition to the allure of the numerous restaurants, retail and specialty shops, I am most impressed with the artistic charm of the center. Town Center has character. Strategically placed along the sidewalks of the center are remarkable bronze statues that catch and portray the essence of the community of RSM. The close-to-life-sized statues bring the joy of childhood to life.

On any given day you will find young ones skipping, holding hands, and playing along with their bronze, same-sized counterparts. I have seen quite a number of children proudly posing with their statue-friends as Mom fires off a few digital shots.

One of the bronze arrangements, the one with the man tipping his hat to a young girl, is located on a corner of an intersection adjacent to a crosswalk. No matter how many times I drive by through that intersection, I always do a double-take. The placement of the statues and their amazing and realistic countenance reaches me at a subconscious level. I’m always on a mental watch for bronze statues that might bolt into the crosswalk, not heeding the flashing “do not walk” sign. Needless to say I’ve been teased about this unmercifully. And I deserve it.

I enjoy being able to shop and dine locally and running into friends, family and business associates on my outings. I love that RSM is small enough that many store owners recognize regular shoppers and diners and make a point of coming over to say hello. Not every shop by any means, but just enough of them to spark a small-town feel. Town Center is truly at the heart of Rancho Santa Margarita’s “urban village.”

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