Poway

 

Poway is a unique San Diego County community dubbed “The City in the Country” for its bucolic surroundings. Poway’s charming landscape is full of diverse outdoor recreation opportunities, including a lake for fishing and boating, as well as mountainside hiking trails. Poway is located north of San Diego and south of Escondido, with nearby communities including Scripps Ranch and Rancho Bernardo.

Homes within Poway include a variety of grand estates, equestrian properties, detached single-family homes, and condominiums.

• Bucolic rural scenery
• Varied housing options 
• Outdoor recreation 
• Numerous shopping centers
  
  

Poway was mostly comprised of agricultural land until the mid-20th century, when Lake Poway was dammed to provide water to local farmers. Its population has grown steadily since the 1950s, but it still maintains a semi-rural feel with its many trails, horse properties, and outdoorsy lifestyle.

Poway Road is lined with numerous shopping centers featuring a variety of restaurants and retailers. The Brigantine at Creekside Plaza has a delectable selection of seafood platters, fish tacos, and fresh oysters. Creekside Plaza’s other businesses include a Sprouts Farmers Market, Vons, and a 10-screen AMC Dine-in movie theater. Sushi Lounge Poway on Poway Road is another seafood hotspot, serving delicious sushi rolls, fresh sashimi, and bento boxes.

Highlights at the Target-anchored Twin Peaks shopping center on Poway’s eastern border with Carmel Mountain Ranch include Villa Capri trattoria and wine bar. This relaxed restaurant pairs delicious Italian and Amalfi-style dishes with an extensive wine list and a wide range of beers. 

Old Poway Village provides a rustic old-world shopping experience in the center of Poway. Businesses here include a range of yoga, Pilates, and fitness studios, along with a salon, spa, barbershop, Irish pub, and the Mission Cellars wine crafting and tasting room. The sprawling open-air Carmel Mount Plaza shopping center is a short distance east of Poway and features dozens of restaurants and upscale retailers.

Lake Poway is a scenic recreation area that offers swimming, hiking, boating, and fishing. Night fishing is a popular activity during the summer and is permitted until 11:30 PM on Friday and Saturday evenings. Poway has several green spaces and outdoor recreation spots, such as Community Park, which has a skate park, baseball fields, a dog park, and picnic areas. Old Poway Park has a fun railroad and grass lawns for picnicking, while its Heritage Museum guides visitors through six periods of Poway’s history with recreations of a historic blacksmith shop and post office, as well as the Nelson House reconstruction of an early pioneers’ homestead. Poway Community Swim Center is open year-round with outdoor 50-meter and 25-yard lap pools.

The Summer Movies in the Park series brings family-friendly outdoor film screenings to Community Park, Old Poway Park, and the Poway Swim Center. Other popular events include a Farmers’ Market in Old Poway Park, offering fresh food and produce, flower vendors, and live music. The farmers’ market features more than 65 vendors and takes place every Saturday between 8 AM and 1 PM. Poway’s Old Fashioned Fourth of July festivities recreates a turn-of-the-20th-century independence day celebration with Western reenactments and traditional games. The events last from 10 AM to 4 PM at Old Poway Park. 

Local hiking trails include the challenging Potato Chip Rock trail leading to the summit of Mount Woodson. At the trail’s end, a slender potato chip-shaped rock juts out over a breathtaking view of San Diego County, making this a popular but nerve-wracking photo-taking spot.

There are 11 schools in the City of Poway, including seven elementary schools, two middle schools, two high schools, and one adult school. The area is also served by Palomar College. Local public schools are operated by the Poway Unified School District.

• Painted Rock Elementary School, Public, K-5
• Garden Road Elementary School, Public, K-5
• Chaparral Elementary School, Public, K-5
• Meadowbrook Middle School, Public, 6-8
• Poway High School, Public, 9-12