This weekend, I searched to find communities that would fit most if not all our criteria - while allowing us to save and budget in safety.
La Riviera (95826)
Rosemont (95827, 95826)
Butterfield Riviera (East) - 95827
Of the three, I really liked the information I found out about Butterfield Riviera especially since it lies along the American River, just between between La Riviera and Rancho Cordova neighborhoods. While the boundaries can vary a few streets with different websites, the most consistent list the American River to the North, Folsom Boulevard to the South, Paseo Rio Way to the East, and Mayhew Drainage Canal to the West.
I contacted a member of the Home Owners Association Butterfield-Riviera East Community Association (BRECA) an learned there are 1500 homes in the neighborhood.
With a good deal of digging, I discovered some local history too.
About the Butterfield/Riviera East Area/County of Sacramento
As with many of the communities in the Capitol area, this region of Sacramento County played an essential role in California's famous gold rush history and served as a connection between the downtown Sacramento area and the mining camps in the Sierra Nevada foothills.
In the late 1800's North of Folsom Boulevard, where Bradshaw begins, was the site of Peterson's American House, one of the major way stations along Folsom Road as it went from downtown Sacramento out to the Community of Mills and onto the mines. The original Sacramento Valley Railroad built by Theodore Judah for the Big Four, paralleled the road and Peterson's property was located at 10 miles out from downtown. Although this area served as a major thoroughfare for traffic to and from the gold mining area, it remained relatively rural for many years with a sparse population.
Then, in the late 1960's, home construction began on the south side of the river in what was at that time hop fields. In the mid 60's, a large, local home builder, M.J. Brock and Sons, began to construct the houses in the unincorporated County to the east of Watt Avenue. Called Larchmont Riviera, it was very successful and in 1969, the builder began work on Larchmont Riviera East, at the former Peterson’s property. M.J. Brock assigned water related place names to all the streets within the area. The home lots along the river at the top of Bradshaw were all sold as custom home lots, and the neighborhood grew to the west on property that Carroll Brock had purchased from the Oki Family, a large local commercial nursery family. Their home site and two story ranch house continues to exist today at the top of Hyannis Way, although the ownership has changed.
In 1974, as sales of Riviera East were coming to a close, Brock purchased a black walnut orchard to the west and began construction on the Butterfield neighborhood. Streets in Butterfield were named for stage stops along the Butterfield stage route.
In the mid-80's, an abandoned freeway route was purchased by Pacific Scene Home Builders, and the homes on either side of Stoughton Way were constructed. Stoughton is also uniquely the route of the Regional Sanitation sewer line, installed underground in 1977.
This neighborhood was considered convenient to Mather Air Force Base and many people stationed there bought homes and retired in this area. Even after the base closed in 1993, the Butterfield/East Riviera community continues to attract people with its diverse communities and proximity to the beautiful American River Parkway.
Many of the original and long time residents have reached the grandparent stage, as the neighborhood remains active as young families with children move here to enjoy the ten acre Riviera East park and the unique experience of living along the American River Parkway.
(image courtesy of BRECA website)
