Seaside Highlands & The Enclave Real Estate
Seaside Highlands and The Enclave represent a very different side of Seaside real estate. Located on former Fort Ord land above the established city, these communities offer newer homes, larger floor plans, planned streets and open space, convenient access to Bayonet and Black Horse Golf Courses, and some of Seaside's best opportunities for Monterey Bay and golf-course views.
Although MLSListings groups Seaside Highlands and The Enclave within the same general Seaside market area, buyers should understand that they are two distinct residential communities. Seaside Highlands was developed primarily between 2003 and 2005 as a 380-home planned neighborhood. The Enclave is a considerably newer gated golf-course development containing larger luxury residences situated between and alongside Bayonet and Black Horse.
Use this guide to compare the two communities, understand their HOAs, homes, views and golf-course relationships, and search current Seaside Highlands and The Enclave homes for sale.
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Seaside Highlands / The Enclave
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Seaside Highlands vs. The Enclave
The two communities are neighbors, but they should not be treated as interchangeable when comparing homes or establishing value.
| Feature |
Seaside Highlands |
The Enclave |
| Development Era |
Primarily 2003–2005 |
Primarily newer 2020s construction |
| Community Type |
Master-planned residential neighborhood |
Gated golf-course community |
| Housing |
Detached single-family homes with multiple floor plans |
Larger luxury single-family residences |
| Golf Relationship |
Selected homes border or overlook Black Horse |
Many homes positioned directly between or along Bayonet and Black Horse |
| Views |
Bay, greenbelt, golf and inland views depending on location |
Golf-course views and selected Monterey Bay/ocean views |
| Access |
Conventional neighborhood streets |
Private gated entrance and private streets |
Seaside Highlands Homes
Seaside Highlands was one of the first major civilian residential developments constructed on former Fort Ord land. The project replaced approximately 600 former Army housing units with 380 new single-family homes across roughly 110 acres and reached buildout by 2005.
The result is a neighborhood that looks and feels considerably different from most established Seaside neighborhoods. Streets are wider and curving, homes are generally larger, sidewalks and landscaped common areas are part of the community design, and an extensive greenbelt and walking trail run through portions of the development.
The City of Seaside's General Plan describes Seaside Highlands as a planned community characterized by large homes, curvilinear streets, significant open spaces and trails. Residential parcels range substantially in size, roughly from 6,000 to 12,000 square feet in the City's planning description.
Seaside Highlands Floor Plans & Home Sizes
The original development offered multiple home designs rather than one standardized floor plan. As a result, buyers will find everything from relatively efficient single-level residences to expansive two-story homes with five or more bedrooms.
Many homes offer attached two-car garages, while some of the largest models include three-car garages. Floor plans may include formal living and dining rooms, family rooms, downstairs bedrooms, lofts, offices and large primary suites.
That scale is an important distinction within Seaside. Buyers who need four, five or even six bedrooms can find options here that are much less common in the city's older neighborhoods.
Greenbelts, Walking Paths & Open Space
One of Seaside Highlands' defining features is its planned open-space system.
A broad community greenbelt and walking path runs through portions of the neighborhood, creating separation between streets and homes while providing pedestrian access through the development. The community also includes landscaped common areas and a children's play area.
Homes facing the greenbelt can have a noticeably different setting from interior properties. Depending on orientation, these residences may look across landscaped open space rather than directly toward another house.
For buyers comparing two otherwise similar Seaside Highlands properties, greenbelt frontage, trail proximity, yard orientation and privacy can materially affect desirability.
Monterey Bay, Golf Course & Greenbelt Views
Views vary significantly throughout Seaside Highlands.
The neighborhood occupies elevated former Fort Ord terrain above Sand City and the western side of Seaside. Selected properties capture Monterey Bay and distant ocean views, while others look toward the Santa Lucia Mountains, landscaped greenbelts or Bayonet and Black Horse Golf Courses.
Some two-story homes gain their strongest water views from upstairs bedrooms, balconies or primary suites rather than from the main living level. Other homes are positioned directly along the golf course and may look across fairways and mature trees.
Buyers should evaluate the actual view from each home rather than assuming that a Seaside Highlands address guarantees a water or golf view.
For properties specifically selected for water views, visit our Seaside Ocean & Monterey Bay View Homes search.
The Enclave at Cypress Grove
The Enclave at Cypress Grove represents a second generation of residential development on the former Fort Ord golf property.
The broader Seaside Resort plan originally contemplated residential homesites, hotel and resort development around Bayonet and Black Horse. The first Cypress Grove residential lots were released in 2009, but substantial residential construction did not occur until years later.
The current Enclave was developed as a gated luxury community by Shea Homes, with residences positioned along and between the Bayonet and Black Horse courses.
Unlike Seaside Highlands, which functions as a conventional planned neighborhood, The Enclave has private gated access and private streets. Its homes are also generally larger and more contemporary in layout and finishes.
Newer Luxury Homes
The Enclave includes both one- and two-story detached residences. Shea Homes designed seven principal floor plans with approximately 3,000 to 3,700-plus square feet of living space, although individual completed homes and earlier custom properties can vary.
Typical features can include open-concept great rooms, large kitchens, bedroom suites, home offices, covered outdoor living areas, balconies and expansive sliding-glass systems designed to connect interior rooms with patios and golf-course settings.
Some homes include main-level bedroom suites or primarily single-level living, which can be particularly attractive to buyers comparing newer homes elsewhere on the Monterey Peninsula.
Living Between Bayonet & Black Horse Golf Courses
Golf is not simply a nearby amenity in The Enclave. It is part of the physical layout of the neighborhood.
Certain homes are positioned directly between fairways, with golf-course exposure in both the front and rear of the property. Others back directly onto individual holes or overlook mature trees, fairways and course landscaping.
Bayonet was originally designed in 1954 while Fort Ord was an active U.S. Army installation. Black Horse followed in 1964. After Fort Ord closed, the City of Seaside purchased both courses in 1997, and they were later extensively renovated.
Today the two courses create one of the Monterey Peninsula area's more unusual residential golf settings: newer gated homes immediately adjacent to courses with deep military history and broad views toward Monterey Bay.
See additional properties on our Seaside Golf Course Homes page.
Seaside Highlands & The Enclave HOAs
Both communities have homeowners associations, but their responsibilities and ownership structures differ.
Seaside Highlands HOA
The Seaside Highlands HOA maintains common areas and landscaping associated with the planned community. Current property records commonly identify HOA responsibilities that include common-area landscaping, maintenance, insurance and reserves.
Front-yard landscaping has also historically been part of the association-maintained environment, contributing to the more consistent streetscape found throughout the neighborhood.
The Enclave HOA
The Enclave at Cypress Grove Owners Association has additional responsibilities associated with a gated private-street community. Builder information identifies common-area maintenance, entrance gates, landscaping and private-street maintenance among association responsibilities.
HOA dues, insurance, reserve funding, rules and maintenance responsibilities can change. Buyers should review the current budget, reserve information, CC&Rs, rules, insurance documents, meeting minutes and any pending assessments before purchasing in either community.
From Fort Ord Housing to Modern Seaside Neighborhoods
The land beneath these communities tells an important part of Seaside's modern history.
For decades, Fort Ord occupied a vast portion of the landscape north and east of established Seaside. When the military installation closed in 1994, thousands of acres became available for civilian reuse.
Seaside Highlands transformed one former military housing area. Approximately 600 former Army residences were removed before the new 380-home subdivision was constructed.
The Enclave reflects a later phase of that same transformation, converting land around former Army golf courses into a modern gated residential community.
Nearby former Fort Ord land now also supports California State University Monterey Bay, recreational trails, open space and additional planned redevelopment. Buyers therefore experience a residential environment shaped as much by twenty-first-century reuse of the former base as by traditional Seaside development.
Location & Monterey Peninsula Access
Seaside Highlands and The Enclave occupy elevated land above the northern part of Seaside, creating convenient access to several different parts of the Monterey Peninsula.
General Jim Moore Boulevard provides connections toward Highway 68, Monterey, Del Rey Oaks and former Fort Ord. Highway 1 provides access north toward Marina and south toward Monterey, Pacific Grove and Carmel.
Residents are also close to Bayonet and Black Horse, Fort Ord recreational trails, CSUMB, Sand City shopping, beaches and the Monterey Bay Coastal Recreation Trail.
For buyers who want newer housing while remaining within easy reach of Peninsula employment, beaches, golf and recreation, the location is one of these communities' strongest advantages.
Buying in Seaside Highlands or The Enclave
These communities often attract buyers who initially begin their search in Carmel, Pebble Beach, Monterey or newer communities farther north but discover that Seaside offers a different combination of space, construction age and location.
Important considerations include:
- Seaside Highlands versus The Enclave ownership structure
- Current HOA dues and governing documents
- Golf-course frontage and potential golf-ball exposure
- Actual Monterey Bay or ocean view quality
- Greenbelt frontage and privacy
- One-story versus two-story living
- Number and location of bedroom suites
- Two-car versus three-car garage configurations
- Solar systems and battery storage on individual homes
- Landscaping responsibilities
- Private-street obligations in The Enclave
- Future development on surrounding former Fort Ord lands
Selling a Seaside Highlands or Enclave Home
Homes in these communities should not be valued solely against the broader Seaside market.
Within Seaside Highlands, floor plan, home size, lot position, remodel quality, greenbelt frontage, golf-course exposure and Monterey Bay views can produce meaningful differences between otherwise similar properties.
The Enclave occupies another market tier entirely. Its newer construction, gated environment, larger residences and direct golf-course setting mean the most relevant comparable sales may come from within The Enclave itself or from carefully selected newer luxury properties elsewhere on the Monterey Peninsula.
A useful valuation should identify the buyer pool that would realistically compare the subject property with each comparable sale rather than relying on citywide averages.
Seaside Highlands & The Enclave FAQ
Are Seaside Highlands and The Enclave the same community?
No. They are separate residential developments located near one another on former Fort Ord land. Seaside Highlands is a 380-home planned community built primarily in the early 2000s. The Enclave is a newer gated golf-course community bordering Bayonet and Black Horse.
When was Seaside Highlands built?
Most Seaside Highlands homes were constructed between approximately 2003 and 2005. The 380-home development replaced former Fort Ord Army housing and was substantially completed by 2005.
How many homes are in Seaside Highlands?
Seaside Highlands contains approximately 380 single-family homes across about 110 acres of former Fort Ord land.
Is The Enclave gated?
Yes. The Enclave at Cypress Grove is a gated residential community with private streets situated along and between Bayonet and Black Horse Golf Courses.
Does Seaside Highlands have an HOA?
Yes. Seaside Highlands has a homeowners association that maintains community common areas and landscaping. Buyers should verify current dues, reserves, insurance coverage and association responsibilities during their purchase investigation.
Does The Enclave have an HOA?
Yes. The Enclave at Cypress Grove Owners Association maintains common areas associated with the gated community, including responsibilities related to entrance gates, landscaping and private streets. Buyers should review the current association documents before purchasing.
Do homes in Seaside Highlands have Monterey Bay views?
Some do. Elevated homes can capture Monterey Bay, ocean, golf-course, greenbelt or inland views depending on location, orientation, neighboring homes and vegetation.
Are there golf-course homes in Seaside Highlands?
Yes. Selected Seaside Highlands homes border or overlook Black Horse Golf Course. Golf-course frontage varies by street and individual property.
Are homes in The Enclave on the golf course?
Many are. The Enclave was designed around Bayonet and Black Horse Golf Courses, and some homes are positioned directly between fairways or back onto individual holes.
Where can I see current Seaside Highlands and The Enclave homes for sale?
Current MLS listings for Seaside Highlands and The Enclave are displayed below and update automatically as properties are listed, sold or taken off the market.
