by Clair Handy, Mary Pope-Handy | Oct 5, 2026 | Los Gatos Neighborhoods, East Los Gatos
The Magneson Loop area is charming neighborhood with tree lined streets and luxury homes ranging from attractive historic designs to more contemporary styles. This is a close in neighborhood with great proximity to public schools, which are in the highly regarded Los Gatos Union School District, as well as many coffee shops, stores, and eateries. It’s one of the most accessible areas in town and enjoys a Walk Score of 78 out of 100 (WalkScore.com). And the area has some fascinating history as well!
Where is Magneson Loop?
The Magneson Loop neighborhood is a smaller community of homes in the 95032 zip code centered around its namesake street.
Magneson Loop is an L shaped road that begins and Los Gatos Boulevard near King’s Court Shopping Center and ends at Shannon Road. The original subdivision included homes the length of Magneson Loop, along the east side of Los Gatos Blvd (and later office buildings on that stretch), and the north side of Shannon, ending at the Presbyterian Church of Los Gatos. Magneson Terrace is a cul de sac that branches off from the turn in Magneson Loop and is also included in this neighborhood.
The older part of the street is a little narrow so in the image above you’ll note that a few cars are parked stradling the soft curb. Around the corner, as the road turns toward Shannon Road, it’s wider and this doesn’t happen, nor is this typical on Magneson Terrace, a younger tract. The Shannon intersection is one-way, though – vehicles are not permitted to turn into the Loop from Shannon, it’s exit-only. This protects the neighborhood from cut through traffic.
This area includes 2 primary subdivisions: Coombs (sometimes misspelled Coombes or Cooms) which is the light lavendar color in the map, and El Gato Rancho (Tract 1691 in the Magneson Terrace area). While both highly sought-after, these tracts are quite different from each other, which we’ll get into in the next part.
What are Homes Like in the Magneson Loop area?
There are 2 major developments on Magneson with distinctly different characteristics. If you walk the length of it, you’ll see everything from fairy tale cottages to Eichler-esque MCM to contemporary styles. But the type of home and lot can differ significantly depending on if it’s in the older Coombs subdivision or the younger El Gato Rancho tract.
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by Mary Pope-Handy, Clair Handy | Jul 30, 2024 | East Los Gatos
For Belwood, Belgatos, Surmont, and nearby areas in east Los Gatos: Clair and I did research on the neighborhood’s home sales history and just completed the 40 page study. The data spans sales from 1998 through July 2024. You can request the Belwood area home sales data on our Belwood of Los Gatos blog:
There is no fee for the Belwood area home sales data report. We are asking that you share your name and email address with us. We won’t add you to any newsletter, we won’t spam you, we won’t sell your info to anyone. Clair was raised here and I’m a neighbor. Hope that you find it valuable! We’d love your feedback – my email is mary@popehandy.com
by Mary Pope-Handy | Apr 29, 2024 | East Los Gatos, Los Gatos Neighborhoods, Maps of Los Gatos, Parks, Schools Serving Los Gatos, Videos of Los Gatos
The Belwood, Belgatos, and Surmont neighborhood in east Los Gatos is a tidy community at the base of the hills and close to beautiful Belgatos Park. It includes 4 subdivisions which all share access to the Belwood of Los Gatos cabana. They include:
- Surmont, the oldest section of the neighborhood, with semi custom homes (“Class D” optional cabana membership)
- Belgatos, which was built next and is on the west side of Belgatos Road (“Class D” optional cabana membership)
- Belwood of Los Gatos, a large tract neighborhood with the cabana at its heart (mandatory cabana membership, many homes now extensively remodeled or rebuilt)
- A small subdivision with 14 homes built between 1977 and 1979 that wasn’t given a name, unfortunately: Tract 5921 (10 homes) and Lots A – D. (“Class D” optional cabana membership)
- Not yet built: new homes will be constructed on part of the Mirrassou School land (on Belgatos Road). As of April 2024, it looks like there will be a dozen houses built.
Where is the Belwoood, Belgatos, and Surmont neighborhood?
The community is located on the south side of Blossom Hill Road, generally between Westhill Drive and Harwood Road.
Nearby public landmarks are Belgatos Park and the Walgreen’s shopping center (corner of Blossom Hill and Harwood), with a Mountain Mike’s Pizza and a newly added cake shop.
Map data: Google. Neighborhood boundaries and overlay by Mary Pope-Handy.
There’s a fair amount of confusion about what is or isn’t in this neighborhood or who can use or join the pool. Adding to the location confusion, The Los Gatos Monte Sereno Police cert map identifies the whole region plus the Strathmore neighborhood, which is across Blossom Hill Road, as “Belwood” generally.
What are the schools for this neighborhood?
The public schools for this area are Noddin Elementary, Union Middle, and Leigh High School.
What’s the neighborhood like?
The terrain is nearly level, with very low, gentle hills over most of the area. For those looking for an arduous climb on foot or bike, though, Harwood Road provides a nice challenge. At the top, you’ll see a fantastic view of downtown San Jose and Silicon Valley for your trouble. There are some challenges to be found in the open space trails, too.
With winding, mostly tree-lined roads and tidy houses as a rule (there are only a very few exceptions). It is a very attractive neighborhood overall.
Some streets have sidewalks, but many do not. There are not a lot of street lamps, which makes for wonderful night sky viewing.
Something fun: in the summer, private and group swim lessons take place at the cabana.
Park and trails
At the middle of this community is the very inviting Belgatos Park, a scenic, setting which includes a playground near the parking lot, picnic areas, restrooms, trails into the hills (with some wonderful valley views), and access to the Heinz Open Space Preserve and its network of trails also. (And it’s not far to the Santa Rosa Open Space area either.)
One hill attracts kids who enjoy sliding down it on bits of cardboard, and thus has been nicknamed “cardboard hill” for decades. Most of the time these cardboard sledding enthusiasts are pretty good about picking up their “sledding vehicles” when done.
The paths are popular with people on foot, but also those on mountain bikes or horseback. As there are a few larger properties which are zoned for horses in the area, this is a very nice equestrian option. There are 2 nearby places for horse boarding, too.
For photographers, the park has abundant worthy subjects year round, both of the open space and the valley views below. In the early morning hours, or near sunset, you may see some deer too. But be careful: bobcats and mountain lions are in these hills also.
What are homes like in this part of town?
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by Mary Pope-Handy | Mar 29, 2024 | Los Gatos Real Estate, East Los Gatos
SOLD!
Closed March 29th, 2024. Recieved 15 offers!
Listed at $2,250,000
Sold at $2,800,000
Clair and I are happy to present 103 Panorama Way, Los Gatos, an extensively remodeled home for sale in east Los Gatos close to shops and schools but situated on a quiet street with no through traffic. This is not a flip! Work was done by the long time homeowner with the beautiful kitchen, bathrooms, and interior work done with permits and finals.
This property features 4 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, 1675 SF of living space and over 8200 SF lot (some records show more than 8500 SF lot). The house was built in 1960 and it sits on a beautiful cul-de-sac with low traffic. The home is offered at $2,250,000.
The home is located in the beautiful Strathmore neighborhood off of Anne Way and Union Avenue in east Los Gatos, but it is not part of the HOA (no HOA dues, no pool access).
The highly regarded schools are Alta Vista Elementary, Union Middle, and Leigh High.
MLS # ML81955874
Open house dates / times:
Wednesday, May 6 9:30 – 12:30 (broker tour also)
Saturday, May 9 2 – 4 pm
Sunday, May 10 2 – 4 pm
103 Panorama Way – extensively remodeled home!
Interior remodeling done with permits and finals
- Kitchen provides
- New stainless-steel appliances, including new double wall ovens and solid surface cooktop / oven combo, new hood, new fridge, new dishwasher, and new disposal
- White shaker style cabinets
- Quartz countertop and subway tile backsplash
- New dual pane window
- Fully remodeled bathrooms
- Copper plumbing replaced in the walls to kitchen and bathrooms
- New recessed lighting throughout
- Freshly painted inside and out
- New flooring and baseboard throughout
- New raised panel interior doors
- Living room hearth newly tiled
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by Mary Pope-Handy, Clair Handy | Feb 3, 2024 | East Los Gatos, Los Gatos Neighborhoods
Take in a view of the hills from the Strathmore neighborhood of Los Gatos. Beside Blossom Hill with the coastal range rising behind it, homes here enjoy a beautiful backdrop and nature close by with plenty of access to parks and trails. But the beauty and nature is only one part of the wonderful neighborhood.
Despite its quiet charm, this neighborhood is anything but rural. Easy access and practicality are another major draw. Both the freeway and plenty of shopping are within a mile, and shopping on The Boulevard (Los Gatos Boulevard) is only a little farther (about 2 miles by car). A pedestrian friendly area with sidewalks and tree lined streets, Strathmore is a popular spot for locals to stroll, walk dogs, jog, bike or otherwise enjoy a little of California’s pleasant climate.
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by Mary Pope-Handy | Jan 19, 2024 | East Los Gatos, Homes & Housing Market, Los Gatos Neighborhoods
Approximate boundaries of Los Gatos Village
Where can you find a 1 story townhouse which is only connected to its neighbor at the garage? This description fits many of the homes at Los Gatos Village, a tidy townhome community in east Los Gatos set alongside Los Gatos-Almaden Road.
Built in 1972, these comfortable homes are well designed both inside and out. There are 163 units and of them, 57 have 2 stories and the rest are single story homes.
PUD townhomes, not in condo ownership
These townhouses are Planned Unit Developments, or PUDs. The majority of townhomes or townhouses are actually condominiums. A PUD is an upgrade! To learn more on why that matters, please see our article on another of our sites: What Is the Difference Between CID Ownership in a Condo, Townhouse or PUD?
The CCRs refer to the homes as townhouses rather than “single family attached” homes.
How big are the interiors and lots of town houses at Los Gatos Village?
These homes are modest in size, ranging from 1015 to 1494 square feet, generally (one home has 1648 SF – I would love to hear how that happened!). They have 2 or 3 bedrooms and 2 baths (there may be a few with 2.5 or 3 bathrooms, but most have 2). The lots likewise have a range between about 1563 SF and 4520 SF. I believe that every one of them has a 2 car garage.
Los Gatos Village is a Los Gatos real estate bargain
Homes in Los Gatos Village represent a bit of a bargain for Los Gatos housing prices as they are available for under $2 million and often closer to $1 million.
Dues are in the low $400s for the smallest units but includes quite a lot – painting, roof, beautiful lawn areas, and a pool. The incredibly good pricing might be why turnover is so low, usually only about 3% per year.
If you want to watch for these properties in your home search, these are the streets in which Los Gatos Village homes are located: Milmar Way, Los Gatos-Almaden Road, Escobar Court, Escobar Avenue, and Camino del Cerro.
The good and the bad
Very very good: Every home and every location has good and bad elements to factor in. Here there’s a whole lot of good – the price point (esp. for the schools), very private townhomes, many barely attached at all and more like “patio homes” than town houses. The floorplans are smartly designed with good use of space and flow. Many enjoy vaulted ceilings. Outside patios are also fairly spacious as townhome living goes. It’s very hard to find a single story townhome, but there are more than 100 of them here! The complex is very scenic with lots of lawn area and graceful sidewalks inviting a good stroll into the neighborhoods nearby.
What newcomers may miss is the very convenient foot bridge where Camino del Cerro would seem to go through but is stopped by Ross Creek with two points of the road which do not actually connect for cars. But people on bike, skateboard, foot, or otherwise motor vehicle free can get across on the pedestrian bridge. This is very convenient if your goal is to get to Alta Vista Elementary School, which is just 1115 feet or so from the other side of the creek.
And in case you didn’t know, Alta Vista Elementary and Union Middle School are both very highly scoring with API scores well into the 900s. This alone is a major draw for homes in this price point!
But wait, there’s more! From this community it’s less than a mile’s walk to nearby Safeway, a coffee shop and all kinds of little stores at The Downing Center at Los Gatos-Almaden Road and Union. I measured about 6/10 of a mile from the front of LG Village to the shopping center. For those who cannot or do not want to drive, this is a pretty sweet location for taking care of the essentials!
Good schools, walkable area, more accessible homes (single story) set in a quiet, campus like setting – Los Gatos Village does have something for everyone and appeals to home buyers of all ages.
The not so good: The pricing and location is so good that you just know there had to be something making this so affordable, and so there is. High voltage power lines cut pretty much through the middle of this pretty community, far closer to the homes than many home buyers would like. And there’s nothing that can be done about it.
One corner of the community is “kitty corner” from the cemetery, the Los Gatos Memorial Park. There is a crematorium there, too. For some home buyers, that may be a deal killer, but many will not take issue with the quiet neighbors.
These townhomes are older and some have “popcorn” or acoustic ceilings that today’s buyers do not want. If you otherwise like the home, I would suggest not eliminating it from your wish list because of the ceiling. You can hire someone to do it before you move in and it’s not nearly as costly as most Silicon Valley home buyers would think.
Los Gatos real estate, homes for sale and housing prices
Below please find a list of condos and townhouses which are for sale – as of the date of this article being written, none were for sale in Los Gatos Village.
- List View
- Map View
- Grid View
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$1,495,000
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Lot Size
1,812.00 ac
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Home Size
1,494 sqft
-
Beds
3 Beds
-
Baths
2 Baths
-
Year Built
1972
-
-
Sold
$1,435,000
-
Lot Size
-
Home Size
1,494 sqft
-
Beds
2 Beds
-
Baths
2 Baths
-
Year Built
1972
-
-
Sold
$1,425,000
-
Lot Size
-
Home Size
1,218 sqft
-
Beds
3 Beds
-
Baths
2 Baths
-
Year Built
1972
-
-
$1,390,000
-
Lot Size
1,400.00 ac
-
Home Size
1,494 sqft
-
Beds
2 Beds
-
Baths
2 Baths
-
Year Built
1972
-
-
Sold
$1,359,000
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Lot Size
1,891 sqft
-
Home Size
1,015 sqft
-
Beds
2 Beds
-
Baths
2 Baths
-
Year Built
1972
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See all Los Gatos Village townhome community Los Gatos, California Real Estate.
(all data current as of
10/6/2026)
Listing information deemed reliable but not guaranteed. Read full disclaimer.
Related Reading
Rinconada Hills (gated community in West Los Gatos)
Los Gatos Woods townhome community
Belgatos Park in east Los Gatos
Guadalupe Oak Grove Park in Almaden Valley
