by Mary Pope-Handy, Clair Handy | Mar 11, 2023 | Los Gatos Neighborhoods, West Los Gatos
Rinconada Hills, which sits on the northwest side of Los Gatos, adjacent to Saratoga and Cambpell, is a resort-like community with many luxurious amenities. It is one of the few gated communities anywhere in Silicon Valley, and one of the largest in the greater San Jose area.
Built in stages between 1968 and 1981, the homes here were built by Brown & Kaufmann in 5 different sections. The campus is quite large, 107 acres (almost as big as Vasona Lake County Park) and includes 394 townhomes (see floorplans here) and 40 houses, or single family homes. Approximately 1,000 people live here (in a town of about 30,000). Most everyone in LG knows someone who lives at Rinconada Hills!
The campus includes a remodeled clubhouse (Great Room, library alcove, commercial kitchen, lockers, showers), 10 pools (1 at the clubhouse), spa, and 3 tennis courts. The residents may utilize an extra parking lot for cars or the RV lot for boats/ trailers etc. – though there is a waiting list for that. Additonally, there are 3 ponds plus a lake, and great views to be enjoyed while walking up the hill in the private grounds.
What are homes like at Rinconada Hills?
All of the homes, whether townhouses or single family homes, have stucco exteriors and tiled roofs, although there’s quite a bit of diversity within the areas and styles. Home sizes range from small 2 bedroom townhouses to large 3000 + SF homes on big lots with views. There’s a little bit of everything, but a typical residence might be an 1800 SF 2 story townhouse with 3 bedrooms, 2.5 baths, an attached 2 car garage. There are a few single story townhomes as well as single story houses, though.
(more…)
by Mary Pope-Handy | Mar 7, 2023 | 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.
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 high $300s 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-Amaden 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.
Sorry, but we couldn't find any results in the MLS that match
the specified search criteria.
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
by Mary Pope-Handy | Mar 5, 2023 | Los Gatos Neighborhoods, Downtown or Central Los Gatos
Bella Vista Village is an upscale, fairly young townhome community off of Alberto Way in Los Gatos. These 47 townhouses are close to downtown Los Gatos and offers easy access to Highway 17, Highway 9 (Los Gatos-Saratoga Road), and Los Gatos Blvd (once called Los Gatos-San Jose Road). Alberto Way is a cul-de-sac, so a plus is that there’s no through traffic here.
This whole area is at the doorstep to downtown Los Gatos and there are many things for which residents here may elect to walk or ride a bike rather than take a car. It’s an enormous benefit.
Built in 1997, the first section is Tract 8820 and consists of 34 townhouses on Cuesta de Los Gatos except for 5 on Treseder Ct . This is the area closest to Alberto Way. The second phase, completed in 1998, is Tract 8976 with just 13 homes, all of which are on Maggi Court. In the map at the right, you can see that there are two sections of Bella Vista Village.
What are the homes like at Bella Vista Village?
Because these homes are so young, they are delightfully light, bright and open. They feature double pane windows and are quiet inside, too. Outside, the looks is contemporary Craftsman style. The grounds and exteriors are well maintained and attractive. The private driveways are kept up.
Homes range from 943 SF to 1735 SF, offering 2-4 bedrooms (most are 3) with 2-3 bathrooms. All appear to be 2 story homes, though one was listed as a 3 story in the MLS. (more…)
by Mary Pope-Handy, Clair Handy | Mar 5, 2023 | Los Gatos Neighborhoods, West Los Gatos
One of the largest townhome communities in Los Gatos, the Los Gatos Woods community includes 232 townhouses set on private roads near Pollard Road. This is a very attractive neighborhood and includes many trees. This area is considered west Los Gatos and is close to the border with Campbell and Saratoga.
Los Gatos Woods is very convenient for those wishing to commute to Cupertino, Sunnyvale and Santa Clara as Quito Road is nearby and becomes Lawrence Expressway. This community is also extremely convenient for those working at El Camino Hospital of Los Gatos or any of the nearby medical centers; it’s probably a half mile on foot or by bike.
There’s a nicely sized, remodeled Safeway and a good number of other shops close by, too, along with the middle school (and the elementary isn’t much further). Most things seem to be within a mile or so.
What are the homes like at Los Gatos Woods?
Most of the units were built between 1971 and 1973 and most seem to have been renovated since then with dual pane windows, remodeling inside, etc.. Home sizes range from 997 square feet to 2754 square feet, with typical homes being around 1400 – 1700 SF.
The lot sizes vary, too, from about 1921 SF to 2639 SF, and the average being 1850 SF. Homes all include some sort of outside space, often both a back patio and a balcony. All have 2 car, attached garages, and many have driveways which are big enough to accommodate a car (though some are a bit short for that).
How’s the neighborhood?
This is a really beautifully maintained community. As a general rule, homes are well maintained and you won’t find an overcrowded, junky feel as you sometimes run into in townhouse or condo communities.
(more…)
by Mary Pope-Handy | Feb 1, 2023 | East Los Gatos, Los Gatos Neighborhoods
Do you know the Santa Rosa and Sierra Azule neighborhood in east Los Gatos? This area enjoys large luxury view homes on beautiful streets. If this scenic corner of town is new to you, you’ll want to get to know it!
About seventy five to eighty spacious homes sit along the scenic eastern ridge tops of Blossom Hill along or just off of Santa Rosa Drive. It’s a stunning neighborhood which enjoys views both of the Santa Clara Valley on one side and the Santa Cruz Mountains on the other. That part of the coastal foothills located south of highway 17, including Loma Prieta and Mt. Umunhum, was once known as Sierra Azul, or Blue Mountain. Hence one of the streets in this Los Gatos community is Sierra Azule (why an extra “e” is added, I do not know).
These are gorgeous Los Gatos luxury homes!
Not only are there stunning views of the mountains and Silicon Valley, but there are trail heads that connect here, too. Love to mountain bike, hike, or just take photos? You will love the network of trails that weave between the Santa Rosa Open Space Preserve, the Shannon Valley Open Space Preserve, and the paths that lead to Belgatos Park and the Heintz Open Space Preserve, which begins in the Heritage Grove neighborhood.
One other neighborhood perk is that the roads here are really not hard to drive. With many view homes, the streets in the neighborhood can be hair pin and scary. This is a newer tract or subdivision, and the area is not hard to drive once you are inside of it. (The street leading up from Shannon Road is a little steep, so going downhill for a new driver might take some practice.)
What are the houses like in the Santa Rosa and Sierra Azule neighborhood?
The bulk of the neighoborhood is found on Santa Rosa and off of it on the east end of the area: Madera Court, Alta Tierra, Auzerais Court, and Colorado Court. These properties were mostly built in the 1980s and 1990s, though a few were before or after that period. There are just a dozen homes on Sierra Azule, most of them a little younger, built between 1995 and 2000. In general, they are not ostentatious or pretentious, but they are fairly large. (more…)
by Mary Pope-Handy | Jan 6, 2023 | Los Gatos Neighborhoods, Relocating to Los Gatos
We have a list of Los Gatos neighborhoods to share, and for each linked item there’s an article to fill you in on that area. This list is always growing!
The Town of Los Gatos is about 11 square miles and is comprised of dozens of neighborhoods in various parts of town, with different schools, zip codes, price points, plusses and minuses. Here on the Live in Los Gatos blog there have been many, many real estate articles devoted Los Gatos neighborhoods. Below please find links to neighborhood posts with descriptions and photos, primarily on “Live in Los Gatos” but in some cases on one of our other sites.
.
(More neighborhoods to come as time permits – I have about 25 on my list. Want your subdivision included? Please email me and I will put it on the To Do list!)
List of Los Gatos neighborhoods by area
The downtown / central, west, east, and north areas are lined up separately.
(more…)
