by Clair Handy | Oct 20, 2022 | Historic Districts, Homes & Housing Market, Los Gatos History, Los Gatos Real Estate
If you drive through the Edelen, Almond Grove, Fairview Plaza, Glenridge and other older and historic Los Gatos neighborhoods, you may have wondered how far back in time these architecturally interesting properties go. What are the oldest residences in town, or close by?
Los Gatos Historic Homes
Are there Adobes?
In the Santa Clara Valley, there are a handful of old adobe homes here and there, such as the Peralta Adobe in downtown San Jose (built in 1797), and the Santa Clara Women’s Club Adobe (built in 1790), and many more. I can’t say for certain if there are any remaining 18th-19th century adobe homes in Los Gatos. If they exist the most probable properties are around the Los Gatos Saratoga border, are private, occupied homes, and have extensive additions and modifications.
Victorian Era: Gold Rush to Gem of the Foothills
When discussing historic homes in the Bay Area, the Victorian undoubtedly comes to mind. And Los Gatos has plenty! A search of county real estate records for Los Gatos homes (in town, 95030 & 95032 plus the mountains, 95033) spanning the era from 1837-1901 revealed hundreds of properties identified as Victorian construction. It displayed about about 375 in 95030, 120 in 95032, and also about 140 in 95033. (more…)
by Mary Pope-Handy | Oct 18, 2022 | Los Gatos Real Estate, North Los Gatos
The North 40 communities are filling in the land once full of orchards in the corridor between Highway 17, Highway 85, Los Gatos Boulevard, and Lark Avenue. The project is being built by two companies, including SummerHill, which is doing the first phase, Bellaterra. off Lark and Los Gatos Blvd. This area has the Los Gatos Union School District and the Saratoga Los Gatos Joint Union High School District (Los Gatos High).
Grosvenor also will be building, and Eden Housing, which works on affordable homes, is partnering with SummerHill on less expensive senior housing referenced below.
Bellaterra is providing 253 new housing units in Los Gatos. Per their website, 120 units have been sold so far. SummerHill is a highly regarded and well known name in Los Gatos.
• The Towns – 97 Rowhomes – 2-3 Beds, 1,508-1,974 sq.ft. approx.
• The Flats – 80 Condos – 1-3 Beds, 1,039-2,089 sq.ft. approx.
• The Bungalows – 76 Urban Homes with Yard per Plan – 1-3 Beds, 910-1,999 sq.ft. approx.
Yesterday we took a quick drive through some of the accessible area in Phase 1, Bellaterra, to see how it looks so far. The photos above and below are of the same area in the North 40 but from different positions.
Typical of new construction, we saw many attached homes of 2 and 3 stories. The three story units that we glimpsed did not appear to have any outdoor space, and the rowhouses or townhouses we saw had some balconies, but otherwise we did not see private outdoor space. The website says otherwise, though, so I presume we didn’t see it all.
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by Mary Pope-Handy, Clair Handy | Oct 13, 2022 | Los Gatos Neighborhoods
The Los Gatos Commons is a popular senior condominium community off of Alberto Way in Los Gatos, very close to the downtown shopping and dining district (see map, below). This complex was developed in 1978, so is 44 years old as of this writing in 2022.
There are 110 condo units, at The Los Gatos Commons, ranging from 1 to 3 bedrooms. Most units have carports, but there are a few with 1 car garages available. A plus for many residents is that it is gated – a rarely found amenity in Silicon Valley.
Like other senior communities, of which there are very few in Santa Clara County, properties are more affordable here than what you might find in non age-restricted condominiums nearby.
Homes share a clubhouse, pool, spa, and fitness room, as well as beautifully maintained landscaping. Units have covered parking.
Nearby amenities include easy access to highways 9 and 17, a close proximity to downtown shopping, dining, and entertainment, such as the public library and parks. The location is hard to beat!
What do HOA Dues cost at The Los Gatos Commons?
The Los Gatos Commons home owner association dues start at about $425 – $600 and are more for larger units. Two recent 2 bed sales have had $507 monthly fees, and one had a $520 monthly fee. The fee covers things like common area maintenance, cable/dish services, and water.
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by Mary Pope-Handy | Sep 15, 2022 | Equestrian, East Los Gatos
While south county has many equestrian centers, Harwood Farms horse boarding is right in Los Gatos and conveniently close to trails – and home!
Where is the Harwood Farms horse boarding?
Harwood Farms horse boarding is located at the corner of Harwood Road and Alerche Road in Los Gatos. (Alerche is a loop road, and this stable is at the upper one, further from Blossom Hill Road.)
This location is excellent for accessing the trails at Belgatos Park, which in turn lead to a network of trails: Heintz, Shannon Valley open space, and Santa Rosa open space.
Equestrian land in a residential setting with many nearby trails
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by Mary Pope-Handy, Clair Handy | Jul 17, 2022 | East Los Gatos, Los Gatos Neighborhoods
Today I visited a friend in the convenient National and Los Gatos-Almaden neighborhood and wanted to write about it as it is super convenient, particularly for medical workers wanting a short commute to Good Samaritan Hospital or the many offices nearby.
Honestly I didn’t know what to call that residential area (and not every part of town has a name). Often we Realtors refer to neighborhoods by their major roads or cross streets, so when I saw it named Los Gatos-Almaden neighborhood on the Nextdoor site, I thought it was as good a name as could be found.
There are a lot of things to love about this area. First, it has highly prized schools (more on that below), second it’s a great commute location (both Highway 17 and 880 are easily accessed, and if someone is working in the nearby hospitals or medical offices, it’s pretty quick!), and third, there are loads of wonderful things within a short ride or even by bike or on foot.
Very close by is the Live Oak Manor Park, which can be entered at the end of Blackwell Drive. It’s also a short jaunt to Vasona Lake County Park, downtown Los Gatos, Campbell, and many other areas. Shopping venues abound.
Where is the National and Los Gatos-Almaden neighborhood?
Generally, this area is fairly close to Good Samaritan Hospital and even closer to its branch, Mission Oaks. It’s very close to the border with Cambrian Park (and also abuts against the school district border between Union and Los Gatos School Districts.
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by Mary Pope-Handy | May 3, 2022 | East Los Gatos, Los Gatos Neighborhoods, Videos of Los Gatos
The Vista del Monte neighborhood is a cherished and attractive area in Los Gatos 95030.
Few quick points about why the Vista del Monte neighborhood is so popular:
- scenic area close to the hills, tree lined streets
- many streets have sidewalks
- enjoys a beautiful neighborhood park
- highly prized Los Gatos schools
- out of the downtown hustle and bustle – but close by!
- most sections have a wonderfully quiet sound score on the HowLoud.com website
- the terrain is mostly level or gently sloping, but there are a few homes with views.
- there’s a video drive through at the end of this article – click through to see it!
Like most of Los Gatos, there is some variation in the size of the houses and lots, but to describe the area generally, it’s fair to say that most are ranch style homes (single story, split level and 2 story homes) built in the late 1950s to mid 1960s, with some built in the late 70s. The average home size is about 2300 SF (most range between 1500 and 3000 SF) and the average lot size is about a quarter acre (many are 8000 to 10,000 SF, but a few are far larger). Most houses include attached 2 car garages, but a few of the larger homes or those built more recently offer 3 car garages.
This is a nicely maintained area where you’ll find pride of ownership in the upkeep of homes and yards.
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