by Mary Pope-Handy, Clair Handy | May 16, 2023 | Los Gatos Neighborhoods, Downtown or Central Los Gatos
Villa Felice was once a lodge and restaurant with live music, good food, and amazing views of Vasona Lake. I have fond memories of visiting there with family, friends, and on prom night.
Today the large parcel is very pretty Mediterranean style housing, with 14 townhomes in one section and 34 single family homes in the other.
In Italian, Villa Felice means “happy villa” or a happy country home. It’s appropriate that the name stay on in these two communities. The view from the bluff is sure to make visitors smile!
Where is the Villa Felice neighborhood?
These two areas are located between Winchester Boulevard and University Avenue between Vasona Terrace and Milani Court in Los Gatos 95030. The homes are accessed from Winchester Boulevard – there are no driveways or access paths from University. It has a steep embankment. This is about at the midpoint of the reservoir.
The two tracts (and one house not in them)
(more…)
by Mary Pope-Handy, Clair Handy | Apr 28, 2023 | Events
The annual Girls on the Run 5k Celebration event will take place on May 13th, 2023, at Vasona Lake County Park in Los Gatos.
About Girls on the Run
If you are unfamiliar with Girls on the Run, you might enjoy checking out their website’s page on their programs for girls:
Instilling Life Skills in Every Girl
The Girls on the Run researched-based curriculum is structured around understanding ourselves, valuing relationships and teamwork, and recognizing how we can shape the world at large. Participants gain critical life skills that strengthen their potential at a time when societal pressures and conflicting messages about how to feel and act can cause doubt and uncertainty.
That same page dives into the different elements that they explore and nourish – it is very impressive sounding!
Event Info
Vasona Lake County Park is located at 333 Blossom Hill Rd, Los Gatos, CA 95032.
Runners should arrive by 7 a.m., first wave is at 8 a.m.
Register and learn more about this 5k celebration at the event’s webpage.
Clair’s and my office, Christie’s International Real Estate Sereno, has a tent and will give out tickets for a raffle. We have this year’s American Girl Doll of the Year for a prize. Stop by and get a raffle ticket while there!
Related Reading
Vasona and Oak Meadow Parks
Charter Oaks Townhome Community
by Mary Pope-Handy, Clair Handy | Nov 20, 2022 | Events, LG Lifestyle, Los Gatos Events, Parks, Visiting Los Gatos
The 24th annual Fantasy of Lights show at Vasona Lake County Park begins soon! Occasionally people call me to ask about it – please note that I do not run the event – I am only posting information about it. Full info can be found on the county’s park website, linked below.
24th annual Fantasy of Lights:
Get your tickets now, they sell out fast! Entry with prepaid tickets only!
What: The Fantasy of Lights
When:
Walk-thru Weekend Dec 3 & 4, 2022 from 4 to 9 pm
Drive-thru Nights Dec 6 – 30, 2022 with 30 minute slots from 6pm to 9:30pm
Open rain or shine. As always, the Fantasy of Lights is closed on Christmas Day (Dec 25).
Where: Vasona Lake County Park, 333 Blossom Hill Road (near University Avenue) Los Gatos, CA
How much: Tickets must be purchased in advance available online through EventBrite.
Walk through cost is $10 for ages 13 and up, $5 for ages 4 – 12, and free for 3 and under (tickets still required for free entry!)
Drive through cost is $20 per regular vehicle (up to 12 passenger capacity), $50 per oversized vehicle (13+ passenger capacity).
More details:
Please visit the Santa Clara County Parks page for the Fantasy of Lights to get more information and updates on this event.
Please check the county’s page for this event.
More questions? PLEASE do NOT call me about this event. Please contact the SCC Parks Dept and check out their website for the Fantasy of Lights! The Vasona phone number is (408) 355-2201.
Please visit Live in Los Gatos for year round events, neighborhood information, photos around the town, interesting real estate market data, haunted places and the occasional historical tidbit.
Los Gatos is a wonderful place to visit during the holidays, but it’s also a great place to live year round! If you are interested in buying a home in Los Gatos (or selling one), please contact me, Mary Pope-Handy (contact information in the sidebar). I’m both a Realtor based in the Town of Los Gatos and a resident myself, working full time in helping nice folks to buy and sell homes here and throughout the west valley and greater Silicon Valley communities.
If you aren’t familiar with the area, here are a few things to know!
Buy a home in Los Gatos (info on neighborhoods, school districts, homes for sale to browse online, links to important local sites & info)
Relocating and buying a house in Los Gatos
Los Gatos real estate on Facebook
Monthly Los Gatos real estate market update
Los Gatos real estate market statistics & trends for houses
Los Gatos realty trends and stats for condos & townhouses
by Mary Pope-Handy | Aug 6, 2015 | LG Lifestyle, Parks, Visiting Los Gatos
Will you be visiting Los Gatos for a day or weekend, or staying for a lifetime? Either way, there are tons of things to do for children of all ages both in and near Los Gatos.
Outdoors
If the weather’s fine, as it often is here, you might start by introducing your kids to Oak Meadow and Vasona Parks, which are adjacent to each other. Oak Meadow includes a great airplane that kids can climb on, a beautiful carousel and a small train that loops into Vasona and back. Vasona has paddle boats that can be rented (seasonally). And of course there’s lots of playground equipment and sprawling lawn for those who want to toss a ball or frisbee around. For time outdoors, these parks are hard to beat. Read more about these very cool parks here: https://liveinlosgatosblog.com/vasona-and-oak-meadow/
The Youth Science Institute is a program offered at Vasona to help educate students on nature. This is not a one day event but is extremely worthwhile. Check it out: http://www.ysi-ca.org/
If your little people like to hike and explore, the Montalvo estate and grounds in Saratoga is a great nearby option on a dry day, too. Montalvo is an arts center but there are wonderful trails which can be enjoyed. But no picnicing, sorry! Learn more at my Valley of Heart’s Delight blog: http://sanjoserealestatelosgatoshomes.com/great-time-of-year-to-visit-villa-montalvo/
All ages: any of the free music events, all of which are out doors, virtually all summer long in Los Gatos!
https://liveinlosgatosblog.com/los-gatos-free-music-concert-series-music-in-the-park-jazz-on-the-plazz-and-vasona-vibrations-schedule-of-events-and-performers/
Touristy but still fun
Roaring Camp and Big Trees http://www.roaringcamp.com/
The Mystery Spot http://www.mysteryspot.com/
The Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk http://beachboardwalk.com/
California’s Great America in Santa Clara (amusement park, rides) https://www.cagreatamerica.com/
Time to eat!
There are MANY great kid-friendly restaurants in Los Gatos. A few of my favorites are these:
Indoor Fun
The Children’s Discovery Museum in San Jose https://www.cdm.org/
The Tech Museum of Innovation in San Jose https://www.thetech.org/
Petroglyph (in Los Gatos, Willow Glen, and Santa Cruz locally) http://www.petroglyph.com/
More?
Looking for more ideas? There’s a slightly longer list of kid friendly things to do on another of my blogs. Have a read:
http://sanjoserealestatelosgatoshomes.com/kids-in-silicon-valley-fun-places-to-go/
by Mary Pope-Handy | Aug 20, 2011 | Los Gatos Government
August 20, 2011
The land at 930 University Avenue in Los Gatos is earmarked to become the long-desired sports park, the Creekside Sports Park. The town’s planning commission is holding public hearings on Wednesday August 24 2011 at 6:00 at the Council Chambers, 110 East Main Street, Los Gatos.
Why is there a public hearing? The town of Los Gatos needs to decide how the land will be used and accessed. Of particular controversy is whether or not there should be a pedestrian bridge over the Los Gatos Creek, connecting the sports park to Vasona Lake County Park (and the town’s Oak Meadow Park).
Also on the docket for the evening is more discussion of the Albright Way & Winchester development (sometimes called the Netflix project to the dismay of some).
The town helpfully publishes agendas ahead of time. You can view the Los Gatos Planning Commission agenda for this particular meeting online also at the following url:
http://losgatos.granicus.com/GeneratedAgendaViewer.php?view_id=2&event_id=91
