Usually on Christmas Eve, my husband and I take our kids on a drive around Los Gatos after dark to take in the pretty Christmas lights that grace homes, yards, and trees. And each time, we make sure to visit the Vista del Monte neighborhood, where we're treated to a look at homes with luminarias on Worcester Loop and Worcester Lane. Normally, there are a lot of homes that make a huge effort and put these out.
But not this year. What happened? We saw just three homes - all on Worcester Lane - with luminarias this year.
Perhaps it was too much work, or perhaps they thought no one cared or noticed. But our family certainly did enjoy seeing them! They are so pretty, but also they have a religious relevance, which I particularly appreciate with the commercialization of the feast. To me, it's a great reminder about what Christmas is really about, and I missed it that most of the homes didn't do it this year.
And my hat is off to the three homes that did do it. Thank you, we noticed and enjoyed seeing them!
I hope the luminarias will be back next year, like so many other wonderful Christmas traditions.
The Town of Los Gatos has an email newsletter called "What's New!". You can get it delivered to you by email by going to this page on the town website: http://www.losgatosca.gov/List.asp. The town can send you other pieces of information too, such as town council info. It's a good way to keep current on town doings!
Have you seen those motorized two wheel vehicles on sidewalks and roads around town? They are Segways and a local Segway outlet wanted to be able to rent them for use along the well-travelled Los Gatos Creek Trail. The Town Council (with one dissenting vote) decided that the trails are busy enough and has banned them. It was apparently a hot issue on both sides. You can read about it in this online article from The Los Gatos Observer.
If Hanukkah or Christmas shopping is on your to-do list for the next week or two, you may want to give the gift of appreciation. That is, a gift which will deepen the recipient's fondness for our Corner of the Cats. Here are a few items which I particularly like myself:
(1) Los Gatos Observed: The History and Architecture of Los Gatos, by Alistair Dallas (photos by Peter S. Conrad). Findable at Borders and other local bookstores as well as online via Amazon. This book is a joy to flip through casually or read more in-depth. Great stories & photos.
(2) Los Gatos by Peggy Conway. This is part of the historical photographs book series, all of which I have found to be very well done. Available in bookstores and also on Amazon.
(3) Los Gatos Then & Now by Valerie Archer (DVD). This came out about a year ago. It is available on Amazon but the comments online indicate a 4 - 6 week waiting period. It can also be ordered online to support the Hooked on Los Gatos program (the library and museum project) by clicking here: http://www.lyric.com/video/losgatos/index.htm . I am not sure of their delivery time. It has been available at Border's in Old Town, so my suggestion would be to buy it there. It's a wonderful DVD, very enjoyable to watch.
Fairview Plaza feels like a step back in time - and in many ways, it is. This little neighborhood is so quaint and unique that it seems perfect for a movie set. Located close to downtown and equally close to huge expanses of open space, it enjoys its own park, has an interesting history and is enough off the beaten path that it goes largely undisturbed.
In 1880, Frank McCullough came to Los Gatos and bought 166 acres of prime real estate. From that land, he donated a parcel to become a park, now Fairview Plaza Park. At one time it included playground equipment and a bird sanctuary too. Today it's a little more congested with cars on the street, but you can view a 360 degree panorama of the park and see that even today, it's quite pleasant. This little park is the heart of the neighborhood.
Being an older part of town, Fairview Plaza is an official historic district for the town. It gets some special attention for this, but also some restrictions so that the character of the neighborhood is not harmed by bad remodeling or additions.
To get to Fairview Plaza, you have two choices. You can make use of a staircase that rises from Broadway and makes a direct connection to the neighborhood, or you can arrive there via Pennsylvania Avenue, Fairview Avenue, and then Fairview Plaza. The street is really an enormous cul-de-sac, with no "through traffic". But unlike the cul-de-sacs of suburbia, this one is an entire community unto itself. Make a visit up there and rest a bit in the community park. You will enjoy pretty architecture but also a glimpse back in time. Enjoy!
Los Gatos is a pricey town. The average single family home sells for about $1,200,000 (starters upwards of $800,000 and it seems there is no upper limit on pricing for large homes on large parcels). So folks struggling to pay the rent, whether employed or retired, might not consider looking in Los Gatos for a below-market rate place to live. But the town has got some affordable housing, and the details are on the town website. Visit it and learn about both rentals and purchase programs.
Also, thinking of purchases, there are some great loan programs out there that can help too: Bank of America has an "Acorn program" with great terms (underwritten by a charity), and also there's a CAL-FHA loan with even more generous guidelines, and then there are also programs for folks buying into zip codes where prices are depressed. Interest rates have gone down in the last week or two (which is not atypical for December: remember, it's supply and demand) and this is a great time to buy at a reduced cost. I can put you in touch with a lender if you want to investigate any of these options.
Renting or buying, Los Gatos is a wonderful place to live.
The Kotani-En Japanese Garden is a well kept secret, because this national landmark is on private land - it is not open to the public. I'm a native and only learned of its existence recently! Even the plaque is on private land and sites that discuss this fascinating place admonish us to not trespass or disturb the owners.
The Saratoga Historical Foundation lists three local Japanese gardens: the well known Hakone Gardens of Saratoga and the lesser known Nippon Mura, which is halfway between Saratoga and Los Gatos and is now the site of the La Hacienda, and also Kotani-En, which is located at 15891 Ravine Rd (again, private road, do not disturb occupants or trespass).
"NO. 903 KOTANI-EN - Kotani-En is a classical Japanese residence in the formal style of a 13th-century estate with tile roofed walls surrounding a tea house, shrine, gardens, and ponds. Constructed for Max M. Cohen in 1918-1924 of mahogany, cedar, bamboo, and ceramic tile by master artisan Takashima and eleven craftsmen from Japan, Kotani-En represents a harmonious union of art and nature in a two-acre rustic environment. Kotani-En is a prominent example of Japanese landscape architecture in America. "
A blog about Los Gatos real estate, homes, houses, condos, townhomes, housing market, neightborhoods, history, events, businesses, parks, schools, photos, issues, and lifestyle.
Mary Pope-Handy
Realtor, CRS, ABR, SRES, E-PRO
Luxor Real Estate Group
Mailing Address for Mary: PO Box 440 Los Gatos, CA 95031-0440
877 397-5391 (office/toll-free)
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