In the spirit of holiday cheer, I'm going to share with you one of my holiday secrets.
Immediately adjacent to Los Gatos is a very small city named Monte Sereno. ("El Sereno" is the name of the large mountain to the right of the pass to Santa Cruz. "El Sombroso" is the name of the large one to the left.) The Monte Sereno Post Office, located on Hightway 9 (aka Los Gatos-Saratoga Road) and Rose Avenue, is usually the best place around during the holiday season when you need to mail a package. This year they have cut back on their hours and it is only open from 9am - 1pm, Monday through Friday. The lines are typically far shorter than at other nearby post office locations, but it is a small office and they don't take credit cards or do express mail. So go armed with your simple mail and checkbook, and be delighted that the line is half as long as at other PO stations.
Los Gatos is home to a great many restaurants. But your kids may not want to try Romanian or Thai food, or perhaps a great steakhouse won't be well appreciated by teens and younger people. But there are many, many places with simple fare, simple decor and sometimes too other things going on inside to keep your young people happy.
So here is the Mary Pope-Handy list of kid friendly restaurants in Los Gatos. Have I missed one? If so, let me know and I'll add it.
The Diner of Los Gatos 235 Los Gatos Saratoga Rd Los Gatos, CA 95030 (408) 354-4886
Andale (Mexican) 21 N. Santa Cruz Ave, Los Gatos. 408 (395)-4244
T-Birds Pizza 444 N Santa Cruz Ave Los Gatos, CA 95030-5313 (408) 395-2525
The Iron Skillet 15662 Los Gatos Blvd Los Gatos, CA 95032-2504 (408) 356-0600
Gallo's (Italian) 14180 Blossom Hill Rd, Los Gatos, CA 95032-5118 (408) 358-3661
Jasmine Chinese Cuisine 20 S Santa Cruz Ave Ste 204, Los Gatos, CA 95030-6827
Double D's Sports Grill 354 N Santa Cruz Ave, Los Gatos, CA 95030 (408) 395-6882
Live Oak Kitchen 15531 Union Ave, Los Gatos, CA 95032 (408) 371-7600
Of course, we do also have chain and independent "fast food" hamburger type places along Los Gatos Boulevard too. The kids may prefer the chain stores because they have play equipment. But the independent ones have far, far better food. You'll have to negotiate that trade off!
Median Price is that at which 50% of properties sold were above that price and 50% were below.
Ave. Price
Average Price is the sum of all prices divided by the number of sales.
Ave. DOM
Average Days on Market is the average time it took to sell all properties.
Newly Listed
How many properties came on the market in the given time period.
Info by Rick Campbell of The RE Report (a subscription I have)
Mary Pope-Handy, Realtor, CRS, ABR, e-PRO, SRES, ASP, RECS, CNHS Helping Nice Folks to Buy & Sell Homes Since 1993 Co-Author: "Get The Best Deal When Selling Your Home In Silicon Valley" Intero Real Estate Services, Los Gatos, CA (Silicon Valley)
408 357-5760 (Direct); 408 204-7673 (Cell); 408 715-0201 (eFax) www.PopeHandy.comwww.ValleyOfHeartsDelight.com
emailto: Mary@PopeHandy.com
Blog: www.LiveInLosGatos.com
Los Gatos is home to many great things, many great ideas too, but also home to many fascinating people who are successful in their own fields. The list includes CEOs, sports celebrities, and other famous people. Wikipedia lists several of our Los Gatos contemporaries who are very well known, and if you live here, you do bump into them at Whole Foods, a restaurant, or maybe your child's school. They're just normal people, trying to lead normal lives. I, for one, won't bug them if I see them in public or at some function where we happen to be together. I once spent a year in a body cast and it made me appreciate, deeply, how important it is just to be treated like a "normal person" - no matter what the circumstances are.
But Los Gatos has often been a popular place among those who could choose to live or visit anywhere they wanted - this is not a new experience for our pretty town. John Steinbeck lived here and wrote "Of Mice and Men" in those days. Charlie Chaplin came to visit and was seen a few times at the old Lyndon Hotel in the days when he was filming at Niles Canyon (a district of Fremont). The famous violinist Yehudi Menuhin lived in Los Gatos, up near the Holy Names Sisters convent and the Jesuit Novitiate, for a bit of time in his childhood. It was a treasured time for him.
Want to read up on well-known visitors? Take a look:
In addition to all the famous (and those of us who are not-so-famous) people who have enjoyed making Los Gatos home, there was a time in which ordinary, but very ill, people would pilgrimmage here too. The climate was so favorable it was prescribed. Did you ever wonder about the fact that Los Gatos was so small, but for many years had two mortuaries? Many of these sickly folk did improve here, but many others did not. Read John Baggerly's surprising bit of history as Los Gatos, the health refuge: http://www.losgatos.com/history/climate.html .
Finally, some residents just won't leave, even when their earthly life is over. If you are interested in our (mostly) unseen residents, please visit a page on one of my websites dedicated to Haunted Real Estate. Los Gatos is a featured location and I discuss there the old cemetary (which has shops over it now) and other places where the townsfolk remain in spirit.
So many fun things are happening during the month of December in Los Gatos: come be a part of them!
The Fantasy of Lights is back for the 8th year in a row!From Thanksgiving through New Year’s Eve, VasonaCountyPark in Los Gatos is alight with holiday cheer! http://www.sccgov.org/portal/site/fol/
Friday December 1st, 4 – 6pm: annual tree-lighting ceremony and festivities at the town's PlazaPark.
Saturday December 2nd, 11 am: The Town of Los Gatos’ 50th Annual Holiday Parade (arrive early to get nearby parking and a good viewing spot)And please bring toys, canned goods, warm weather clothing etc. to the town plaza to support Toys for Tots and St. Luke’s Episcopal Food Pantry for the homeless. Please view this PDF for more info on the 50th anniversary celebration activities and drive: http://www.losgatosca.gov/documents/Events/50th%20Anniversay%20Parade%20Flier.pdf
Beginning December 2nd, Carriage Rides return to town: The Los Gatos Chamber of Commerce sponsors these quaint jaunts in horse-drawn carriages through the historic and scenic downtown Thursdays through Sundays through Christmas. Visit the Chamber website at http://losgatoschamber.com/ or phone 354-9300 for more information
A pet-friendly Christmas: anyone who’s been to Los Gatos (the Cats) knows that the town seems to be very dog-friendly. This is true during the holidays too. "Santa Paws" December 3rd, 11 am to 3 pm. Four footed friends get a chance to have a photo taken with Santa. Hosted by "Santa in the Plaza" committee & Los Gatos-Saratoga Recreation Department. (408-354-8700)
"Santa in the Plaza" - three dates! December 16, 2 - 4 pm. and December 17, 11 - 3 and December 23 12 -4 at TownPlaza Plark. Photo op! Brought to you by "Santa in the Plaza" committee & Los Gatos-Saratoga Recreation Department. (408-354-8700)
Shop Los Gatos!Free Valet Parking will be available downtown. Download a PDF of the town’s many shops and services below. Make a day of it and enjoy great ambiance and unique stores! And do not forget to visit King's Court Shopping Center too. It is located at the corner of Los Gatos Boulevard and Blossom Hill Road, and is home to several of the town's finest, and most unique, shops! One of them is The Wooden Horse, which I think is the best independent toy store I've ever seen, with toys and games aimed at helping children to grow and develop. Another is the Chocolate Dream Box, a yummy Belgian chocolate store. Additionally, enjoy a trip into The Wild Bird Center and Fiori's Hallmark. There are several restaurants right in King's Court, or walk across the street to Whole Foods and grab a salad. For the town's list of shops and services, please click the following link: http://www.losgatosca.gov/DocumentView.asp?DID=681
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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