Enjoying the Murals in Los Gatos

Los Gatos has many fine antique shops and upscale places in which to buy art. The town is noted for other types of art too: theater, film, musical performances, paintings, and more.

The very common, often lighthearted art of the mural can easily be overlooked in such grand company. But take a moment and have a peek at some of the delightful stuff of our ordinary days in Los Gatos: the murals.

Slideshow of some of the murals of Los Gatos.

Great Neighborhood: Surrey Farms in Los Gatos

Take a Self-Guided Walking Tour of Los Gatos

Los Gatos Wine Tasting Opportunities Abound

Like wine?  You don't need to drive a few hours to enjoy fantastic tasting.

It's all right here, within Los Gatos, or a very short drive of town.

Los Gatos and the hillside & mountain communities have an abundance of wineries and tasting rooms. The Santa Cruz Mountain Winegrowers Association has a wonderful map that make this clear. 

Right in town, we have Testarossa Vineyards, which is located on the Jesuit property up on College Avenue (the winery is open daily from 11-5). Also presented there is Fleming Jenkins Winery (yes, as in Peggy Flemming, the famous ice skater - she is a resident of our fair town).  Just into the coastal range (sometimes called the Santa Cruz Mountains, sometimes called the Los Gatos Mountains) there's Byington and also Muccigrosso, both on Bear Creek Road.  There are dozens more in the nooks and crannies of both sides of "the hill".  Back in the flatlands of Silicon Valley, you can enjoy tasting some vino without ever climbing a hill by visiting Pinder in Campbell.   Further "in", close to the San Jose airport, and not on the list of the Santa Cruz Mountain Winegrowers Association, you'll find J Lohr, just off the Alameda, between Hedding and Race. 

I can't say I've been to all, but I've been to many of these. My very favorite Chardonnay wine is made by a local vinter in Saratoga, but the winery, Cinnabar, is closed to the public - it's invitation only. Sigh.

Ridge on Montebello Road in Cupertino has a gorgeous picnic area with fantastic views of the Santa Clara Valley below. Several times we have been there and been in sunshine, while looking at the valley encased in fog, below. What a joy to be above the fogline when that happens!  (If you go there, wander into the barn and note a large corkboard that says "RIDGE" with the letters spelled out using the wine-drenched side of the cork. The artist of that fine piece was none other than my own Jim Handy.)  Cooper-Garrod has great wine and the unusual combination of winetasting and horseback riding nearby care of Garrod Stables (beware: you can, indeed, smell the horses when you picnic there).

This is just the tip of the iceburg. There are many dozens of great, local wines, without having to drive north of the Golden Gate Bridge.

I would suggest just one thing, though. Since many of these scenic and enjoyable spots are in hilly areas with very curvy roads, bring along a designated driver.   The roads can be tricky under the best of circumstances as shadows dance in and out between the trees and cars unfamiliar with the roads weave out of their lanes a bit.

Happy tasting. Is it any wonder that this area was once called "The Valley of Heart's Delight"??

Concert Tonight in Los Gatos

Reminder: Community Garage Sale Tomorrow

What is the Silicon Valley and Los Gatos Market Doing?

Silicon Valley vs Los Gatos (and a few other places)

Santa Clara County (Silicon Valley) has a declining number of sales but a rising median sales price. Does this mean that the average home is worth more now than it was a year ago?

It depends on the location and price point.

The news reports and statistics indicate that the market is split between the wealthier communities, such as Palo Alto, Sunnyvale, Cupertino, Saratoga, Monte Sereno, Los Gatos, and Almaden Valley, which seem to be experiencing a seller's market, and the poorer communities, including many places along the east valley, which seem to have a buyer's market. (See the San Jose Mercury News article from 5/17 and Broderick Perkins' article dated 5/9.) 

Entry level condos and homes on the east side are being impacted by the subprime loan problems - buyers are having a harder time qualifying for 100% financing and this is impacting the ability of those entry level homes to sell. The consensus is that much of the reason that the median home price is higher is because the lower priced homes just aren't selling. So it's not a case that "a rising tide lifts all boats" this time around. The numbers are skewed because of the falloff of lower-cost homes.

But in Los Gatos (and in many of the west valley markets), things are rosier than they were 6 months ago.  Closed sales in April (representing sales in March, generally) were up 26% over a year ago (countywide, sales were down from 578 closings in April 2006 to 431 in April 2007). 

And so we return to the question: what about the value of a home (my home)? Is it worth more now than it was worth a year ago?

The best way to analyse this is to find your exact floorplan, if possible, and track where it has been selling in recent years and where it's selling now.

Shy of that, a good way is to track the neighborhood as a whole and watch the average price per square foot.

On the eastern edge of Los Gatos lies the community near Belgatos Park (Belwood, Belgatos, and Surmont subdivisions). Generally, homes here are in the range of 2000-3000 sf though a few are smaller or larger than that. 

Here are the average prices per square foot for the last few years:

2003  $382
2004  $458
2005  $490
2006  $511
2007  $566.64  (just 2 closed so far, the least of which was at $537/SF) 

So this area of Los Gatos has risen steadily in value in recent years. It's very likely that it would be true for most of the town, if not all. Countywide, things are mixed. But in Los Gatos, it seems that yes, homes are continuing to appreciate well at this time.