More Thefts From Autos in Los Gatos

On February 4th, the Los Gatos Observer reported that there have been a rash of thefts from cars in Los Gatos, and it seems a concentration of them were in the Almond Grove area. Last night, February 6th, the pillaging continued in the parking lot at St. Mary's Church, at Bean and Tait Avenues (also in the Almond Grove District). Three cars were broken into while owners were at an Ash Wednesday evening Mass. Purses left on the seats of cars were taken in all three cases. 

Los Gatos usually has very little crime, but right now something's out of whack. Please do not leave purses, laptops, GPS, cell phones, iPods or other goodies in your cars, especially where visible. And if you have any information on these auto break ins, please contact the Los Gatos Police at 408 354-8600.

Surmont, Belgatos and Belwood Areas of Los Gatos:
What Homes are for Sale Now?

On the eastern edge of the town of Los Gatos, there sits a neighborhood of about 500 homes that most people refer to as simply "Belwood" but in fact is comprised of three different neighborhoods: Belwood of Los Gatos, the Belgatos area and the Surmont subdivision. Collectively, they enjoy close access to fabulous Belgatos Park and the use of a great neighborhood pool and cabaña.

Being partial to this region of town since my family and I reside there, I provide a small website, BelwoodOfLosGatos.com (also Belwood-Belgatos.com points to it), which includes hyper local information about that neighborhood's homes and real estate, Belgatos Park, the cabaña and also an area-specific blog to which I occassionally post.  Today I blogged about the three parts of the area and homes for sale there - what is currently on the market and a hint about an upcoming listing (not mine, but one I'm aware of). Additionally, there's a link to the "home info" section, which includes sales prices of homes in Belwood, Belgatos and Surmont in recent years.

Interested in the Los Gatos real estate market? It's not "one market", but many micro-markets. What applies in one region or price point (or even school district, at times) may not be true in another. The Belwood area homes in east Los Gatos is one of those many markets. Pop by my blog and site there and get to know the neighborhood!  A photo slideshow is available too.

Where, Exactly, is Los Gatos?

Where is Los Gatos in relation to the rest of California? Folks thinking of moving, or visiting here, are often a bit puzzled. Often telling them "it's a part of Silicon Valley" doesn't help much, either. Possibly more helpful: it's at the southern end of the San Francisco Bay Area, about a half hour from the bay. (And right now, with several counties in southern California burning, some may ponder whether we're anywhere near all of that. We aren't. This is technically "northern California" though right on the verge of "central coast".)

From Los Gatos it's a half hour to the beach at Santa Cruz (south/south-west). It's 90 minutes to Carmel and Monterey (south), an hour to "the city". It's close to San Jose and often the townsfolk do get into the San Jose spirit especially if the Sharks are on the ice!

Here's a link to the map of Los Gatos on Mapquest. And here's one from Google.

Distances from San Jose to some Large Cities

San Jose is the town's nearest big city (it has just shy of a million people and is more populous than San Francisco). Downtown San Jose is about 15 -20 minutes. San Jose is a sprawling city, though, and some of it brushes directly against the Los Gatos border (in the Cambrian Park and Almaden Valley regions of the city).

From San Francisco, Los Gatos is about an hour to an hour and 15 minutes south, on the inland side of the coastal foothills.

Los Angeles is pretty far away. It would be an hour south by plane from the San Jose airport, but by automobile it's at least 6 hours (if you drive fast) but more likely 8 hours and possibly longer if you hit traffic going into Los Angeles proper - which is likely. San Diego is about 9 hours by car - unless you drive like a maniac!

Here in northern California, in Silicon Valley, we are relatively unaffected by the fires that ravage the southland. But the ties between the regions are strong - we have sent many firefighters there (leaving some in reserve "just in case"). I have 20-30 cousins living in San Diego, Orange, and Los Angeles Counties. We are not near them geographically - but our thoughts and prayers are with them at this time of natural disaster.

Racoons on the Roof

Most mornings, the alarm goes off in our Los Gatos home at 6:30am. I find my way to the coffee pot, flip it on, and sit down at my desk to see what emails may have come in overnight. My home office looks out to a small front courtyard; ours is a pseudo-Spanish style home and the view to the street goes through a small covered archway that connects one part of the U-shaped house with another.

As I sipped on my coffee and waited for the email to load today, a shadowy four-legged creature meandered across the archway roof. It was in siloutte - all shadows as the sun hadn't risen high enough to illuminate it. A cat? A squirrel? A possum? It sported a long snout and a fairly thick tail. Seemed to be a racoon. While I was still processing the possibilities, a second animal waddled right behind.

They were so cute!

I squealed with delight at these cartoonish animals so close. Jim and I hustled outside to catch a better view of them. The dog treated this like a four-alarm fire and raced around the house barking, and even when we returned inside and told her to hush, she wouldn't abandon her duty of announcing a huge danger. The neighbors must have wondered.

After about 10 minutes and the return of calm, I got a second viewing as one of them retraced its steps along the crest of the arch in better light and a second one snuggled under the overhang between the archway and the bedroom wing. It was so funny to look up and see the racoon eyes studying me from under the eaves!

In truth, they're adorable as visitors but we wouldn't want them to stay. I'm not sure how they got there, or what they expected to find on my roof. Perhaps a neighbor leaves pet food outside that attracts them? Or maybe they like one of our fruit trees? I don't know. We have seen possum in the peach tree, squirrels everywhere and sometimes a rat tries to take up residence with us. Never before racoons, though. I hope they nest somewhere else in Belwood...and just come back to visit once in awhile.

Do you know the Edelen District of Los Gatos?

One of the oldest residential neighborhoods in Los Gatos is the Edelen District. Originally a vineyard just north of the town's school (where Old Town stands today), it runs alongside the Los Gatos Creek to University Avenue or North Santa Cruz. Streets include University Avenue (south of Highway 9), Miles, Miller, and Edelen Avenues.

This historic area also once included homes downhill (off Miles), along the banks of the Los Gatos Creek. But frequent flooding made that untenable. Now the lower area, by the banks of the Los Gatos Creek, is home to the town's recycling center, truckyard and carlot as well as the parks department's building (Department of Parks and Public Works). And it houses the relocated Maria's Berry Farm buildings too (formerly near Highway 17 and Lark Avenue and moved when Highway 85 was constructed in the early 90's).

Filled with beautiful Victorian homes, many built in the late 1800s, the Edelen District boasts an incredible proximity to downtown Los Gatos (as does the Almond Grove, but this area is even closer "in"). The streets are tree-lined and delightful looking, and most owners clearly prize their distinctive and historically important homes and have restored and maintained them lovingly.

For visitors to the Edelen District, parking is a pain. Most of the area is permit parking only, 24 hours a day. And it makes sense. These residences were constructed largely without garages in mind. The folks who live there need to park at home without competing for space with visitors to Old Town or other downtown draws. To further protect this area from undesired traffic, Miller Avenue is closed to automobile traffic where it intersects with Edelen. Shoppers are therefore not tempted to park illicitly.

There are countless architectural treasures in this area, but let's have a peek at just a couple so you can get a flavor of the neighborhood. (Thanks in advance to the fabulous book, Los Gatos Observed by Alastair Dallas and to the Town of Los Gatos for its Hooked on History Project, sponsored by the Los Gatos Library and History Museum)

The home I photographed this week above and to the left is at 129 Edelen Avenue. It's a gorgeous Queen Anne Victorian and was built in 1892. Because of the large bushes and trees, it is difficult to get a clear view of the home today from one photographable angle. The "Hooked on History" project of Los Gatos has a wonderful photo on its site, though, and it provides a better view of the house (if in black and white).

Directly across the street is another gorgeous house, located at 130 Edelen Avenue. It was built in 1886 and has been the setting for a movie and a television show. It, too, is a gracious Queen Ann Victorian with lots of splendid detailing. This was the winter residence of John Miles, a founder and developer of this district.

My suggestion for seeing this historic neighborhood is to park at the public lot behind the newer section of Old Town, stroll down University Avenue to Miller and walk down the street to Edelen. Cars cannot pass through the intersection, but pedestrians can. Enjoy a leisurely walk up the tree lined street and then turn back toward University on Miles Avenue.

Bring your camera!

A Place for Strolling in Los Gatos:
Historic Almond Grove District in Los Gatos

The Almond Grove District is one of the oldest residential neighborhoods in Los Gatos.

The subdivision was created in 1887 by town fathers John Bean, Alphonse Wilder, Augustine Nicholson, Fen Massol and Captain Magnus Tait. The borders were from Bean Avenue to Saratoga-Los Gatos Road and North Santa Cruz and Glen Ridge Avenue. (Streets in this district include Beat Ave., Wilder Ave., Nicholson Ave., Massol Ave. and Tait Ave.)

What is really amazing about this neighborhood is the way it was originally sold, the incredibly enthusiastic response it had right from the very beginning. In September of that year, 1887, an orchardist named Harvey Wilcox had a land auction of the subdivision.  He sold 121 out of 170 lots for sale - all in one day!! 

(That same orchardist also sold the Jesuits 40 acres that would become the Novitiate up on the hill.)

The popularity of the Almond Grove District continues to this day, more than a century later.
Today the area is known for being very, very highly decorated at Halloween and Christmas. In fact, on October 31st, many children are brought in from other areas to "Trick or Treat" in this historical area with tons of (spooky) ambiance on Halloween.

Almendra is a street whose name in Spanish means "almond" and this road was the home of many mayors and important personages in Los Gatos history. It also boasts a six-sided house (which was recently home to a law office and is currently a pending sale, listed just a bit under 1.5 mil) that was built in 1895.

What folks love about the Almond Grove is that it's "walk to town" (or "close to town"), it's full of old-style charm (in a valley full to the brim with tract housing), there are wide, tree-lined streets, and of course great Los Gatos schools. But even more, it seems that the Almond Grove district exudes an immense pride in keeping the flavor of the area alive. And there seems to be a lot of community spirit too. There's no other neighborhood like this one for holiday decorating.

Are there challenges living in the Almond Grove area? Sure. Parking can be a problem - many of these homes were built before garages were a consideration!  Older construction can impact remodeling (historical preservation rules) too.

Being able to stroll to world-class restaurants, enjoy fantastic shopping or stop in at a spa for the royal treatment just blocks away is a huge plus. Living in a neighborhood full of character and history, and getting neighbors who all care about taking care of their homes is a big plus too.

I'd live there in a heartbeat.

Great Neighborhood: Surrey Farms in Los Gatos