Los Gatos, California
Los Gatos real estate, neighborhoods, condos, houses, homes, market trends, history, events, lifestyle, parks, events, businesses, home, Mary Pope-Handy
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Aug. 17, 2008
 The county's smallest home on the smallest lot sits in the historic Almond Grove District of Los Gatos. It's a darling cottage, totally rebuilt about a dozen years ago, in a fantastic location just steps to all that downtown Los Gatos has to offer. Because the home is unique and architecturally interesting, I blogged about it here on Live in Los Gatos a few months ago (see first link, above).
What are the specifics? The 541 square foot house sits on an 817 square foot lot. Originally built in 1922, the home was essentially rebuilt 11-12 years ago with design by Gary Schloh, a well known and highly esteemed local architecht. He did a tasteful job of blending historic charm and modern, upscale amenities in a compact package. With high ceilings, loads of windows, air conditioning, and inside laundry, it is an exceptionally comfortable little home. It is offered for sale at $799,000 and is located at 304 Nicholson Avenue. (Appointment only!)
This listing is presented by Helen Cockrum of Alain Pinel Realtors in Los Gatos, who graciously gave permission for me to blog about (or advertise) her listing here. More information and photos of this amazing downtown cottage can be seen on MLSListings.com.
Jul. 12, 2007
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).
.jpg) 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!
Dec. 7, 2006
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.
A prized part of Fairview Plaza is the Clara Huntington Perkins house, which was designed by Julia Morgan in about 1918-1919. For an arial view, please click here: http://eng.archinform.net/projekte/9253.htm.
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!
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