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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May. 7, 2008
Categorized in: LG Lifestyle
Mother's Day is this Sunday, May 11th. What can you do to celebrate in Los Gatos?
A lot of folks are led to believe that Mother's Day needs to be a day of buying expensive gifts. But that may not be at all what the mother of the family really wants. So the starting point, I think, is to simply ask what she would like to do to celebrate the day.
Brunch is a somewhat traditional Mother's Day event. A wonderfully elegant buffet on any Sunday can be found at the Toll House Hotel in downtown Los Gatos. There's also a special brunch at Testarossa Vineyards in Los Gatos for Mother's Day too.
Many young mothers are simply tired and could use a day of rest and relaxation. Maybe a massage? There are several places in Los Gatos which offer massages, including the Spa Los Gatos and the Preston-Wynne Spa at the Hotel Los Gatos.
Other moms may want to spend their time with their families and do a little shopping on Mother's Day. It's easy to relax at the Farmer's Market at the Town Plaza (at North Santa Cruz and Main) and then shop along Main Street, University Avenue, and North Santa Cruz Avenue. Take a stroll through the flower shop, Bunches, on N. Santa Cruz, while you're there. If the kids need a bite to eat, there's no shortage of possibilities downtown. The Diner of Los Gatos (on Highway 9) is always a good bet for children, but so are several other places downtown. Or if they get a little restless, a trip to Oak Meadow Park and Vasona Lake County Park can help them expend a little excess energy.
As a Realtor, I've noticed that Mother's Day is not a bad time to hold an open house. It seems that a whole lot of women in Silicon Valley enjoy looking at homes when given a chance. So husbands, I'd suggest plotting out a few homes to show her too, if that's something she'd enjoy! (It is easy enough to see what is open by doing a search at www.MLSListings.com and check the small box that says to display only the open homes.)
What if your mother or mother in law is far away? Flowers are usually good, but so are current photos of grandkids, if there are some. My husband seldom told his parents of his accomplishments, and I found that when I wrote or told them of his successes, it made them very happy. Grandparents love to hear those stories, so take a little time and write an old-fashioned letter and tell them about milestones and accomplishments, whether it's a first tooth or first step or if it's their grandchild being accepted into college. They want to hear this stuff!
As for me, I'm fairly well spoiled on a regular basis as my husband loves to cook. Last year I told the family I wanted to go to Half Moon Bay and visit a haunted restaurant for brunch and take some photos. They humored me, but wish I didn't enjoy visiting spooky places so much. This year I think I'll pass on the haunted spots and see about doing a hike or a walk in Los Gatos with cameras in hand and shoot some pics of the kids and the sights. Los Gatos is full of scenic spots, so now the only choice is where in town to go. We have a few days to figure that part out.
Happy Mother's Day!
Apr. 26, 2008
Los Gatos is "Tree City USA" for 29 years in a row! A celebration at Daves Avenue School yesterday included talks by local officials and by students and, of course, the planting of some new trees. (Photos courtesy of Jim Handy.)

Shovels ready for work.
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The site was prepared ahead of time

A tractor does the heavy lifting with two young trees to be planted at Daves Avenue School.
Three trees were planted in all.

An assembly of students gathered to hear talks by officials and classmates.

Los Gatos Mayor Barbara Spector addressed the crowd.


Adults did the first round of planting

And most importantly, the students helped to plant too.
Apr. 22, 2008
Categorized in: LG Lifestyle
Los Gatos, the land of pricey real estate, is also the home to pricey and classic automobiles. There are several high-end dealerships in downtown, as locals know..
Recently, though, it was owners who met in Los Gatos, not dealers. The Northern California Corvette Association gathered at the cabana of Belwood of Los Gatos last weekend, and what a pretty site it was!
This event was “Legends bag stuffing” hosted by Greg and Leta Reynolds, and it will be on the group's website soon.
Neal Golding, the group's historian (and the photographer of these beautiful pics), tells me that the club is always looking for new members, and invites those interested to please visit their website.

Apr. 19, 2008
Categorized in: LG Lifestyle
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If you live in Los Gatos, Campbell, or nearby parts of Silicon Valley, you are probably familiar with the good work done by Eastfield Ming Quong, or EMQ, in its children & family services. Next weekend is their big fundraiser, The Great Silicon Valley Caper. This is a tremendous opportunity to support addiction prevention work and services to kids and families here in Silicon Valley. Please visit their website at www.GreatSiliconValleyCaper.org to learn more.
And if you can't swing the caper, there are other ways to help kids and families in need. Local shops which support the nonprofit include The Happy Dragon Thrift Shop in Los Gatos (245 W Main St., Los Gatos, CA 95030 tel (408) 354-4072) and The Butter Paddle in Saratoga.
Apr. 14, 2008
There are so many "boundary issues" around Los Gatos that it's mind boggling. For newcomers to the area, it's already diffucult to understand how the school district lines do not follow the town boundaries.
Then there's the whole issue of "mailing address" vs being "in the town". The 95033 zip code means "Los Gatos Mountains" and also means "not part of the actual Town of Los Gatos". No voting rights. No police (sheriff instead). And so on.
The Los Gatos mountain schools are highly regarded. Normally, the elementary schools feed, eventually, to Los Gatos High School. The schools are a leading guage of property values, so the question of which schools is a BIG deal physically, emotionally, and economically. The schools are a leading factor in Silicon Valley real estate values.
Just now I got a Google alert that some kids in the Lakeside Elemenary area of the Los Gatos Mountains are actually being bussed to Rolling HIlls Middle School in Campbell. Rolling HIlls is a good school but it's nowhere near downtown Los Gatos (or the mountains). Instead, it's in the area where Campbell, Los Gatos, and Saratoga meet - over near Pollard and Quito Roads.
So have a look at the Merc's article, "Mother sues Los Gatos Union to get son into Fisher Middle School" and see what you think!
Apr. 14, 2008
Yesterday I saw this beautiful lavender colored vine, wisteria, adorning an old home near St. Mary's Church in downtown Los Gatos (Almond Grove District area). The photo was taken with my Treo, so the quality is not great, but you get the feeling: perfect blue skies, vibrant colors, classic old Craftsman style home. A perfect spring day in Los Gatos.
Apr. 8, 2008
Short sales are on the rise in Silicon Valley. Note the change of active listings identified as short sales in just the last 13 days! The list below does not include pending sales.

Related Posts on Short Sales in Silicon Valley by Mary Pope-Handy:
Are there many short sale listings in the Los Gatos, Monte Sereno, Saratoga area?
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