On the west side of Los Gatos, a little into the foothills and pulling into Monte Sereno, you'll find Overlook Road and adjoining streets.  This is a very scenic part of town and one of the oldest too.  It was developed beginning in  the late 1800s (starting a little after 1890)  to about 1910 initially.   A hilly place,  there are natural retreats due to bends in the terrain and clusters of trees. It is easy to feel remote.  But it's close-in.

John Steinbeck, the famous novelist known for books such as "East of Eden" and "Cannery Row"  lived near Overlook at 16250 Greenwood Lane (which is now in Monte Sereno and was unincorporated at the time he lived there). His first wife helped design the 800 square foot cottage and they moved in at the height of the depression, about 1935.   Written there, on the front patio of his home and in the living room of the guest cottage, was  “Of Mice and Men”.    Even John Steinbeck experienced setbacks, though.  As he was laboring over this piece,  his puppy was said to have eaten the manuscript and Steinbeck was forced to recreate it from memory!   It seems that he wrote “The Grapes of Wrath” from there too.    For awhile, this spot offered him the solitude and scenery that were conducive to, and critical for, his writing.  

Eventually, Steinbeck's fame made him the victim of uninvited visitors and he felt forced to build a fence to keep unwanted folks out.  As the area continued to develop, Steinbeck became increasingly unhappy until the crowding and the noise made him feel suffocated.  He and his wife then retreated further into the hills, moving to a 47 acre parcel in the Santa Cruz Mountains. Like most folks in Los Gatos, though, he did venture into town at times. He occasionally visit the Lyndon Hotel Bar, where he once reportedly entertained director John Ford and Charlie Chaplain.

As for the home on Greenwood Lane?  The original home has since been expanded. And it is nearly impossible to find - quite on purpose.  The current owners likewise seem to value their privacy.   That might true of most of the people in the Overlook area, who have moved into the small foothills of the valley for just a little more quiet and seclusion than is found in the majority of town.