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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Apr. 11, 2007
 Los Gatos is an extremely fit town, and with good reason. Our sub-tropical climate, with 300 days of sunshine a year, means that most everyone can get at least some exercise, even if it's taking a walk on a regular basis. But there are folks who enjoy taking their sports and exercise more seriously, and some of them wear clothing that you could not possibly ignore if you saw it.
Yes, I'm talking spandex. Forgive me for taking an unpopular stand, but I really and .jpg) truly believe that spandex should be a controlled substance. Not every healthy American body looks good in the stuff. And honestly, a lot of times, seeing people in skin tight clothing qualifies as "too much information". To make matters worse, it seems fashionable that spandex comes in packages of striking color combinations - neon orange, electric green - splashed onto black. If that weren't enough, ads find their way onto it also.
You don't just see them in races or on trails. You see them at the coffee shops downtown, or walking through the Farmer's Market on Sunday mornings.
I try not to look. I really do try. But it's difficult not to look.
Luckily, a lot of the good people who enjoy cycling in town are fit and that helps the visuals. I can only imagine that those who aren't are trying hard to get there. God bless them.
Just shoot me, please, if I ever go out of the house dressed like that.
I admit, unlike some of my relatives, I'm not all that athletic. (The only "A" I ever got in P.E. was for archery. So I'm good at carnival games and "whack a mole" at the pizza parlor.) So there's no hope that if I wore spandex, it might not offend someone. Most days I simply walk our dog or go to Curves to get my heart rate up and try to stave off diabetes. Ocassionally I walk up the very steep and tall Harwood Road or hike in the hills of Belgatos Park. When I emerge from the house with sweating in mind, though, I'm not wearing tight fitting clothes and I'm not trying to be noticed. I hide under loose, dark, old clothes (maybe a Patriots sweatshirt & faded Pats hat), sunglasses in place, and I'm hoping like mad that I don't see anyone I know.
 But this is a very athletic town. There are lots of opportunities for exercise, whether it's swimming at one of the many athletic clubs in town, the new Jewish Community Center, or elsewhere. Hiking is big, of course, as we have an abundance of hills and trails. So's tennis, so's running, and so's roller blading. We have a beautiful golf course at La Rinconada, and many more courses within a short distance. Surf's up? Just over the hill you can catch a wave at Santa Cruz. If crew or sailing's your thing, there's the 57 acre lake at Vasona, the Lexington Resevoir, the San Francisco Bay, the Monterey Bay, and many other lakes nearby. Snow Skiing (or boarding) is 3 1/2 to 4 hours away. And don't forget the dog park - you can throw a Frisbee for Fido and you'll both get a little fresh air and maybe both get some exercise. There seems to be something for everyone, no matter what level of expertise or dedication.
A fun and different form of excercise is popular here too: Bocce Ball. Also called Lawn Bowling, the Italian sport is enjoyed by a group of fans every Saturday morning at Oak Meadow Park (I think at 9am). Additionally, Bocce Ball part and parcel of a great a Los Gatos restaurant, Campo di Bocce. I'm anxious to give it a try. As someone in my office said, "how can you not like a sport in which you can play while holding a glass of wine?"
I think it's about my speed.
Mar. 18, 2007
Spring is in the Air...
The fabulously warm weather - it has been in the 70's here in the last week - has ushered in spring, if unofficially. Los Gatos is a wonderfully diverse place to bring or enjoy a date, or just spend time with your loved ones, whether you're 15 or 105. I remember many teenage dates in this town myself, but this isn't a "true confessions" post :-)
For the young, and the young at heart, a great creative outlet in Los Gatos is Petroglyph, where you can try your hand at pottery designs. We have several momentos from there around our home. It's nice to have useable art too - our daughter made a teapot eons ago that she continues using to this day. This is a fun spot ,and for dates, it can really break the ice to have something to do beyond talking. I recommend it highly as a starting point, especially if this is relatively early on in the relationship.
Parks can be naturally romantic (if there are not a lot of screaming kids, anyway). Los Gatos boasts many, many excellent parks. Oak Meadow Park is usually called "The Airplane Park" by local children as it features an old WWII plane - one of very few left in parks around the nation (it is a decommissioned USAF T-33 Jet). It also offers a neat hand-painted carosal and a small guage railroad, the Billy Joans Wildcat Railroad, which runs from Oak Meadow Park (owned by the town of Los Gatos) into adjoining Vasona Lake County Park. Vasona is really a resevoir but it's sooo pretty and you can rent either sailboats or paddleboats and enjoy the many, many scenic (and romantic) views. So bring your honey to the parks. Walk through Oak Meadow and get nostalgic. Indulge in a ride on the merry-go-round and another on the train. Feel playful. Then go out on the lake - where it's quiet and peaceful and the views are lovely. My first nomination for "Great Places to Kiss" in Los Gatos, then, is out on Vasona Lake, taking in a view of the hills (El Sombroso on the left and El Sereno on the right as you look toward the coastal hills and downtown Los Gatos). By the way, the Parks and Rec department offers sailing lessons in the summers and they are open to kids too. A couple of years ago, Jim and I had Clair and Brian do this class and as their grand finale, they sailed us around the lake. That was a trip. But I digress. Back to romance in the park. Something else about the Vasona - Oak Meadow setting is that there are free concerts in the summer! The series is called Vasona Vibrations and it's every Saturday from 5 - 7pm. So the parks are a fun and scenic date place, but they are also very kid-friendly too. Allow a couple of hours.
My next nomination is really more of an adult venue. Another beautifully romantic spot worthy of kissing is Testarossa Vineyards. Located at the historic Jesuit Novitiate (built in 1888), it is essentially a downtown Los Gatos spot but with some elevation. The building is old, the wine is great and the valley views are timeless! We enjoy bringing visitors there for tasting. The patio with the view is very inviting and feels like something out of a B & B (Los Gatos has no B & Bs, but that's another post). A little wine, a view, and thou: what more could you want?
Many parts of downtown Los Gatos beckon for dates. The town is overflowing with bars, restaurants, and desert shops, among others. You could hardly go wrong to just stroll down Main Street or North Santa Cruz Avenue and see what you find, maybe ending up at Dolce Spazio for some yummy gelato. But I particularly like Old Town on University Avenue. It's a bit bustling, but I'd start at Steamer's for a drink...Then stroll across the street to the older part of Old Town, and just browse (and probably buy) awhile. Both the California Cafe and The Wine Cellar have outdoor seating, if the weather is right and you want to people-watch. Both are great restaurants. The California Cafe has tables near the windows which enjoy a view of the hills - great ambiance. And the Wine Cellar has booths for cozying up ( they aren't nearly as dark as they were 30 years ago, but are still dating material). Personally, I think fondue makes for a romantic meal - and if you think so too, do make it to the Wine Cellar, as their fondue is fantastic. But either way, you really can't go wrong. After the meal, perhaps a stroll through Border's Books is in order. Or not - your choice! If it's not too cool, walk to the back of Old Town. There's a small amphitheater there. Concerts and plays used to happen in that spot, and sometimes now you catch a person just playing a musical instrument there. A pedestrian bridge beyond the amphitheater will take you over the freeway (highway 17) to Forbes Mill (now a museum). There's something nice about just making that little walk, and for some reason it has always struck me as romantic too. So my third nomination for most kissable spots in Los Gatos has to be somewhere on or near this pedestrian bridge linking Old Town and Forbes Mill. One time it might be by the old museum itself, another time at the amphitheater, and maybe another time - I know, a shock - right on the bridge with the whole world seemingly passing underneath.
There are many other nooks and crannies around town which may inspire a romantic moment. The many trees and hills and views, together with some beautiful old architecture and fun shops, can certainly make romance feel imperative in Los Gatos. It's spring. And I think I must be overdue on a "date night". Don't tell my kids! (It's my kids pictured above, in May 1996 just before my sister's wedding in Boston, MA.)
Dec. 1, 2006
Any time of year, a favorite place of mine to hang out is Old Town Los Gatos. A few years ago it was revamped, and in all honesty, I think it lost a lot of its charm then, but much of it does still remain and despite changes, it's a great place to be and relax. There is a little bit of large topiary that remains - once there was a huge selection of it - and the outdoor theater still invites people to sit around and visit, if not see a show or hear music these days. It's my hope that some of the "old" benefits of lingering at Old Town will one day return.
Some things don't change. The Wine Celler is my favorite restaurant, not just in town, but anywhere.  It offers a wonderful menu , including fun things like fondu and cheese boards, a nice variety of wines, and even live music. Additionally there's patio seating upstairs in nice weather, but always a wonderful interior ambiance in the cellar itself. The people who run The Wine Cellar, the Hauck family, are as nice as the food is good.
I began visiting The Wine Cellar as a teenager and pretty much dragged all my friends there, especially on a weekend night if Gritty and Gravel were playing. (Does anyone know whatever happened to those guys?) I was a "regular" and I often asked them to play Desperado. They humored me. And I kept returning with new people week after week. As it turns out, my better half (Jim, now my husband of 21 years) was there many of those nights too. We would not meet until many years later, but now the restaurant is one our kids like too. I guess it was meant to be!
Another wonderful place in Old Town is directly upstairs, and that's the local Border's Books. My family and I are there a lot. I have been joking about buying stock in the place, actually. (I was there yesterday - bought Moving The Chains, a book about my famous cousin that happens to mention both my sister and my brother - and then indulged myself by having a latte in the cafe while skimming through the book for awhile.)
And a nice place to take a friend for a drink after work is Steamer's. This place has a fantastic wine buyer and I'm only sorry that I don't remember his name to give him credit - but he's extremely good at matching the right wine to the right food, he's friendly, and he's fun to talk with. Steamer's has some cool food and a nice atmosphere too.
I miss the outdoor shows in the open air theater. I miss the theater where Borders now stands too. I miss all the topiary that used to grace Old Town. But so much of the old charm remains, and so many wonderful people work the restaurants and shops, that even "progress" did not ruin what may be the very best part of our wonderful town. If you haven't spent time there, please do. Neat shops, neat people, neat place.
Mary Pope-Handy, Realtor, CRS, ABR, e-PRO, SRES, ASP, RECS, CNHS
Helping Nice Folks to Buy & Sell Homes Since 1993
Co-Author: "Get The Best Deal When Selling Your Home In Silicon Valley"
Intero Real Estate Services, Los Gatos, CA (Silicon Valley)
408 357-5760 (Direct); 408 204-7673 (Cell); 408 715-0201 (eFax)
www.PopeHandy.com www.ValleyOfHeartsDelight.com
emailto: Mary@PopeHandy.com
Blog: www.LiveInLosGatos.com (http://LiveInLosGatos.RealTownBlogs.com)
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