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Live In Los Gatos

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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Live In Los Gatos

More Ghosts in Los Gatos

May. 9, 2007
Categorized in: Haunted Los Gatos


Mary Pope-Handy's Los Gatos Ghost Tour (Translucent Guide)
Los Gatos has no shortage of haunted places, the old cemetery (now covered with shops), a former mortuary turned restaurant and also the Opera House are all reputed to be a little spooky.

But that's not the whole list.

Border's, a fabulous store for books and music located in "Old Town", seems to have two ghosts of its own.

The stories about these ghosts are that one is a small boy and one is a man in his 20s or so, wearing jeans, I believe a pullover sweater and a baseball cap.

Who are they?  We're not sure. The young man is a complete mystery, at least to this writer.  But there is a rumor about the child, that he fell off a balcony when the building was a school.  (This was the site of the town's school from the 1880s until the 1950s. Later it was developed into a shopping center. For awhile, the old auditorium was a theater. That spot is now Border's.)

View of California Cafe in Old Town, Los GatosIf you ask the people who've worked there a long time about the hauntings, some will say they don't believe, and some will say they've heard things.  When it is a matter of the books moving off the shelves, you can argue that they were squeezed in too tightly and were pushed by natural force.

I did, though, meet a few people myself over the years who told me of their own personal experiences in the store.  One gal told me that she and two other employees were chatting one day when they all saw the apparition of the grownup spectre out of their peripheral vision.  When they turned to look straight on, he vanished. But all three had seen him.  And a person I know well had an experience of the child ghost when we visited the store one day which could not be explained away.

Borders Books in Old Town, Los Gatos, CA - haunted?And no, they weren't actually scary happenings overall. Just weird.  And that is normal for hauntings - they are usually more weird than anything else. 

Borders is arguably one of the very best places to hang out in town.  There are books, magazines, and papers of course. And there's a coffee bar, with seating both inside - at tables or comfy leather chairs - and outside on a sunny deck.  It's got a comfortable ambiance, a bit of history, and that "little something extra". I have never felt that it was a creepy place in the least.  If the place is indeed haunted, which I believe it is, they are not bad ghosts. Nothing to fear.

So go to Borders, buy a great book and have a seat in a comfy leather chair. Who knows, maybe you'll learn something about the place...and if so, fill me in!

Why Live in Los Gatos?

Nov. 18, 2006
Categorized in: Los Gatos Events

Why Live in Los Gatos?

All of the San Jose and Silicon Valley area has great weather and low crime. Lots of areas are pretty.  Several cities have schools that rival Los Gatos for excellence. So why chose Los Gatos to call home in particular?
 
It’s a fun town.    It has a strong sense of community.   And there is truly something for everyone. (And yes: excellent schools, low crime, scenic beauty are all here too.)

The outdoors is great in Los Gatos, and it is a big part of what makes this town special.  In summer, the townsfolk enjoy free music on Wednesdays, Saturdays and Sundays with Jazz on the Plazz, Vasona Vibrations, Music at Borders in Old Town and  Music in the Park.  Oak Meadow Park features Shakespeare in the Park under the stars too. The Los Gatos Creek Trail pleases athletes, who can enjoy fabulous scenery for biking, rollerblading, running, or walking.  We have great parks throughout the town, and they have everyone in mind from little tots to people on horseback. Our county park, Vasona, has boating and kids and adults can take sailing lessons. Doglovers even have a dog park.  Outdoor wintertime festivities include the tree lighting ceremony the first Friday evening in December, carriage rides through the historic downtown, and a holiday parade the first Saturday in December plus a beautiful Fantasy of Lights display each night at Vasona Park from about Thanksgiving through the last day of the year.   There is an arts & crafts fair, a Fourth of July town picnic, and an annual carnival too - you name it!

There’s plenty to do indoors too, from shopping and dining toan art museum, a history museum, clubs, volunteer opportunities and spas!  Los Gatos boasts a community movie theater on North Santa Cruz Avenue, in the heart of the downtown. Dinner and a movie? Park once: dine, view, and stroll. This is the town experience! Testarossa Vineyards is located at the historic Jesuit Novitiate just steps from downtown and there are many more wineries just into the Santa Cruz Mountains – a very quick drive from town. There are restaurants galore, at every price point and with every taste in mind (steakhouse, Chinese, Italian, Mexican, Japanese, Thai, Viet Namese, Indian, Romanian, Mediterranean, hamburger and hot dog joints). One of them, Manresa, has won many culinary awards. Another one, Campo de Bocce, features bocce ball courts – you can eat and play! Additionally, there are many coffee houses (unique as well as the chain stores), a great gelato shop (Dolce Spazio) and even a Belgian Chocolate store.

Shopping is a dream, from toys to clothes to household and electronics to the most expensive cars on the road today.

For a more day-to-day example of the variety that exists, let me use grocery shopping as an example.  Though a small town, Los Gatos has every kind of grocery store you could hope for: Trader Joe’s, Nob Hill, Lunardi’s, Whole Foods to Safeway – all without leaving the town.  In summer we still have available an old style produce stand on Winchester Blvd, and every Sunday there’s a great Farmer’s Market at the Town Plaza Park.

Many Los Gatons also belong to a faith community of some sort. We have much variety there too!  Here you find the sense of community in action each Thanksgiving, as there is an interfaith Thanksgiving celebration hosted by several groups.

The town has a teen center and a senior center. Parks & Rec has classes and "funstuff" for all.

Investigate Los Gatos. It enjoys being a part of a large metropolitan area, but is not swallowed up in it. Los Gatos is distinct. It's fun. It's got a great sense of community and belonging and there really is "something for everyone". 
 Living here is wonderful.  Contact me if you'd like more info on the town and living here.  It is a great place to call home!