OUR NEIGHBORHOODS - Almanac News

�� 

OUR NEIGHBORHOODS 

ATHERTON | MENLO PARK | PORTOLA VALLEY | WOODSIDE 

EMERALD HILLS FELTON GABLES 

WESTRIDGE LINDENWOOD 

PROFILES, MAPS AND VITAL FACTS OF FEATURED NEIGHBORHOODS IN THE COMMUNITY 

WWW.THEALMANACONLINE.COM

Successfully Representing 

Sellers & Buyers for over 25 years 

Sean Foley 

Your advocate in every transaction! 

Homes, Estates & Investment Properties 

Direct: 650-329-6631 

Cell: 650-207-6005 

sfoley@cbnorcal.com 

NEIGHBORHOODS 3

NEIGHBORHOODS 

4 

atherton menlo park woodside portola valley palo alto 

Integrity Experience Knowledge 

650 329 6645 

tlemieux@cbnorcal.com 

tomlemieux.com 

Superior real estate representation 

for buyers and sellers who expect only the very best. 

over $1 billion in home sales since 1999. 

WWW.TOMLEMIEUX.COM 

Coldwell Banker 

Top 1% Internationally 

DRE# 01066910

OUR NEIGHBORHOODS 

Stagecoaches brought settlers to the 

Midpeninsula, then trains, buses, planes 

and automobiles. Burgeoning towns 

incorporated, with the 1920s and period after 

World War II seeing the establishment of the 

communities we know today as Menlo Park, 

Atherton, Portola Valley and Woodside. 

Neighborhoods are extensions of our homes, 

in a way. Beyond the living room, the characters 

of the people who make up a place inform our 

daily life experience. We can retreat or engage, 

celebrate or stroll in reverie. These pages are 

filled with stories told by people who inhabit 

31 neighborhoods. Some of their views are 

personal, from recollections about Halloween 

gatherings to opinions about high-speed rail and 

schools. 

What drew residents to settle into their 

neighborhood? 

What makes each neighborhood come alive? 

From local hangouts to book groups, races, 

parks and gatherings, Almanac Neighborhoods 

STAFF 

ATHERTON | MENLO PARK | PORTOLA VALLEY | WOODSIDE 

Publisher: Tom Gibboney 

Editor: Sue Dremann 

Art director: Raul Perez 

Researchers: Kelly Jones, Karla Kane, Sarah 

Schilling, Sarah Trauben, Georgia Wells 

Map designer: Gail Thoreson 

The Almanac 

3525 Alameda de las Pulgas 

Menlo Park, CA 94025 

650-854-2626 

www.TheAlmanacOnline.com 

offers a sampling of what residents say makes 

their place the best. 

A fact box for each neighborhood provides 

information about schools, fire stations, 

shopping and homes and maps of each city or 

town show the location of each neighborhood. 

Want to know more? You can download 

neighborhood maps online or learn about other 

neighborhoods not in this book by visiting 

www.almanacnews.com/real_estate. Online 

neighborhood profiles include Belle Haven, 

fair Oaks, Park Forest, Stanford Hills, Stanford 

Weekend Acres, The Willows in Menlo Park; 

Blue Oaks, Brookside Park, Los Trancos Woods/ 

Vista Verde and Woodside Highlands in Portola 

Valley; and Woodside Hills and Woodside 

Heights in Woodside and neighborhoods in Palo 

Alto and Mountain View. 

Sue Dremann, editor 

sdremann@paweekly.com 

Vice President Sales and Marketing: 

Walter Kupiec 

Sales representatives: Connie Jo Cotton, 

Neal Fine, Rosemary Lewkowitz, Anna Mirsky, 

Irene Schwartz 

Home-sales data: Courtesy of J. Robert Taylor, 

Taylor Properties 

Additional copies of The Almanac Neighborhoods, as well as 

companion publications — Palo Alto Neighborhoods and Mountain 

View/Los Altos Neighborhoods — are available at the Palo Alto 

Weekly, 450 Cambridge Ave. All three publications are available 

online at www.almanacnews.com/real_estate. 

Copyright © 2011 by Embarcadero Media. All rights reserved. 

Reproduction without permission is strictly prohibited. 

INDEX 

ATHERTON .....................7 

Lindenwood .......................10 

Lloyden Park ......................12 

West Atherton ...................16 

West of Alameda ...............18 

MENLO PARK ...............21 

Allied Arts/Stanford Park ... 36 

Central Menlo Park ........... 32 

Downtown Menlo Park ..... 34 

Felton Gables .................... 28 

Linfield Oaks ..................... 30 

Menlo Oaks .......................24 

Sharon Heights ................. 40 

South of Seminary/Vintage 

Oaks ................................. 26 

Suburban Park/Lorelei Manor/ 

Flood Park Triangle............ 22 

University Heights ............. 38 

PORTOLA VALLEY ........43 

Central Portola Valley ........ 46 

Ladera .............................. 44 

Portola Valley Ranch ......... 48 

Westridge ......................... 46 

WOODSIDE ..................51 

Emerald Hills ..................... 52 

Family Farm/Hidden Valley 54 

Kings Mountain/Skyline .... 56 

Mountain Home Road ....... 54 

Skywood/Skylonda ........... 56 

Woodside Glens ................ 52 

ON THE COVER: Bianca Johnston 

plays with her pet chicken, Daisy, while 

her parents, Alessandra Costa and 

Michael Johnston, watch at their Menlo 

Oaks home. Photo by Michelle Le. 

Photos of Emerald Hills, Felton Gables 

and Lindenwood by Michelle Le. Photos 

of Westridge by James Tensuan. 



6

280 

Woodside 

Junipero Serra Freeway 

Redwood 

City 

Lloyden 

Park 

Bear 

Gulch 

Res. 

Alameda 

CALTRAIN 

El Camino Real 

Selby Lane 

Selby Lane 

Stockbridge Avenue 

Atherton Avenue 

de las Pulgas 

Camino Al Lago 

The privacy gained by lots of at least one 

acre, winding streets with mature trees, 

gracious mansions set well back from 

the curbless streets — this is Atherton today. 

Once part of a Spanish rancho, the town 

was incorporated in 1923. One of its first 

rules was to assure that lots would not be 

subdivided into parcels smaller than an acre. 

ATHERTON 

Southern Pacific Railroad 

Fair Oaks Avenue 

Valparaiso Avenue 

West of 

Alameda 

Marsh Road 

101 

Middlefield Road 

Encinal Ave 

Glenwood Ave. 

Oak Grove Avenue 

West 

Atherton 

Menlo Park 

� 

Bay Road 

Lindenwood 

Bayshore Freeway 

Ringwood Avenue 

Menlo 

Oaks 

With a few exceptions — primarily former 

San Mateo County streets acquired through 

annexation — that is still the rule today. 

A few of the early homes remain, 

including three built by Timothy Hopkins 

for his daughters between 1901 and 1908 on 

Parkwood Drive, Altree Court and Lowery 

Drive. 

■ Lindenwood 

■ Lloyden Park 

■ West Atherton 

■ West of Alameda 

FACTS 

2010-11 TOWN OPERATING AND 

CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS BUDGET: 

$14.3 million 

POPULATION (2009): 7,194 

HOUSEHOLDS (2000): 2,413 

SINGLE-FAMILY HOUSING (2000): 

99 percent 

MEDIAN HOME PRICE: $2,847,750 

MEDIAN CONDOMINIUM PRICE: 

$635,000 

MEAN HOUSEHOLD INCOME 

(2000): $200,000-plus 



8 

C INDY L IEBSCH 

ForExtraordinary 

Results & Personal Experience 

Trust me to handle your real estate needs. 

“It was the most pleasant, time saving, professional and stress-free large 

fi nancial transaction we have ever completed! Cindy was “off the charts” 

wonderful! Not only did Cindy do what she said she was going to do, she 

also did much more than that. All along, Cindy made sure that my wife and 

I were communicated to quickly, and accurately. There was never anything 

left for chance. We were both amazed at the level of service Cindy gave us, 

knowing that she had other listings she was working on, and other things 

going on that were probably more pressing than our issues! We have highly 

recommended Cindy to anyone that is talking real estate!” 

Scott and Lisa Lohmann 

Atherton • Los Altos • Menlo Park 

Palo Alto • Woodside 

C INDY L IEBSCH 

650-591-7473 

cindy.liebsch@cbnorcal.com • www.propertiesbythebay.com

I’ve been 

busy in your 

neighborhood! 

If you are 

thinking of 

Maddux Dr., Palo Alto Stockton Place, Palo Alto 

Buying or 

Selling, 

call me! 

Juniper Ln., Palo Alto Hawthorne Avenue, Palo Alto 

Lincoln Ave., E. Palo Alto Crestview Dr., Mountain View 

ROD 

CREASON 

BROKER 

ASSOCIATE, e-PRO 

Cell: 650-255-2977 

Rod@RodCreason.com 

www.RodCreason.com 

Winchester Blvd., San Jose Crestview Dr., Mountain View 

Oak Ave., Redwood City 11th Ave., Menlo Park 



10 

LINDENWOOD 

Still retaining its private-estate 

atmosphere from the days when the 

“Silver King of the Comstock Lode,” 

James C. Flood, lived there on 600 acres, 

two gates on Middlefield Road and one on 

Frederick Avenue adorn the entrances to 

Lindenwood’s lanes and roads, which twist 

and meander. 

He built Linden Towers, a 44-room, three 

story home. He adorned his 1878 estate 

house with towers, gables and cupolas and 

furnished with exotic treasures from around 

the world. Fittingly, all the plumbing fixtures 

were sterling silver. 

Between 1937 and 1955, the area now 

known as Lindenwood was developed 

after the death of Flood’s son. But 

Flood’s presence still presides over the 

neighborhood. 

Many of the artifacts from the estate, 

which was torn down in 1934 — fountains, 

statues, street lights — still exist, in some 

cases, on private properties. 

Lindenwood has retained its private estate 

atmosphere because it is totally enclosed. 

Lindenwood’s lanes, avenues and roads twist 

and meander. James Avenue, the “Main 

Street,” is one of its few straight streets. 

“It’s like living in an arboretum,” Irene 

DeVivo says. She and her husband Douglas 

built their home 21 years ago and raised 

their children there. Mr. DeVivo organizes 

neighborhood emergency preparedness, 

she says. “It’s very safe because anyone 

coming in to do harm would probably get 

lost,” she says, referring to the maze-like 

configuration. 

Carol Collins grew up in the neighborhood 

and moved back with her husband Evan 16 

years ago. 

Growing up in Lindenwood, Ms. Collins 

is still surrounded by people from her 

childhood. 

“My parents still live in the home I was 

raised in. My daughter has a friend around 

the corner who is the grandchild of my 

parent’s neighbors,” Ms. Collins says. 

The Lindenwood Homes Association is 

active in the neighborhood. The association 

takes care of such things as repairing the 

gates and maintaining the plantings in the 

public areas, according to Philip Lively, a 

board member. 

“We also have communication with 

neighboring Menlo-Atherton High School 

regarding lighting and noise control,” he 

says. 

Mr. Lively estimates 63 percent of the 470 

homes belong to the association, each paying 

$40 annual membership dues. 

“We also have all kinds of informal gettogethers, 

like Young Family Coffees, and 

cocktail parties,” Ms. Collins says. 

How does she feel about all the teardowns 

and mushrooming estates? “The lots 

are big enough so that the homes have to 

be set back, and they always re-landscape,” 

she says, indicating the arborescent setting 

prevails. 

— Susan Golovin 

FACTS 

CHILD CARE & PRESCHOOLS: The Playschool, 

Holbrook-Palmer Park, 150 Watkins Ave., Atherton 

FIRE STATION: 300 Middlefield Road, Menlo Park 

LOCATION: Marsh Road, Ringwood Avenue, Bay 

Road and Middlefield Road 

NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION: Marion Oster, 

650-325-0714 

PARK: Holbrook-Palmer Park, 150 Watkins Ave., 

Atherton 

PUBLIC SCHOOLS: Menlo Park City 

Elementary School District — Laurel School, 

95 Edge Road, Atherton; Encinal School, 195 

Encinal Ave., Menlo Park; Hillview Middle School, 

1100 Elder Ave., Menlo Park 

Sequoia Union High School District — 

Menlo Atherton High School, 555 Middlefield 

Road, Atherton 

SHOPPING: Downtown Menlo Park 

MEDIAN 2010 HOME PRICE: $3,547,500 

($1,705,000-$8,800,000) 

HOMES SOLD: 22 

Michelle Le

�� 

�� 

�� 

�� 

�� 

�� 

�� 

�� 

�� 

monicacormanbroker 

�� 

�� 

�� 

�� 

monicacormanbroker 

�� 

�� 

�� 

�� 

�� 

�� 

DRE# 01111473 



12 

LLOYDEN PARK 

Charming, friendly, and quaint — that’s 

how Michelle Hayes describes Lloyden 

Park. 

The area was once owned by Joseph B. 

Coryell, who bought his home in 1902 for 

$30,000. His estate was subdivided in 1927, 

and most of the development took place in the 

1940’s, dividing the land into mostly one-third 

acre lots. Home styles run the gamut from 

a Streamlined Moderne built for the 1939 

World’s Fair, to traditional, complete with 

picket fence. Tear-downs are rare in this part of 

town, but remodeling is common. 

There is less of a rural and a more 

neighborhood feel to Lloyden Park. The 

neighborhood is zoned for smaller lots than the 

rest of Atherton. Sidewalks and underground 

utilities, eschewed elsewhere in Atherton, 

encourage walking and socializing. 

“It’s not what people normally think of 

Atherton. It’s a family neighborhood,” David 

Barca says. He moved to the neighborhood in 

1982, to a home his grandparents built in 1953. 

Most of the residents send their children 

to private schools. Lloyden Park is part of the 

Redwood City school system, whereas the 

rest of Atherton has access to the Menlo Park 

school system. 

When he moved to the neighborhood with 

his wife and two small children, they were not 

planning to stay long because of the Redwood 

City schools. But Mr. Barca and his wife lived 

the neighborhood so much that they stayed 

and sent their kids to private school, he says. 

Michelle Hayes and her husband Steve 

were well aware of the discrepancy when they 

moved to Lloyden Park 24 years ago. However, 

they wanted to provide their four children with 

the same kind of wholesome childhood they 

had growing up in the Midwest. 

Ms. Hayes fondly remembers the 

neighborhood Christmas caroling, where one 

of the residents always played Santa; Fourth 

of July plays, bicycle parades, Easter egg hunts 

and other group activities. “We’re within easy 

walking distance to Holbrook-Palmer Park and 

the library,” she adds. 

Mr. Barca, president of the Lloyden Park 

Homeowners’ Association, says the small 

neighborhood of about 84 homes gets together 

when the need arises. In the past, neighbors 

successfully encouraged Caltrans to re-route 

traffic away from the area for the sake of 

children and the elderly. 

The neighborhood is the best of all possible 

worlds because it is close, yet private, he says. 

A potential high-speed rail system is currently 

causing concern among homeowners who 

fear it could affect property values, he says. 

This issue has been the main focus of the 

homeowners’ association for the past few 

years. 

“Atherton has this image of being the 

parochial home on big properties, but this is 

the more affordable part of Atherton. This is 

the neighborhood for people who want to be 

neighborly,” he says. 


FACTS 

FIRE STATION: 32 Almendral Ave., Atherton 

LOCATION: Wilburn Avenue and Lloyden Drive, 

and El Camino Real and Southern Pacific Railroad 

tracks 

NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION: Lloyden Park 

Homeowners’ Association, David Barca, president, 

650-368-1427 

PARK: Holbrook Palmer Park, 150 Watkins Ave., 

Atherton 

PUBLIC SCHOOLS: Redwood City School 

District — Selby Lane School, 170 Selby Lane, 

Atherton; Kennedy Middle School, 2521 Goodwin 

Ave., Redwood City; plus magnet schools 

Sequoia Union High School District — Menlo 

Atherton High School, 555 Middlefield Road, 

Atherton 



($1,230,000-$3,800,000) 

HOMES SOLD: 6 

MEDIAN 2010 CONDOMINIUM PRICE: 

$635,000 ($374,000-$688,000) 

CONDOMINIUMS SOLD: 3 

Michelle Le

�� 

�� 

�� 

�� 

© R.Gage Marketing Services | www.RGageMarketing.com 

�� 

�� 

�� 

�� 

�� 

�� 

�� 

�� 

�� 

�� 

�� 

�� 

�� 

�� 

�� 

DISCOVER THE DIFFERENCE! 

�� 

�� 



14 

$25+ Million in sales in past 12 Months 

Additional Exclusive Estates Available by Private Consultation. 

Private Offering in Atherton 

Sprawling rancher on 1+ acre 

Jennifer Gonzalez La’O 

650.218.6491 

DRE: 01418866 

jgonzalezlao@gmail.com 

www.JenGonzalezLaO.com 

Ranked in TOP 1% among more than 82,000 

Keller Williams agents Nationwide in 2010 

Exceptional Service. Excellent Advice. Extraordinary Properties.

�� 

�� 

�� 

�� 

�� 

�� 

�� 

�� 

�� 

�� 

�� 

�� 

�� 

�� 

�� 

�� 

�� 

�� 

�� 

�� 

�� 

�� 

�� 

�� 

�� 

�� 

�� 

�� 

�� 

�� 

�� 

�� 

�� 

�� 

�� 

�� 

�� 

�� 

�� 

�� 

�� 

�� 

�� 

�� 

�� 

�� 

�� 

�� 

�� 

�� 

�� 

�� 

�� 

�� 

�� 

�� 

�� 

�� 

�� 

�� 

�� 

�� 

�� 



16 

WEST ATHERTON 

Residents will tell you there is no shortage 

of space and peacefulness in West 

Atherton. The rural feel of the area, 

boasting big lots and lanes without sidewalks, 

has been preserved through a long history. 

In 1860, Faxon Dean Atherton purchased 

more than 600 acres, essentially what is now 

West Atherton. He built his home at the center 

of this plot, what is now the Menlo Circus 

Club, a private country club, which hosts polo 

games and charity events. 

Atherton’s city government encourages the 

preservation of the community’s country feel. 

Most of the town is zoned for one-acre lots and 

a town ordinance that protects the heritage 

trees in the area; oaks, redwoods, cedars and 

pines. 

Dean Sivara, who has lived in the neighborhood 

for more than two years, says “it is nice 

to have the space and the maturity on a quieter 

street.” 

Mr. Sivara previously lived in Menlo Park, 

which he said was far more crowded than 

West Atherton. 

“We can walk the dogs and there is not a 

lot of traffic. The freeway is a little faster to get 

to and there is less congestion, so we have the 

ability to enjoy neighborhood.” 

Mr. Sivara says the large lots prevent him 

from having much contact with the neighbors. 

“There are a lot of gates and fences so you 

only see the neighbors if they’re walking, you 

wouldn’t go through the gate.” 

Helen Carey, who has lived in the neighborhood 

for 59 years, agreed. “It isn’t like Menlo 

Park, the neighbors are more separated here. 

We like to live a quiet life.” 

Ms. Carey says she chats with other neighbors 

by phone and some of the neighbors were 

very friendly with her kids when they were in 

school. 

“I love everything the town has to offer,” 

she says. 

Tom Owen echoed Carey’s praise for 

Atherton. 

“I feel very privileged to have been raised in 

this town,” Mr. Owen, says. He was born and 

raised on Robleda Drive and moved back to 

the neighborhood 13 years ago. 

While there was nothing extraordinary that 

drew him back to his old stomping grounds, 

the climate and the big yard of his new home 

were appealing. “My kids have room to run 

and play,” he says. 

Mr. Owen, who has two daughters ages 10 

and 13, says they don’t get together much with 

the other young families in the neighborhood 

because the houses are so spread apart. 

Despite the separation by large lots, Mr. 

Owen says he still feels a strong sense of community 

because of the uniquely personable 

police department in Atherton. The police will 

come out if someone loses their dog or they 

will check up on your home while you are on 

vacation. 

“The police department does a phenomenal 

job, truly a level of service, they’re not just out 

there writing tickets. If your daughter is home 

with a babysitter, they can put another guy in 

the area to make her feel more comfortable,” 

he says. 

— Sally Schilling 

FACTS 

CHILD CARE AND PRESCHOOLS: St. Joseph’s 

Montessori Preschool and Kindergarten, 150 

Valparaiso Ave., Atherton 


LOCATION: Alameda de las Pulgas and El Camino 

Real; Selby Lane and Valparaiso Avenue 

PRIVATE SCHOOLS: St. Joseph’s School, 50 

Emilie Ave., Atherton; Menlo School, 50 Valparaiso 

Ave., Atherton; Sacred Heart Prep,150 Valparaiso 

Ave., Atherton; Menlo College, 1000 El Camino 

Real, Atherton 

PUBLIC SCHOOLS: (Eligibility for school districts 

depends on resident’s address) 

Menlo Park City Elementary School District 

— Oak Knoll School, 1895 Oak Knoll Lane, Menlo 

Park; Encinal Elementary School, 195 Encinal Ave., 

Menlo Park; Hillview Middle School, 1100 Elder 

Ave., Menlo Park 

Redwood City School District — Selby Lane 

School, 170 Selby Lane, Atherton; Kennedy Middle 

School, 2521 Goodwin Ave., Redwood City; plus 

magnet schools 


MenloAtherton High School, 555 Middlefield Road, 

Atherton 

SHOPPING: Downtown Menlo Park; Stanford 

Shopping Center 


($800,000-$11,300,000) 


Michelle Le

�� 

Since 1984 Randy has established himself as a 

highly successful real estate agent. Currently he 

ranks in the top 1 percent of all Alain Pinel 

agents in sales production. He has a proven 

track record specializing in the high-end 

residential real estate market. 

Pat Briscoe has been a real estate 

broker for over 30 years. 

Working as a team, Randy 

and Pat offer a wealth of 

experience in the Mid- 

Peninsula communities 

of Atherton, Menlo Park, 

Woodside, Portola Valley, 

and Palo Alto. 

�� 

�� 

�� 

�� 

�� 

�� 

�� 

�� 

�� 

�� 

�� 

�� 

�� 

�� 

�� 

�� 

�� 

�� 

�� 

MENLO PARK �� 

�� 



18 

WEST OF ALAMEDA 

Residents agree that their neighborhood, 

West of Alameda — the area 

west of Alameda De Las Pulgas, 

between Walsh Road and Stockbridge 

Avenue — is a quiet part of Atherton with a 

natural feel. 

Mysterious estate-like properties with 

high gates and hedges spring up along roads 

that wind through hills covered with oaks, 

redwoods, eucalyptus and even olive trees. 

Some of the hilltop homes have sweeping 

views of the bay and the rolling hills. 

“It’s wonderful, that’s why I built,” says 

Patricia Arthur, who built a home in the 

neighborhood in 1955. 

While it neighbors Woodside High School 

and is just minutes from highway 280, this 

western-most area of the town of Atherton is 

secluded. 

West of Alameda residents can be seen 

enjoying the peaceful scenery while walking 

their dogs in the hills. 

“It’s like being in the country and yet we’re 

five minutes from Stanford Hospital and 

shopping centers,” Ms. Arthur says. 

While the streets are quiet, Ms. Arthur 

says there have been problems with people 

speeding in the neighborhood. “Cal Water 

drives too fast, they killed two of my neighbor’s 

dogs.” 

Neighbors say you can sometimes hear 

coyotes, owls and mountain lions up in the 

hills at night. 

Judith Finch says her family moved to the 

neighborhood from San Francisco for the 

school district. She says her three children 

took the bus to school. 

“While the neighborhood holds an annual 

block party, there is not a sense of community 

because the houses are so far apart,” she says. 

Mary King, who built her home in the 

neighborhood in 1956, recalled “in those 

days Walsh Road was just a dirt road. We 

used to ride horses here and cross over 280 

when it was just a country road.” 

When the neighborhood was young, it was 

very open and there were not a lot of big gates 

and fences like there are today, she says. 

Despite the isolated properties, Ms. King 

says the neighborhood gets together for an 

annual picnic. 

She says while the neighborhood has 

developed there is still a familiar country feel 

to the area. 

—Sally Schilling 

FACTS 

FIRE STATION: 3322 Alameda de las Pulgas, Menlo Park 

LOCATION: Alameda de las Pulgas to Hwy. 280; 

Menlo Park city border near Walsh Road to the 

Redwood City border near Fletcher Drive 

PUBLIC SCHOOLS: Las Lomitas School District — 

Las Lomitas School, 299 Alameda de las Pulgas, 

Atherton; La Entrada School, 2200 Sharon Road, 

Menlo Park 


Woodside High School, 199 Churchill Ave., 

Woodside 

SHOPPING: Woodside Road, Woodside 


($1,425,000-$9,400,000) 

HOMES SOLD: 7 

Michelle Le

Expert Knowledge | Proven Results 

Call Us for information on how we can get you the Best Price for your home. 

Lyn Jason Cobb & Associates 

Atherton | Menlo Park | Woodside | Portola Valley | Palo Alto | Redwood City | San Carlos 

Lyn Jason Cobb: 650.566.5331 

LynJason.Cobb@cbnorcal.com 

Lyn Jason Cobb & Associates brings an emphasis 

on innovation and service to the local real estate 

market and our connections to the areas we serve 

go back for generations. That personal experience 

and in depth market knowledge give our clients a 

distinct advantage when buying or selling a home. 

Our Clients Receive: 

- Expert Market Analysis 

- Professional Photography & Brochures 

- Personalized & Effective Marketing 

Solutions including: EFlyers, Newspaper 

& Magazine Ads, Custom Websites, 

Virtual Tours, World- wide E-Marketing 

Campaigns... 

and more. 

- 1031 Exchange Expertise 

- Staging Consultation 

- Access to our private list of home repair 

specialists 

- Full Time Service & Support 

Herschel Cobb, JD: 650.464.2624 

Diane Kneis: 650.799.6714 

www.CallLyn.com 



20 

#1 Market Share in Menlo Park 

keri nicholas 

International President’s Premier 

Top 1% Internationally - Coldwell Banker 

Top 50 Agents Nationwide - Wall Street Journal 

650.329.6654 office | 650.533.7373 mobile 

kerinich@aol.com | www.kerinicholas.com

280 

Atherton 

Redwood 

City 

El Camino Real 

Park Forest 

CALTRAIN 

Alameda de las Pulgas 

Sand Hill Road 

82 

Downtown 

Menlo Park 

University 

Heights 

Sharon 

Heights 

Fair Oaks 

Felton 

Gables 

Valparaiso Avenue 

Stanford Linear 

Accelerator 

� 


Alpine Rd. 

101 

Marsh Road 

Santa Cruz Avenue 

Marsh Road 

Middlefield Road 

Central 

Menlo Park 

Once known as the “Sleepy Hollow 

of California,” Menlo Park did not 

take off as a community until after 

World War II. Despite its proximity to 

Stanford University, Sand Hill Road venture 

capitalists, dot-com start-ups and research 

institutions, “Menlo Park still at least seems 

like a small town,” notes Michael Svanevik 

and Shirley Burgett in their published “Menlo 

MENLO PARK 

South of 

Seminary/ 

Vintage Oaks 


Stanford Hills 

Junipero Serra Blvd. 

Stanford 

Weekend 

Acres 

Suburban Park/ 

Lorelei Manor/ 

Flood Triangle 

Ringwood Avenue 

Bayfront Expressway 

Southern Pacific Railroad 

Bay Road 

Menlo 

Oaks 

Linfield 

Oaks 

Willow Road 

San Francisquito Creek 

Allied Arts/ 

Stanford Park 

Stanford 

University 

Belle 

Haven 

Willow Road 

The 

Willows 

University Avenue 

101 

84 

University Avenue 

Palo Alto 

Park: Beyond the Gate.” 

Landowners first incorporated back in 

1874, but chose to “disincorporate” a mere 

two years later. It wasn’t until 1927 that 

today’s city was established. 

Menlo Park now offers a suburban enclave 

with many urban amenities: from a bustling 

downtown and strong public school district, 

to plenty of parks and recreation facilities. 

Pal 

Baysh 

■ Allied Arts/Stanford Park 

■ Central Menlo Park 

■ Downtown Menlo Park 

■ Felton Gables 

■ Linfield Oaks 

■ Menlo Oaks 

■ Sharon Heights 

■ South of Seminary/ 

Vintage Oaks 

■ Suburban Park/Lorelei 

Manor/Flood Park Triangle 

■ University Heights 

FACTS 

2010-11 CITY GENERAL FUND 

BUDGET: $37.6 million 

POPULATION (2008): 30,087 

HOUSEHOLDS (2000): 12,387 


61.1 percent 


MEDIAN CONDOMINIUM PRICE: 

$813,000 


(2000): $123,809 



22 

SUBURBAN PARK/LORELEI MANOR 

FLOOD PARK TRIANGLE 

The 240 homes in the neighborhoods 

of Suburban Park, Lorelei Manor 

and Flood Park Triangle are 

three distinct neighborhoods linked by 

geography. Flood Park, 23 acres dotted 

with oak and bay trees, is the centerpiece 

of the three communities enclosed by 

Marsh Road, Bay Road and Highway 101. 

Michael Murphy has lived in Lorelei 

Manor for about 15 years. His home, as 

many in the neighborhood, was built in the 

early 1950s and has been expanded. 

“You can still recognize the original subdivision 

style as you walk around the area,” 

he says. “Many of the houses have added 

family rooms and/or second stories.” 

Kitty Craven, a resident for over 40 years 

says, “When we first moved, the homes 

were considered modern ranch, with allelectric 

kitchens, and forced-air heat.” 

Ms. Craven has been active in the 

neighborhood association. Through 

the years the association, as the one in 

Suburban Park, has been a key element 

in organizing social get-togethers such as 

block parties, holiday celebrations and book 

clubs. Both associations play a strong role in 

advocating for neighborhood interests. 

Current hot topics are the proposed 

Dumbarton Rail Project as well as a Hetch 

Hetchy repair project that impacts the 

greenbelt at the entrance to the area. 

Lorelei Manor fought for and won a zoning 

overlay that is specific to neighborhood 

needs. The typically 1/8-acre lots are 

smaller than those in most of Menlo Park. 

Steve Wong lives next door to his 

parents in Suburban Park. “I’m one of at 

least five ‘returning children,’” he says, 

describing the special pull of his close-knit 

community. 

Suburban Park was established in 1945 

and was developed as housing for military 

personnel. Remodeling and rebuilding 

have introduced a more eclectic look as 

well as larger homes. 

Kate Kennedy loves raising her children 

in Suburban Park. “There’s a real support 

system in the neighborhood,” she says. 

“Our neighborhood association also 

does a lot of substantive work,” says Ms. 

Kennedy. The Community Response 

Emergency Team, trained by the Menlo 

Park Fire Department, is an outgrowth of 

neighbors caring for neighbors, she adds. 

Flood Park Triangle has through traffic, 

which the cul-de-sac configurations 

of Lorelei Manor and Suburban Park 

discourage. 

Flood Park Triangle, an attractive, quiet 

oak-and-bay-studded neighborhood park, 

offers a natural oasis from the sound of 

nearby freeway traffic from nearby Hwy. 101. 


FACTS 

CHILDCARE & PRESCHOOLS: James B. Flood 

School, 320 Sheridan Ave., Menlo Park 


LOCATION: Between Marsh Road, U.S. Hwy. 101 

and Bay Road 

NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATIONS: 

Lorelei Manor: Salim Shaikh, president, 

650-326-6536 

Suburban Park: Co-presidents Susan Arrington 

650-321-7996, Kristin Campbell 650-328-9897 

PUBLIC SCHOOLS: 


— Laurel School, 95 Edge Road, Atherton; Encinal 

School, 195 Encinal Ave., Menlo Park; Hillview 

Middle School, 1100 Elder Ave., Menlo Park 



Atherton 

SHOPPING: Marsh Manor 

MEDIAN 2010 HOME PRICE: 

Suburban Park: $865,500 ($799,000-$930,000) 

Lorelei Manor: $875,000 ($500,000-$953,500) 

Flood Park Triangle: $937,500 ($567,100- 

$1,165,000) 

HOMES SOLD: Suburban Park: 6 

Lorelei Manor: 3 

Flood Park Triangle: 7 

Michelle Le

OPENING DOORS 

FOR OVER 39 YEARS... 

A s 

a Realtor, I use my 39 years of 

experience to demystify the process 

of buying and selling real estate – 

helping you get more of what you want 

and enhancing your quality of life. 

I provide each of my clients the highest 

quality of service using the most 

current tools and techniques available. 

My approach is to be thorough and 

diligent, bringing all my experience 

and negotiating skills to the table in 

representing your needs. I consistently 

serve my clients’ best interests now and 

into their future... 

ARVADA DARNELL 

Top 1% Worldwide 

650.752.0709 

adarnell@cbnorcal.com 



24 

MENLO OAKS FACTS 

Over the years, Menlo Oaks has fought 

to keep its country feel in the face of 

pressures from bike-lane activists, 

“McMansions” and even the Catholic 

Church. 

This slice of land sandwiched between 

Menlo Park and Atherton is dominated by 

the 85-year-old private Peninsula School and 

its impressive Victorian main building. There 

are no sidewalks or streetlights in Menlo 

Oaks and residents want to keep it that way, 

they say. 

The 106-acre area in San Mateo County 

bounded by Ringwood Avenue, Bay Road, 

Berkeley Avenue, Coleman Avenue and 

Arlington Way. The big issue is always 

whether or not to incorporate and become 

part of Menlo Park. 

Also adding to that rural feel are the 

many mature, towering oak, eucalyptus 

and evergreen trees among the 300 homes. 

Most are sited on half-acre lots, and only 

13 — built before 1941 — are considered 

historically significant. The architecture is as 

eclectic as the neighbors themselves: side by 

side are representatives of Craftsman, ranch, 

Spanish and California bungalow, with an 

Eichler or two thrown in, and new homes. 

The Menlo Oaks District Association 

holds its annual picnic at Peninsula School, 

a private, progressive K-8 that was formerly 

the Coleman Mansion. The neighbors 

formally meet once a year, but pick up news 

from a newsletter published electronically 

and a directory of residents. Their electronic 

bulletin board shares information on 

everything from handymen to dealing with 

mailbox vandalism. 

Community action is a byword in Menlo 

Oaks. Over the years neighbors have 

successfully prevented a storm drain project 

from killing their cherished trees, promoted 

installation of traffic-slowing street circles, 

and joined together in a successful drive 

to transfer their neighborhood from the 

Ravenswood to the Menlo Park City School 

District. The community also has vetoing 

power over removal of heritage trees. 

Directly to the neighborhood’s west 

is the huge campus of Menlo Atherton 

High School. It’s just a few minutes from 

downtown Menlo Park, downtown Palo 

Alto and Highway 101. But it’s the spirit of 

independence that makes the area special. 

James Fadiman moved to Menlo Oaks 

more than 35 years ago because he wanted 

to send his children to the progressive 

Peninsula School. 

“I enjoy it because it is clearly a 

neighborhood in transition,” Mr. Fadiman 

says, in reference to the small and large 

homes, senior citizens and young families. 

Tree houses and large play structures 

dot the backyards, and many neighbors hit 

the streets each evening to walk their dogs. 

Neighbors even gather for a picnic each year 

to congregate and celebrate their treasured 

environs. 

The neighborhood got its start before 

World War II as an enclave of summer 

homes for folks in San Francisco, says Mary 

Brown, who arrived in 1945. She likes the 

fact that the schools regularly bring a new 

crop of young families with children to the 

area. 

The neighborhood has been changing in 

other ways, too, says 13-year resident Holly 

Still. 

“Google money” has been pouring in to 

Menlo Oaks, as it has in neighborhoods in 

Atherton. Several newly minted millionaires 

from the Mountain View company have 

bought existing homes during the last year or 

two, she says. 

“It’s unique. This is a forested 

neighborhood, (but) I’m three minutes 

from Menlo Park and two minutes from the 

freeway,” Mr. Fadiman says. 

— Kathy Schrenk, Carol Blitzer and Renee Batti 

CHILD CARE & PRESCHOOLS: Peninsula School, 

920 Peninsula Way, Menlo Park; The Roberts 

School, 641 Coleman Ave., Menlo Park 


LOCATION: Ringwood Avenue to Berkeley 

Avenue, adjacent to the Veterans Administration 

Medical Center; Bay Road to Arlington Way 

NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION: Menlo Oaks 

District Association, Michael Johnson, president, 

650-533-5102. E-mail: president@menlo-oaks.org 

PARKS: Flood Park, 215 Bay Road, Menlo Park; 

Seminary Oaks Park, Santa Monica Avenue near 

Middlefield Road, Menlo Park; Willow Oaks Park, 

Willow Road near Gilbert Avenue, Menlo Park 

PRIVATE SCHOOLS: Peninsula School, Peninsula 

Way, Menlo Park 







Menlo-Atherton High School, 555 Middlefield 




($1,022,687-$3,725-000) 

HOMES SOLD: 8 

Michelle Le

� OME � ELLERS 

National and International 

advertising of listings 

Property website with translations 

available in 52 languages 

Extensive network of agents Locally, 

Nationally and Internationally 

Expert consultation for builders and 

investors (including 1031 exchanges) 

� OME � UYERS 

Specializing in National and 

International relocation 

Vast knowledge of the 

San Francisco Bay Area 

Strong strategic and negotiation skills 

Experience in 2nd home and 

vacation home market 

Certified sustainable–low impact living 

realtor with EcoBroker and 

AEEREP designations 

Top 1% Nationally of KW Agents 

Ranked #1 Keller Williams–Menlo Park 

� IANA MEGAN TIERNEY 

ILHM, SRES, ECOBROKER, AEEREP 

Luxury Home Consultant 

DRE# 01339212 

it’s all about... 

�� 

“From beginning to end, my only goal is to 

provide you with luxuryreal estate service.” 

� IANA MEGAN TIERNEY 

REALTOR 

650.954.8642 

650.954.8642 � WWW.CIANATIERNEY.COM � ��@GMAIL.COM 



26 

SOUTH OF SEMINARY/ 

VINTAGE OAKS 

Old walnut and liquid ambar trees 

shade the modest homes of the 

South of Seminary neighborhood 

where Laura and Mark Rich have lived for 

24 years. The couple has raised their two 

children there, and Ms. Rich’s favorite part 

of living in this neighborhood continues 

to be watching the children on the block 

grow up. 

“Even though Middlefield is close by, the 

kids ride their skateboards, play ball and 

do chalk drawings on the street,” she says. 

South of Seminary is geographically 

defined by Middlefield Road, Willow 

Road, Coleman Avenue and Santa Monica 

Avenue, and is bordered by modest homes 

and apartment buildings, with the new 

development of Vintage Oaks in the center. 

Most homes were built in the 1940s and 

early 1950s. The neighborhood was named 

because of its proximity to St. Patrick’s 

Seminary, which was dedicated in l898 

and once occupied 86 acres donated to the 

Catholic Church by Kate Johnson. 

The neighborhood consists of onestory 

houses on small lots, with some 

apartments lining the edges along Coleman 

Avenue and Willow Road. There are 

sidewalks, but no curbs. And residents are 

walking distance to a small supermarket 

and Sunset Magazine and Books. 

Residents say it’s a friendly 

neighborhood where people are 

welcoming. When neighbors get sick, word 

gets out and food magically appears. And 

neighbors gather every year for the Fourth 

of July and again in the fall for a block 

party on Nash Avenue. 

“There hasn’t been a lot of change on our 

block,” says Ms. Rich. “The Vintage Oaks 

subdivision is the biggest change in the 

neighborhood.” 

Forty-six acres of this former pastoral 

retreat is now known as Vintage Oaks, 

and consists of 131 homes and 14 duetstyle 

townhouses. The latter are reserved 

for people who work for the city, such as 

government officials and school teachers. 

Dr. Richard Green and his wife Lynda 

moved into Vintage Oaks in 1997. “We 

all moved in at the same time, so we 

became very close,” he says — a seemingly 

universal sentiment in the area — 

encouraged by neighborhood celebrations 

and gatherings. 

“There are six floor plans, and each plan 

offers several style choices, such as Tudor, 

Craftsman, English cottage. Also, a certain 

number of the floor plans are reversed. 

Combine that with different color choices 

and it explains why it doesn’t look like a 

development,” he says. 

Anne B. Butler’s home in Vintage Oaks 

was one of the first three houses built there 

and she moved there in 1991. 

Ms. Butler says she loves living in the 

neighborhood. She moved from a bigger 

house in Woodside and enjoyed watching 

the other homes being built. Today, her 

favorite activity is watching the young 

families and children in the neighborhood, 

she says. 

She chuckles and says that “my age 

skews the demographics — but it’s one of 

the nicest things about living here.” 

Although you no longer see the seminary 

students coming out every Thursday on 

their bikes — their black robes streaming — 

the neighbors still enjoy the seminary bells. 

— Susan Golovin and Karen Canty 

FACTS 

CHILD CARE & PRESCHOOLS: Footsteps 

Preschool, 490 Willow Road, Menlo Park; The 

Roberts School, 641 Coleman Avenue, Menlo Park 


LOCATION: Middlefield Road and Coleman 

Avenue; Willow Road to Ringwood Avenue and 

Arlington Way 

PARK: Seminary Oaks Park, Santa Monica Avenue, 

near Middlefield Road, Menlo Park 


Menlo Park Elementary School District — 

Laurel School, 95 Edge Road, Atherton; Encinal 

School, 195 Encinal Avenue, Menlo Park; Hillview 

Middle School, 1100 Elder Avenue, Menlo Park. 



Atherton 


MEDIAN 2010 HOME PRICE: $1432,500 

($819,000-$2,250,000) 

Michelle Le

ELAINE HAS DONE OVER 30 TRANSACTIONS 

IN VINTAGE OAKS 

“We were thrilled with the assistance you provided in helping us evaluate the market and develop a 

sales strategy, preparing our home for sale in a very short period of time and working on our behalf to 

achieve a great outcome. This is a difficult economic environment and selling a home is not an easy 

endeavor. Without your dogged persistence and attention to the myriad details, we're quite confident 

we would not have had such a positive outcome. Thanks for your tireless efforts, late night calls and 

faxes, evening and weekend work at the house and ‘can do’ attitude. This is why we feel that you have 

been AND will remain the #1 agent in the Menlo Park area.” 

– Sellers, 170 Seminary Drive 

“Elaine, I can't thank you enough for all that you did in getting our house sold. In particular, you are 

completely knowledgeable about the market and what appeals to buyers. Additionally, your ability to 

coordinate contractors and suppliers to ready the house for market in a cost-efficient manner was 

invaluable. You were also available whenever we needed you, had answers to all of our questions and 

are a skillful negotiator, all while maintaining the utmost integrity.” 

– Seller, 100 Riordan Place 

(650) 566-5323 

ewhite@ cbnorcal.com 

www.ProRealEstateTeam.com 

DRE #01182467 

Elaine Berlin White 

The Vintage Oaks Expert 

Broker Associate, Attorney at Law 

Top 1% of all Coldwell Banker Agents 



28 

FELTON GABLES 

Tucked between Encinal Avenue, 

Holbrook Palmer Park and the railroad 

tracks, and buffered from El Camino by 

a commercial development is a neighborhood 

that retains the name of one of its first 

residents: Charles Norton Felton. 

Senator Felton made his fortune in the 

Comstock Lode and settled in Menlo Park in 

the 1870’s. He built “Felton Gables” a pink, 

two-story mansion on 3.5 acres on the north 

side of Encinal and there he entertained 

presidents and royalty. President Harrison 

made a quick visit in l891 — when the 

population of Menlo Park was 400. 

By the time Harvey and Barbara Slate 

moved into their circa 1934 English Tudor 

home in 1967, most of the neighborhood’s 115 

homes had been built. The major development 

took place in the 1930s and 40s, which 

accounts for the mature foliage. 

“The neighborhood has a lot of architectural 

diversity: Craftsman and New England styles, 

ranches and cottages. Now there are more 

two-story homes,” Harvey Slate says, noting 

that their area has had its share of tear-downs 

and renovations. Felton Gables has its own 

zoning restrictions, which limit the footprint 

and height of homes. 

Brian and Katy Keating have lived in Felton 

Gables for 11 years. They took their home down 

to the studs and rebuilt a “country French” 

home with a brick front that retains the flavor 

of the area. At 7,900 square feet, the lot is one 

of the smaller ones — more typical is 1/4 to 1/3 

of an acre, with a few double lots. 

Both the Slates and the Keatings attest to the 

cohesiveness of the area. Neighborhood gettogethers 

are frequent and people are invested 

in one another. “It’s basically one giant cul-desac 

with no through streets,” Mr. Slate says. 

“I like to walk outside and know who my 

neighbors are,” says Mr. Keating. “I also like 

that it’s close to downtown and schools,” 

he adds, pleased that his daughters were 

able to walk places as they grew to be more 

independent. 

Laurie Thomas, resident of the oldest home 

in the neighborhood (1922), says that one of 

the major concerns is, in fact, for the safety of 

children walking to and from school. Ways to 

enforce the speed limit are being considered. 

The neighborhood association is keeping 

informed of the changes at Encinal School and 

traffic issues are to be addressed by the school 

district. 

The association is also making sure that 

people are both informed of and represented 

on the issue of high speed and/or elevated 

rail and its impact. Some of the Felton Gables 

homes border the train tracks. With the 

passage of Prop 1A in 2008, some residents 

could lose property to eminent domain. 

“It’s really too bad. Keating says, adding he 

is not happy the proposition passed. 

But the neighborhood remains a stable one. 

And there is a strong community feeling. The 

FACTS 

CHILD CARE & PRESCHOOLS: The Playschool, 

Holbrook Palmer Park, 150 Watkins Ave., Atherton; 

Trinity Early Childhood Program, 330 Ravenswood 

Ave., Menlo Park 


LOCATION: West of Southern Pacific Railroad 

tracks and south of Holbrook Palmer Park, between 

Watkins and Encinal avenues 

NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION: Felton 

Gables Homeowners’ Association, Russ Peterson, 

president, 650-327-2450 

PARK: Holbrook-Palmer Park, 150 Watkins Ave., 

Atherton 






Sequoia Union High School District — Menlo- 


Atherton 



($1,685,000-$1,738,000) 

HOMES SOLD: 2 

Fourth of July block party is a major event. 

“There’s not a lot of turnover in this 

neighborhood,” says Ms. Thomas, although 

there was more in 2009. 

Mr. Keating echoes his neighbors’ 

sentiment: It’s “charming and delightful.” 


Michelle Le

ackie 

Let Jackie Help You Achieve Your 

Real Estate Dreams! 

�� 

Jackie Copple has been helping clients on the Peninsula 

achieve their personal fi nancial goals for over 25 years, as a tax 

accountant, a fi nancial planner, and since 1989 as a Realtor. 

“My husband and I could not agree for 7 years, then Jackie came along and she 

�Excelled at listening to each of our concerns 

�� strong market knowledge�� 

�Intuitively brought us together�� 

��strong negotiation skills�� 

“We sold my mother’s home from 700 miles away when Jackie gave 

opple 

Enjoy what Jackie’s clients are saying: 

��dedication�� 

� Extensive fi nancial background �� 

��marketing skills�� 

Serving the communities of Menlo Park, Atherton, Portola Valley, Woodside, Redwood City and north 

to San Mateo; Palo Alto, Mountain View, Los Altos and south to San Jose where I was raised. 

The Professional for Professionals 

MBA, CRS, SRES 

(650) 465-9160 

jcopple@cbnorcal.com 

www.JackieCopple.com 



30 

LINFIELD OAKS 

Stuart Soffer describes his neighborhood 

as “a ‘Leave It to Beaver’ neighborhood.” 

He and wife Susan have lived in their 

1954 ranch-style home on Linfield Drive since 

1994. 

Although remodels are changing the 

look of many neighborhoods, Mr. Soffer 

says his neighbors have been sensitive to 

others’ sight lines when they’ve remodeled — 

something that poses a problem in some other 

neighborhoods. 

Linfield Oaks consists of 80 acres 

bordered by San Francisquito Creek, 

Middlefield Road, Ravenswood Avenue and 

Alma Street. The area was developed in the 

early 1950s by Claude and Ray Lindsay as 

a planned community with single family 

homes, garden apartments, and at the 

borders, campus-style office space such as 

Sunset Magazine, Western Headquarters 

of the U.S. Geological Survey and Stanford 

Research Institute. 

Neighborhood unity is fostered by 

informal get-togethers and what Mr. Soffer 

describes as a “cohesive spirit” that they have 

found to be an unexpected bonus. 

“Once a year, in late summer, we have a 

block party with about 100 people. We even 

have our own version of Christmas Tree Lane 

on Sherwood Lane,” he says. 

The neighborhood is a nexus for many 

people’s interests because of the Recreation 

Center between Alma and Laurel streets and 

the proximity to downtown Menlo Park and 

Palo Alto, he adds, but speed tables have 

lessened the impact of increased traffic. 

Nancy Hosay and Jacob Asher have lived 

on Linfield Place for 17 years. She says that 

she appreciates the civic awareness in her 

neighborhood. The neighborhood Internet 

group allows neighbors to share resources 

and keep abreast of issues of common 

concern. It’s also a great way to find a 

babysitter for Saturday night, she adds. 

Suzanne Dahling, who, with husband 

Randall, purchased their Claremont Way 

home in l964 were one of the first families to 

buy into the neighborhood, she says. 

The neighborhood has had a renaissance 

of young families. 

“I noticed a big change this year on 

Halloween: lots of young children,” she adds. 

Another source of neighborhood pride: 

“The area is so pretty. There are lots of trees 

and flowers and it’s very green,” she said. 


FACTS 

CHILD CARE AND PRESCHOOLS: Geokids Day 

Care Center, 345 Middlefield Road #204, Menlo 

Park; Burgess After-school Program, Burgess 

Kindercat Program, Menlo Park Recreation Center, 

701 Laurel St., Menlo Park, Menlo Children’s 

Center, 801 Laurel St. Menlo Park 


LOCATION: West of Middlefield Road to Alma 

Street and San Francisquito Creek to O’Keefe Street 

NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION: E-mail 

coordinator: JoAnne Goldberg, 650-327-4716 

PARK: Burgess Park, Alma Street and Mielke Drive, 

Menlo Park 




School, 195 Encinal Avenue, Menlo Park; Hillview 

Middle School, 1100 Elder Avenue, Menlo Park 



Atherton 



($1,050,000-$1,625,000) 


Michelle Le



32 

CENTRAL MENLO PARK 

Elton Sherwin loves his Central 

Menlo Park home for many reasons: 

“great schools, great commute, great 

weather, the biking and the walking.” And 

he especially likes the “smaller-town feel of 

Menlo Park,” he says. 

Mr. Sherwin is a cycling enthusiast 

and loves to ride his bike through the flat 

Stanford campus or in the nearby hilly 

trails. He also walks or takes his bicycle 

down to Safeway or Draeger’s about once 

a week to fetch necessary items. “Being 

within walking distance of those things 

has been very nice. You can live here and 

work almost anywhere and have a great 

commute,” he says. 

There is a great sense of community 

in Central Menlo Park, according to Mr. 

Sherwin, who says he knows most of the 

people on his street. 

Mr. Sherwin, who has lived on North 

Lemon Avenue since 1994, says residents 

of many streets in the neighborhood do an 

annual block party where they block off the 

street for festivities. 

The tennis and basketball courts at the 

local Hillview Middle School are also a 

favorite activity for Mr. Sherwin and his 

daughters, he adds. 

Bob Caletti, a Menlo Park resident his 

entire life, has lived on Wallea Drive since 

1970. 

“Menlo Park has a very small town feel,” 

he says. The father of five children, Mr. 

Caletti says he was very pleased with the 

schools and all the local recreation his kids 

had growing up. 

Each Halloween children come to see the 

famous “talking pumpkin,” he says. 

In general, the neighborhood is very 

walkable, he says. His only concern is that 

downtown may become over-developed. If 

he had his way, the city would refrain from 

putting in any more parking structures and 

work to maintain Menlo Park’s small-town 

character, he says. 

John Fox and his wife moved into Central 

Menlo in 1993 because, according to Mr. 

Fox, “We liked the local flavor.” 

A city commissioner for 10 years, Mr. Fox 

would like to see more bike lanes and paths 

throughout the city. 

“There’s tremendous potential here, 

because it’s flat and because of the layout 

and structure,” he says. 

Mr. Fox is an avid cyclist and loves that 

he can bike to the Caltrain station. “There 

is a lot of discussion about the Caltrain 

and high-speed rail, but overall I think the 

Caltrain corridor is a good thing,” he says. 

— Nick Veronin 

FACTS 

CHILD CARE & PRESCHOOLS: The Kirk House 

Preschool, 1148 Johnson St., Menlo Park; St. 

Joseph’s Montessori Preschool and Kindergarten, 

150 Valparaiso Ave., Atherton; Littlest Angels 

Bethany Preschool, 1095 Cloud Ave., Menlo Park 

FIRE STATION: 700 Oak Grove, Menlo Park 

LOCATION: Valparaiso Avenue to San Francisquito 

Creek; Cloud Avenue to Arbor Drive and Johnson 

Street 

PARKS: Tinker Park, Santa Cruz Avenue at Elder 

Avenue near Hillview School, Menlo Park; Jack 

W. Lyle Park, Middle Avenue and Fremont Street, 

Menlo Park; Fremont Park, Santa Cruz Avenue and 

University Drive, Menlo Park; Nealon Park, 800 

Middle Ave., Menlo Park 

PRIVATE SCHOOLS: Menlo School, 50 Valparaiso 

Ave., Atherton; Sacred Heart Prep, 150 Valparaiso 

Ave., Atherton; St. Joseph’s School, 50 Emilie Ave., 

Atherton; St. Raymond’s Elementary School, 1211 

Arbor Road, Menlo Park 


Elementary School District — 

Oak Knoll School, 1895 Oak Knoll Lane, Menlo 

Park; Hillview Middle School, 1100 Elder Ave., 

Menlo Park 




SHOPPING: Downtown Menlo Park, Allied Arts 


($975,000-$5,300,000) 


Michelle Le

66 Acacia Dr., Atherton 

SOLD - Seller Representation 

170 Seminary Dr., Menlo Park 

SOLD - Buyer Representation 

1030 Hamilton Ave., Palo Alto 

SOLD - Buyer & Seller Representation 

195 Heather Ln., Palo Alto 


355 Lloyden Park Ln., Atherton 


2160 Bryant St., Palo Alto 


471 Sherwood Way, Menlo Park 


Nearly $200 Million 

in Peninsula Real Estate Transactions since 2008 

893 Laverne Way, Los Altos 


76 McCormick Ln., Atherton 


832 Waverley St., Palo Alto 


650-400-1001 

319 Concord Dr., Menlo Park 


242 McKendry Dr., Menlo Park 


Miles McCormick 

Number One Team out of 75,000 Keller Williams agents 

HomesOfThePeninsula.com 

Averaging 8,000 Visits Per Month 

DRE 01184883 

20 Arastradero Rd., Portola Valley 


925 Forest Ave., Palo Alto 


217 Lexington Dr., Menlo Park 


*No slogan needed 

Attention 

iPhone Lovers 

____________________________ 

Once you download the free QR 

Reader from the App Store, simply 

use your phone to take a picture 

of one of the barcodes above. 

You will then be able to view 

these exceptional properties. 



34 

DOWNTOWN MENLO PARK 

Ah, to live in Downtown Menlo Park. 

Close to the library, Kepler’s, the 

Caltrain stations and all the shops and 

restaurants of Santa Cruz Avenue — and within 

biking distance of Stanford and downtown 

Palo Alto. Appealing homes with attractive 

yards and streets. It’s so pleasant, residents 

say, that people stay put for many years, while 

newcomers continue to be attracted to its mix 

of amenities and charm. 

Edwin and Joyce Brandle moved in to 

their home on Oak Avenue more than 40 

years ago and say they’re as happy with the 

neighborhood now as they were when they first 

moved from the East Coast, after looking in 

the North and East Bay and settling on Menlo 

Park. 

“We liked what we saw. It looked like a 

nice, small town,” Edwin Brandle says, adding 

that they admired the well-kept homes and 

yards and heard good things about the school 

system. 

“It’s convenient to downtown shopping, the 

Stanford Shopping Center and the hospitals 

and clinics,” he adds. 

Beverly Altman and her husband David, are 

also longtime residents. They’ve been in the 

neighborhood for nearly a half century. 

“We lived in Los Altos first but I had my 

heart set on Menlo Park,” Ms. Altman says. 

The schools, along with the proximity to 

Stanford and the community in general drew 

her there. 

She describes her neighborhood as made 

up mostly of ranch houses but with newer 

additions and construction mixed in with 

original homes. She loves the fine-dining 

options of the downtown area, and the range of 

retail establishments. 

“The restaurants are good and bustling, the 

markets are good and we’re getting more new 

ones. Plus Stanford Shopping Center is always 

exciting,” she says. 

However, the economic downturn of recent 

years has not left downtown Menlo Park 

unaffected. 

“There are empty storefronts now; it’s sad 

and a big change. Another sign of the times 

is seeing homeless people on the streets, it’s 

unusual,” she says, also expressing regret at the 

closure of the Park movie theater. 

Over the years it’s also become a little less 

quiet as Silicon Valley has developed, she says. 

“There’s definitely more traffic now — traffic 

in downtown, traffic on El Camino. It’s gone 

from a small town to, well, a very busy small 

town.” 

Though the Brandles and Altmans have 

lived in the area for decades, they say young 

families continue to flock to the neighborhood, 

keeping it vital. 

“There are many younger people now, that’s 

good. It’s very welcoming for new people,” Mr. 

Brandle says. 

FACTS 

CHILD CARE & PRESCHOOLS: Menlo-Atherton 

Cooperative Nursery School, 802 Middle Ave., 

Menlo Park 

FIRE STATION: 700 Oak Grove Ave., Menlo Park 

LOCATION: Valparaiso Avenue to Middle Avenue 

and El Camino Real to Johnson Street and Arbor 

Road 

PARKS: Fremont Park, Santa Cruz and University 

Drive; Nealon Park, 800 Middle Ave., Menlo Park 


Elementary School District — Oak Knoll School, 

1895 Oak Knoll Lane, Menlo Park; Hillview Middle 

School, 1100 Elder Ave., Menlo Park 

Sequoia union High School District — 



SHOPPING: Downtown Menlo Park, Stanford 



($790,000-$1,770,000) 



$970,000 ($389,000-$1,100,000) 


The schools have remained popular and full, 

Ms. Altman says, as families with kids continue 

to feel at home. 

“It doesn’t take too long to be appreciative of 

what we have here — the trees, the flowers. It’s 

a nice place. We like it,” Mr. Brandle says. 

— Karla Kane 

Veronica Weber

Redw Red Red Red Re Re Re RRedw edwood 

ddd dwwo 

wwo oo ood oo od od ooooo City CCi 

CCC 

City CC it ity 

280 

84 

WEST OF 

ALAMEDA 

No NNNNNNNoort NNNNNorth North NNNNNNNNNNNor NNN No No NNNNNNN orth or ooo rtth rtthhhh th th th th t 

Fa Fa FF Faaa FF FFFa FFa FFFFFaiirrrrrr FF aiii aaiiiirr ir iiirrrr 

iiir 

irrrr rO rr rrrrrrrrrr Oaks OOOOO 

Oaa Oaaaa OO OOOO OO OOOOaa Oak Oak Oaakks OOOOaaaaaaaaaaaaks Oa Oa Oa Oaaks 

ak ks ks ks ksssssss ss ssssss 

Atherton Atherton 

WEST ATHERTON 

UNIVERSITY 

HEIGHTS 

SHARON 

HEIGHTS 

FAIR 

OAKS 

LLOYDEN PARK 

82 

82 

Menlo 

Park 

CENTRAL 

MENLO 

FELTON 

GABLES 

Menlo Menlo 

Park Park 

ALPINE 

FLOOD 

PARK 

LINDENWOOD 

ALLIED 

ARTS 

LINFIELD 

OAKS 

Stanford Stanford Stanford Stan Stan Stan SSSSSSSSSSSSSt St Sttt St St Sttt St St Stttta SSSSSSSt St Stttta Stan Stan Stan Stan Stan Stan SSStttttt SSSSSSSt St St SSSttt St St Sttt SSSSSS SSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS ta ta ta ta ta ta ta ta ta ta tttttttttttttttttttttttt ttt ta ta ta ta ta ta tttttttttttt aaa rd rd rd rd rd rd rd rd rd rd rd rd rd rd rd rrrrrr 

101 

101 

MENLO 

OAKS 

Ea Ea EE EEa Ea EEE as aa stt ss ttt 

Me MMMMMM Me MMMMMMMM Menlo MMMMMMMee MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMenlo ennlo 

nnl 

nl nn ll lloo 

o 

THE 

WILLOWS 

Eastttt Ea EEEa EE st sstt ttt 

Pal PPPPP PPPPPP alo 

o Altooo Alto Alto Alto 

Palo Palo Pal Pal Pa Pa Pal Pal PP Pa Pa PPPa Pa PPP Pa Pa PPPa Pa PPPPPal Pal Pal Pal PP aa aa aa aallllll oo oA oA oo oo ooo ooo Alto Alto Alto Alto Alto Alto Alto Alto Alt Alt AAAAAA AAll Alto Alto Alto Alto AAAAAAAAAlt Alt Alt Alt AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAllll AAAA oo 

82 

84 



36 

ALLIED ARTS/STANFORD PARK 

With its old-town charm, Allied Arts/ 

Stanford Park seems a world away from the 

hustle of El Camino Real to its east, and the 

promise of new high-tech concerns such as 

Tesla Motors. The cutting-edge electric-car 

company hosts a show room of sports cars just 

across El Camino. 

But tucked inside the neighborhood, a 

country feel remains. A lack of sidewalks 

results in a perfect place for strolling among 

1925 bungalow homes, attractive flower 

gardens and fruit trees on roads named after 

colleges — Yale Road, Cambridge Avenue, 

Princeton Road, Cornell Road and Harvard 

Avenue. 

Lamp-topped pillars mark the entrance to 

the neighborhood. And old and shady trees 

grace the streets. 

Small enough that one could run laps 

around it, the neighborhood is marked by four 

distinct streets: Middle Avenue on the north, 

San Francisquito Creek to the south and Allied 

Arts Guild on Arbor Road to the west. 

Allied Arts Guild is a centerpiece of the 

neighborhood and a main attraction. The 

Spanish-Colonial designed complex came into 

existence in 1929 and developed as an artisan’s 

workspace of studios and shops. 

James Hill owned a candle shop and a 

gourmet cookware shop called “Batterie de 

Cuisine” in the guild from 1963 to 2002. He 

moved to Allied Arts in 1972 with his wife 

Elaine and the couple live in a 1935 Tudor-style 

house that allowed him to be “living over the 

store, so to speak,” he says. 

Stephanie Brown moved in 31 years ago. 

The “sense of distinctive, autonomous, 

individual design of the homes creates a sense 

of individuality,” she says. That individuality has 

allowed the neighborhood to keep its identity 

over the years as it has matured, she says. 

A local meeting spot for residents is “The 

O” — The Oasis Beer Garden. It’s a burger and 

pizza bar located in a WWI building that had 

peanut shells on the floor and was one of the 

first places with a big-screen television, Betty 

Lee says. 

Ms. Lee has lived in the neighborhood for 

56 years. She and her husband raised a child 

there. 

“When we first moved in, Cambridge 

Avenue was very quiet, you could almost hear a 

pin drop,” she says. 

The neighborhood is close to just about 

FACTS 

CHILD CARE & PRESCHOOLS: Menlo-Atherton 

Cooperative Nursery School, 802 Middle Ave. 

FIRE STATION: 700 Oak Grove Ave. 

LOCATION: Middle Avenue to San Francisquito 

Creek; Arbor Road to El Camino Real 

PARK: Nealon Park, 800 Middle Ave. 



— Oak Knoll School; Hillview Middle School; 



Atherton 

SHOPPING: Downtown Menlo Park, Stanford 



($799,000-$2,850,000) 


anything she needs: Draeger’s Market, 

Stanford University and Stanford Shopping 

Center and downtown Menlo Park are all 

within walkable distance, she says. 

Residents say more families are moving 

in and Ms. Lee says some homes have been 

renovated or newly-built. 

But one characteristic has stayed 

constant: The “caring and kind people in the 

neighborhood,” Ms. Brown says. 

— Kris Young 

Veronica Weber

Atherton Ath AAA herto to 

UNIVERSITY 

HEIGHTS 

SHARON 

82 

Menlo 

Park 

CENTRAL 

MENLO 

FELTON 

GABLES 

Menlo Menlo 

Park Park 

ALLIED 

ARTS 

LINFIELD 

OAKS 

SSS f d 

MENLO 

OAKS 

THE 

WILLOWS 

Pa Pa Pa PPa PPPPP 



38 

UNIVERSITY HEIGHTS 

Many commuters drive through 

University Heights, which is why 

there are so many partial fences 

blocking the roads, speed bumps and extra 

signs posted to slow down traffic in the busy 

corridor. 

But the tree-lined neighborhood in 

unincorporated San Mateo County still feels 

like a little urban oasis where residents can 

leave their cars behind and walk to local 

stores, restaurants and schools. 

With well-manicured lawns, the 

neighborhood is alternately called Menlo 

Heights and West Menlo Park. The area 

features a business district along Alameda 

de las Pulgas, and easy access to Sharon 

Heights. The neighborhood is bordered by 

Las Lomitas and La Entrada public schools, 

and Phillips Brooks, a private school. 

Diann Lewis moved into her house 

20 years ago. “We picked it for the good 

schools and the fact that we could walk to 

everything,” she says. 

Time permitting, she walks 15 minutes to 

the closest Safeway for groceries, and likes 

the simplicity of being able to drop off her 

car for servicing at the nearby Shell station 

and then strolling home. 

For a time, when her older child began 

attending college, Ms. Lewis felt there 

were fewer children living on her street. 

But younger families have moved in, and 

children are playing in the streets again, she 

says. 

Over the years, Ms. Lewis has noticed a 

change in the size and scope of homes. Most 

of the former summer bungalows have been 

replaced, and the trend is toward remodeling 

and building large, two-story houses, she 

says. 

Lindsay Farino moved to nearby Sherman 

Lane in 2002 with her three children. An 

interior designer who holds clothing sales 

four times a year, she credits the closeknit 

neighborhood and her relationships 

with parents of her daughter, currently a 

sophomore at Menlo Atherton High, for her 

successes. 

“It’s the kind of neighborhood where 

everyone knows everyone. On Holloween, 

Sherman is closed, and 800 to 1000 trick 

or treaters come. Almost every house 

decorates,” Ms. Farino says. “It really brings 

out the best in people.” 

University Heights neighbors keep each 

other close, helping with each others’ pets 

and collecting mail for vacationers. The kids 

play together in the streets in a way that 

reminds her of her childhood in Virginia, she 

says. 

Susan Colb has lived in the area for seven 

years, and shares her neighbors’ sentiments. 

University Heights is “a neighborhood in 

transition, where half of my neighbors are 

retired and in their 80s and the other half 

are new families with children.” 

The area has “everything you need,” she 

says. She can bike to work, walk her dogs 

up the hill to nearby Sharon Park, and run 

errands on foot to the dry cleaners and post 

office. But some of the streets are narrow and 

people drive too fast out of the local burgerand-beer 

joint, the Dutch Goose, she says. 

Local restaurants provide an option for 

social interaction. The range is wide, going 

from an informal family-friendly atmosphere 

found at older establishments such as the 

Dutch Goose and Lutticken’s deli, to pizza 

at Round Table or Avanti, casual dining at 

Lulu’s Taqueria, or fancier fare at Flea Street 

Cafe, another long-lasting fixture in the 

neighborhood. 

After business hours though, Ms. Lewis 

says, “It’s peaceful at night,” yet another plus 

to calling University Heights “home.” 

—Kate Daly 

FACTS 

CHILD CARE & PRESCHOOLS: Children’s 

Creative Learning Center, Las Lomitas School, 299 

Alameda de las Pulgas, Atherton; Littlest Angels 

Preschool, Bethany Lutheran Church, 1095 Cloud 

Ave., Menlo Park; The Phillips Brooks School, 

2245 Avy Ave., Menlo Park; University Heights 

Montessori Children’s Center, 2066 Avy Ave., 

Menlo Park 

FIRE STATION: 3322 Alameda de las Pulgas, 

Menlo Park 

LOCATION: East and West of Alameda de las 

Pulgas to Altschul Avenue to the west; North 

Lemon Avenue and Santa Cruz Avenue 

PRIVATE SCHOOLS: Phillips Brooks School, 2245 

Avy Ave., Menlo Park; Trinity School, 2650 Sand Hill 

Road, Menlo Park 

PUBLIC SCHOOLS: Las Lomitas School District — 



Menlo Park 




SHOPPING: Alameda de las Pulgas, Sharon 

Heights 


($719,000-$2,480,000) 



$330,000 ($158,764-$940,000) 


Michelle Le

WITH 

SUCCESSFUL MARKETING THE MERKERTS 

SOLD! 

SHERWOOD WAY 

MENLO PARK 

SAND HILL CIRCLE 

SHARON HEIGHTS 

SOLD! 

SOLD! 

PROVEN RESULTS 

41 YEARS IN SHARON HEIGHTS 

We have been honored to represent many buyer and sellers this year. We are committed to always 

providing personable and comprehensive real estate services with exceptional attention to detail. From 

listing your home to providing contractor referrals for upgrades, we facilitate a smooth buying and selling 

experience. Your needs are our first priority, and we look forward to building the personal relationship that 

will enable us to assist you. 

We provide the most professional and updated services and would welcome the opportunity to explore any 

real estate needs you may have. 

JOE MERKERT 

PROVEN RESULTS 

& SERVICE 

650-387-5464 CELL 

650-543-1156 DIRECT 

DRE# 01365311 

EAST CREEK 

MENLO PARK 

SOLD! 

SOLD! 

HERMOSA WAY 

MENLO PARK 

MARY MERKERT 

650-303-2221 CELL 

650-543-1156 DIRECT 

DRE# 01756592 

apr.com | 1550 EL CAMINO REAL SUITE 100, MENLO PARK 650.462.1111 

FAWN LANE 

PORTOLA VALLEY 

LOWELL STREET 

REDWOOD CITY 



40 

SHARON HEIGHTS FACTS 

Sitting atop the West Menlo Park Hills 

is the Sharon Heights neighborhood. 

Developed by for residential use by 

Duncan McDonald and Mark Radin in the 

1960s, the neighborhood is home to a variety of 

residences, including houses, condominiums, 

townhouses and apartments. 

Neighbors say they love the hilly community 

with ample greenery and neat landscaping. 

“I love where I live,” says Dorothy Saxe, who 

moved with her husband to the neighborhood 

from Palo Alto in 1979. “The views and the 

neighbors are lovely, and the neighborhood is 

well-maintained and convenient to shopping 

and 280.” 

Sharon Heights retains a quiet allure despite 

its proximity to commerce and thoroughfares. 

“The trees are beautiful as they change in 

the different times of year,” Cora Wiegard 

says. She has been watching the trees change 

through autumn and spring since she moved 

to the neighborhood in 1983. 

Ample tournaments and volunteer 

opportunities keep some residents involved 

with the Stanford Heights Golf and Country 

Club, which borders the 574-acre community 

along with Alameda de las Pulgas, Santa Cruz 

Avenue, and Sand Hill Road. 

The Sharon Heights Homeowners 

Association provides other opportunities for 

socializing. It holds an annual summer party 

and an annual holiday party, Ms. Wiegard says. 

The condominiums tend to have community 

parties as well, Mrs. Saxe says of 1000 Sharon, 

a development home to spacious townhouses 

and condominiums. 

“Generally, we have annual holiday parties, 

which a condo resident hosts. We also have 

pool parties on Labor Day and the Fourth of 

July.” 

Although residents boast a choice of schools 

from among Phillips Brooks School, Trinity 

School, Las Lomitas School, La Entrada 

School and Menlo-Atherton High School, 

Ms. Wiegard and Mrs. Saxe both say that the 

townhomes and condominiums are home to 

mostly adult neighbors. 

“As a hilly neighborhood, it’s not as 

conducive to children running out to play 

in the streets,” according to Julie Brenner, 

whose children were grown when she and her 

husband moved to the area in 2006.”There are 

some young families, but generally, the lower 

down on the hill you go, the more children you 

see.” 

Living in the hills provides some 

opportunities as well as drawbacks, according 

to Mrs. Brenner. She walks the hills with a 

neighboring resident on her cul-de-sac. 

“Walking with my friend, I have come across 

CHILD CARE & PRESCHOOLS: Trinity School, 

2650 Sand Hill Road, Menlo Park 

FIRE STATION: 3322 Alameda de las Pulgas 

LOCATION: Sand Hill Road and Hwy. 280; Santa 

Cruz Avenue and Alameda de las Pulgas 

NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION: 

Sharon Heights Homeowners’ Association, John 

Sakrison, president, 650-854-4487 

PARKS: Sharon Park, Sharon Park Drive; Sharon 

Hills Park, Valparaiso Avenue at Altschul Avenue 

PRIVATE SCHOOLS: Phillips Brooks School, 2245 

Avy Ave.; Trinity School, 2650 Sand Hill Road 


Las Lomitas School District — Las Lomitas 

School, 299 Alameda de las Pulgas, Atherton; La 

Entrada School, 2200 Sharon Road, Menlo Park 


Atherton High School, 555 Middlefield Road, Atherton 

SHOPPING: Sharon Heights Shops 


($1,225,000-$3,710,000) 



$900,000 ($431,000-$2,000,000) 


many people who clearly are coming from out 

of the area,” she says. 

“If you live in Menlo Park and want to 

get some exercise, here’s the only place hilly 

enough to go.” 

— Sarah Trauben 

Vivian Wong

� MAYA SEWALD YOUR SOURCE FOR REAL ESTATE Since 1966 




Maya DRE# 00993290 


Maya Sewald Your Source for Real Estate since 1996! 


Mayasold@pacbell.net 

Jason@JasonSewald.com 

www.MayaSewald.com 

*Total volume for Maya and Jason’s 

listings that sold in Menlo Park 

Jason DRE#01732384 







42 

Magical Westridge Estate 

Portola Valley $11,000,000 

Exquisite Style & Comfort 


Neighbors Jasper Ridge Preserve 


Horse Property + Pool & Tennis 

Woodside $3,700,000 

Build Your World-Class Estate 

3 Acre Lot * Portola Valley $2,995,000 

Exceptional Property 


Society of Excellence 

Top 1% of Coldwell Banker Agents 

Call Ginny or Joe for a private tour of these exceptional properties 

GINNY 

Direct 650 529-8570 

Cell 650 400-8076 

gkavanaugh@camoves.com 

Dre # 00884747 Dre # 01351481 

www.thekavanaughs.com 

Sunny Creekside Setting 


Room For Horses 


Updated by Designer-Owner 


JOE 

Direct 650 529-2060 

Cell 650 269-1352 

joseph.kavanaugh@camoves.com 

Information deemed reliable, but not guaranteed

Woodside 

Woodside 

Highlands 

Mountain Home Road 

Portola Rd. 

Old La Honda 

Road 

� 


Whiskey Hill Road 

Portola Road 

Searsville 

Lake 

Windy Hill 

Open Space 

Preserve 

Skyline Boulevard 


Wayside Rd. 

Brookside 

Park 

Reservoir 

280 

Stanford 

University 

Westridge 

Westridge Drive 

Portola Road 

Alpine Road 


Alpine Road 

Portola Valley 

Ranch 

Portola Valley town limits 

Astride the San Andreas fault, with views 

extending from across the Bay to San 

Francisco, Portola Valley’s history 

begins with the logging town of Searsville. Its 

most famous 19th-century settler was Andrew 

Hallidie, inventor of the cable car, who 

purchased property in 1883, then donated 

land for a school and post office. 

Farming and stock ranching were major 

enterprises between 1860 and 1920, but as 

Ladera 

Valley Oak 

� 

Westridge Drive 

Road 

Los Trancos Creek 

Alpine Road 

Los Trancos 

Alpine Road 

Foothills 

Park 

Los Trancos Creek 

Arastradero Rd. 

Palo Alto 

Central 


Page Mill Road 

Los Trancos 

Woods/ 

Vista Verde 

with much of the Peninsula, the real surge for 

development came after World War II. The 

town of Portola Valley was incorporated in 

1964 with the goals of preserving the beauty of 

the valley, fostering low-density housing, and 

limiting services to those necessary for local 

residents. 

To this day, the goal is to maintain a balance 

between the rural, quiet neighborhoods and 

the need for modern development. 

■ Central Portola Valley 

■ Ladera 

■ Portola Valley Ranch 

■ Westridge 

FACTS 

2010-11 TOWN OPERATING 


POPULATION (2008) 4,532 

HOUSEHOLDS (2000) 1,772 

SINGLE-FAMILY HOUSING (2000) 

74.6 percent 

MEDIAN HOME PRICE $1,722,000 


$205,700 



44 

LADERA 

“People who live in Ladera value it for the 

sense of community and belonging,” says 

Judith Weber, a resident there for 16 years. 

“It’s like a small town in the Midwest where 

the people look out for each other.” 

Ms. Weber loves when the Ladera 

Community Association (LCA) publishes a 

directory listing local kids who will baby sit 

and pet sit. She also likes the fact that many 

of the neighborhood children who compete 

on the swim team, and go to summer or 

tennis camp at the centrally located Ladera 

Recreation Center later go on to become 

lifeguards and camp counselors there when 

they’re older. 

“It’s a wonderful facility,” she says, also 

giving credit to the Caryotakis family who 

raised money from neighbors to put in a large 

playground next to the pool and tennis courts 

for all to enjoy. Peter Caryotakis grew up in 

Ladera and is now raising his own family there. 

Former LCA President Rob Decker says 

he sees this happen a lot, where the kids 

return and maybe even buy their old family 

home. He moved in 27 years ago and says 

once you’ve lived in Ladera it’s hard to find 

anything that compares. 

Ladera started out in the 1940s as an 

experiment in cooperative living, where the 

goal was to set up “a diverse community 

of modest homes, not too far apart, with 

shopping and nature,” Mr. Decker says. The 

plan ran into money trouble and ended up in 

the hands of developers. 

He estimates less than half of the 535 

homes date back to the originals, but 

most are still ranch-style and situated on 

anywhere from quarter- acre to two-acre lots 

in the oak-studded hills of unincorporated 

San Mateo County, surrounded by Stanford 

University and Portola Valley. 

Anna Plume, her husband and their four 

children have lived in Ladera for 11 years. 

She chose the neighborhood specifically 

because of the sense of community she felt 

there — even when just looking for a house. 

“As a stay-at-home mom, I felt I needed 

a place where we could connect with other 

families,” she says. 

The sense of camaraderie in her 

neighborhood is wonderful, she adds. Her 

third child spent time in the hospital when 

he was a four-week-old; the neighbors fed 

the family for almost a month. And her older 

children can play in the cul-de-sac away from 

their house, without much adult supervision. 

Ms. Plume says she knows it is safe and that 

neighbors watch out for them. It is “very 

FACTS 

CHILD CARE & PRESCHOOLS: Ladera 

Community Church Preschool, 3300 Alpine Road, 

Portola Valley; Woodland School (also a private 

elementary school), 360 La Cuesta Drive, Portola 

Valley 

LOCATION: West of Alpine Road and north of 

Westridge Drive to Lucero Way and La Cuesta Road 

PRIVATE SCHOOLS: Woodland School, 360 La 

Cuesta Drive, Portola Valley 


Las Lomitas School District — 



Menlo Park 



Atherton 

SHOPPING: Ladera Country Shopper 


($1,205,000-$2,320,000) 


much like a neighborhood of the ‘50s,” she 

says. 

The Plume’s children make use of the 

Ladera Recreation Center as members of the 

swim team in the summer and take tennis 

lessons at the center. Overall, she couldn’t be 

happier with the choice they made to live in 

Ladera, she says. 

— Kate Daly and Karen Canty 

James Tensuan

Beautiful ten acre campus in 

Portola Valley near Alpine Road 

and Highway 280. 

Building a Lifelong Joy of Learning 

Preschool through eighth grade, Woodland School’s focus is a challenging 

academic program with a strong enrichment program in the areas of French, 

art, music, drama, computers, gymnastics and physical education. Science, 

math and technology are an integral part of the 5th-8th grade experience. 

Woodland School 

360 La Cuesta Drive, Portola Valley, CA 94028 

www.woodland-school.org 

Voted Best Private Day School in the San Francisco 

Bay Area by Bay Area Parent Magazine 

(650) 854-9065 



46 

WESTRIDGE 

When Lorraine and Noble Hancock 

moved to the Westridge neighborhood 

in 1957, Mapache Drive 

stopped at their house on the third lot. 

The neighborhood retained its rural, 

small-town feel as development continued, 

with a sense of camaraderie that Mrs. 

Hancock says came from local mothers’ 

coffee dates and shared efforts to pick 

neighborhood children up from school. 

Developed back in the 1920s after serving 

as ranch land, Westridge is an oasis that 

feels far removed from the hustle and 

cramped conditions of Silicon Valley. Each 

lot in the rolling hills and oak-tree dotted 

neighborhood is a minimum of 2.5 acres, 

and bridle path easements on each property 

preserve the open-space feel. 

“Originally, the neighborhood catered 

strongly to horse owners, and so each lot has 

natural trails for horse rides. There aren’t as 

many horses anymore, but now the trails are 

being used by hikers and bicyclists,” Mrs. 

Hancock says. 

Over ten miles of trail attract hikers, 

bicyclists, and riders. 

Keeping the natural allure of Westridge 

alive is a priority for the residents’ 

association, which sponsors annual clean-up 

days and a picnic and barbeque as well as 

holding an annual meeting in the winter. 

Homebuilders must adhere to strict 

design guidelines enforced by the Westridge 

Architectural Supervising Committee, which 

aims at preserving the rural character of the 

neighborhood. 

Adaline Jessup, was 26 when she moved 

to Westridge Drive with her pediatrician 

husband in 1950, has seen the community 

evolve since its early days. 

She and her husband chose Westridge for 

its openness and natural space. 

While the neighborhood has since 

become more developed, grasslands have 

grown wooded, and the demographics have 

changed, Westridge is again attracting new 

families. 

“Kids kind of disappeared for awhile,” 

Mrs. Jessup says “Now there are many kids, 

and it makes me realize how much I missed 

hearing children’s voices.” 

—Sarah Trauben 

CENTRAL PORTOLA VALLEY 

On Mollie Raab’s two and a half acres, she 

overlooks a neighbor’s orchard on one 

side and a sweeping view of the Western 

Hills on the other and a walking trail passes in 

front of her nearly new two-story house. 

Ms. Raab has lived in Hillsborough, 

Atherton, and Woodside, but she chose to build 

a new house for her family in Portola Valley 

“because it’s out in the country — but not really 

in the country — with nature, space and quiet,” 

she says. 

Sandy Boyce says she first moved to the 

neighborhood 11 years ago. 

“I thought it was very inconvenient,” location 

wise, but over time some new additions and 

improvements have been made in the local 

shopping areas “that make it so you never have 

to leave town,” she says. 

When the kids were younger, Little People’s 

Park — the playground perched next to the 

redwood grove and tennis courts behind Town 

Center — provided hours of entertainment. 

Ms. Boyce’s husband, Dick, and Ms. 

McKinnon’s husband, Neil, teamed up to 

raise money to rehabilitate the sports field at 

Rossotti’s. 

The town seems as though it is always staging 

a barbecue, race, art show or theatrical event 

organized by the Presbyterian Church, giving the 

residents plenty of opportunities to commingle. 

Carol Lavine has lived in the area since 1977 

and has witnessed changes in the community 

over time. She loves the wildlife and semi-rural 

atmosphere of the town but has noticed several 

people are changing the landscape. 

“Some people have been paving over whole 

lots. That’s one thing that has been a big 

change in the last 10 to 12 years.” She says. 

The local association in her area of Alpine 

Hills hosts social gatherings. Residents gather 

for coffee and morning tea and each year they 

throw a birthday party for an elderly couple, 

she says. 

Clay Baker and his family have lived in 

Central Portola Valley for the past 7 years, 

having moved from Woodside. It’s a tight-knit 

community where “ everybody kind of knows 

everybody,” and people communicate through 

a public-discussion forum on Yahoo, he says. 

“You can say, ‘I need a bird cage,’ and in 

a minute you have 15 posts,” he says. 

— Kate Daly 

FACTS 

CHILD CARE & PRESCHOOLS: Windmill 

Preschool, 4141 Alpine Road, Portola Valley; Ladera 


Portola Valley; Carillon Preschool at Christ Church, 

815 Portola Road, Portola Valley; New Horizons 

(after school care), 200 Shawnee Pass, Portola 

Valley 

FIRE STATION: Woodside Fire Protection District, 

Portola Valley Station, 135 Portola Road, Portola 

Valley 

LOCATION: Westridge Drive between Alpine and 

Portola roads 

NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION: Westridge 

Architecture Supervising Committee 


Portola Valley School District — Ormondale 

School (K-3), 200 Shawnee Pass, Portola Valley; 

Corte Madera School (4-8), 4575 Alpine Road, 




Woodside 

SHOPPING: Nathhorst Triangle, Portola Road at 

Alpine Road; Village Square, 884 Portola Road; 

Ladera Shopping Center, 3130 Alpine Road, Portola 

Valley 


($2,233,000-$3,150,000) 

HOMES SOLD: 4 

FACTS 

CHILD CARE & PRESCHOOLS: Trinity Preschool 

at Christ Church, 815 Portola Road, Portola Valley; 

Windmill Preschool, 4141 Alpine Road, Portola 

Valley 

FIRE STATION: 135 Portola Road, Portola Valley 

LOCATION: South of Westridge Drive to Portola 

and Alpine Roads and west of Alpine Road 

PARK: Little People’s Park (at Portola Valley Town 

Center); Windy Hill Open Space Preserve 

PRIVATE SCHOOLS: Woodside Priory School, 302 

Portola Road, Portola Valley 


Portola Valley School District — 

Ormondale School, 200 Shawnee Pass Road, 

Portola Valley; Corte Madera School, 4575 Alpine 

Road, Portola Valley 



Woodside 

SHOPPING: Portola Road; Valley Center (Portola 

and Alpine Roads) 


($1,400,000-$3,760,000) 

HOMES SOLD: 15

124 Felton Dr., Felton Gables, 

MENLO PARK 

851 Cambridge, Allied Arts, 

MENLO PARK 

#4 Longspur, Portola Valley Ranch, 


267 Camino al Lago, Circus Club, 

ATHERTON 

2331 Loma Prieta, Sharon Heights, 

MENLO PARK 

Deanna and Jenny 

Selling the Hills 

and Valleys 

of Your 

Neighborhood, 

Top 100 Sales 

Associates for 

Coldwell Banker, 

San Francisco 

Peninsula as of 

11-22-10 

JENNIFER POLLOCK 

650.867.0609 

jpollock@cbnorcal.com 

& 

DEANNA POLLOCK TARR 

650.752.0833 

dtarr@cbnorcal.com 

30 Granada Ct., Alpine Hills, 


Available: 506 Sand Hill Circle, 

Sand Hill Circle, MENLO PARK 

134 Sand Hill Circle, Sand Hill Circle 

MENLO PARK 

281 S. Balsamina, Ladera, 


231 Canyon, Brookside Park, 


1230 Sharon Park Dr. #64, Sharon Park, 

MENLO PARK 

Call us regarding this beautiful off market property: Over 2.5 Acres plus, Contemporary Craftsman, Guest House, Large Pool, Cabana, Bay Views 



48 

PORTOLA VALLEY RANCH 

Hidden away on the edge of the old 

valley, near where Alpine and Los 

Trancos roads intersect and Portola 

Road ends, lies the planned community 

known as Portola Valley Ranch. The houses, 

their natural wood exteriors and earthy colors 

are visually harmonious, in keeping with 

developer Joe Whelan’s award-winning 1975 

design plan. 

An active homeowner’s association 

administers the lush common areas and 

shared recreational facilities, including a 

community ranch house capable of holding 

more than 100 people, two swimming 

pools, three tennis courts, a wine producing 

vineyard, vegetable gardens and dedicated 

hiking trails. 

Longtime Portola Valley Ranch resident 

Sheldon Breiner is an avid hiker (he describes 

himself as “peripatetic”) and values the 

site’s natural setting and the totally natural 

landscape plan — all foliage, both existing and 

newly planted, are restricted to native plants, 

despite changes in ownership. 

Dr. Breiner, a sort of high-tech Renaissance 

man who’s a writer, amateur explorer, as 

well as successful Silicon Valley inventor/ 

entrepreneur — Geometrics is one of his betterknown 

startups — says there’s a rewarding 

visual continuity from the forested open space 

to the design of the residential clusters. 

“But I couldn’t resist using my Stanford 

geophysics skills in adding earthquake 

stability elements to the mandatory house 

plan when my wife Mimi and I moved here in 

1978,” he says. 

He also has written about Portola Valley 

history. “Part of the old Bovet Ranch, the 

forerunner of PV Ranch, is still here, hidden 

away; the old stable is there too. To safeguard 

it, I can’t tell you exactly where.” 

Barbara Wertheimer is a 16-year 

resident who loves her neighborhood. The 

neighborhood gets together the first Friday of 

every month and people who live on different 

streets bring drinks outside and meet with 

neighbors, she says. 

“There is also a hiking group that hikes the 

first Saturday [of each month]. It’s a very nice 

community and very comfortable to live in. I’ve 

never met anyone who isn’t nice,” she says. 

Marilyn Walter has lived at the Ranch since 

1975 and is involved with maintaining the 

native landscape along hiking trails. 

“I love the quiet — I love the natural 

surroundings. We’ve been very fortunate 

because we have a wooded area on one side 

and we’re up against Windy Hill on the other. 

FACTS 

CHILD CARE & PRESCHOOLS: Windmill 

Preschool, 4141 Alpine Road, Portola Valley; Ladera 


Portola Valley; Carillon Preschool at Christ Church, 

815 Portola Road, Portola Valley; New Horizons 

(after school care), 200 Shawnee Pass, Portola Valley 

FIRE STATION: Woodside Fire Protection District, 

Portola Valley Station, 135 Portola Road, Portola 

Valley 

LOCATION: South and east of Alpine Road and 

west of Los Trancos Road 

NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION: Portola Valley 

Ranch Association, Pete Steiner, president 

PUBLIC SCHOOLS: Portola Valley School District — 

Ormondale School (K-3), 200 Shawnee Pass, Portola 

Valley; Corte Madera School (4-8), 4575 Alpine 




Woodside 

SHOPPING: Nathhorst Triangle, Portola Road at 

Alpine Road; Village Square, 884 Portola Road; 

Ladera Shopping Center, 3130 Alpine Road, Portola 

Valley 


($2,085,000-$3,200,000) 

HOMES SOLD: 4 

We’re surrounded by open space,” she says. 

—Phyllis Butler 

Vivian Wong

JEAN ISAACSON & CHRIS ISAACSON 


www.830LosTrancos.com 

Woodside 

www.35RanchRoad.com 

Atherton 

www.24RobledaDrive.com 

JEAN ISAACSON 

(650) 387-8427 

jisaacson@cbnorcal.com 

www.jeanisaacson.com 

DRE #00542342 

Serving buyers and sellers 

in Portola Valley and 

surrounding communities 

for over 25 years. 

We have the experience and the 

commitment to deliver the best 

results to our clients. 

Please call us or visit our website 

to view these or other listings. 

Portola Valley · Woodside · Atherton · Menlo Park 

Los Altos Hills · Palo Alto · Los Altos · San Carlos 

CHRIS ISAACSON 

(650) 352-3430 

christopher.isaacson@cbnorcal.com 

www.chrisisaacson.com 

DRE #01754233 

©2010 Coldwell Banker Real Estate LLC. Coldwell Banker®, Previews® and Previews International® are registered trademarks licensed to Coldwell 

Banker Real Estate LLC. An Equal Opportunity Company. Equal Housing Opportunity. Owned and Operated by NRT LLC. DRE License # 00313415 



50 

Representing Buyers And Sellers In These Areas . . . And Beyond 

Emerald Hills 

Woodside 

650.740.2970 


edemma@cbnorcal.com 

erikademma.com 

Atherton 

West Menlo Park 

Menlo Park 

Born and raised in 

Portola Valley and now 

residing in Woodside with 

children in local schools, Erika 

is committed to the community 

and the business of real estate. 

Her expertise is second to 

none and has earned her the 

distinguished ranking as the 

#1 agent in her office in 2008 

and 2009 and in the top 1% of 

Coldwell Banker internationally. 

#1 Agent, Woodside Office - 2008 & 2009 

Top U.S. Realtor – The Wall Street Journal 

Top 1% Internationally 

Previews Property Specialist

Purisima Creek 

Redwoods 

Open Space 

Preserve 

Kings 

Mountain 

Skyline Boulevard 

� 

Kings Mountain/ 

Skyline 

Huddart 

County 

Park 

Skywood/ 

Skylonda 

Emerald Hills 

Cañada 

Woodside 

Glens 

Kings Mountain Road 

Woodside town limits 

Skyline 

La Honda Creek 

Open Space 

Preserve 

For more than 100 years, beginning 

in the 1830s, the area now called 

Woodside was gradually developed, 

first as sawmills that supplied redwood 

to build San Francisco, later as farms, 

small cattle ranches and vineyards. As 

early as 1852, a regular stagecoach service 

connected Woodside to San Francisco, and 

by the 1880s, prosperous San Franciscans 

began building country estates. Their ranks 

included coffee tycoon James Folger, lumber 

WOODSIDE 

Cañada 

College 

Road 

Woodside 

Wunderlich 

County Park 

La Honda 

Redwood 

City 

280 

Woodside Road 

Road 

Road 

Boulevard 

Farm Hill Blvd. 

Woodside town limits 

Mountain Home Road 

Portola 

Whiskey Hill Road 

Woodside Drive 

Menlo 

Country 

Club 


Rd. 

Woodside 

Hills 

Portola Road 

Massachusetts Ave. 


Searsville 

Lake 

Portola 

Valley 

Woodside Road 

Alameda de las Pulgas 

Bear 

Gulch 

Reservoir 

Mountain 

Home Road 

Westridge Dr. 

Atherton 

Woodside 

Heights 

Family Farm/ 

Hidden Valley 

baron C.F.A. Talbot, heirs to the H.M. 

Newhall land and cattle fortune, as well as 

millionaire spice magnate August Schilling. 

But it wasn’t until the post World War 

II building boom brought more than 500 

new houses to the area that local residents 

decided to get together to protect the rural 

nature of their community. In 1956, the Town 

of Woodside was incorporated, bringing road 

maintenance, management, planning and 

zoning under local control. 

■ Emerald Hills 

■ Family Farm/ 

Hidden Valley 

■ Kings Mountain/Skyline 

■ Mountain Home Road 

■ Skywood/Skylonda 

■ Woodside Glens 

FACTS 

2010-11 TOWN OPERATING AND 


POPULATION (2008): 5,579 

HOUSEHOLDS (2000): 1,949 


74.6 percent 



(2000): $205,700 


51


52 

EMERALD HILLS 

From its oak-studded hills, residents of 

Emerald Hills can see Crystal Springs 

Reservoir and the cities of Woodside 

and Redwood city and the fog spilling over 

the nearby Santa Cruz Mountains. 

Emerald Hills, which some call Emerald 

Lake Hills, was conceived as a resort 

community for San Franciscans during 

World War I. 

The area consists of two subdivisions 

created around 1920: Emerald Lake (even 

though there are two lakes) and Emerald 

Hills, according to the Emerald Hills 

Homeowners Association website. 

Horses still graze on some properties, 

which also boast vineyards and older homes 

have been replaced by mansions. But 

there are still plenty of the older wooden 

structures, which are as much a part of the 

rural feel as the hills and trees. 

Even when they were students at Stanford 

University, Andy and Laura Poppink knew 

they wanted to live in Woodside. They 

knew they wanted to settle in an area that’s 

“relaxed, has nature, space and privacy,” Mr. 

Poppink says. 

WOODSIDE GLENS 

Longtime residents know the natural 

gifts tucked into the hilly Woodside 

Glens neighborhood, where fields of 

wildflowers sometimes bloom in nearby 

swales in springtime. 

The Glens isn’t a collection of $10 

million estates on 10-plus-acre lots. The 

houses are close together, though the 

rugged terrain keeps them private. Thanks 

to the proximity, people can come out onto 

the winding, narrow roads to chat with a 

neighbor. 

The neighborhood provides all the 

advantages of living near the Woodside 

town center with the bonus of a tight-knit 

community. 

Finding a newcomer to the Woodside 

Glens neighborhood is no easy task. 

Most people, it seems, have lived here 

half their lives or more. 

“Once you move to the Glens, I think you 

stay for a really long time,” says Sandra 

Pugh, who has lived here for 38 years. 

On Sundays from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. — 

Bicycle Sundays — residents can opt to 

get some exercise by joining hundreds of 

“You come home from work and take a deep 

breath. You have access to getting away quickly 

on the trails,” he says. 

Their two-story Spanish Mission-style home 

started as a summer residence built out of 

adobe bricks that were made from clay on the 

property back in the ‘40s. 

Many of the families chose to move into the 

area so the kids could attend Woodside School. 

The neighbors all know each other and 

range in age, according to Mr. Poppink. 

“It’s a neighborhood in transition, with lots 

of new construction or remodeling going on.” 

Jim and Pat Fisher live a couple of windy 

streets and hills away on West California Way. 

They moved into their two-bedroom bungalow 

on an acre in 1985. 

“We wanted a rural atmosphere, and some 

space,” she recalls, adding, “At the time we had 

horses on all sides.” 

Mrs. Fisher enjoys walking her dogs up to 

the 94-foot-tall white Easter Cross that can be 

seen from quite a distance. 

She appreciates one neighbor who “has 

done an outstanding job on emergency 

preparedness” for the neighborhood, and says 

bicyclists who ride up nearby Canada Road 

when the road is closed to traffic between 

between the Filoli entrance and Highway 

92, a pleasant ride north of the Glens. 

Centered around Glenwood Ave. off 

Canada Road, the Glens seems to have a 

higher concentration of school-age kids 

then anywhere else in Woodside, Ms. Pugh 

says. 

A Halloween party and other kidcentered 

activities are popular. 

Woodside Glens was originally made 

up of vacation homes for people from San 

Francisco, said Paul Fregulia, who also has 

been here 38 years. Many of the houses 

were built in the 1930s, he says. 

The variety of styles of homes is one of 

the features of the neighborhood that he 

loves, he says. And it feels like living in 

the country, with the redwoods and the 

creek and the steep valleys, but it’s just a 

few minutes to the town center and the 

freeway. 

Jeanne Carley has been a Woodside 

resident off and on since she was 3, but 

she’s finally settled down here. 

FACTS 

CHILD CARE & PRESCHOOLS: Woodside 

Parents’ Nursery School, 3154 Woodside Road, 

Woodside; Woodside Preschool, 3195 Woodside 

Road, Woodside 

FIRE STATION: 4091 Jefferson Avenue, Emerald 

Hills 

LOCATION: Cañada Road and Farm Hill Boulevard 

NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION: Emerald 

Hills Homeowners Association, Michael Mangini, 

president, 650-365-4449; E-mail: board@ 

emeraldhills.org; www.emeraldhills.org 

PARK: Edgewood County Park 

PUBLIC SCHOOLS: Redwood City School 

District — 750 Bradford Street, Redwood 

City; Woodside Elementary School District 

— Woodside School, 3195 Woodside Road, 

Woodside; Sequoia Union High School District 

— Woodside High School, 199 Churchill Avenue, 

Woodside 

SHOPPING: Woodside Road, Woodside and 

Redwood City 


($1,750,000-$1,850,000) 

HOMES SOLD: 3 

through his efforts, “We’ve gotten to know each 

other better.” 

— Kate Daly 

FACTS 

CHILD CARE & PRESCHOOLS: Woodside 




FIRE STATION: 3111 Woodside Road, Woodside 

LOCATION: Hwy. 280 and Cañada Road and 

Glenwood Avenue to Alto Road 

PARK: Huddart County Park, 1100 Kings Mountain 

Road, Woodside; Wunderlich County Park, 4040 

Woodside Road, Woodside 

PUBLIC SCHOOLS: Woodside Elementary 

School District — Woodside Elementary School, 

3195 Woodside Road, Woodside 



Woodside 



($490,000-$2,225,000) 

HOMES SOLD: 7 

“The Glens is sweet. It’s very friendly. 

People help each other out,” she says. 

Neighbors loan out their driveway space 

when someone’s having a party, since 

there’s very little parking available on the 

narrow streets, she adds. 

— Kathy Schrenk

115 Laning, Woodside 

$2,999,999 

The best of country living in central location! 

Remodeled 4 bed, 3 bath & 2 half baths. Lovely 

landscaped yard w/pool, spa, 2 large patio areas, 

large chicken run & several raised planting beds. 

Just over 1 acre w/ beautiful 3-stall barn w/walk 

out paddocks, a, tack, feed, equipment room & 

heated wash rack. 

1950 Clarke 

East Palo Alto 

$135,000 

6000 sq ft lot zoned 

residential. Easy access to 

freeway. 

MARGOT LOCKWOOD 

650.529.2410 Office 

650.400.2528 Cell 

homes@margotlockwood.com 

WOODSIDE WOODSIDE 

CCLOSED 

REDWOOD CITY 

CLOSED CLOSED 

REDWOOD CITY 

CLOSED CLOSED 

CC 

REDWOOD CITY 

162 Rutherford, Redwood City 

$699,999 

Spacious 2 bedroom 1 bath home with gourmet 

kitchen! Formal living and dining room with fireplace. 

Hardwood floors and dual pane windows. 

Lovely landscaped large yard with white picket 

fence. Detached one car garage. 

CLOSED CLOSED 

HALF MOON BAY 

WOODSIDE 

REDWOOD CITY 

707 Lakehaven, Sunnyvale 

$524,500 

This 3 bed/2 bath home has a spacious open floor 

plan. Kitchen has been updated w/granite counters, 

gas range and wood floors. Large 8500+ sq ft 

lush landscaped yard & hot tub enclosed w/ wood 

fence. 2 car garage. 

1954 Clarke 

East Palo Alto 

$135,000 

Flat 6500 sq ft residential 

lot. Convenient 

location to shopping. 

CLOSED D 

PALO ALTO 

For more information or Virtual Tour visit www.margotlockwood.com 

DD 

CLOSED CLOSED 

CC 

CLOSED CLOSED 

HALF MOON BAY 

LOS ALTOS 

CLOSED CLOSED 

REDWOOD CITY 

CLOSED CLOSED 

SACRAMENTO 

CLOSED CLOSED 

REDWOOD CITY 



54 

MOUNTAIN HOME ROAD 

Situated a stone’s throw from the 

Woodside’s town center, Mountain 

Home Road its bordered by a 

meandering creek. The neighborhood got 

its start as the huge Mountain Home Ranch 

and passed on to the hands of famous 

millionaires from the previous century, 

including the Folger family of coffee fame. 

Residents love their horses, and aren’t 

afraid to show it. Moreover, they love where 

they live because the animals are tolerated 

and even encouraged. 

Many of the homes in the Mountain 

Home Road area border on horse trails, and 

the town of Woodside hosts a number of 

horse-related events. 

This neighborhood attribute brings 

many, if not most, of the residents to this 

area. And while the huge lots and mansions 

— along with the beautiful and convenient 

location — are attracting rich and famous 

types such as Oracle’s Larry Ellison, the 

equestrian element is still going strong. 

Fentress Hall has lived in the area for 

10 years, but had wanted to live there 25 

years before that. She had always ridden 

her horse in nearby Wunderlich County 

Park and always wanted to live nearby. She 

finally found a 100-year-old cottage on a 

property with a barn and enough acreage 

to allow her to keep up to eight horses. The 

trail to Wunderlich goes right along her 

property. 

“If you want to have horses at home, this 

is where you go,” she says. 

At least half the people in the 

neighborhood have horses, Ms. Hall 

estimates. She already knew many of them 

when she moved in and met the rest on the 

trails thereafter. People are friendlier here 

than where she used to live in Atherton, she 

says. 

But more people are moving in who don’t 

have horses, says Kathleen Scutchfield. 

“It is changing,” she says. Some of the 

trails go across private property, so access is 

at the whim of the owners. “If the property 

(owner) wants to close them off, they can.” 

FAMILY FARM/HIDDEN VALLEY 

Family Farm/Hidden Valley is a 

neighborhood of vineyards, views, 

walkways and wildlife. 

When Stephanie Harman moved 

her family into the Hidden Valley 

neighborhood from nearby Portola Valley 

15 years ago, the Harmans built a new 

home next to an old established vineyard 

on a stretch that she describes as “tranquil” 

yet teaming with coyotes, deer, a bobcat, 

blue heron and red-tail hawks. 

Neighbors keep horses in pastures where 

large polo fields once existed, she says, 

making the dead-end streets off of Portola 

Road a peaceful area where older people 

come from the outside to walk and kids can 

ride bikes to school. 

Ms. Harman estimates there are about 

two-dozen houses strung out in the 

neighborhood. There hasn’t been much 

turnover, but when there is, younger 

families are moving into the homes. 

Everyone in the community is linked 

through e-mail. 

Patty Martin’s family bought a property 

in Hidden Hills 16 years ago, and co-joined 

— Kathy Schrenk 

it with another large lot at the top of the 

hill rising up from Family Farm Road. “You 

get beautiful views,” she says, referring to 

her overlook of both the Western Hills and 

Jasper Ridge Biological Preserve. 

Her husband, Eff, says they were living 

in Atherton and hadn’t planned on moving, 

but “fell in love with the natural beauty.” 

Stone pillars at the entrance to the 

neighborhood set off the farm. More than 

a century ago, the private men’s club 

featured much activity at its lodges, cabins 

and stages tucked into the woods. The club 

now keeps a fairly low profile. 

The Martins don’t have many neighbors 

because the homes are spread out, but they 

mingle when neighbors horseback ride on 

the trail along their property, see them at 

restaurants, or at dinner parties they throw 

just to get together. 

“The people are very friendly here; there 

seems to be a lot of esprit de corps. I really 

love it out here, it’s very beautiful and a 

great antidote to the stress of life in the Bay 

Area,” he says. 

— Kate Daly 

FACTS 

CHILDCARE & PRESCHOOLS: Woodside 





LOCATION: South of Woodside Road between 

Woodside Road to the west and Whiskey Hill and 

Sand Hill Roads; bisected by Mountain Home Road 

PARK: Huddart County Park. 1100 Kings Mountain 








Woodside Elementary School District — 

Woodside Elementary School, 3195 Woodside 




Woodside 



HOMES SOLD: 1 

FACTS 

CHILDCARE & PRESCHOOLS: Woodside 





LOCATION: North of Portola Road to Family Farm 

Road and west of Westridge Drive 

PARK: Huddart County Park. 1100 Kings Mountain 










Woodside 



HOMES SOLD: 1

Country Estates Sold by Ed Kahl 

Woodside � Atherton � Portola Valley 

Ed Kahl 

(650) 400-2796 

ed@edkahl.com 

www.EdKahl.com 

The Best in Real Estate 

• Sold over $1 Billion in properties 

• MA in Economics from UC Davis 

• Calif. Genʼl Contractorʼs license 

• Real Estate Broker since 1972 

Ed Kahl – Real Estate Experience you can trust 

Over $1 Billion Sold – Top 1% Coldwell Banker Agents 



56 

KINGS MOUNTAIN/SKYLINE 

Although the homes of the redwoodstudded 

enclave of Kings Mountain 

are spread out, residents say the 

community is very tight-knit. 

“It’s a self-selection of people who love 

nature,” says Joanne Howard. “Everybody 

is very independent, but very supportive of 

helping their neighbors.” 

One of Mrs. Howard’s favorite aspects 

of the area is the volunteer fire brigade that 

protects Kings Mountain. Mrs. Howard recalls 

the time her husband fell and was injured 

retrieving the mail. A member of the volunteer 

fire squad was passing by and helped her 

husband, then called her to let her know what 

had happened. 

Kings Mountain also has an Emergency 

Preparedness group as a subset of the fire 

department, which according to Mrs. Howard, 

checks up on everyone living in the area in a 

disaster. 

Sheena Mawson, president of the Kings 

Mountain Association, praises the Yahoo 

group. “Recently someone needed a ride to the 

airport and in less than 30 minutes they had 

a ride arranged, just by asking for help on the 

board,” she says. “I love knowing that if there 

SKYWOOD/SKYLONDA 

Nestled in the Santa Cruz Mountains at 

the intersection of highways 35 (Skyline 

Boulevard) and 84 (Woodside Road), 

the communities of Skywood and Skylonda 

perch high above the rest of the Peninsula, 

with sweeping Bay and woodland views. 

With their neighborhoods bordering 

such outdoor treasures as the La Honda 

and Thornewood open space preserves and 

Wunderlich County Park, residents say 

Skywood and Skylonda can’t be beat for 

nature lovers. 

“We have fabulous views. More than half 

the homes here have an incredible view of the 

bay and the others have the woods,” 27-year 

Skywood resident Kathleen Braunstein says. 

Skywood is a planned community (within 

Woodside borders, but kids go to Portola 

Valley schools) of around 80 homes, each of 

which has 1.5 to 3 acres of land, insuring a 

rural, peaceful home atmosphere. The homes 

are all custom built. 

Unincorporated Skylonda, across the 

highway, has fewer homes, including some log 

cabins, and is more of a “hodgepodge” of rustic 

styles, she says. 

were ever a crisis the community would come 

together and get through it together.” 

Some modern technologies are harder to 

come by. 

“While we all love living ‘away’ from it all, 

it would be nice to have fast Internet, reliable 

cell service, and be able to get more than just 

the regular TV channels,” she says. 

What the area lacks in cell reception 

residents make up for with community events. 

The Kings Mountain Association hosts five 

major events each year: a Halloween Party, a 

holiday party featuring Santa, spring brunch, 

an annual dinner, and a summer barbeque, 

which kicks off the Kings Mountain Art Fair. 

The Art Fair is hosted in Kings Mountain 

over the Labor Day weekend to benefit the 

Kings Mountain Volunteer Fire Brigade and 

other community activities. 

Between the natural beauty of the area 

and the array of community activities and 

cooperation, residents of Kings Mountain say 

they love where they live. 

“It’s a small, but tight community,” Mr. 

Howard says. “It’s physically, extraordinarily 

beautiful.” 

—Kelly Jones 

Though it may seem remote from the rest of 

the world, there is a real sense of community 

among neighbors. 

An active homeowner’s association holds 

an annual picnic, barbecue or event of some 

kind and maintains a community website, Ms. 

Braunstein says. 

Catherine Lamar, who’s called Skywood 

home for the past 12 years, says one of her 

neighbors has a vineyard and provides wine 

for the annual gathering. 

“All the neighbors get together; it’s so nice 

that way,” she says. 

The winding, steep location can prove 

daunting to visitors, however. 

“Friends say, ‘Oh, I don’t want to drive all the 

way up there, it’s so far,’ but it’s really only a 10minute 

drive to 280 or into town in Woodside,” 

Ms. Lamar says. Downtown Palo Alto and 

Menlo Park are a 20- to 25-minute drive. 

“You do want to plan your day and do all the 

errands you can think of before you come back 

up the hill,” Ms. Lamar says. 

Up at the top, the Trading Post convenience 

store, a gas station and Alice’s Restaurant meet 

the essential needs of Skywood and Skylonda 

FACTS 

CHILD CARE & PRESCHOOLS: Kings Mountain 

Children’s Center at Kings Mountain School, 211 Swett 


FIRE STATION: CDF Skylonda Station, 17290 Skyline 

Blvd., Woodside; Kings Mountain Fire Brigade, 13889 

Skyline Blvd., Woodside 

LOCATION: Skyline Boulevard and Kings Mountain Road 

around Purisima Creek Redwoods Open Space Preserve 

NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION: Kings Mountain 

Association, Sheena Mawson, president, 650-346-9993 

PARK: Huddart County Park, 1100 Kings Mountain Road, 

Woodside; Wunderlich County Park, 4040 Woodside Road, 

Woodside; Purisima Creek Redwoods Open Space Preserve, 

Skyline Boulevard, Half Moon Bay 

PUBLIC SCHOOLS: Cabrillo Unified School District — 

Kings Mtn. Elementary School, 211 Swett Road, Woodside; 

Cunha Intermediate School, Kelly Avenue and Church St., 

Half Moon Bay; Half Moon Bay High School, Half Moon Bay 

Woodside Elementary School District — 

Woodside Elementary School, 3195 Woodside Road, 

Woodside 


Woodside High School, 199 Churchill Ave., Woodside 

SHOPPING: Crystal Springs Shopping Center, Half Moon 

Bay shopping district, Woodside 


($3,900,000-$4,700,000) 

HOMES SOLD: 3 

FACTS 


LOCATION: South of Wunderlich County Park 

between Highway 84 and La Honda Open Space 

Preserve 

NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION: Skywood 

Association: Matt Richter, 650-529-9793; Skylonda 

Area Association 

PARK: Wunderlich County Park, 4040 Woodside 


PUBLIC SCHOOLS: Portola Valley School District 

— Ormondale School, 200 Shawnee Pass Road, 



Sequoia Union High School District — Woodside 

High School, 199 Churchill Avenue, Woodside 

SHOPPING DISTRICT: Four Corners, Highways 84 

and 35, Woodside Road, Woodside and Redwood City 


($768,000-$2,520,000) 


residents — as well as serving as a meeting place 

for friends. 

“I always run into my neighbors there. It’s 

really cool,” Ms. Lamar says. 

—Karla Kane

Janis Friedenberg 

GRUBE 

BROKER ASSOCIATE 

PREVIEWS PROPERTY SPECIALIST 

Woodside Offi ce 

REPRESENTING 

BUYERS & 

SELLERS 

of 

FINE CITY & 

COUNTRY 

PROPERTIES 

ON THE PENINSULA 

650.346.8690 

Janis@JanisGrube.com 

www.JanisGrube.com 

DRE# 01365341 

JANIS F. GRUBE 



58

HOW CAN 

WE HELP YOU? 

STANFORD MEDICINE OUTPATIENT CENTER 

REDWOOD CITY 

NOW IN A CONVENIENT NEW LOCATION: 

Dermatology 

Digestive Health 

Imaging 

Orthopaedics & Sports Medicine 

Pain Management 

Sleep Medicine 

450 Broadway Street, Redwood City, CA 94063 stanfordhospital.org

WHAT ARE THE QUALITIES YOU SHOULD 

LOOK FOR IN A REAL ESTATE AGENT WHEN 

BUYING OR SELLING A HOME? 

RESULTS! 

Information deemed reliable, but not guaranteed. 

ATHERTON I MENLO PARK I PORTOLA VALLEY I WOODSIDE 

#1 Agent, Menlo Park – El Camino Office, 2009 

Ranked #51 Nationally by The Wall Street Journal, 2010 

Over $1.2 Billion in Sales 

WWW.HUGHCORNISH.COM 

650.566.5353 

hcornish@cbnorcal.com 

DRE# 00912143 

DRE# 00912143 

CORNISH CONCIERGE SERVICE 

PROVIDING A 

NETWORK OF 

REPUTABLE 

HOME-IMPROVEMENT 

PROFESSIONALS 

PUT HUGH’S EXPERIENCE TO WORK FOR YOU!

OUR NEIGHBORHOODS - Almanac News

Create successful ePaper yourself

Delete template?

Save as template?