Willow Glen, Cambrian, Almaden and our predicaments (San Jose, Milpitas: sale, houses)

[mstnghu2]

Originally Posted by gemstone1

"Here I go again. Everyone seems to LOVE Cambrian. A lot of it say south of Foxworthy thru to 85 looks sort of downtrodden"....

when I lived in Willow Glen...until the early 70's, Cambrian looked as you describe....and it was fairly new at that point !

I haven't see Almaden since the 70's, but given it is affordable, that would be my choice...but then again, access to affordable property is why I left CA in the first place.

Regards
Gemstone1

Almaden is affordable? ...maybe back in the 70's when you were last there. 95120 is one of the most expensive zip codes in San Jose.

[chessgeek]

Originally Posted by mstnghu2

Almaden is affordable? ...maybe back in the 70's when you were last there. 95120 is one of the most expensive zip codes in San Jose.

I spent my teen years in Almaden Valley (95120 zip code). My family moved form Minnesota and bought a nice home with pool in the backyard for $ 45,000 in 1972 when I was 12! That was only slightly more than the home they sold back in Minnesota at the time!

That home would probably be selling for somewhere between $ 650,000 and $ 800,000 today. It is on flat land just a few blocks from the busy Almaden/Camden intersection. For anything in the hills or any elevation at all, you are probably looking at close to a million for the modest properties and significantly higher for larger, newer homes in the hills.

Yes, Almaden Valley has changed since the '70's!

[gemstone1]

"Yes, Almaden Valley has changed since the '70's"....

that's about the time I left and I'd already seen tons of changes. I used to ride horses up in what we referred to as the mines....on the property of the old Quicksilver Mines...which were still in operation. And I remember riding a bicycle from Willow Glen to the old Club Almaden....for a day at the pool...and Almaden Days...when a 15 year old could buy a beer...water skiing on Calero, when there might be 10 boats on the water mid week....company picnics as a kid at Fortini's (?) on the road to Calero, or across the creek from Twin Creeks pool...cutting 'cots or working cattle on Mazzoni's ranch, just past the Perc' ponds a ways....
Yes, I imagine times have changed.

Regards
Gemstone1

[bigdumbgod]

Originally Posted by gemstone1

"Yes, Almaden Valley has changed since the '70's"....

that's about the time I left and I'd already seen tons of changes. I used to ride horses up in what we referred to as the mines....on the property of the old Quicksilver Mines...which were still in operation. And I remember riding a bicycle from Willow Glen to the old Club Almaden....for a day at the pool...and Almaden Days...when a 15 year old could buy a beer...water skiing on Calero, when there might be 10 boats on the water mid week....company picnics as a kid at Fortini's (?) on the road to Calero, or across the creek from Twin Creeks pool...cutting 'cots or working cattle on Mazzoni's ranch, just past the Perc' ponds a ways....
Yes, I imagine times have changed.

Regards
Gemstone1

This is fairly new, near the starting point of Deep Gulch Trail:
Panoramio - Untitled photo

And the old gun range is still out there.

So is this:

But it closed, and the neighborhood rallied to save it from city plans to bulldoze it.
Almaden Times Weekly - Serving San Jose's Almaden Valley Since 1986

[kdog]

Originally Posted by bigdumbgod

So is this:

But it closed, and the neighborhood rallied to save it from city plans to bulldoze it.
Almaden Times Weekly - Serving San Jose's Almaden Valley Since 1986

No, the city wasn't trying to bulldoze it, it's private property. It was the owner who wanted to bulldoze it. The neighborhood rallied to get it listed as a historical landmark, so the owner can't tear down his own building.

[telecomprovisioner]

I moved from Cambrian to Almaden, Montievideo area- just off Camden and Coleman. It's not Willow Glen but I can walk to the local coffee shop (Avid) and Amatos Pizza. Neighbors here are very social. I'm a SAHM and can always find neighborhood mom to go hiking, shopping or swap babysitting with.

Absolutely love it here, we probably have one of the few neighborhoods with a small town community feel. If you want a family friendly neighborhood, bigger house (compared to most homes in BA) and love hanging out with your neighbors at BBQ and pool parties than Montivedieo area is where it's at.

[telecomprovisioner]

Originally Posted by gemstone1

"Yes, Almaden Valley has changed since the '70's"....

that's about the time I left and I'd already seen tons of changes. I used to ride horses up in what we referred to as the mines....on the property of the old Quicksilver Mines...which were still in operation. And I remember riding a bicycle from Willow Glen to the old Club Almaden....for a day at the pool...and Almaden Days...when a 15 year old could buy a beer...water skiing on Calero, when there might be 10 boats on the water mid week....company picnics as a kid at Fortini's (?) on the road to Calero, or across the creek from Twin Creeks pool...cutting 'cots or working cattle on Mazzoni's ranch, just past the Perc' ponds a ways....
Yes, I imagine times have changed.

Regards
Gemstone1

Cool! I grew up in Almaden . We used to board our horses at Foothill Ranch, next to Williams on Rajovich. (now it's townhomes.) Also used to board at Almaden Rec, next to the Gymnasium, and used to ride the trails on Mockingbird Hill. Speaking of which,remember that horrendus car crash in the 80's with some of the Leland kids?

[telecomprovisioner]

Originally Posted by bigdumbgod

This is fairly new, near the starting point of Deep Gulch Trail:
Panoramio - Untitled photo

And the old gun range is still out there.

So is this:

But it closed, and the neighborhood rallied to save it from city plans to bulldoze it.
Almaden Times Weekly - Serving San Jose's Almaden Valley Since 1986

My old hang out lol. We used to ride our horses down their to buy sodas. Then when I was older used to go drinking at feed n fuel lol. It's a shame it's closed. Loved that place

[darkeconomist]

Originally Posted by Wintermomma

Since you are working in Milpitas, I would look in Willow Glen (but cannot speak to schools. Check GreatSchools - Public and Private School Ratings, Reviews and Parent Community and yelp.com. It does list test scores, but also there is other information that can be revealing on the sites and maybe even visit the schools).

Sunnyvale is a hot hot real estate market, and like you said, mostly older homes. I don't actually find it all that desirable (though I've not lived here), I think it's mostly due to proximity to other places. The Mountain View/Google high values push going east. At 1.2 mil, today, I think you could get something really nice, but I'm not sure what that would look like in a year. I would not recommend Almaden or Cambrian due to the commute up the 87 to Milpitas.

WG to Milpitas requires a painful trip on city streets to 880. The options from 87 are
Taylor->1st St->880
Charcot->1st/Junction/Zanker/O'Toole->Brokaw->880
Airport->1st->Brokaw->880
101->Trimble->Montague->880

No connector between 87 and 880, though they cross SW of the airport. I think the OP should be aware of that.

[sonarrat]

Originally Posted by darkeconomist

WG to Milpitas requires a painful trip on city streets to 880. The options from 87 are
Taylor->1st St->880
Charcot->1st/Junction/Zanker/O'Toole->Brokaw->880
Airport->1st->Brokaw->880
101->Trimble->Montague->880

No connector between 87 and 880, though they cross SW of the airport. I think the OP should be aware of that.

When I was commuting from south of Willow Glen to Milpitas, I would always take 680. There is occasionally some commute traffic but it's nothing like 880.