San Jose California

In 1986 I emigrated to Northern California from England and was quickly enraptured with the beautiful blue skies & gorgeous weather. My husband & I looked at many different neighborhoods in San Jose before deciding on relocating to Almaden Valley, which is a neighborhood in South San Jose in Santa Clara county.

Almaden Valley was formerly full or orchards and wineries, but these have now been replaced by neighborhoods, rolling hills & sparse open areas. Almaden has a great community spirit & is a safe place to live and bring up children. It is comprised of many different neighborhoods, each having their own unique characteristics and charm. Most people in Almaden own their own homes and pride of ownership abounds with well taken care of homes & lawns.

My husband and I purchased a home in1986 in a brand new Shea Homes development called Campton Chase as it was close to Guadalupe Oak Grove park and a few minutes from the major freeways 87 & 85 which is a definite bonus when commuting. Other really nice developments include Pierce Ranch which is close to Almaden Quicksilver Park. This park consisting of 4163 acres has 37 miles of hiking & walking trails for different levels and offers a chance to exercise & absorb nature at the same time. Shadow Brook is also another neighborhood with with a friendly community and neighbors can take advantage of the Cabana club. In Almaden, there are several neighborhood cabana clubs, such as Almaden, Shadowbrook, Oaktree, Crossgates & Montevideo Cabana clubs – all offering competitive and social events during the hot summer months, which are very popular with both children and adults. The country club neighborhood in Almaden is an expensive neighborhood with unique homes, some backing to the beautiful Almaden Golf course. This prestigious club offers golf, tennis, swimming or social memberships. You can also purchase a swim & tennis membership at the nearby Almaden Swim & Racquet Club.

House prices have gone up consistently in Santa Clara county and Almaden Valley is no exception. The average price for a home here is $1.4m and most homes rent for $3500 p/m & up. Inventory has been consistently low creating a buyers market with multiple offers on most homes. A lot of home buyers purchase a home in Almaden because they are impressed with the excellent schools that Almaden Valley offers. There are three Elementary schools; Williams, Simonds and Los Alamitos, two middle schools – Bret Harte & Castillero and two high schools Leland and Pioneer. Each school is unique and offers both academic and performing arts programs. Almaden parents tend to be involved in their children\’s education which helps to create a great learning experience.

Lake Almaden is an artificial lake approximately 32 acres offering picnicking, walking & bocce courts. Swimming has been prohibited since mercury was discovered from Almaden Quicksilver Mining Operations. There are fun yearly activities at Lake Almaden including an amazing July 4th fireworks, the Almaden Art & Wine Festival in September & the Water Lantern Festival in October.

For those interested in learning about the history of Almaden take a short trip to New Almaden which is approximately 12 miles south, The history of this area dates back to 1845 when the New Almaden Mine produced over a million flasks of quicksilver (which is another name for mercury) making it California\’s oldest mining operation. The most prominent building in the Hacienda was Casa Grande, constructed in 1854. This house was the mine manager’s residence and is now a mining museum. Many of the people that managed the mines lived in New Almaden and their historic houses still remain & are definitely interesting to check out. Coming from England I love historic homes so enjoy taking visitors there. There is also an annual Pioneer Day which is a good way to learn about the interesting history.

Almaden Valley is not known for its nightlife but does have a few fun sports bars & great restaurants. We are currently looking forward to the grand opening of Mr Mojtos. If you are interested in exploring more nightlife or checking out a different scene, Los Gatos, Campbell and Willow Glen are only a 15/20 minute drive away & have numerous restaurants & bars for your enjoyment. Also downtown San Jose is a short drive and has a big choice of different restaurants & bars. Downtown San Jose also offers cultural entertainment with amazing shows at the Center for performing arts, Tabard Theater, San Jose Stage to name a few plus the yearly Cinequest film festival held in March featuring independent films. San Jose also offers an educational experience at the Tech Museum of Innovation or Children’s Discovery Museum.

If you would like to know more information about Almaden Valley & what the surrounding areas have to offer, please reach out to me. After residing & selling real estate in Almaden for 33 years I am a wealth of information which I would be happy to share with you.

About the Author – San Jose California Real Estate Agent Gloria Ashdown

Gloria Ashdown is a powerhouse real estate agent specializing in residential sales in Santa Clara County. As an energetic and seasoned agent, she delivers exceptional customer service and applies win/win negotiation strategies to achieve the best results for her buyers and sellers. She is a true advocate who honors the best interests of her valued clients. With a commitment to prompt and reliable communication, Gloria prides herself on her reputation for answering calls quickly and keeping her clients well-informed from beginning to end.

Due to the fact that Gloria has lived in various countries such as England, India, South Africa and United States, she is empathetic to buyers’ and sellers’ needs and concerns when relocating.  When Gloria is not selling real estate, she can be found swimming, playing tennis or walking her dog in the Almaden Valley area. She also contributes to the community by volunteering her time to do local park maintenance activities at Jeffrey Fontana Park and participating in Real Estate Legislative Day in Sacramento, California.

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