Barron Park, Palo Alto

Every October, the neighborhood donkey Pericles leads the children to the local school, clip clopping his way down narrow streets covered with gold and red leaves. Pericles, better known as Perry, visits classrooms and is always very careful of his surroundings, minding small desks, bookshelves, backpacks, and of course, the young students that want to pet him behind the ear.

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A donkey walking to school with kids may seem unlikely for a neighborhood located in the heart of Silicon Valley; but in Barron Park, residents say that this rural and old-fashioned pace of life is what distinguishes the neighborhood from the rest of Palo Alto.

Having grown up in Barron Park, Brandy Faulkner said living in the area is like going back in time. "People are slower, more courteous. ...You don't need an excuse to say hi to your neighbor -- you just go out and say, 'Hi, oh you're cutting down your tree? Oh, what's going on?'"

Located roughly between Matadero Avenue and Arastradero Road, the neighborhood is just far enough away from El Camino Real that most of the sounds heard on the streets during the day are song birds and children's bike bells; and along the local bike path, joggers, dog walkers and families sometime stop by the corral and say hello to Perry and Miner 49er, another donkey who has made his home in the neighborhood.

Facts: CHILDCARE AND PRESCHOOLS: Barron Park Childcare Co-op, Katy.Mast@gmail.com; Barron Park Playgroup, Beth Delson, bdelson@icg.org; Barron Park Kid's Club, 800 Barron Ave.; Barron Park Preschool, 3650 La Donna Ave.; Juana Briones Kid's Club, 4100 Orme St. FIRE STATION: No. 5, 600 Arastradero Road LIBRARY: College Terrace branch, 2300 Wellesley St.; Mitchell Park branch, 3700 Middlefield Road NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION: Doug Moran, president, 650-856-3302, president@bpaonline.org, www.bpaonline.org PARK: Bol Park, Laguna Avenue between Barron and Matadero avenues; Juana Briones Park, 609 Maybell Ave. POST OFFICE: Veterans Hospital Bureau, 3801 Miranda Ave.; Cambridge, 265 Cambridge Ave. PUBLIC SCHOOLS: Barron Park and Juana Briones elementary schools, Terman Middle School, Gunn High School SHOPPING: San Antonio Shopping Center, California Avenue MEDIAN 2007 HOME PRICE: $1,500,000 ($950,000-$3,495,000) # HOMES SOLD: 25 MEDIAN 2007 CONDO PRICE: $843,000 ($530,000-$930,000) # CONDOS SOLD: 6

In the late 1800s, residents saw apricot orchards, strawberry fields and dairy pastures lining the streets, and during the 1920s, many San Franciscans built summer cottages near the rail station that was eventually demolished in later years. As the last area to be annexed to Palo Alto in 1975 despite heated debates that it should remain independent, the neighborhood still retains part of its original pastoral scenery with its bubbling creek, vibrant redwood trees and lack of sidewalks.

Today, the neighborhood landscape varies from bulky houses to smaller ranch-style homes that sometimes resemble a warm Thomas Kincaid painting.

Teena James has lived in the area since 1986 and remembers what happened during the Loma Prieta Earthquake in 1989. "An old neighbor checked on everyone, knocking door to door to see if they were OK," she said. "There is a feeling that neighbors are here to help out."

She added that she is always surprised when people tell her that they don't know their neighbors or won't ask for a cup of sugar. "We [the neighborhood] can tell you who lives in each house, how many pets they have, or who their kids are, so when we see a new car, we're a little suspicious."

New resident Anne Nacey Maggioncalda remembers when Teena James stopped by her door to welcome her family to the neighborhood last September. Someone even dropped off a thick folder full of information regarding nearby schools, disaster preparation, babysitting co-op, local history, newsletter information, local bike paths and the Barron Park membership application.

"When we moved in, within the first couple days Teena James came over and introduced herself. She brought a big bouquet of flowers and card, and someone anonymously dropped off a plate of chocolate cookies saying welcome to the neighborhood; another brought pumpkin bread during Halloween," she said. "It seemed like the whole neighborhood took the time to meet the new families."

Since many families have moved in because of the top-quality schools, Maggioncalda said the neighborhood is diverse in both ethnicity and socioeconomic level. All four schools are in walking distance and many blocks in the neighborhood create a phone and e-mail directory for their own cul-de-sacs. A family-oriented place, Barron Park sustains its community spirit through a strong neighborhood association and welcoming committee.

Today, there are neighborhood concerns about newly remodeled houses. Faulkner said large stucco houses are distressing since they don't fit in with the country feel of the neighborhood. "We like the rustic look; we like creeks unpaved; we like the bushes to be overgrown. A lot of newcomers who come to the neighborhood have a vision of L.A., and they cut down all the trees. We take pride in having a lot of mature growth."

Barron Park Neighborhood Association President Doug Moran said that remodeled houses have been a lingering issue, but having a local grocery store is another recent concern as well. "That houses are too big for the lot they are on is a longstanding [issue]," he said. "The loss of retail on El Camino and the grocery store at Alma Plaza is another one. People would very much like to have places they could walk to or hit on their way home."

Barron Park also holds multiple block parties every year along with regular annual events such as holiday caroling, May Fete and the ice cream social used to welcome new families. For the holiday caroling in December, the choir from local Gunn High School leads the neighborhood on a winter walk through the streets, and during May Fete, the residents erect a May Pole and celebrate with good food and good company.

Perry and Miner 49er also make an appearance at both events, and throughout the year, they regularly visit Bol Park every Sunday from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m., relishing the fresh grass while their neighbors might try to comb or pet them. Besides life in Barron Park, Perry has even made his own debut appearance on the big screen, being the model for Donkey in DreamWorks' "Shrek."

Maggioncalda said she has never lived in a neighborhood quite like Barron Park where people volunteer to take care of the donkeys or write quarterly newsletters. "The neighborhood is very organized and big on communication," she said. "It's like a big family."

-- Katharine Lu