Rex Manor, Mountain View

In the years following World War II, millions of Americans moved to the suburbs, and it was in the 1950s that home building surged in Mountain View. Originally called Meadow Glenn, Rex Manor was one of the earliest of these housing developments. Situated on 74 acres off Alma (now Central Expressway), the first of the two- and three-bedroom homes went on sale in April 1950.

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More than half of the homes in Rex Manor are originals, according to Gary Morgan, who has lived in the neighborhood since 1987. Others have been remodeled, and about 15 completely leveled and rebuilt. Morgan said it's "probably the last bastion of affordable Mountain View."

Those original Rex Manor homes, built by William Blackfield, sold for $6,975 to $7,575. They featured two-car garages, central heating, tile bathrooms, metal kitchen furnishings and oversized closets. Each lot was 50 x 115 square feet and new owners could choose from 24 different exteriors.

During the '70s and '80s, many of these homes became rental properties. Encarnacion Gaces' sister bought her home in 1965, rented it, and then moved into it when she retired in 1985. The Gaces, who are from the Philippines, joined her to keep her company and be closer to their children and grandchildren. Now, they tend a profusion of roses, and the vegetable garden in the back yard.

Rex Manor facts: CHILD CARE AND PRESCHOOLS: YMCA of the East Bay/Mountain View Child Development Center,750B San Pierre Way; YMCA -- Theuerkauf,1625 San Luis Ave. FIRE STATION: No. 3, 301 N. Rengstorff Ave. NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION: Jo Anne Yee, chair, shingsrus@gmail.com PARKS: Rex Manor Park, Farley Street and Central Expressway, Stevenson Park, San Luis Avenue and San Pierre Way POST OFFICE: Mountain View, 211 Hope St. PUBLIC SCHOOLS: Mtn. View-Whisman School District -- Theuerkauf Elementary School, Crittenden Middle School; Mtn. View-Los Altos Union High School District -- Los Altos High School SHOPPING: Bailey Plaza, Shoreline Boulevard, Castro Street, Longs Shopping Center MEDIAN 2006 HOME PRICE: $725,000 ($604,000-$1,000,000) # HOMES SOLD: 25 MEDIAN 2006 CONDO PRICE: $642,000; nearby $650,000 ($496,000-$800,000) # CONDOS SOLD: 1; nearby: 60

"We get up early every morning and weed," Gaces said. "Gardening is the best exercise for seniors. It keeps us active."

"This is a nice neighborhood that's always been family-oriented.," added Tina Sierras, whose husband grew up in the area.

It's not uncommon for homes here to be given or sold to sons and daughters. Sierras' family is one of these second-generation families. In 2000, her family moved into her in-laws' home. She grew up close by and can remember the days before video games when parents were willing to let kids play outside unsupervised, roller-skating in the neighborhood, and playing on ramps in the nearby orchards.

Rex Manor Park, an 80-foot strip between Farley and Beatrice, raised concerns about becoming a noise nuisance factor when it was proposed in 1952. Now, more than 50 years later, toddlers play in the sand under the watchful eyes of their caretakers, while a young couple on a nearby park bench enjoy the tranquility of a late summer morning. Konstantin Svist, the young man, is a software developer at a start-up. His family, Russian emigrant parents and sibling, moved to Rex Manor in 1998. Houses were priced right and the family was attracted to the quiet, peaceful neighborhood.

Today, mature magnolias, maples and Modesto ash line quiet streets. Palm trees that started as three-inch giveaways from a local gas station, sway in the breeze at 60 feet or more. Chain-link fences give way to picket fences, and flagstone paths meander past the lavender and nemesia. U.S. flags fly from the eaves of homes, and bumper stickers and yard signs denote differing political perspectives. Landscaped car round-abouts on Farley, added in the late 1990s, remind people to slow down and take life a little easier.

-- Suzanne Bellamy