| Stanford Weekend Acres
Neighborly respect for the land and privacy
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Stanford Weekend Acres is a little San Mateo County anomaly, one of the few places behind Stanford that isn't owned by the university. Its sense of independence is reflected in neighbors' respect for the environment, and its history as an enclave for creative thinkers.
"A lot of interesting people have lived here in our area. Whole Earth Catalog was laid out in Stanford Weekend Acres by Stewart Brand," she says.
There are still vestiges of hippies in Stanford Weekend Acres. They live at the end of Homer Lane and annually announce their presence a week or so before Christmas. They place a hand-lettered sign at the intersection of Alpine Road and Bishop Lane, inviting people to their annual Arts and Crafts Faire, according to Ted Bache, a 19-year resident. "They use the word 'hippies' in their sign," Mr. Bache adds
Mostly built in the 1920s as small summer cabins for fog-weary San Franciscans, today the area has an eclectic mix of architecture and lot sizes. The original properties were long and narrow, often beginning at Alpine Road and ending at the creek. "That's beginning to change, as two large lots have recently been converted into subdivisions with large-scale houses, which sometimes clash with the sensibilities of neighbors," Mr. Bache adds.
Stanford Weekend Acres facts:
CHILD CARE & PRESCHOOLS: Trinity School, 2650 Sand Hill Road, Menlo Park
FIRE STATION: California Department of Forestry, but closest station is Menlo Park Fire District, 3322 Alameda de las Pulgas, Menlo Park Nelson, 650-854-6377
PUBLIC SCHOOLS: Las Lomitas School District -- Las Lomitas School, 299 Alameda de las Pulgas, Atherton; La Entrada School, 2200 Sharon Road, Menlo Park Sequoia Union High School District -- Menlo-Atherton High School, 555 Middlefield Road, Atherton
SHOPPING: Ladera Country Shopper
MEDIAN HOME PRICE: $975,000 ($848,000-$3,305,000)
NO. OF HOMES SOLD: 5 NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION: Families for Fair Government, www.familiesforfairgovernment. |
Over the years, the original homes have been fixed up, and the "vacant-lot" look has been replaced with tended gardens. San Francisquito Creek is less polluted now, with steelhead salmon migrating upstream to spawn, Mr. Bache says.
His home backs up onto what he calls "a really fine swimming hole," created when the creek was dammed to deliver water to Stanford. In hot weather, Stanford students sneak down through the golf course and skinny dip at the water hole, he says.
Residents take their turns doing dump runs with artifacts they've found in the creek. Mr. Bache jokes about creating a "people's art park" that could include such items as an old car hood, water heaters, a freezer and plenty of beer and soda cans.
"Watching the creek is better than a movie. The seasons change dramatically," he says.
A big draw, the natural beauty and environment has also created some major concerns. Stanford wants to put in a 16-foot wide hiking-biking sidewalk trail on Alpine Road, to the chagrin of some residents.
Residents are protesting, Mr. Bache says.
"Sharing the road with fast-moving vehicles, risking life and limb as you cross busy intersections, driveways and Hwy. 280 across ramps is a far cry from a recreational experience," adds Ginger Holt, who often serves as the neighborhood's point-person.
Despite neighborhood concerns, there is always time to celebrate together. According to Mr. Bache, traditions in the neighborhood include a Fourth of July shindig on Homer Lane, plus a spring block party on Bishop Lane.
-- Carol Blitzer and Sue Dremann |
