University South, Palo Alto

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What makes University South stand out?

Longtime resident Joe Shakes laughed as he answered, "You may be able to hear it right now: a lot of new construction <0x2014> constant, constant construction."

Spanning between University Avenue and Embarcadero Road, Alma Street and Middlefield Road, University South is mostly a residential area on the edge of downtown Palo Alto.

"It's a very, very large neighborhood ... so it's hard for me to generalize," said Elaine Meyer, the president of the University South Neighborhood Association. "There is a mixture of people. That's the nice thing about it."

Facts: CHILDCARE AND PRESCHOOLS: Addison Kids' Club, 650 Addison Ave.; Children's Creative Learning Center Downtown Child Care Center, 848 Ramona St.; First School, 625 Hamilton Ave.; The Learning Center, 459 Kingsley Ave. FIRE STATION: No. 1, 301 Alma St. LIBRARY: Downtown branch, 270 Forest Ave. NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION: Elaine Meyer, 650-325-8057 PARKS: Scott Park, Scott Street and Channing Avenue; Palo Alto Heritage Park, Homer Avenue and Waverley Street POST OFFICE: Hamilton, 380 Hamilton Ave. PUBLIC SCHOOLS: Addison Elementary School, Jordan Middle School, Palo Alto High School SHOPPING: University Avenue MEDIAN 2007 HOME PRICE: $2,195,000 ($957,000-$4,850,000) # HOMES SOLD: 17 MEDIAN 2007 CONDO PRICE: $962,500 ($699,000-$2,200,000) # CONDOS SOLD: 18

Housing everything from Palo Alto's very first residence built in 1890, when the city was still called University Park, to the modern development of Facebook.com in 2004, University South is a neighborhood for people of all ages, interests and backgrounds.

As one of the older neighborhoods in Palo Alto, University South has a rich history. In 1912, on Emerson Street, Lee de Forest invented the vacuum tube amplifier and oscillator that are used in electronics to this day. In 1938, William Hewlett and David Packard contributed to the growth of Silicon Valley with their beginnings in a small garage on Addison Avenue. The St. Thomas Aquinas church, built in 1901, served as the sanctuary where movie icons Harold and Maude met 70 years later.

"I like the oldness of it," Meyer said. "That isn't to say that a new house isn't delightful. ... I come from the East Coast, which is also the oldest part of the country, so I'm comfortable in that kind of area."

However, with constant construction happening, University South is quickly changing, Meyer said.

"Construction is all over the place. ... This is a boom town. This is not the boonies anymore. It was ages ago, but not anymore."

In early 2006, the new four-story 800 High St. housing complex was completed. Joop Verbaken, who moved into the complex a year ago with his wife and two children, said he enjoys his living situation.

"It's a close-knit neighborhood feel. ... Living here, you wouldn't need to go more than three or four blocks to get everything you need. ... It really works perfectly for us," he said. "It is a very nice, modern-styled building with a lot of features."

Others, including Dave Bubenik, a longtime resident of Homer Avenue, do not share Verbaken's enthusiasm. Bubenik said people dislike the housing complex not only because it doesn't fit in with the neighborhood aesthetics but also because many of the promised 800 High St. free public-parking spaces require permits.

In 2003, Palo Alto Hardware owner Larry Hassett said the complex's size would set a precedent for other larger projects in the future. Four years later, one of these new ventures is under construction on the corner of Homer Avenue and Bryant Street. This new three-story office and condo building -- including a two-story underground garage -- will soon surround the old A.M.E. Zion Church.

Another significant addition to University South is Palo Alto Heritage Park, which was constructed and dedicated in 2004. On the corner of Waverley Street and Homer Avenue, this grassy 2-acre park is one of University South's main attractions for local families, said Joe Shakes, who has lived in the area with his wife for 20 years.

"We love it; it has been a nice addition. It's good to see kids there now -- once there is a new playground going in, there will be more kids. You see adults too, playing soccer or just sitting down and reading a good book."

Before Palo Alto Heritage Park, University South only had one other park for its residents. Scott Park, located at Channing Avenue and Scott Street, is a small park that is used mainly as a basketball court.

A playground for Palo Alto Heritage Park, which includes monkey bars, a slide and a miniature train, was finished this fall.

Behind the new playground, the old Roth Building is being renovated into the Palo Alto History Museum. Across the street from that are the Museum of American Heritage as well as newer apartments and condominiums.

Gwen Williams, who relocated to University South with her husband and two young children in 2001, said she was concerned after moving because she didn't see many families with children in the area. However, over the years, more families have moved to the neighborhood, and Williams now finds it very child-friendly.

"It's great. We love it here! We have great access to all the schools and we have great access to downtown, but we're far enough away from 101 so we feel very much like we're a neighborhood here," she said. "Palo Alto has incredible programs for kids. ... It's probably the safest place you can get."

According to Shakes, the neighbors of University South are very friendly with one another. They exchange pleasantries in their driveways and they discuss the latest news in the aisles of Whole Foods.

Meyer said the neighbors even throw block parties with one another and also have their own traditions. For example, every Halloween, one neighbor on Kingsley Avenue has an exceptionally noisy party.

"That's his tradition, not mine," Meyer laughed.

From the outside, the aesthetics of University South vary from block to block. Some houses emulate the style of small Southern plantations with wooden steps leading up to a front porch, balconies overlooking the streets, and foliage arranged into arches preceding the entrances. Other houses look like common suburban ones, complete with portable basketball hoops, small fenced gardens and paved walkways that lead to front doors with small peep windows and door knockers. There are other streets lined with cabin-like houses, characterized by their wooden exterior, timber roof-shingles, porch lights styled like oil lamps, and surrounding tall trees.

Added to these settings is the sight of porches and cars beings covered with sand, dirt and sawdust. When Meyer said construction was "all over the place," she really meant it.

Despite the inconvenience of construction, which occurs in many other Palo Alto neighborhoods, newcomers and longtime residents of University South are pleased with the harmonious coexistence of the downtown area and residential neighborhood.

"The convenience of living downtown is quite attractive," Shakes said. "And, I know most of the people in the neighborhood. ... We all know each other, and without being too nosy, it gives us a sense of security."

-- Andrea Wang