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With 100-year-old oak trees shading large properties and lining streets with no sidewalks, the Country Club neighborhood maintains a rural flavor next to its more suburban neighbors. Built on unincorporated Santa Clara County land bounded by Magdalena Avenue, Foothill Expressway, Permanente Creek and Interstate 280, the neighborhood is neither a part of Los Altos nor Los Altos Hills.

Country Club stands apart, so neighbors have to stand together. The sentiment is Richard Blanchard's. A Mora Drive resident since 1978, he is the current president of the San Antonio Hills Homeowners' Association, which has looked after the interests of Country Club (as well as the unincorporated community east of I-280) since 1947.

"Because we don't have a city government, we have to rely on each other to solve problems and issues. The county can be a little overwhelming," said Blanchard. "We try to work with neighbors and get them in touch with the right people."

Country Club is a quiet and private community. "The houses are separate enough that you can live without seeing your neighbor very often," said Ted Brown, who moved to Country Club Drive with his wife of two years in 1964. "Over the years, though, you come to know the neighbors quite well."

In Country Club, your neighbors are your neighbors for the long haul, Blanchard said. "People tend to age in place here. Once they move in, they don't move out too often."

But when homes do open up these days, the buyers are young, upwardly mobile couples looking to raise new families in this old community. With the Rancho San Antonio Open Space Preserve and the Los Altos Golf and Country Club from which the neighborhood takes its name, there is plenty of local outdoor recreation for kids and adults alike.

And one street is a spooky haven for kids on Halloween. "You can't drive down Arbor on Halloween night," Brown said. "In fact, when our kids first went down there, I had built a barbecue that was on wheels, and I took it out with a big tiki torch and we would go down that street with beverages and have a nice party."

"On Halloween we must have 500 children that come to the street," said Laurie Richard, who's lived on Arbor Avenue since 1973. "We have a lady who's 95 who lives at the end of the street, and we have people with children that are 1 and 2 years old, so it's a very eclectic and wonderful neighborhood. It's the best street in Los Altos."

As for the neighborhood's future, the question of annexation to Los Altos or Los Altos Hills always looms on the horizon. "Every once in a while the issue of annexation comes up," said Brown. "But annexation is kind of like the 300-pound gorilla, and it's hard for people to digest whether that's good, bad or indifferent."

For now, though, the community still stands apart, together.


FACTS


CHILDCARE AND PRESCHOOLS (NEARBY): Los Altos Christian Preschool, 625 Magdalena Ave.; Los Altos United Methodist Children's Center, 655 Magdalena Ave.

FIRE STATION: No. 16, 765 Fremont Ave.

LIBRARY: Woodland, 1975 Grant Road

NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION: Richard Blanchard, president, San Antonio Hills Inc. Homeowners Association, 650-948-3073, www.sanantoniohills.com

PARK (NEARBY): Rancho San Antonio Open Space Preserve, Cristo Rey Drive

POST OFFICE: Loyola Corners, 1525 Miramonte Ave.

PRIVATE SCHOOL: Los Altos Christian School, 625 Magdalena Ave.

PUBLIC SCHOOLS: Los Altos School District — Loyola Elementary School, Blach Intermediate School

Mtn. View-Los Altos Union High School District — Mountain View High School

SHOPPING: Loyola Corners, Miramonte Avenue and Rancho Shopping Center

MEDIAN 2008 HOME PRICE: $2,200,000 ($1,500,000-$3,100,000)

HOMES SOLD: 17

— Dan Shilstone