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Climbing the steep, winding streets off Arboretum Drive, Woodland Acres seems a world away from the bustling Los Altos communities beyond its borders.

Once called Toyon Farms and heavily planted with trees by former owner Edward Hohfeld, Woodland Acres' most visible asset is still its terrestrial paradise. An abundant canopy of mature acacias, redwoods and oaks grace the narrow streets and homes tucked up steep driveways and behind iron gates.

Bounded by Foothill Expressway and Interstate 280 to the west and east, Beechwood Lane to the south and Permanente Creek to the north, Woodland Acres took on a new identity from 1950 to 1957. The area morphed from a 1920s pastoral farm to a 120-home suburban development of half-acre-plus lots.

Today, parts of the neighborhood are undergoing another character change: from sprawling ranch homes to two-story stucco mansions, as older homes are remodeled or razed to make way for larger homes. Woodland Acres received county services until July 1, 2006, when it was annexed to the City of Los Altos.

Fran and her late husband Don Hills bought a home on Deodara Drive in 1958. Fran remembers the quiet neighborhood where the acacias Hohfeld planted were a big attraction. Despite the rise of new mega-homes, "essentially, it still remains the wooded area it has been," she said. "[The new style of homes doesn't make them any better, any worse. It's just different."

The neighborhood may be changing, but a drive through the meandering streets still reveals plenty of the old ranch-style charm. And it is still friendly: Residents have a Yahoo! group and gather for a mid-year picnic and Christmas party, longtime Woodland Acres Association President Kay Mazzola said.

Woodland Vista Swim and Tennis Club is a mainstay of Los Altos. The private neighborhood club was formed in 1959, said Joan Williams, a board member and former president.

Toyon Farm, a condominium complex built in 1974, is hidden away nearby on a private road. It runs through the heart of what was once Toyon Stock Farm, another 20-acre parcel Hohfeld sold off in 1948. The property was a racehorse farm in the 1950s and '60s, Williams said.

North of Stonehaven Drive, The Highlands, a more compact subdivision of eclectic homes on 10,000-square-foot lots, rises along the hillsides overlooking Silicon Valley. Highlands homes may be closer to the street and lack the dense canopy of trees of Woodland Acres, but some homes have commanding views of Rancho San Antonio Open Space Preserve, Silicon Valley and the Bay.

Hal and Rhoda Daner first walked the hills in the early 1980s. Despite loving the area, they thought they could never afford to move there. They found their house on Longden Circle in 1982.

Today, new residents are greeted with a plant or other house-warming gift. During the Loma Prieta earthquake, when neighbors with an infant and another family from the East Coast were rattled by their first-ever quake, residents set up the barbecue out front for a cookout to help calm nerves, he said.

And there is always plenty of good cheer to go around.

"The block is always very festive during the holiday season," he added.


FACTS


CHILDCARE AND PRESCHOOLS (NEARBY): Children's Creative Learning Center, 2310 Homestead Road, Suite E, Los Altos

FIRE STATION: No. 16, 765 Fremont Ave.

LIBRARY: Woodland, 1975 Grant Road

NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION: Kay Mazzola, president, Woodland Acres Association

PARKS: Montclaire Park, St. Joseph Ave.; (nearby) Grant Park, 1575 Holt Ave.; Rancho San Antonio Open Space Preserve, Cristo Rey Drive

POST OFFICE: Loyola Corners, 1525 Miramonte Ave.

PRIVATE SCHOOL: St. Simon Catholic School, 1840 Grant Road

PUBLIC SCHOOLS: Cupertino Union School District — Montclaire Elementary School, Cupertino Middle School

Fremont Union High School District — Homestead High School

SHOPPING: Foothill Crossing, Homestead Road; Loyola Corners; Rancho Shopping Center

MEDIAN 2008 HOME PRICE: $1,680,000 ($1,225,000-$4,000,000)

HOMES SOLD: 14

MEDIAN 2008 CONDO PRICE: $979,000 ($900,000-$1,058,000)

CONDOS SOLD: 2

— Sue Dremann