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One familiar with the Talking Heads might be given pause and reason to recall the lyrics of "Don't Worry About the Government," while walking from the San Antonio Caltrain station through the adjacent Mountain View community known as The Crossings.

"My building has every convenience," the bright pastel yellows of the uniform homes seem to sing out, echoing David Byrne's pop melody. "It's gonna make life easy for me."

The neighborhood is nestled between San Antonio Road, Showers Drive and California Street, and its proximity to Safeway, Trader Joe's, Walmart, Target and even See's Candy lend credence to the inaudible song.

"I think that probably does sum it up," Karen Cullen chuckles when asked about her neighborhood's connection with the Talking Heads. She said that her house seems a bit small at times — especially with an 8-year-old running around. "But we like living here because of all those conveniences."

Cullen, who moved into The Crossings in 2003 with her husband and son, originally lived in the condominium portion of the neighborhood before moving into their single-family home, which is directly across from one of the complex's three open-space areas.

"The reason we decided to stay in The Crossings is that it's a very child-friendly neighborhood."

"It's fantastic," she said of being so near to a park with a jungle gym. Her son is friends with many other children on Concord Circle and she is friends with the parents of her child's playmates.

"The mothers sometimes take it in turns," Cullen said of the supervision system she and the other moms have in place. "And often we go out there just to socialize."

Paul Edwards moved to The Crossings from Cupertino in 2005. He said one of the things he likes most about his home is its carefully considered architecture. He gets plenty of natural light and feels that a lot has been done with a little. "Given what it is, there is a fair amount of space."

"A plus is the train and a minus is the train," Edwards said of the nearby station, adding that it can be noisy at times, but that it is easy to tune out after a while.

Another drawback for older residents thinking of moving into The Crossings is the floor plan, he said. "All of the buildings are three stories, so they have built in ThighMasters," which could be a challenge for less mobile residents.

While the nearest freeway is about 10 minutes away, Edwards said that in many cases Central Expressway — a stone's throw from The Crossings — is just as viable an option for commuters.

Another bonus for residents with a passion for performance is the Community School of Music and Arts located just down the street. Cullen, her husband and son often attend the family-oriented performances held at the school, and she said many of her son's friends take music lessons there.

"I think it has quite a bit to offer," Edwards said, in summation of the neighborhood. "But I think it especially has something to offer to young professionals" with families.


FACTS


CHILDCARE AND PRESCHOOLS (NEARBY): Hobbledehoy Montessori Preschool, 2321 Jane Lane

FIRE STATION: No. 3, 301 N. Rengstorff Ave.

NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION: Separate associations for condominiums, townhouses, row houses and single-family homes; all run by Nagi Chami, CEO of Tri-State Enterprises; 650-210-0085

PARKS: Concord Circle and Sondgroth Way, Beacon Street and Laurel Way; nearby: Klein Park, Monta Loma Park

POST OFFICE: Mountain View, 211 Hope St.

PRIVATE SCHOOLS (NEARBY): Gideon Hausner Jewish Day School, 450 San Antonio Road, Palo Alto

PUBLIC SCHOOLS: Los Altos School District — Covington Elementary School, Egan Junior High School; Mountain View-Los Altos Union High School District — Los Altos High School

SHOPPING: San Antonio Shopping Center, strip shopping on California Street

MEDIAN 2008 HOME PRICE: $993,250 ($960,000-$1,026,500)

HOMES SOLD: 2

MEDIAN 2008 CONDO PRICE: $675,000 ($615,000-$770,000)

CONDOS SOLD: 6

— Nick Veronin